OKC Thunder: player grades from impressive win over MIN
By Brandon Dale
The OKC Thunder played a near-perfect game Monday night as the club took down the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-103. Minnesota never stood a chance against OKC as the Thunder peaked from the 3-point line with 21 made on the night,.
The ball movement looked superb as the bench was the spark that lit the proverbial match to end the eight-day road trip. The reserve unit had ten 3-pointers on the night, which was the fourth time in OKC franchise history to reach this milestone.
Final. 112. 149. 103. 86
The Thunder were short-handed again, but that has yet to deter this team from finding its rhythm. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on fire as he continues to impress with his all-around game. Moreover, he is averaging 40 percent shooting from the beyond the arc this year.
SGA kept the trend up this game as he went four of six from the perimeter.
The third-year pro provided the energy as other Thunder players followed suit. Moses Brown looked phenomenal in the paint and Thunder newcomer Svi Mykhailiuk seems as though he has been with the team the entire season.
The first half was all OKC’s, as they passed the ball around in superb fashion as OKC had 17 assists on 22 shots to go along with five blocks.
The club shot a blistering 48 percent from the field and went nine of 17 from beyond the arc in the first half. The play in the paint is also noteworthy because Brown utilizes his seven-foot frame to produce easy putbacks as OKC went for 22 rebounds before the intermission.
The second half of the game was more of the same as ball movement was the critical recipe to Mark Daigneault’s game plan. There were occasions where the ball went around seven times before any player looked for his shot, which indicates good coaching and shows that these players are buying into the offensive scheme.
The defense was highly cohesive as OKC gave Karl-Anthony Towns fits. In the first quarter, he could not muster a single point due to the swarming defensive play by OKC.
The Thunder looked energized and, more importantly, the entire team showed enthusiasm the whole night, which is a good sign for the future as the team looks to find its stride in the second half of the season.
This game had little to no flaws. Player grades provide more insight into the victory: