OKC Thunder: Player grades from solid win versus the New York Knicks –

Best OKC Thunder reserve performance:

PROCESS NOTES:

As mentioned earlier, the entire second unit was huge in this game. Muscala made two early buckets including a rare 3-point make in the first period. Kenrich Williams had his usual effort which was infectious and Pokusevski found some of his shooting-stroke, hit the boards hard, and even blocked a shot.

Diallo was the difference tonight, it is that simple. He had a double-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and a huge steal.

It was not just his offensive numbers that stood out. He was able to frustrate Knicks franchise player Julius Randle into a technical foul.

Hami also made momentum-changing plays with huge dunks and effort plays at the defensive end. It was a fitting end that he finished the game with a huge dunk off the SGA assist.

Best opponent performance:

More from Thunderous Intentions

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• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

While there were several solid players for the Knicks, RJ Barrett was the player who paced them for 43 minutes of the game. He had 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, and one each of a steal and a block.

While Randle collected a double-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, he was not able to keep the team in the game at the crucial moments due to foul trouble. Had he been able to stay on the court, he could have been a game-changing factor.

In closing:

This OKC Thunder team was meant to be bad again this season. They have some bad games and then they come out and beat a really good Knicks team. They have some good pieces who are making their mark early in their career.

This is a fun team to watch as they continue to grow before our eyes.