Nuggets and notes
- Isaiah comes to the rescue: Isaiah Hartenstein scored every Thunder field goal in the final 8:28 and was a threat on the offensive glass all game. OK, it was only two field goals in that stretch, but Hart also had one in the fourth, as he went 3-of-3 in the final quarter (while the rest of the team went 2-18). He finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 5 offensive boards.
- The Free Throw Dealer: One player made 250% more free throws than the best player on the other team. Yes, that’s right, PJ Washington shot 250% more free throws than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (7-2). When will we see the memes?
- More about free throws: SGA didn’t execute a free throw until 21 seconds remained – and the result was an intentional foul. OKC shot just 13 total free throws to Dallas’ 22.
- Chet schools Cooper: With 9:30 left in the third inning, Chet Holmgren exploded on Cooper Flagg with a one-handed slam that immediately went viral. That play was an example of how aggressive Chet has become this season, and also showed that Flagg is still adjusting to life in the NBA.
- Flagg’s Rough Night: Dallas’ rookie star struggled, finishing with just 2 points on 1-of-9 shooting and little impact defensively. To be fair, Flagg got the brunt of the OKC offense.
- Turnover speech: The Thunder, typically elite at forcing giveaways, forced just nine turnovers — their lowest mark of the season — and committed 13 of their own, leading to 16 fewer Dallas points than turnovers, compared to 11 for OKC.
- Not quite déjà vu yet: Similar to their win over Atlanta two nights earlier, OKC dominated the third quarter (39-27) to seize control. It looked like another quiet fourth quarter for Shai… but no.
- Chet’s Block Party: Holmgren hit four shots, bringing his season total to five, after recording zero in the first two games. He anchored a defense that held Dallas to a 37.9% shooting percentage overall.
- SGA does not score 30: Shai had his quietest night of the season, scoring just 23 points on 10-of-22 shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander did his best work in the third, scoring 12 points as OKC built a 22-point lead, but once he got benched the team couldn’t hold on to the lead, forcing the MVP back into the game in the fourth.
- Gang crowd: Ajay Mitchell (17 points, 7 boards) and Aaron Wiggins (11 points) were particularly big in this game, especially as the Thunder’s second unit exploited Dallas when Anthony Davis went to the bench. Ajay has been impressive in every game this year and it’s clear that both Mitchell and Wiggins are really making their presence felt on the pitch.
- Undefeated company: The Thunder are now 4-0, joining the Spurs, Bulls and 76ers as the NBA’s last undefeated teams. No surprises there.
One big takeaway: the fourth-quarter meltdown
The Thunder led by as many as 22 in the third quarter, 21 in the fourth quarter, and yet with 54.8 seconds left in the game, the reigning champs only had a 1-point lead.
Ice cold shooting almost caused OKC to lose a game they had well in hand. OKC shot 5-for-21 in the final period, including 0-for-9 from three, while committing seven turnovers and being outscored 25-14. With less than 4 minutes left, the Thunder had only scored 6 points in the quarter.
Not only was the shooting poor, but Oklahoma City couldn’t protect the ball and turned the ball over seven times.
While the Thunder avoided disaster, to me this is an example of the margins in the NBA. While OKC has the current MVP, an aggressive Chet Holmgren and a leap forward Ajay Mitchell, the team is saddled with a short rotation that has been without key players like Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams for all or most of the season.
This team, fully healthy, is a buzzsaw, but sometimes in the NBA, when you’re missing some of your best players, that margin shrinks and finding ways to win becomes the priority. It was that way against the Rockets and Pacers, and it was that way last night against the Mavericks.
#Thunder #Mavericks #Day #Report