OKLAHOMA CITY — Receiving MVP chants at the free-throw line, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored his 30th point in the waning seconds of the third quarter as he sat out the final frame.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, no funny business was involved in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 147-106 win over the Washington Wizards.
“We just want to be a team that generates rhythm shots and open shots. I thought we did that tonight. We did that last night, we’ve done that for much of the year,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “We’ve gotten more open 3’s than most teams in the league.”
The Thunder put up 41 points in the first quarter against one of the worst defensive teams in the league. OKC added to its lead with a 39-point second frame. At halftime, the Thunder led the Wizards, 80-57. It was the most points scored in the first half for OKC this season.
The 147 points in regulation is a season-high for the Thunder. The lowly Wizards continue to be in the race for the worst record in the league and have now lost 10 in a row.
The third quarter was much of the same story as the Thunder totaled 37 points to enter the final frame with an eye-popping 117 points and a 36-point lead.
Due to the lopsided score, the Thunder were afforded the luxury of resting their starters in the final frame. By the end of the period, OKC walked away with a 41-point win.
The Thunder shot an impressive 60% from the field and went 20-of-40 (50%) from 3. They dished out 30 assists on 55 baskets. Seven Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with a typical 30-point outing. He made easy work of the Wizards in his three quarters of work. Chet Holmgren also had one of his best-scoring games of the season, totaling 25 points and 10 rebounds.
“He’s just refining on the offensive end of the floor,” Daigneault said about Holmgren. “He’s shooting his catch-and-shoots with a lot of confidence right now, regardless of make or miss. He’s also getting his size into the game around the basket, especially against switches.”
Meanwhile, the lowly Wizards shot 39% from the field and went 9-of-38 (23.7%) from 3. They dished out 20 assists on 41 baskets. Five Wizards players scored double-digit points.
Jordan Poole had 21 points on 7-of-19 shooting, three assists and three rebounds. Corey Kispert totaled 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 3-of-7 from 3. Kyle Kuzma scored 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
The relatively low-stress win is exactly the type of outing OKC needed after its massive win over the LA Clippers on the previous night. The Thunder continue to rack up wins and are riding a four-game winning streak.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A
Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be a reliable 30 points regardless of opponent and he managed to do that in three quarters for the Thunder tonight.
In 30 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander had 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting, nine assists and seven rebounds. He shot a perfect 9-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line.
The 25-year-old got to his spots with ease as the Wizards didn’t roster the personnel to slow him down. He did most of his scoring damage off of drives and got to the free-throw line at will.
Overall, it was a relaxed type of night for Gilgeous-Alexander, who didn’t need to stress too much over the Wizards and had a relatively short night due to the lopsided score.
“The thing he’s been most consistent with is his approach, his competitiveness, his temperament, his leadership in his own way,” Daigneault said on Gilgeous-Alexander.
Chet Holmgren: A-plus
Driving to the basket, Holmgren had plenty of nice finishes around the basket and he utilized contact to his advantage to push off of defenders and create space.
Holmgren had one of his best scoring outings of the season against the lowly Wizards. He finished with 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting, 10 rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes. He shot 2-of-5 from 3.
The 21-year-old was afforded the fourth quarter off as OKC routed Washington. The seven-foot rookie ate inside of the paint, where he shot a perfect 9-of-9.
Washington was an easy opponent for Holmgren to go off against and he took advantage of the opportunity with an efficient 25 points.
“We knew the game plan, we executed it well and we really trusted each other,” Holmgren said. “That’s how we got those open looks, and credit to everybody who got them and knocked them down.”
That 8 to 7 connection >>> pic.twitter.com/Xy3zeaDEPj
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2024
In case you missed this play, 7 got 🆙 pic.twitter.com/UqZZXQX7bH
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2024
Block on one end ⏭ score on the other pic.twitter.com/aNLoYEKAER
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2024
Josh Giddey: B
After struggling the night before, Giddey had a bounce-back night against the Wizards. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 21 minutes. He sat out the final quarter with the rest of the starters.
It’s been a struggling season for Giddey, but against teams like the Wizards, he shows off his strengths as he matches up well against them. Washington’s lack of rim protection allowed the 21-year-old to have an efficient night inside of the paint.
Giddey 🆙 pic.twitter.com/sVDsg4UBzn
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2024
Kenrich Williams: B-plus
Camping in the left corner spot, Kenrich Williams splashed in three consecutive 3-pointers for the Thunder in their 41-point first quarter.
In 14 minutes off the bench, Williams scored 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from outside. The veteran wing continues to be a reliable bench option for OKC this season.
Same spot. Three times in a row 👌 pic.twitter.com/2vsV1RhWzt
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2024
KRich finds @gordonhayward 🤝 pic.twitter.com/zeeQTwreTt
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2024
