OKC Thunder: 3 takeaways in big win over Bucks
By Ryan Lewis
The OKC Thunder have needed a statement win since dropping three straight close games on the road. Few probably expected that victory to come against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Eastern Conference’s second-ranked team, but it did.
This is the reality of this strange NBA season.
Justin Jackson deserves a lot of praise. After dropping a season-high 20 points on the Denver Nuggets, Jackson got another opportunity to prove his worth against the Bucks. He took that opportunity and turned in another season-high performance when he scored 22 points.
And although that is something to focus on, there was no bigger shot in the game than Jackson’s dagger 3-pointer that all but sealed the game for the Thunder with 14.9 seconds remaining in the game.
In all fairness, the Bucks were playing in their final game of a six-game road trip. Still, one expects a team like the Bucks, who have the reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year winner in Giannis Antetokounmpo, to pick up a win over a rebuilding team missing a key starter and two key roleplayers.
Instead, it was the OKC Thunder coming away with a 114-109 victory.
It was a team effort. Each Thunder starter posted double-digit scoring efforts, with Jackson’s 22 points on 56.3 percent shooting leading the way. Al Horford added 20 points on 50 percent shooting, a season-high nine assists, and seven rebounds. Luguentz Dort scored 19 points on 46.2 percent shooting, Darius Bazley had 18 points on 61.5 percent shooting and Kenrich Williams added 10 points on 50 percent shooting.
Still, Jackson’s performance stands out, and that’s why he leads TI’s 3 takeaways.
OKC Thunder takeaway No. 1) Jackson’s value increasing with each game
Jackson is growing into a big-time player for the OKC Thunder, and he’s doing it fairly quickly. On Sunday, the Thunder put him in a position to show if Friday’s performance was just a fluke or a sample of what he can do when his number is called.
He answered in a big way.
It’s not that he just scored 22 points, it’s also how he did it. Jackson hit all four of his shots from deep, limited himself to one turnover, and helped out with rebounding and assists, finishing with three and five, respectively.
His 3-pointer with 14.9 seconds remaining looked effortless like he was ready to make the game’s biggest shot three feet behind the line with a defender in his face. He was determined to make a statement and give head coach Mark Daigneault validation for opting to play him for nearly 34 minutes.
Jackson is a gem. Two standout back-to-back performances don’t make him a star, but it helps set him on the path to stardom. He’s scoring 16.2 points per game over his last four. He’s proving his value when the team is looking for its future.
If he continues down this road, Jackson might find himself locked into a long term deal with the OKC Thunder.