Tag: isaiah joe

Player grades: Thunder stuns Warriors with 130-123 OT win to complete comeback

Player grades for the Thunder’s 130-123 OT win over the Warriors:

Receiving the inbound pass, Chet Holmgren let off a miracle turnaround 3-pointer that swished into the net as the final buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime. The improbable bucket stunned the Chase Center crowd.

After trailing by as many as 18 points, the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for the comeback and came away with a 130-123 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors.

“I really appreciate the mental resilience to just kinda hang in the game,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said about the win. “It felt like a game we weren’t going to win but there’s always time on the clock… Games are long. I thought our guys had great maturity and toughness to do that tonight.”

After an Andrew Wiggins 3-pointer gave the Warriors a three-point with three seconds left, it looked like the Thunder would have to take solace in the fact that they pushed Golden State to the brink and split this mini-baseball series.

Instead, Holmgren — who made a pair of miscues seconds earlier with a missed layup and shot clock violation — redeemed himself and put an exclamation mark on his best game of his rookie season yet.

The shocking 3-pointer jolted the Thunder in overtime as they outscored the Warriors 13-6 in the five-minute period. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped put this one to bed with 10 points in OT. He scored 40 points in the win and tag-teamed with Holmgren for 76 combined points.

The final six minutes of this game will get all of the buzz and headlines, but OKC laid down the foundation of this comeback win in the third quarter.

A poor first-half finish by OKC ignited a Warriors run that helped them build a 10-point lead at halftime. Golden State proceeded to go on one of its signature second-half runs and had a 79-61 lead with 6:54 left in the third quarter.

By that point, it felt like the Thunder were beginning to let go of the rope. And if they did, it would’ve been hard to be too upset at them. OKC already did its job by splitting this two-game set at San Francisco. With this being the first night of a road back-to-back, it wouldn’t have been outrageous to see the Thunder lose in a valiant effort.

Instead, the Thunder closed out the third quarter on a 22-6 run to suddenly turn it into a two-point deficit heading into the final frame.

“Just take it one play at a time,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on their mindset on mounting a comeback. “Like you said, we’ve done it multiple times. We know what it takes. We know how to get it done… We try to focus in defensively.”

A back-and-forth fourth quarter concluded with Holmgren’s miracle shot that forced overtime and the Thunder’s strong final five minutes closed out their most impressive win of the season thus far.

Overall, the Thunder shot 52% from the field. 26 of their 52 buckets were assisted on. The trio of Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and Jalen Williams combined for 98 points on 60% shooting.

Meanwhile, the Warriors were led by Stephen Curry and Wiggins. Curry — who missed the first game on Thursday with a knee strain — scored 25 points on 8-of-21 shooting and went 5-of-11 from 3. Wiggins had a season-high 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting and went 5-of-8 from 3.

Overall, the Warriors shot 45% from the field and went 18-of-46 (39.1%) from 3.

Sitting at 9-4 and enjoying one of their best starts in recent memory, the Thunder continue to rack up impressive road wins. Getting two against the Warriors is a potential season-defining feat.

“This was a game we knew we had to earn,” Daigneault said. “That was what was cool about it. Just the experience of having to earn it. Whether you come out on top or fall short, that’s a good experience for a team that’s as early in their season as we are.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Pro Hogs: Joe goes 7 for 7 in OKC’s dominant win over Warriors

Isaiah Joe, filling it up per usual from distance. Oklahoma City may be a threat in the Western Conference this season.

All Arkansas fans know of Isaiah Joe’s prodigious 3-point ability from his two years here.

Joe is putting the rest of the country and the NBA world on notice nowadays with performances like last night.

The Fort Smith native had 23 points and went 7 for 7 from the perimeter in Oklahoma City’s 128-109 victory over Golden State.

It’s early in the season, but the Thunder are currently 8-4 in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games behind defending NBA champion Denver for first place.

The Warriors were without Stephen Curry, who is dealing with knee soreness and Draymond Green, who is serving a 5-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock and wouldn’t let go.

