OKC Thunder hang on for win, Bazely breaks out in 3 takeaways
By Ryan Lewis
OKC Thunder avenges December’s 11-point loss to Magic with a decisive 9-point victory over the Magic on Saturday. Bazely erupts in TI’s takeaways.
It could have been a night much like the one on Dec. 29, 2020, where the OKC Thunder and Orlando Magic battled for much of the game before the Magic took over and dominated the fourth frame for a victory.
It could have been, but it wasn’t.
In the first outing of a five-game road trip, the Thunder found ways to remain perfect on the road this season.
OKC Thunder 3 takeaways from win over Magic:
The Thunder led by two entering the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s 108-99 win over the Orlando Magic, and you couldn’t help but wonder if this game would pan out the same way the other had or if the Thunder would find a way to keep — or even extend — their lead over a solid Magic team.
Within the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, the many Thunder mistakes gave way to memories of the former game.
The first mistake came with a Mike Muscala turnover which was followed by a Theo Maledon foul and capped off with a defensive goaltending call on Aleksej Pokusevski, all of which came in the first minute of the quarter.
Terrence Ross had been torching the Thunder all night and continued to do so in the early minutes of the fourth as he tied the game at 84 following a layup. Collectively, Thunder fans were on edge about what would follow.
Lucky for us, the Thunder had other plans.
Maledon knocked down a 3-pointer and Hamidou Diallo followed with one of his own. It continued back and forth until Darius Bazley hit a three and, shortly after, slammed home a dunk on an assist from Al Horford.
Bazley was breaking out.
The sophomore led all Thunder scorers with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting while pulling down 12 rebounds, dishing two assists, and blocking a shot. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with his shot, finishing with 16 points on 5-of-17 shooting, seven assists, and five rebounds. George Hill had 18 points and five assists.
All total, six Thunder players finished with double-digit scoring.
Thanks to his breakout game, Bazley solidified himself as a prime candidate to lead TI’s 3 takeaways in the Thunder’s 108-99 win over the Magic.