It took a collective effort by the Thunder to beat double-digit deficits on two separate events together with a career-high scoring night time for Darius Bazley. Regardless of being on the doorstep for the second straight night time, Washington outpaced the Thunder down the stretch to take the win.
The Thunder capped off what was a demanding stretch the place it performed 5 video games in a matter of seven days towards Washington on the second night time of a back-to-back. Regardless of the grueling nature of the schedule, the Thunder shook off an early punch thrown by the Wizards and battled its means again from a 17-point deficit within the second quarter after an early 11 factors from Bradley Beal.
“They actually performed tonight. I believed the competitiveness, the second quarter on, we actually competed,” mentioned Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “It was a enjoyable sport to compete in. The fellows had been actually into it. Clearly, we’d have preferred to get that one and preferred to get all these, however on the finish of the day if we compete like that, we’ll proceed to enhance on the fee we’ve been enhancing. That’s a predominant ingredient.”
Thunder rookie level guard Théo Maledon instigated the Thunder’s 14-5 run. Proper out of a timeout with just below seven minutes left within the second quarter, the Thunder executed a pointy sideline-out-of-bounds play that resulted in a artful dump off cross from the rookie to huge man Tony Bradley for a slam. The dunk was simply two of the 9 consecutive factors that Théo was liable for through rating or help. By the top of the night time the Thunder would have six gamers in double figures together with Maledon with 15 factors and Bradley with 16.
“I actually was making an attempt to play with extra tempo, and actually play with rhythm to attempt to get the simplest issues potential,” mentioned Maledon. “Actually do the little issues that makes us in the fitting house in the fitting path.”
The Thunder’s run ballooned to 24-9 so as to minimize the Wizard’s looming deficit right down to only one level with simply 30 seconds left within the half. Nonetheless, a driving layup from Russell Westbrook and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Davis Bertans put Washington again up six factors going into halftime.
“We knew we needed to do it with stops. Offensively, we had been capable of get to no matter we wished actually, it simply got here right down to getting stops,” mentioned Bazley. “Simply getting again in transition, limiting their second likelihood factors and getting great things offensively.”
The Wizard’s lead reinflated to double-figures within the third quarter. It wasn’t Svi Mykhailiuk rolled in a layup on the remaining second of the body that the Thunder’s momentum as soon as once more shifted in its favor. This time, OKC rallied to the tune of a 15-6 run behind the efforts of its main scorer Bazley. The second yr ahead cashed in 10 factors within the fourth quarter alone on the way in which to a career-high 26. Bazley was aggressive in attacking the paint which resulted in each alternatives on the rim and journeys to the free throw line.
“He’s simply been taking part in with nice pressure recently. He’s actually turning into extra decisive,” mentioned Daigneault. “He’s actually beginning to perceive how athletic and powerful he’s and is gaining lots of confidence in that. We’re simply lighting the fuse on it. We like to see it. He’s gonna make errors. He’s not gonna be excellent, however that aggressiveness and that pressure he’s taking part in with is the kind of participant that we expect he may be.”
After the run, the Thunder had minimize Washington’s result in simply two factors and for the second straight night time, Coach Daigneault’s squad discovered itself on the doorstep of one other clutch-game situation.
After chopping it to 2 factors, the Wizards instantly responded with back-to-back buckets by Robin Lopez to ship the sport again to 2 possessions. For the rest of the night time, each shot that the Thunder made was matched by a bucket from the Wizards who had been capable of hold OKC at arm’s attain for the rest of the night time.
“We had been proper on the doorstep of that one and clearly it didn’t go our means,” mentioned Daigneault. “Tonight was great progress for us. That was robust journey. We received in late. We’re with out Lu [Dort] clearly and [Isaiah] Roby, and these guys performed man. They actually performed tonight. I believed the competitiveness, the second quarter on, we actually competed.”
On the heels of one in every of his most well-rounded performances of the season, Pokuševski continued to reveal his potential to influence the sport on a number of ranges. Within the again half of the second body, the 7-foot rookie attacked the left aspect of the lane which drew the eye of two Washington defenders. With out skipping a beat, Poku whipped the ball behind his again to the other block the place his teammate Tony Bradley was ready on their own for an uncontested dunk.
Oh my Poku @aleksejpokusevs @ToBrad1 pic.twitter.com/WDpyj6E63h
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 20, 2023
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Not solely did Bazley report a career-high in factors on Monday, however the sophomore ahead logged a profession excessive in free throw makes an attempt as properly with 13 which led all gamers within the sport. Bazley logged 38 minutes of sport motion with the task of defending Westbrook minute for minute all on the second night time of a back-to-back. Even then, Bazley’s power remained constant all through the competition on each ends of the ground.
“I believe that’s simply form of how I get myself going,” mentioned Bazley. “Good issues occur whenever you get ft within the paint, now you’re capable of create for your self or your teammates so I believe it’s vital to simply not assault the protection, hold them on their heels.”
“He was superior. He was huge time,” mentioned Daigneault. “Baze performed lots of minutes final night time and tonight he goes minute for minute with Westbrook. We matched his minutes in order that he might guard Russell. I believed he did a very good job with a sport plan there. He performed most likely the final quarter-hour straight of the sport. I didn’t assume his power dipped in any respect. He was huge time tonight.”
“I’ll first begin by saying that on my job interview for the (OKC) Blue head teaching job, the primary time I stepped foot within the state of Oklahoma, on the primary day or the second day, I used to be on the Memorial, which I believe speaks volumes to the precedence that the group locations on that occasion, and that Memorial, because it pertains to the staff…This can be a distinctive relationship between a company and a neighborhood. We must always simply embrace that. It’s an especially distinctive relationship in skilled sports activities and the NBA and we actually, actually really feel carefully tied to it. That occasion, as tragic because it was, there’s been lots of silver lining that’s come from that within the metropolis and I believe the Thunder is a byproduct of that.”
–Coach Daigneault on the twenty sixth anniversary of the Oklahoma Metropolis Bombing
The final cease on the Thunder’s four-game highway journey is in Indiana on Wednesday earlier than returning residence to Chesapeake Vitality Area the place they’ll get a second shot on the Wizards in lower than every week. Nonetheless, it is going to be a brief journey residence because the group will then set out on one other three-game highway journey to start subsequent week.
Subsequent cease: Indianapolis @okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/snylmNkwCq
— Bally Sports activities Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) April 20, 2023
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