OKC Thunder: Player grades from spectacular comeback win over Bulls

Best OKC Thunder reserve performance:

Kenrich Williams had himself a night, and the TCU product could not miss a basket. “Kenny Hustle” went 6 of 6 from the field, scoring 14 points in 27 minutes of action.

Not only that, but the defensive stalwart collected two steals and added five rebounds to his performance.

Williams has had a great week that should only give him more confidence moving forward. He is a difference-maker when he gets minutes down the stretch, and his plus/minus was certainly impressive tonight as he was +21 on the night.

Look for Kenrich to do a steady climb if this type of performance persists because he is, without a doubt, this OKC Thunder team’s Andre Roberson. Having Williams and Dort on the court at the same time is a nightmare for opposing teams.

Best opponent performance:

Zach LaVine was the only player on the floor who had a better game than Gilgeous-Alexander in the scoring department.

LaVine was red hot from beyond the arc, as he went 8 of 14 from a distance and poured in 35 points. His seven assists and nine rebounds are nothing to shy away from because this guy was on fire.

In the first half, LaVine looked as though he was averaging a point per minute. OKC had no answer for the sharpshooter until the second half when Lu “Daddy” Dort made his mark on the defensive end, clearly frustrating LaVine, baiting him into offensive fouls and sloppy play on the offensive end.

It should be a welcomed surprise that OKC had one opponent score 35 points in a losing effort. This says a lot about the grit and tenacity of this OKC Thunder team.

In closing:

The OKC Thunder continue to get better and better as the season progresses. They won their first home game of the season dramatically, coming back from a 22-point deficit.

Not only that, but the fact that this team could finish in crunch time when it mattered and get a win is everything for Coach Daigneault and company.

OKC is not in any mood to “tank” this season, and the idea that this team is playing to lose is asinine. The OKC Thunder will bring a competitive edge on a nightly basis and, in turn, will do whatever it takes to win a ball game, which this club showed Friday night.

OKC looks to continue its winning ways on Sunday as they play host to a 76ers team without All-Star Joel Embiid in the lineup.

You can view the full box score of the match here.