Thunder wins shocking road victory 133-114 over Sixers
It would be great if this game were on national television.
Oklahoma City Thunder managed to win their best road win of the season. Philadelphia 76ers, 133-114.
The Sixers had a record of 13-3 in their 16 last games. In that time, they also had the third-best net ratings at 8.8. In their final game, the Sixers scored an impressive 147 point win against the Detroit Pistons. The Sixers were third in defensive rating with 110.2 for the season.
The Sixers were in good health going into the game. There was no injury report.
This should’ve been a Sixers win. However, the Thunder keep surprising us and had an offensive blast a game after struggling to score.
The Thunder outscored the Sixers in the paint 52 to 44, despite missing their entire frontcourt. They also had a great shooting game, going 14-of 32 (43.8%) from 3.
Thunder shot 31-of 33 (93.9%) from free-throw, which was a busy night for them. They have shown an increased improvement in their shooting. last game.
Following a quick 13-0 Sixers’ run to start the third quarter, the Thunder’s lead suddenly evaporated and it felt like momentum was heading towards the home team.
Instead, the Thunder — who have the best third-quarter net rating in the league at 13.9 — were able to outscore the Sixers 32-9 to finish the third quarter.
Joel Embiid was the Sixers’ loss leader, followed by James Harden. Embiid ended with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Harden was 24th in the scoring and had 15 assists.
The Thunder also played toe-to-toe with the Sixers during the fourth quarter. They were able win the quarter by just three points. The Thunder did a fantastic job in preventing any Sixers comeback hopes.
The Thunder won’t be able to celebrate this win for more than one day. On Friday, January 13, the Thunder will play the second night in a back-to-back road match against the Chicago Bulls.
Let’s take a look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A+
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images).
This performance on TNT would have helped Shai Gilgeous Alexander to increase his All-Star voting.
Gilgeous-Alexander played a great game against the Sixers. She scored 37 points on an efficient 10-of-16 shooting effort and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 16-of-16.
Gilgeous Alexander scored 13 points during the first quarter, despite his slow start. Gilgeous Alexander managed to keep the Sixers away in the fourth quarter with 10 points, eight of which came from the free throw line.
On his last match against the Sixers, he scored a season-low 14 point score. New Year’s EveGilgeous-Alexander cracked this code by sending drives to the basket and getting to a frequent level of the free-throw line.
Josh Giddey – B+
Credit: Eric Hartline – USA TODAY Sports
The shot didn’t necessarily fall for Josh Giddey to start the game, as he had nine points on 3-of-8 shooting in the first three quarters.
Giddey was unable to get into the rim. He settled for many jumpers and floaters. Just like most of the league, Giddey wasn’t able to work his way around Joel Embiid.
Giddey was 5-of-9 in the paint for 10 points.
But a strong fourth quarter helped turn Giddey’s scoring game around as he scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in 11 minutes.
Giddey had 20 points in total on 7-of-14 shots and was 5-of-5 from free-throw to finish with eight assists, four rebounds and nine rebounds.
Jalen Williams: B
Credit: Eric Hartline – USA TODAY Sports
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault didn’t want to commit to Jalen Williams being a permanent starter, but if he continues to play like he did against the Sixers, it’s hard to see that not happening.
In fact, I kind of feel like it’s already happened. Williams has played in the Thunder’s 16 last games and 18 of their 19 last games.
Williams finished with 14 points, shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 at 3. Williams had four assists and five rebounds.
Williams, like many nights, scored most of his points near the rim. He scored eight points on four-of-6 shots inside the paint.
Jaylin Williams:
Credit: Eric Hartline – USA TODAY Sports
Jaylin Wilkins was appointed center’s starting point after Jaylin had not played for eight days.
Williams put in his best performance this season, scoring 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and grabbing five rebounds. He also had two assists.
Williams made an impressive shot that included a drive from the baseline to bank in a reverse layup.
Williams’ biggest problem is his foul-prone nature. