Game Recap: Thunder 120, Suns 123

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Kane Dane
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Regardless of trailing by as many as 18 factors, the Thunder stored the foot on the pedal to make it a two-possession recreation with lower than a minute to go. A historic effort by the Thunder’s second unit and a relentless spirit helped make this one attention-grabbing within the ultimate moments.

In a take a look at of its zero-and-zero mentality, the Thunder handed with flying colours. Simply 24 hours faraway from a troublesome loss to the Pacers at residence, the Thunder circled to host the most effective groups within the league who would require a pointy, 48-minute efficiency to compete with. As a response, the Thunder pulled collectively a full-team offensive effort that compelled Phoenix right into a clutch-time state of affairs with the sport on the road.

“These guys have been superior on a variety of ranges,” stated Daigneault. “To begin with, tonight was a take a look at of our zero-and-zero mindset with how we performed final night time. I assumed all people got here able to play and realized the lesson however then moved on and received ourselves into the competitors. We performed a 48-minute recreation.”

Towards the primary group within the Western Convention, the Thunder led for all the first quarter. OKC’s 33 first quarter factors got here by the use of a 56-percent clip from the sphere and a 5-of-9 efficiency from deep. Though Devin Booker posted 12 factors within the body, the Thunder went into the second quarter forward by six.

The Suns responded to the deficit with a 14-0 run to open up the second quarter. Veteran Chris Paul discovered Dario Šarić for a pair of 3-pointers that despatched the Suns forward by six factors earlier than the Thunder referred to as a timeout to quell the momentum. The resilient Thunder responded with a run of its personal behind well timed defensive stops coupled with a pair of and ones from each Darius Bazley, who completed with a team-high 19 factors and Gabriel Deck who added 11 off the bench. The burst by the Thunder started what can be a back-and-forth battle via the remainder of the half. After 5 ties and 5 lead adjustments, the Thunder trailed by seven going into halftime.

The Suns then burst out on a 15-5 run within the third quarter to generate vital separation from the Thunder for the primary time within the contest. A collection of acquainted midrange buckets from Paul and a number of journeys to the free throw line for Phoenix aided the Suns to its largest lead of the night time with 18 factors within the ultimate body.

With 1:41 remaining within the fourth quarter, the Thunder had chipped away to make it a 10-point recreation. Each Booker and Paul missed a pair of buckets on back-to-back possessions whereas the Thunder took benefit on the offensive finish. Every offensive possession resulted in a dunk for Isaiah Roby who completed the night time with 11 factors off the bench. Within the second possession, Roby drew a foul whereas slamming the ball residence which resulted in a 3-point play that brough the Thunder’s deficit to simply 5 factors with simply 50 seconds left.

The Thunder’s defensive ace, Lu Dort matched up chest to chest with Booker on the opposite finish. As Booker light away for a midrange jumper, Dort rose to contest with a hand in his face. Booker kicked out his leg on his shot and was referred to as for an offensive foul and was then referred to as for a technical which gave the Thunder not solely the possession, but additionally a free shot on the line.

Théo Maledon cashed within the free throw to make it a four-point recreation with 36 seconds left.

The Thunder missed a take a look at a 3-pointer that will have introduced the sport to only one level and have been in vital want of a cease. That’s when the Thunder’s late-game, defensive execution shined. The 15-year veteran Chris Paul caught the ball within the backcourt and was met with a swift double-team by Maledon and Kenrich Williams that compelled Paul to journey with 20 seconds left.

“Within the earlier outing, coach sort of went via a recreation plan, recreation state of affairs that we work on in observe,” defined Williams. “We needed to sort of entice the primary move earlier than we needed to foul. We trapped it and he turned it over, so it labored out properly for us. I just like the execution.”

The collection of lucky occasions got here to a halt for the Thunder after a foul name on a Dort 3-pointer was overturned and Phoenix regained possession with 16 seconds left. As time dwindled, the Thunder was compelled to foul which put the sport simply out of attain with a two-possession deficit.

“I simply thought the poise and the presence by our gamers. These are issues we go over, however for them to hold it over in a strain state of affairs like that when the stakes are excessive and so they actually needed to win the sport, for them to try this, with the extent of consciousness that they did was, was excessive, excessive stage,” stated Daigneault. “In order that was what was most spectacular – extra the psychological than the bodily.”

Thunder rookie Théo Maledon performed a key position within the groups’ late-game effort. The 19-year-old rookie cashed in certainly one of his three made 3-pointers within the fourth quarter with simply 2:30 left to go within the recreation. The triple introduced the sport to 10 factors and compelled Phoenix head coach Monty Williams to name a timeout. The 19-year-old level guard completed with 18 factors on the night time together with a 3-for-6 efficiency from downtown. The trouble marked 96 made three’s for Maledon this season which set a brand new Thunder rookie file for 3-pointers made in a season.

“It’s positively humbling,” stated Maledon. “Actually blessed to have the ability to obtain that.”



65

The Thunder’s second unit performed a key position within the fourth-quarter push to shut the hole. With 4 gamers in double-figures, the Thunder’s second unit scored 65 factors which ties the second most bench factors in OKC historical past. Ty Jerome and Kenrich Williams posted 15 as Isaiah Roby and Gabriel Deck recorded 11 every.

The trouble marked the primary time this season the place the Thunder had 4 gamers in double determine scoring and simply the fourth time in OKC historical past.

“I assumed they have been nice,” stated Daigneault. “They held it down tonight and we staggered some completely different guys in there. All people simply stayed prepared, but it surely was spectacular one via 11 our willingness to compete. I assumed the bench, the starters all people high to backside was able to play tonight.”

Théo Maledon

“Sadly it didn’t find yourself the way in which we would like it, however I felt like we did an ideal job turning the web page from final recreation and actually competing all 48 minutes. That’s one thing that we need to actually put in our DNA and so I felt like that was one thing that though we didn’t get the win was actually constructive.”
–Théo Maledon

“There’s some actual substance to the group of fellows that now we have. We’ve to proceed to develop. We’re younger and we’re going to make some errors and we’re going to have some relapses; we’ve simply received to be taught and develop via all the things and that’s why I’m as joyful as I’m tonight as a result of I feel we grew in a ton of the way on this recreation tonight. It was a extremely confidence constructing efficiency, though clearly we ended up on the quick finish of it.”


–Coach Daigneault

The Thunder can have the day without work on Monday earlier than wrapping up its four-game homestand with its first of three matchups this season in opposition to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. From there, the Thunder will ship out on its ultimate highway journey of the season that features two video games every in opposition to the Warriors and the Kings.

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