The OKC Thunder finish the 2018-19 regular season with a win over the Bucks and secure the sixth seed. Player grades serve up the highlights.
OKC Thunder had us on edge with the late announcement that Paul George would be absent in a game that could ultimately be the difference between a sixth seed or an eighth seed finish. Fortunately, the team made a statement with what felt like a blow-out win over an MVP-less Milwaukee using an outstanding team effort.
All gears were grinding as OKC took the lead with a 3-ball from Markieff Morris with 7:10 remaining in the first half, and they never looked back. They went on a 14-0 run to climb to 55-41 before taking a 10-point lead to the locker room.
OKC Thunder ended the second half shooting lights-out from behind the arc, a combined total of 14-of-27. A feat they continued through the final seconds as they ended the night breaking the franchise record with 23 made 3-balls on the night without, and I cannot stress this enough, Paul George.
The team shattered another franchise record with incredible ball movement to end the night with a team-total of 39 assists. Russell Westbrook commanded nearly half, to end the night with 17 assists of his own. The bench combined for 37 points, while Schroder filled in for MVPG leading the team with 32 points.
It’s funny to think about all the records shattered this season on an individual level and as a team. And despite those achievements, we were still in danger of dropping to the eighth seed tonight… bless our hearts, Thunder fans.
With the 11-point win over the Bucks, OKC Thunder officially locked in the sixth seed finish but their first-round fate is still out of their hands as we await results from the Portland and Denver games.
With that, let’s dive in to the individual highlights of the final win of the OKC Thunder regular season with the Player Grades.