Third Quarter Dominance
Almost all great teams have a signature period; for some, it is fast starts in the first; for others, it is fantastic fourth quarters; and for the Thunder, they seem to prefer making tweaks during halftime and using it as a springboard to come out dominant in the third.
Though 38 games, the Thunder have outscored their opponent in all but 13 contests, and in three of those instances, they have been outscored by only one point. OKC has only been outscored in the third quarter three times since December 16, as they bested the Magic by four points on Saturday.
Although the margin was smaller than normal, it gave the Thunder an 86-73 lead heading into the fourth. When OKC leads after three quarters, they are 24-1 this season, which is the second-best mark in the league trailing only the league-leading Boston Celtics, who are 25-2.
This is an impressive mark for the young Thunder, and these numbers will be tested next when they embark on a difficult West Coast road trip that will feature the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, and West-leading Timberwolves.