Darius Bazley and Luguentz Dort returned to the court for the OKC Thunder, but their return came against one of the hottest teams in the NBA, and ultimately, it featured a loss.
The return of two of the Thunder’s biggest playmakers is always a bonus for fans. However, it came after they began fully embracing the tank, which also means it comes when Oklahoma City is at their worst.
Bazley, despite shooting well, turned the ball over a team-high nine times, which is just five shy of the NBA record, 14, held by Jason Kidd.
Still, overall it wasn’t a great night for the OKC Thunder.
It was the Thunder’s sixth consecutive loss by double-digit points, something we, as fans, have been prepared for since the team began moving on from players like Russell Westbrook, Jerami Grant, and Steven Adams.
What is left is a roster of mostly unknown players with a few relatively known commodities sprinkled throughout who have started to make more of a name for themselves. But even with those few players gaining traction in the hearts of Thunder fans, there’s still plenty of areas in which they can improve.
Aleksej Pokusevski spent 8:28 on the court before being removed from the game due to right arm soreness. His exit made room on the court for other players to get their minutes in a game the Thunder would lose.
OKC never led the game and tied the game just once. The night belonged to the Philadelphia 76ers.
With that being said, let’s dive into the player grades for the OKC Thunder starting lineup: