OKC Thunder: 3 takeaways in big win over Bucks

OKC Thunder takeaway No. 3) Welcome back, Darius Bazley

Bazley didn’t go anywhere, but recently, he hasn’t been at his peak during the previous three games the OKC Thunder have played.

During the three-game road trip where the Thunder played the Lakers twice and the Nuggets once, Bazley shot a poor 28.8 percent while averaging 12.3 points per game.

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While that points per game total is not terrible, it’s important to remember that most of those points came when Bazley dropped 21 on the Lakers. It’s also important to remember that Bazley took 21 shots to reach that total.

The Bazley that erupted for 18 points against the Bucks resembled the one we’ve become familiar with since the season began. Bazley shot 61.5 percent during the game, with his only misses coming from 3-point range.

He looked comfortable for the first time in three games and finished with zero turnovers, playing one of his most efficient games of the season, which is important because the Thunder need Bazley at his best to be successful.

Bazley has gone from relatively unknown to a rising star in just one season. He has shown why the OKC Thunder were right to take a chance on him in the draft two summers ago. Along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, Theo Maledon, and others, he is the future of the Thunder, and when he plays as he did against the Bucks on Sunday, it’s not hard to see why.

The OKC Thunder are back in action on Tuesday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers at 7 p.m. CT.