On Thursday, the OKC Thunder trounced the Rockets by a final score of 111-91 to kick off a four-game road trip.
All night, Houston looked undeniably outmatched, as Oklahoma City defenders swarmed the ball and overwhelmed shooters. Meanwhile, their scorers appeared to finally regain their footing after a month-long stint of poor perimeter and jump shooting.
What was arguably most impressive, however, was how little they needed from their star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The reigning MVP finished with just 20 points, and he required two late trips to the free-throw line to extend his 20-plus point game streak. Shai went scoreless in his 12 minutes in the first quarter and finished the game with only 11 shot attempts, representing the lowest volume he's had all season.
In the wake of SGA's usual usage, a rare brand of team basketball was on display.
Four other players had double-digit points, 10 had at least five, and eight recorded at least one made three-pointer. OKC also recorded 25 assists to Houston's 17.
This style of play has been a foreign concept to a team that is currently last in passes made on the season.
As a result of their aggressive use of iso ball, the Thunder have generally found themselves relying heavily on their superstar to overcome their toughest tests.
Before Thursday's win in Houston, the Thunder had played 21 games against teams currently slotted in a play-in seed or higher. In those games, Shai averaged 32.0 points while his squad went 14-7.
In all 14 of those wins, the Thunder guard hadn't scored fewer than 26 points.
Thunder X-factors lightening Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's load
Certain essential players are also beginning to hit their stride around the Thunder point guard.
Second-in-command Jalen Williams seems to finally be finding his touch again. Since scoring 26 points without SGA in a comeback win against Memphis, J-Dub has been shooting 50.9 percent, a significant boost from 46.8 percent season percentage. He also recorded 10 assists on Thursday night.
Ajay Mitchell is flourishing in his role as sixth man. In OKC's current five-game win streak, he is averaging 16.6 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting.
Outside of these two X-factors, the Thunder's recent hot streak has featured impressive shooting performances across the roster. After their 12-game slump in late December and early January, it appears that the supporting cast is finding its groove again.
It will be interesting to monitor Gilgeous-Alexander's volume as his teammates continue to help him out in the scoring department. Shai taking a back seat is not something Thunder fans are used to, but it could become more commonplace as the bench efficiency grows.
As coach Mark Daigneault's squad prepares for another title run, it might not be the worst thing in the world to see Shai exerting less energy on a nightly basis as he conserves his peak performance for the games that really matter in just a few months.