Player grades: 3-point shooting helps Thunder blow out Warriors, 128-109

Player grades for the Thunder’s 128-109 win over the Warriors:

Casually jogging to the corner, Isaiah Joe found just enough space to let off a quick 3-pointer. The sharpshooter’s seventh make of the night pushed OKC’s lead to 21 points with a little under six minutes left.

It included a bit of drama, but the Oklahoma City Thunder ultimately relished in a 128-109 win over the Golden State Warriors.

“I thought we had great focus to start the game,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said about the win. “I talked about that before the game from our last road trip. I thought we came out and really executed on both ends of the floor and threw the first punch.”

The Thunder got off to a hot start as they quickly built a 39-24 lead over the Warriors following the first quarter. Golden State managed to cut its deficit as it entered halftime trailing by just seven points. It carried that momentum in the second half as it got close to one point.

After that though, the Thunder finished the third quarter on a 15-5 run that bled over into the early minutes of the fourth quarter. OKC quickly rebuilt its lead to 20 points and made the final four minutes laissez-faire after flirting with disaster for most of the middle quarters.

“I just thought we were at 80% effort and I thought we kicked it into gear there,” Daigneault said on the Warriors’ comeback attempt. “That group at the end of the third (quarter) to start the fourth really ignited us.”

A barrage of 3-pointers helped the Thunder dominate the Warriors. OKC shot an eye-popping 19-of-32 (59.4%) from 3 — a season-high in makes. Joe led the way with a season-high seven 3-pointers. Four other Thunder players made multiple 3-pointers in this win.

Overall, the Thunder continue to be a well-oiled machine on offense. OKC dished out 31 assists on its 44 made baskets. It also went 21-of-23 (91.3%) from the free-throw line. Six players scored double-digit points and the Thunder had 51 bench points.

The same couldn’t be said for the Warriors without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green — the former was out with knee soreness while the latter was out due to a five-game suspension.

Golden State shot 41% from the field and went an icy 14-of-41 (34.1%) from outside. The Warriors were led by Chris Paul, who had the spot start and finished with 15 points and eight assists. Jonathan Kuminga — another spot starter — also contributed with a team-high 21 points. Off the bench, Kevon Looney secured 13 points and 11 rebounds.

It was a no-show type of night for Klay Thompson — who notoriously is an OKC killer. He was limited to five points on 1-of-10 shooting including going 1-of-6 from 3.

“We didn’t want to let them come in and beat us doing what they wanted to do,” Chet Holmgren said on the defense. “I feel like we did a really good job of making them look towards the second option, the third option.”

Overall, this was an impressive road win for the Thunder — even if the Warriors were shorthanded. It was one of OKC’s better offensive showings and did an excellent job at staying resilient and overcoming their Warriors boogeyman.

The fact the Thunder dominated like this with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being limited to 24 points on 21 shots shows off the depth this team possesses.

“We did a great job at playing together and playing for each other,” Holmgren said. “Shoutout to our team we made some really big shots… Overall, a great team effort.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Player grades: Controversial ending causes Thunder to lose to Warriors, 141-139

Player grades for the Thunder’s 141-139 loss to the Warriors.

OKLAHOMA CITY — After a lengthy review, the officials announced the unfortunate news to the OKC faithful: An offensive basket interference call was overturned.

The packed Paycom Center quickly rained boos down on the court because the reversal meant the Golden State Warriors scored the game-winning basket. The SGA-less Oklahoma City Thunder lost their first in-season tournament game, 141-139.

The controversial final play spoiled an otherwise excellent night by the Thunder. They played without their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was out with a knee sprain.

So what exactly happened on the final play?

A Steph Curry floater was initially waved off as it looked like Draymond Green interfered with the basket. The call would’ve likely sent the high-scoring game into overtime.

Instead, the referees went to the monitor and had an extended review that eventually went against OKC’s favor. The offensive goaltending call was overturned as the referees explained Josh Giddey touched the net before Green touched the basket.

