Red-hot Thunder: 3 Takeaways in OKC’s win over Warriors

Building a double-digit lead in an NBA game is a challenging task. It typically takes striking a good balance on the offense and defense to pull off such a lead in a game. What was impressive in the dominant 128-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors for the OKC Thunder was how the team’s connectedness and superb ethos brought them to comfortable heights on the road against such a formidable team.

The OKC Thunder — who is the second youngest team in the league this season — led by as much as 21 points in the game before seeing its advantage shrink to just one point in the third quarter; teams that young usually show their age in those situations, especially on the road. But not this youthful OKC team.

OKC Thunder able to overcome an abnormal Shai Gilgeous-Alexander game to blow out the Golden State Warriors.

The OKC Thunder got their groove back, picked themselves up, and kept their composure intact to storm back and swell the lead back to 18 points in the fourth quarter en route to their eighth win of the season.

It was a feel-good game for the OKC Thunder, one that even the Golden State Warriors head coach and multi-time champion tactician Steve Kerr left impressed.

“They spread you out, they’ve got shooters everywhere, and they got a lot of sizes positionally, their guards, between Shai, Giddey, and (Jalen) Williams,” Warriors coach Kerr said. “The team’s well put-together, well-coached, and they hammered us tonight.”

Despite the absence of Draymond Green, serving a suspension, and Stephen Curry, who is day-to-day with a sore right knee, it was a win that tested the squad’s mettle and showed the team’s identity built off years of grinding out affairs from seasons back.

Now at 8-4, the OKC Thunder have revealed numerous keys to winning to be used for the rest of this season. Here are some takeaways from this win.