Physical, unrelenting defense
The Thunder defense in the third quarter was the stuff of legend. Eight blocks, two steals, and one extremely bothered Ivica Zubac. OKC has struggled this season with beefy centers imposing their will on the Thunder. Today, that script was flipped. Oklahoma City racked up 4 blocks on Zubac alone.
Point of attack defense was superb from the very beginning, with Dort forcing a steal on Harden on the first Clipper possession. Dort hounded Harden tonight, holding him to just 17 points and 2 assists. And when Dort needs some rest, Cason Wallace can come in and wreak havoc in much the same way. Wallace led the team with four steals off the bench today.
Oklahoma City’s defensive presence showed up in the eye test as much as it did in the box score. They were clearly the more physical team today, and their physicality ended up demoralizing the Clippers.
Even when the Thunder went small, like they did to end the first quarter, they were able to protect the rim. The collective wingspan of the Thunder players allows them to swarm paint attackers and disrupt what should be high-percentage looks.
All in all, this was a game that was won on the defensive end. Cleaning the Glass shows that Los Angeles shot just 37.5% at the rim. When you can shut down an opponent’s scoring in the restricted area as OKC did, you give yourself a good chance to win the game.