OKC Thunder at Magic Jan. 22nd replay: 3 keys to the win

Lu Dort begins to establish his hold on starting role:

Dort was inserted into the starting lineup to cover for Terrance Ferguson. This was just the second time he would start for the OKC Thunder and in the match, we began to see why Billy Donovan would have a very difficult time not using him in this role moving forward.

The Canadian delivered six points, two assists, and two steals in 25:53 of playing time. More than his stats, however, was how he meshed with the starting rotation. Dort’s energy was infectious and his defense more than countered for the absence of Ferguson.

This match came on the heels of the youngster guarding James Harden in Houston holding the former MVP to 9 of 29 from the field and 1 of 17 from the perimeter. This night was another solid showing and cemented the fact the showing in Houston wasn’t an outlier performance.