Game Grades: OKC Thunder continue to prove they belong in win over Celtics

Grading the OKC Thunder starters:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, G, OKC Thunder: A+

The Thunder’s superstar had another huge night against the team with the best record in the league.

Against Boston, Gilgeous-Alexander did whatever he wanted for the most part. He got inside, nailed some threes and got to some of his favorite spots in the mid-range.

Although he was in foul trouble for basically the entire second half, he was able to play solid defense until his fifth foul made him much less aggressive. Still, he finished with a steal and grabbed six rebounds.

Offensively, he was on one all night, going 14-of-22 from the floor and scoring 36 points in the win. He also had a team-high seven assists.

Josh Giddey, G, OKC Thunder: A+

It’s difficult to think of another game this season where Giddey has played well and impacted the game at such a high level. He nailed a couple of first-quarter 3-pointers on his way to another night with four makes from that range.

Those makes helped him get to 23 points, then he added six assists. While it felt like Giddey was shooting too much early, he turned that around by finding his spots and attacking what the Celtics’ defense was giving him.

The third-year guard also finished with a team-high eight rebounds.

Lu Dort, F, OKC Thunder: C-

Defensively, Dort had a good performance. He had three blocks and a steal to go with eight rebounds. 

However, the offense was a different story. Dort struggled to hit anything, finishing 4-of-14 from the floor and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Jalen Williams, F, OKC Thunder: B+

Williams’ night against the Celtics was likely not as good as he would have liked.

He finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting but added five turnovers. Although he was up-and-down offensively, he made some key plays on the other side.

Williams had three steals, including one on Jrue Holiday, that he finished on the other end to push Oklahoma City’s lead to 18 in the fourth. Williams also accounted for two of the team’s 10 blocked shots.

Chet Holmgren, C, OKC Thunder: A-

The rookie big man continues to have an immense impact on the Thunder.

Holmgren finished with 14 points and three rebounds, but he did so much more. The 7-footer also blocked four shots and finished with a team-high seven assists.

He hit all three of his 3-pointers in the second half, including two crucial makes in the final five minutes.