As has been the theme of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder failed to capitalize on another chance to reach .500 with a 128-111 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
The Thunder rode a three-game winning streak and a 6-1 record in their last seven games into Thursday’s chance to break even with their record. Playing in the home country of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort, the Thunder struggled to gain control of the game.
Despite the lopsided final score and the fact the Raptors led by as many as 20, it wasn’t a blowout. Instead, it was a back-and-forth game with 11 lead changes and five ties in three quarters. Neither team led by more than 11 points until the fourth quarter. The Raptors used a 34-25 advantage in the fourth quarter to build the final margin.
Being forced to play at a high pace, the Thunder struggled to limit turnovers and defend in transition. OKC turned the ball over 13 times, a high number compared to the low 18 team assists. In the fast break, the Raptors created a 23-6 scoring advantage.
“Toronto was on brand tonight,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “I thought they were the aggressor. A lot of the fast breaks in the first half were off of our turnovers… They were the aggressor on both ends of the floor, which is kind of their brand of basketball. It’s how they win.”
The Raptors also feasted on second-chance points, outscoring the Thunder 21-12 in that department. On the boards, the Raptors dominated with a massive 59-39 advantage and a 19-11 offensive rebounds advantage.
It was a well-balanced attack by the Raptors as six players scored at least 16 points. All-Star Pascal Siakam headlined the win as he finished with 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Other contributors include Gary Trent Jr., who scored 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting off the bench. A Trent Jr. 3 iced the game as it gave the Raptors a 20-point lead with 4:52 left in the game.
Jakob Poeltl recorded a 16-point and 12-rebound double-double. Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes each scored 19 points and O.G. Anunoby had 17 points.
Overall, the Raptors’ starting lineup combined to score 96 of their 123 points.
For the Thunder, it was the SGA show as he finished with an efficient 29 points. The Toronto native played great in his homecoming against the Raptors in the 17-point loss.
“We didn’t play our best but we kept the game in striking distance,” Daigneault said. “When you don’t play your best, that’s all you can hope for. We just never got kinda to the solution, on either end of the floor, in a consistent way.”
Let’s take a look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
In his fourth NBA game in Toronto, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was remarkable.
Playing in Canada for the first time since December 2021, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points on an efficient 12-of-19 shooting, three assists and three rebounds. Inside of the paint, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
Gilgeous-Alexander also continued the newfound Thunder tradition of halftime buzzer beaters.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s night took off in the second quarter, scoring 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting. By halftime, he had 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting.
The second half was a different story. He scored 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting — a clear sign that the Raptors’ exotic zone defenses held him in check.
“They just probably went and got him a little earlier with the double teams, ” Daigneault said about Gilgeous-Alexander’s difference in halves. ” …They were trying to get out of his hands and I thought that was disruptive.”
Cleared for take off ✈️ pic.twitter.com/UJQrtdCLsp
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 17, 2023
🚨🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/MYMvoPVcR3
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 17, 2023
Poetry in Motion, a short film by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. @okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/z5KOorXFJx
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) March 17, 2023
Score ➡️ steal ➡️ score 👏 pic.twitter.com/VsX3eCno7D
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 16, 2023
Inside out to start! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/IneZJfxEgo
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 16, 2023
Jalen Williams: B-minus
Considering the standard he’s set, this was a prosaic performance for Jalen Williams. He finished with 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting and went 6-of-7 from the free-throw line to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.
Losses like these really spotlight how Williams’ nature of playing within the flow of the offense can be detrimental. As Daigneault mentioned before, a selfish Williams could be beneficial given he’s the team’s second-best scorer.
When looking through the box score of this game, it’s hard to justify Williams taking the same number of shots as Josh Giddey and Lu Dort — two players who don’t possess the scoring talents of Williams.
A defensive stop leads to a score in transition! 😤 pic.twitter.com/W8hGgXJNy5
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 17, 2023
Josh Giddey: B-minus
Josh Giddey was the Thunder’s third-leading scorer in this game with 13 points, which speaks poorly of how the non-SGA players performed in this loss.
Giddey finished with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting, seven assists and one assist — although considering how he produced his lone dime, maybe it should count for more solely off style points.
Connecting with flare! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ncvGN8xjmr
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 17, 2023
Tre Mann: B
Daigneault hinted at the possibility of the Thunder eventually turning to Tre Mann after being a DNP in five of his last six games, and that materialized against the Raptors.
In 21 minutes off the bench, Mann scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and went 2-of-3 from 3. Mann scored seven of his points in the second quarter.
On the defensive end, Jaylin Williams’ willingness to absorb contact in exchange for drawing charges must be contagious as Mann drew one himself in the second quarter.
This was a good outing for the second-year player who has fizzled out of the rotation in recent weeks.
“He’s kept himself ready,” Daigneault said. “I watched our high-intensity workout the other day… I was pretty impressed with his approach to that. I thought he approached that like a guy who was kinda banging on the door so I wanted to give him some opportunity.”
Showing the range and foot speed! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/UfeYSKot0j
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 17, 2023
Tre draws a charge! pic.twitter.com/PDydGwoCRd
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 17, 2023
