The OKC Thunder became the first team in the association to win 60 games this season following last night's win over the Kings.
Along with dominance in the current state of the league, the record stacks up with some of the best teams in NBA history, as they've become the eighth-fastest team of all-time to reach the 60-win bench mark.
Furthermore, this game only added to the team's historic success on the year, as it helped match the most wins recorded in Thunder history, and will surely be broken as the season continues.
After the first half, the game was seemingly over, as Oklahoma City's lead had swelled to 22. However, the Kings remained resilient, completing a 16-0 run spearheaded by Keegan Murray to bring them within six.
Ultimately, the Thunder's offense came through in the end, closing out the game with a double-digit 121-105 win.
Here are three studs and two duds from Tuesday's rollercoaster victory.
Stud: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
After his 24.1 percent shooting performance against the Clippers during their previous outing, the league's leading scorer was due for a bounce-back. While his outing against the Kings may not have been up to his standards, it was surely a much preferable showing.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 32 points on 43.5 percent shooting from the field, leading the charge on the offensive end.
This marked his league-leading 44th game with 30 or more points scored, staying true to his consistent mentality. As the season wraps up, high-scoring performances should cement Gilgeous-Alexander's case as the 2024-2025 MVP, potentially earning the first of his career.
Stud: Alex Caruso
Alex Caruso continued his highest-scoring month of the season, putting up 15 points in the victory. He added some juice to the playmaking department as well, dishing out 6 assists. On the other side of the ball, he hauled in 5 rebounds and swatted 2 shots.
Caruso has been elite defensively this season, owning a 38.6 defensive field goal percentage, good enough for the third-highest mark in the league among players with a minimum of 30 games played.
While he was stuck in an offensive slump at the beginning of the season, the veteran has shot at least 37.0 percent on threes in every month since the new year.
If his recent level of play is any indicator of offensive production to come, Caruso could prove to be a serious difference-maker in a playoff series.
Stud: Isaiah Joe
Caruso wasn't the only notable bench contributor on the night, as Isaiah Joe put up 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. The guard has reached double-digit points in six of his last seven games, with the lone exception coming in Sunday's victory over the Clippers.
Joe knocked down a team-high four three-pointers on six attempts, lighting up the Kings' defense in every way he could. From transition catch-and-shoots to an off-dribble step back, he couldn't be stopped.
Along with his hot shooting night, Joe contributed mightily in the hustle department, coming away with three steals. He kept consistent energy throughout the matchup despite suffering an early game injury after a collision with Kings guard Keon Ellis.
Dud: Perimeter defense
Keegan Murray lit up the Thunder from range on the night, finishing 9-for-13 on triples.
This crushed his previous season-best of five and made up for over a third of the Kings' 23 made threes on the night. Murray wasn't the only one cashing home from deep, however, as Zach LaVine and Keon Ellis each knocked down four apiece.
Even in the latest stages of the game, longtime veteran Doug McDermott fired up four threes, knocking down three of them in just 4:19 minutes of game time.
The Kings were able to generate open looks the whole night, whether it was in transition or in the half-court.
Some of this can be attributed to the absence of Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins, but allowing teams to make 47 (relatively open) triples in one game isn't a pattern Oklahoma City wishes to continue.
Dud: The turnover battle
In what's been a rare occurrence this season, the Thunder lost the turnover battle on the night. They committed 15 turnovers compared to the Kings' 11, about three more than OKC's season average of 11.8 per game.
Accounting for a third of those 15 turnovers was Gilgeous-Alexander, with five of his own. His turnover total on the night matched his assist total, eye-catching in all the wrong ways. Following him was Isaiah Hartenstein with three, along with Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams with two apiece.
This is not to say that this team has been careless with the ball, but sloppy play is a slippery slope, one that they don't want to slide down heading into the playoffs.