OKC Thunder fall to the Suns in scheduled loss

The OKC Thunder were without two of their top performers this season Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Gilgeous-Alexander was listed out for an abdominal injury (apart of the plan to keep him out of back-to-backs), and Williams for his wrist that he sprained against the Utah Jazz.

Without them, the Thunder struggled immensely against the Suns, but there was still some bright spots in a 23 point performance for Lindy Waters lll.

The Oklahoma City Thunder fall to the Phoenix Suns, 132-101, as the OKC Thunder struggled without two important players.

Lindy Waters lll had a career night, scoring 23 points on 50% shooting, getting six of his seven shots to fall from the three-point arc. The OKC Thunder forward looked confident and took advantage of a depleted roster to lead the Thunder in scoring.

Rookie Ousmane Dieng continues to get more opportunities and is showing flashes of being a great NBA player. He scored 12 points and shot the ball 13 times, which is good for his growing confidence. Dieng also played impressive defense, grabbing a steal and a block.

Josh Giddey struggled shooting the ball, only going 3-12 on the night, but he still stuffed the stat sheet to pair his 10 points with five assists and seven rebounds. His only three-point attempt on the night was an impressive step-back three that he got to fall.

The pair of Isaiah Joe and Luguentz Dort struggled massively, combining for 3/17 shooting on the night. An inefficient night has been rare for Joe this season, but Dort’s recent shooting woes are becoming an issue for the Thunder. Finishing struggles at the basket and poor shot selection are contributing to it, but Dort’s game also relies on being a lesser scoring option, not one of the top.

Two-way point guard Jared Butler earned his most extended playing time in this contest as he racked up five points, four assists, and three steals while showing some upside as a depth guard.

The Suns were without Kevin Durant after a scary slip in pre-game warmups, but Devin Booker took control and scored 44 points on the Thunder defense. The OKC Thunder had no way to stop him, leading to a blowout win for Phoenix.

The Thunder will travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans Saturday, where they will look to bounce back from a tough loss.