Grading Thunder players after loss to Knicks at home

Best off the bench:

Bazley was not the Thunder’s leading scorer off the bench, but his impact went beyond his scoring. It was just a seven-point outing for the forward to go along with three boards. However, he was the Thunder’s top rim protector without Aleksej Pokusevski available. Bazley swatted three shots and impacted even more to help bolster the Thunder’s otherwise lackluster defense.

Best for the Knicks:

The Knicks’ offseason addition showed every bit of his worth in Oklahoma City. Brunson came into OKC and poured in 34 points, tying his career-high in the regular season. While he often found himself scoring, he also orchestrated the offense and dished out nine assists. The New York point guard burned the OKC defense all night and made 14 of his 20 shots, shooting a ridiculous 70% from the field.

Final Thoughts:

The Thunder gave up at least 120 points for the fifth straight game. That is not going to win them many games. Aside from needing to strengthen the defense, the return of another shot-creator in Tre Mann should help the offense while Shai sits. It’s a long season, and OKC is now 7-10 with a chance to get back on track at home later in the week.