It feels like with every passing game, the OKC Thunder find themselves breaking a league-wide record. Monday night's win over Chicago proved to be the latest example of such a fad.
The 145-117 blowout gave Oklahoma City a 28-1 record against all East teams they've faced this year, clinching the best record against the opposing conference in NBA history. They have a chance to improve the newly set record even further with an April 2 showdown against the Pistons.
Despite this impressive accomplishment, however, the story of the night was actually Josh Giddey's return to the Paycom Center. This marked the point guard's first time taking the court in OKC since being traded to the Bulls last offseason.
Throughout his previous nine games in March, Giddey had averaged 20.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.9 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from deep.
Though the Australian native may have logged 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists, Monday's performance against his former employers, his efficiency plummeted drastically, as he shot just 40.0 percent from the field and coughed up 4 turnovers in his 27 minutes of play.
Overall, things went as well as they can get for the Thunder en route to their 63 win on the year, and there were three studs and a surprise dud performer that stood out the most during the contest.
Stud: Isaiah Joe
Despite playing just 24 minutes of action, fifth-year man Isaiah Joe surprisingly led the charge in scoring on the night, as he matched his highest point total of the season with 3, launching 14 threes and sinking eight of them along the way.
This marks his sixth time making at least four triples in the last eight games.
Despite his high usage on the night, Joe turned the ball over just once, fitting right in with the low-turnover offense Oklahoma City has grown accustomed to. His versatility and explosiveness provides juice to an already strong bench unit, and he's shown ability to lead it when needed.
Stud: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The MVP frontrunner fell short of 30 points for just the third time this month, finishing with 27 points in just over 27 minutes of action. Of course, he did still shoot 9-for-14 from the field, staying efficient as always.
This continues his now 68-game streak of scoring at least 20 points, good enough for one of the five longest streaks in league history.
Differing from his usual standout stat line, however, it was the assists department that Gilgeous-Alexander dominated tonight. He dished out a season-high 12 assists, his highest total since February 4, 2022.
Registering in with a team-high 29 plus-minus, Gilgeous-Alexander's diversity as a superstar continues to elevate his team's offense each night, in whichever way he chooses.
Stud: Cason Wallace
Cason Wallace stuffed the stat sheet in every category on the night, proving his impact all across the board.
The sophomore guard scored 10 points off the bench on 50.0 percent shooting while dishing out eight assists along the way, the most of his young career. On the defensive side of the ball, he snagged 3 steals and swatted a shot, making his presence felt on both ends of the floor.
This performance capped off Wallace's best offensive month of his career, averaging double-digit ponts and shooting at least 50.0 percent both from the field and from deep.
At only 21 years old, there's no telling what Wallace could become if his recent offensive play stays consistent.
Dud: Chet Holmgren
While advanced metrics suggest Chet Holmgren has had a highly positive impact on the team, his counting stats can appear underwhelming at times. After scoring just 4 points on 2-for-9 shooting against the Grizzlies, the big man went on to tally just 5 points in Monday's win, shooting 2-for-7 on the night.
Along with his poor conversion rate, Holmgren matched his assist total with the same amount of turnovers (three apiece).
His past two games have been arguably his worst of the season, and now isn't the time to hit a cold streak. Oklahoma City has just seven games left in the regular season before the playoffs begin, a time when everyone is at risk of going home.
Holmgren's defense will always be something to fall back on, but remaining a reliable option on the offensive end is a necessity for this team's championship aspirations to come to fruition.