OKC Thunder lose to Kings – 3 takeaways note bad habits return

The OKC Thunder lose a nail biter in clutch time to the suddenly red hot Sacramento Kings. Three takeaways offer some insights on the loss.

It was somewhat inevitable the OKC Thunder were going to end up in another clutch time situation but unlike the recent rash of victories the team has pulled off the final shot didn’t fall and the Kings net the victory.

In truth, this game was earmarked as a tough match. The OKC Thunder were playing their third game in four nights and unlike the Wolves and Jazz who are spiraling the Kings much like the Thunder have been on a winning streak.

This was the second game the Kings won at the buzzer after Nemanja Bjelica drained an ultra deep range 3-pointer to beat the Rockets as time expired in Houston, Monday night. That the Kings had also beat the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday on what Luka Doncic felt was an uncalled foul put them in a similar boat as the Thunder.

And so it was this match was fated to come down to clutch time and for a second it felt like that was a good thing with all the experience OKC has gained in that very position this year. However, on this night Chris Paul‘s final shot came up short and the game was lost by a single point.

There was some hope the Thunder could build upon their momentum and the two big wins against the Wolves and Jazz on the road offered optimism. The problem was the Kings’ two wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets (also on the road and also in a back to back set) were arguably the more impressive in comparison. Which meant the Kings were prepared to battle.

With that let’s look at a few key points to the match with some insight on what the team needs to consider prior to finishing off the road trip in Denver this Saturday.