OKC Thunder: 3 takeaways feature big game from George Hill

The OKC Thunder kept the Clippers on their toes in their second consecutive encounter as LA came out with the win. They are now the team to beat, being on a seven-game win streak and soaring at the top of the West.

You know when Michael Jordan said “I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying? Well, the Thunder proved that despite the eight-point loss as they fought till the very end.

It was a slow start for OKC who finished the first quarter down 36-19. This was an area that needed the most work after their 14 point loss to the Clippers two days ago.

Late in the third quarter, OKC cut the Clippers’ lead to five points. And within a blink of an eye, the Clippers were up by 10 on the back of two shots by Kawhi Leonard.

That’s how the Clippers were in their response to every OKC Thunder point scored. Fast and commanding led by none other than the Klaw.

But the Thunder didn’t stop fighting either. It was a much-improved performance from their previous matchup with some superb individual contributions.

Three takeaways from the OKC Thunder’s loss to the Clippers:

No. 1)  When George Hill shoots, he scores

One thing we loved seeing in this game is that when George Hill is aggressive, he can work wonders. His 22 points, two assists, and a trio of 3-pointers were refreshing to see. Hill also shot 75 percent on nine of 12 from the floor.

Hill has let his younger teammates do more of the scoring after a couple of big games to start the season. But with Dort having a quiet game, he stepped up and made an impact down the stretch as the Thunder tried to catch up.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke about this after the game saying that Hill’s team-first mentality means he isn’t always assertive in games. This shows just how unselfish Hill is and how much he buys into the system. But of course, we would love to see him shining in his own right.

“George is a great teammate. Almost have to tell him at times to be more aggressive…When he’s aggressive, it makes things easier for us.” SGA says.

It’s awesome to see Hill go and get his own shots. We see him making successive buckets in practice that would see him winning the All-Star 3-point contest, so know what he offers and how great he is.