OKC Thunder starting lineup grades:
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 18 points, shooting seven of 15 from the floor. He also added four assists and two rebounds. He did his best to enforce ball movement by picking the right moments to get his teammates some nice scoring opportunities.
Along with Bazley and Dort, he provided a reliable scoring option. He is having an All-Star season and once again proved it.
Dort finished with 12 points, two assists, and a rebound. He knocked down two three-pointers as well.
In only his second year, Dort is making major improvements to become a great player both defensively and offensively. You’ve got to be proud of his efforts this season in a bigger role.
It was an odd off night for George Hill who only managed three points and two assists on one of five made field goals.
He found it hard to get into a rhythm but if his play so far this season is anything to go by, he’s still got so much to offer. It was having another accurate scorer like Hill that could’ve made a difference in this game. There’s no doubt that he’ll come back stronger.
Bazley had another magnificent game. He did a good job of guarding Butler and recorded 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists. As well as this, he made three outstanding shots from beyond the arc.
He was confident, played with great awareness often being in the right place to capitalize on a Heat turnover. After the game, he was humble about his efforts implying his need to be better defensively. In spite of the loss, it was a game to be proud of for.
Horford had a quiet game with just two points and five rebounds on one of six from the field. As Mark Nilon of TI conveyed prior to the match, the Thunder veteran was a key to winning the game, with his ability to stop Adebayo.
However, that proved to be extremely hard. Not every game will be the best and Horford is sure to come back better in the next encounter.