OKLAHOMA CITY — After a slow start in which they trailed by as many as 16 points against the Brooklyn Nets, the Oklahoma City Thunder weaponized the 3-ball in the third quarter to take control in a 121-107 win.
Led by Lu Dort’s five 3-pointers, the Thunder shot 8-of-15 from 3 and outscored the Nets 38-20 in the third quarter. The Thunder flipped a 10-point halftime deficit into an 8-point fourth-quarter lead.
“I thought the group did a great job at halftime just regrouping and taking a deep breath,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said.
The Thunder solidified their comeback win with a 31-25 fourth-quarter advantage. The slow start was a distant memory as the Thunder outscored the Nets 69-45 in the second half.
“We didn’t go down 25 (points) and we easily could have,” Daigneault said. “We just kind of hung in there long enough for the game to turn.”
The Thunder outscored the Nets, 66-38, inside of the paint and attempted 17 more shots. The Nets committed 17 turnovers, which resulted in 23 points for the Thunder.
“We just kinda hung in there long enough for the game to turn and then did a good job at the end of the first half kinda cutting into it,” Daigneault said. “… I thought the most underrated period of that game is when you’re taking body shots and hanging in there and not getting knocked out.”
Outside of their third-quarter barrage from 3, the Thunder shot 3-of-18 (16.7%) from outside in the other three quarters of the game. Overall, the Thunder shot 11-of-33 (33.3%) from 3 in the win.
“They guarded us. That’s a good team,” Daigneault said about the Nets. “… That’s a tough team to beat.”
Daigneault is definitely right. Entering the game, the Nets were — just like the Thunder — 5-1 in their last six games with four of those wins coming on the road. Even though the star power is no longer there, the Nets continue to play solid basketball as they are one game out of fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
The new-look Nets were led by Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, who were acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant trade. Bridges finished with 34 points on 11-of-23 shooting and Johnson finished with 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
With the win, the Thunder have won three consecutive games and six of their last seven games. Led by their young quartet, the Thunder continue to declare themselves serious playoff contenders.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey and Dort combined to score 97 of OKC’s 121 points.
“Those guys did a great job,” Daigneault said.
The Thunder have managed to bake their cake and eat it, too, as they develop their young core while also enjoying tangible positive results. It’s a delicate balance the Thunder have mastered. Wins like these should excite the fan base for future — immediate and long term.
Let’s take a look at Thunder player grades.