101-89 — That was the final score the last time the OKC Thunder took on the New York Knicks.
It was a memorable game for many reasons. Not only was it a huge win in Madison Square Garden, but it was also arguably Hamidou Diallo’s career breakout game.
This time around, going up against Hami’s hometown team was different.
He wasn’t there as news of him being traded to Detroit was announced yesterday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was out and for the first time we witnessed a Thunder squad completely detached from the Westbrook era.
Times change, but the way the OKC Thunder play certainly doesn’t. Yes, it was a loss, a big one too 119-97, but was a good effort for an inexperienced team who may still be trying to connect with guys from the G-League transitioning into the NBA.
They came out strong shooting 57.6 percent from the field and getting out to a lead of eleven points in the first 24 minutes. However the turnover count of 7-1 to the Thunder in the first half was a telling stat and if they were to win the game, this would have to be cleaned up.
Let’s take a look at some takeaways from the game.
Three takeaways from the OKC Thunder’s loss to the Knicks:
No. 1) Lu Dort starts off strong but couldn’t finish
Early on in the match, Thunder fans felt it was going to be a Lu Dort game.
He came out firing, dictating the pace and attacking the rim. By halftime, Dort had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, and was eight of eight from the free-throw line.
It’s weird to say, but he was actually the longest-tenured player in the Thunder starting lineup. So you could say the team looked to the 21-year-old to lead the way.
It was apparent though that he couldn’t do it alone. And in the second half, he found it hard to assert himself going zero of three from the three-point line and adding just another rebound, one assist, and two points.
A learning experience from this is that despite the nice play to start the game, it won’t always go his way.
It’s tough when your role changes in just a game but Dort continues to impress with his mentality to keep going.