Like the brand-new jerseys the Oklahoma City Thunder donned on Friday night, this OKC team looks unrecognizable to the league that thought they would be pushovers in the 2021-22 campaign.
The 105-103 comeback victory topped off by a Lu Dort steal and layup that won the game puts the Thunder on a four-game winning streak. With victories over the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans and now the Sacramento Kings, the Thunder are outplaying expectations set by those around the league.
On Friday, the Thunder overcame an 18-point deficit, the fourth time they’ve come back from trailing by more than 15 this season. In doing so, they inched closer to a .500 record. Now at 5-6 on the season, Oklahoma City is in 10th place, good for a play-in spot in the early junctures of the year.
Their wins haven’t been against teams that are tanking. Two of the victories were against the Lakers, who entered the year among Western Conference favorites but have struggled to get going, particularly without LeBron James on the court. It’s hard to say the Spurs are good this year, but as long as coach Gregg Popovich is at the helm, they’ll put up a fight. The Kings are hoping for their first playoff appearance in 15 years. The Pelicans — well, OK, the Pelicans are bad and were missing their two stars, but this was supposed to be a good season for them.
Against Sacramento on Friday night, Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points apiece and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl tied Serge Ibaka’s Thunder rookie record with 14 rebounds in a game.
Off the bench, Kenrich Williams was a team-high plus-13 in 18 minutes of play. He scored nine points and had five rebounds. Tre Mann came up big with seven fourth-quarter points, including a key 3-pointer that gave the Thunder a lead. He finished with 12 points total.
Darius Bazley was very efficient, as he made six of his eight shots and went 2-for-3 from behind the arc. He finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
With similar shooting percentages between the two teams, Oklahoma City’s four extra shots and four extra made field goals were difference-makers.
All in all, the game followed a similar trend to what we have seen in this recent stretch: The Thunder struggled to score in the first quarter (16 points), found their way in quarter two (32 points), picked it up in the third (outscored the Spurs by 5) and then iced the game late (Thunder outscored San Antonio 28-17 in the fourth).
Oklahoma City got enough from enough key contributors and then looked to its best players when it mattered most. Dort was the one to pick them on Friday, as Gilgeous-Alexander had a solid 22 points but shot just 9-for-24 from the field.
Heading into a back-to-back against the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat, it was a good win and confidence builder to close out this stretch against Western Conference opponents.
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