OKC Thunder: Player grades from spectacular comeback win over Bulls
By Brandon Dale
OKC Thunder starting lineup grades:
B+. . G. Oklahoma City Thunder. GEORGE HILL
George Hill looked good in the matchup but did not have a great night shooting from 3-point land.
Hill still found the ability to get downhill and make good plays driving to the basket. The veteran guard even can get to the free-throw line with ease, which always bodes well for this OKC squad.
The consistent point guard scored just eight points in 32 minutes of play during this matchup and had a good all around performance, but at times, his game seemed to be under the radar as his other Thunder teammates shined in this overtime thriller.
G/F. Oklahoma City Thunder. SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER. A+.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had one of his best all-around performances as the young phenom scored a career-high 33 points in 43 minutes of action. SGA was dropping dimes Friday night as he dished out 10 assists to go along with five rebounds.
If there were a higher letter grade than an A+ Shai would undoubtedly be the recipient of said grade because he was locked in against the Bulls.
He even went 3 of 5 from the 3-point line and was able to get to the paint whenever he wanted. The way he can penetrate to the basket is a sight to behold. His swagger was certainly contagious in this overtime battle.
A+. . PG. Oklahoma City Thunder. LU DORT
Lu Dort found his stride against Chicago. He had eight 3-pointers over his last three games and added four more 3-pointers to his resume in this matchup. The man was on a mission, accumulating six steals against Billy Donovan and company.
Dort had a wild stat line in this game, scoring 21 points while adding eight rebounds to his impressive defensive performance. The ASU product bothered LaVine in the second half as he was able to find his defensive positioning and took full advantage of his size. This was by far the best game Lu Dort has had in an OKC Thunder uniform this season.
B. . SF. Oklahoma City Thunder. DARIUS BAZLEY
Darius Bazely looked somewhat uncomfortable in this game, and it showed.
He was not very decisive and, at times, looked confused on both ends of the floor. He logged 27 minutes and only nine points. The most glaring stat for Baze would have to be in the plus/minus column as he was a -21 on the night.
Coach Daigneault pulled Bazely in the second half, and it proved to benefit the Thunder as they constructed most of the comeback with the second-year player on the bench. Look for Bazely to bounce back Sunday night against the 76ers.
Oklahoma City Thunder. ISAIAH ROBY. A. . F/C
Isaiah Roby looked like a bona fide starter against the Bulls. he shot 50 percent from the field, scoring 14 points and passing out three assists to go along with four rebounds on the night.
What was more impressive is that Roby showed his ability to hit the 3-ball. If Roby could average one or two 3-pointers a game this year, then he could see his minutes increase sooner rather than later. This was a perfect game for a guy who had only started once his entire career.