Oddly enough, the points were initially awarded to Green instead of Curry before that was corrected. After the game, Daigneault said the referees explained to him that while Green did touch the rim, it did not affect the play enough to call it an offensive goaltend.

“They said he touched the rim but not to the extent that it impacted the play,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “To be honest with you, I don’t really know how the rule’s written but that’s the explanation I got. … I’m assuming they got that right.”

So yeah, that’s a lot to digest. Several interpretations of the offensive goaltend rule have been posted all over social media, so it’s nearly impossible to make sense of that final possession.

Regardless of the reasoning, the Thunder showed out in a playoff-esque environment against one of the greatest teams in league history. It was a back-and-forth contest that saw 15 lead changes and 15 ties. Neither team led by more than nine points.

“It was a great game to be in for our team,” Daigneault said. “I thought it was a classic game where every possession mattered obviously right up until the end of the game. … It was a true 48-minute game, which is no place we’d rather be.”

OKC’s offense had its best showing of the season. It finished with 139 points on 50-of-83 (60.2%) shooting and 15-of-29 (51.7%) from 3. Playing with pace, the Thunder dished 26 assists and flexed its offensive firepower.

Chet Holmgren and Lu Dort made up for Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence. The duo combined for 53 points. Holmgren had 24 points on 7-of-9 shooting while Dort had 29 points and went 6-of-6 shooting from 3.

“It’s good to experience those types of games,” Dort said. “This team has had a lot of success in this league so it’s good to fight against those type of guys.

Meanwhile, the Warriors were led by Curry, who had 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Klay Thompson scored 18 points in the win. Green finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga scored 19 points, ex-Thunder Dario Saric had 20 points and Chris Paul dished 13 assists.

Golden State went 18-of-40 (45%) from 3 and dished 36 assists. It scored more than 30 points in every quarter and 141 points in regulation is elite offensive production.

“It was obviously a fun game to be a part of,” Daigneault said. “It was a really competitive game. … The teams that improve with these experiences are the ones that play their best basketball later in the year and the ones that grow over time and that’s the team we want to be.

“I think it’s important that this one stings. Obviously, you want to win but we got to put this one in its proper place.”

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Recap: OKC Thunder’s season-opener eve practice (Oct. 24)

Here’s what Mark Daigneault, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe had to say following Tuesday’s practice:

The Oklahoma City Thunder held practice on Tuesday as they prepare for the regular-season opener against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

In their final practice before the start of the season, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe spoke with the media.

Daigneault talked about his theory as to why he thinks that — despite their age — the Thunder have shown signs of maturity and success. Williams talked about his confidence level heading into his second season. Joe talked about the feel of their final practice before the NBA marathon begins.

Let’s recap what Daigneault, Williams and Joe had to say on the eve of their season opener.

Seven Pro Hogs see action in first NBA preseason games

Seven former Arkansas Razorbacks saw significant action in NBA preseason games on Monday night. Here’s how they fared.

Football and postseason baseball typically dominate the October headlines, but what can sometimes get lost in all of that is the beginning of basketball season.

Last week, this year’s Arkansas basketball team put on their annual Red-White Showcase in front of 6,000 fans in Barnhill Arena. This week, former Razorbacks will take the floor as NBA preseason games began on Sunday afternoon and Monday night.

[autotag]Patrick Beverley[/autotag] (Sixers), [autotag]Ricky Council IV[/autotag] (Sixers), [autotag]Isaiah Joe[/autotag] (Thunder), [autotag]Bobby Portis[/autotag] (Bucks), [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag] (Pistons), [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] (Celtics) and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] (Thunder) all got their first taste of playing time ahead of the NBA season.

Anthony Black (Magic), Dan Gafford (Wizards), Moses Moody (Warriors), Nick Smith Jr. (Hornets) will all be in action later this week.

Here’s a look at how each of those seven Pro Hogs that played already have fared.

Recap: Tuesday’s 2023-24 OKC Thunder training camp

Here’s what Mark Daigneault, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Joe had to say following Tuesday’s training camp:

Tuesday marked the first day of training camp for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

As camp starts, battles for roster spots have officially begun. The Thunder currently roster 21 players — 18 standard players and three two-way slots — which means they’ll need to trim that number down by three.

It seemingly looks like one of those three cuts has already been made as Sam Presti confirmed Victor Oladipo won’t attend camp and will make a decision on his expiring $9.5 million salary soon.

Following Tuesday’s camp, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Joe spoke with the media. Let’s highlight what they each had to say as training camp begins across the league.

The Lowe Post brainstorms trade that would bring Buddy Hield to the Thunder

A potential Buddy Hield deal would bring the former Sooner back to Oklahoma.

In the latest episode of “The Lowe Post,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Bobby Marks had an interesting trade proposal that would bring a former Sooner back to his old college state.

Marks suggested a trade that would land Buddy Hield to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also notes that this is just him thinking of potential landing spots for Hield and not reporting anything significant.

The Thunder would send Davis Bertans, Isaiah Joe and three second-round picks to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Hield.

“Put some shooters around Shai. And certainly, the Bertans contract is probably going to be the one…,” Marks said. “I’m looking at Bertans with a combination of Isaiah Joe and three (second-round picks).”

Lowe said he wasn’t really a fan of the deal for the Thunder, noting that Joe is too good to give up in that deal.

The Pacers have recently begun trade discussions surrounding Hield after both sides failed to agree on a contract extension. The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his current deal and is set to make $19.2 million this season.

Bertans is set to make $17 million this season with an early termination option of $16 million for next season. Joe is on a bargain deal as the sharpshooter is set to make $4.2 million over the next two seasons if his contract is guaranteed and next season’s option is picked up.

This proposal has some juice to it for both sides. The Thunder will gain one of the best 3-point shooters ever in the middle of his prime while the Pacers get some nice draft assets along with two helpful rotation pieces.

While losing Joe would sting since the Thunder basically developed him last season, the upside with Hield providing spacing for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is attractive enough to consider the deal.

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Zach Lowe brainstorms trade that would bring Buddy Hield to the Thunder

A potential Buddy Hield deal would bring the former Sooner back to Oklahoma.

In the latest episode of “The Lowe Post,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe had an interesting trade proposal that would bring a former Sooner back to his old college state.

Lowe suggested a trade that would land Buddy Hield to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also notes that this is just him thinking of potential landing spots for Hield and not reporting anything significant.

The Thunder would send Davis Bertans, Isaiah Joe and three second-round picks to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Hield.

“Put some shooters around Shai. And certainly, the Bertans contract is probably going to be the one…,” Lowe said. “I’m looking at Bertans with a combination of Isaiah Joe and three (second-round picks).”

The Pacers have recently begun trade discussions surrounding Hield after both sides failed to agree on a contract extension. The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his current deal and is set to make $19.2 million this season.

Bertans is set to make $17 million this season with an early termination option of $16 million for next season. Joe is on a bargain deal as the sharpshooter is set to make $4.2 million over the next two seasons if his contract is guaranteed and next season’s option is picked up.

This proposal has some juice to it for both sides. The Thunder will gain one of the best 3-point shooters ever in the middle of his prime while the Pacers get some nice draft assets along with two helpful rotation pieces.

While losing Joe would sting since the Thunder basically developed him last season, the upside with Hield providing spacing for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is attractive enough to consider the deal.

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OKC Thunder 3 goals: What Isaiah Joe has to accomplish in 2023-24 season

Here are 3 goals that Isaiah Joe can accomplish for the upcoming season.

In this continuing series, Thunder Wire assigns three goals to each of the 21 players, per Spotrac, that make up the Oklahoma City Thunder roster.

The Thunder’s season kicks off on Oct. 25 against the Chicago Bulls. After a surprising 40-42 campaign that ended a win shy of the playoffs, OKC enters this year with playoff aspirations.

Let’s assign three goals for Isaiah Joe, who enjoyed a change of scenery last season when he had a breakout year with the Thunder. He was a late roster addition after the Philadelphia 76ers waived him late in training camp.

On the Thunder, Joe finished the season as one of their top bench options.