On the day Lu Dort was named one of the nominees for Western Conference Player of the Week, he reached the 20-point mark for the fourth game in a row.
He was the only Thunder player to do so against the Miami Heat, though, and Oklahoma City suffered a 103-90 loss to one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, yet a team that was shorthanded.
The Thunder’s job seemed easier when Miami stars Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler were ruled out pregame. Without those two-way anchors on the court, Oklahoma City may be able to create some more points and find more stops on the other end.
That was not the case. Miami’s defense was stellar, aggressively attacking guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and forcing him into one of his worst games since joining OKC. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting as the Heat hounded him and prevented him from finding any rhythm.
Guard Tyler Herro took on the load for the Heat in the absence of Butler and Adebayo. He scored 26 points, made five 3-pointers, had seven rebounds and six assists, and recorded a plus-28 on the night.
Here are some takeaways from the game, Oklahoma City’s second loss in a row: