The Oklahoma City Thunder entered last night's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers 24-1 against Eastern Conference opponents. After 48 minutes of action, they managed to come away with victory No. 25.
That's not the only significant number reached Wednesday, however, as Mark Daigneault earned the 200th win of his head coaching career.
Due to a plethora of injuries and load management, Daigneault rolled out an unusual rotation in this bout against the Sixers, most notably a starting five that included Dillon Jones receiving his first career nod and 20-plus minutes shelled out to both Adam Flagler and Branden Carlson.
However, it's not in this team's nature to roll over and lose. A rag-tag starting unit jumped out to a 17-2 run over the first eight minutes of play and never looked back. Despite being riddled with injuries, Oklahoma City held the lead from start to finish.
Following such an exhilarating outing, there were three stud performers who stood out and one dud side effect during the Thunder's 57th victory of the season.
Stud: Jaylin Williams
Jaylin Williams has looked unlocked over these past few weeks, and against the Sixers, he seemed to reach all-new highs as he posted his second triple-double of the month. The big man finished with career-bests of 19 points and 17 rebounds while dishing out 11 assists and racking up two steals.
Williams' passing has hit new levels of flashiness, while keeping his pinpoint accuracy. His full-court, two-handed pass to a running Dillon Jones was perhaps the most impressive of the night.
His ability to excel within any lineup is the prime example of his versatile skillset, embodying the Thunder's all-around playstyle. Williams' play on the night and in recent weeks may cement his spot in the playoff rotation, ending the battle for a rotational spot with Kenrich Williams.
Stud: Branden Carlson
All three Thunder players on two-way contracts got significant minutes against Philadelphia and all three played well when given their opportunity for extended minutes.
With that being said, Branden Carlson was the clear standout of the bunch.
A Flagler-Carlson connection for a first-quarter showtime play was enough to get Paycom Center roaring.
Season-high first quarter points 😮💨 https://t.co/M3ijo3kUpg pic.twitter.com/12544Sla2j
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 20, 2025
Carlson stuffed the stat sheet during his 23 minutes of play, logging a season-high 16 points while taking on 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
“He’s impressive," Daigneault said. "He started competing right off the bat. He’s always ready to play. And that’s a skill.”
Stud: Aaron Wiggins
Many have believed Aaron Wiggins to be a promising and effective role player in recent years, but could he be even more?
In 29 minutes of play, he notched a team-high 26 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the floor and 40.0 percent shooting from distance.
Arguably, the most impressive part of the wing's play during the contest was his self-creation.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams out of the lineup, the Thunder were in need of perimeter offense. The former second-rounder dished out a season-high 6 assists while constantly working his way to the basket at will.
If Wiggins can maintain this level of on-ball creation, willingness to attack, and steady efficiency, he will unlock a new dimension to the Thunder offense. His improved skillset could fill the need for on-ball juice that this squad was lacking in the 2024 playoffs.
Dud: Claiming Sixers' draft pick now becoming less of a possibility
While everything on the court was near perfection, this game had some serious off-court implications as well.
To the least of the players' and coaches' concerns, a Philadelphia loss Wednesday reduces the Thunder's odds of getting the club's 2025 first-round pick.
The first-rounder was originally acquired back in 2020 via the Al Horford salary dump exchange. Philadelphia will keep the pick if it falls inside the top six, but if it is any lower, it will fall into the hands of Oklahoma City.
The 76ers' loss brings them to 23-45 on the season, the sixth-worst record in the league. Every game counts at this point, as they're still half a game away from moving up or down in the standings.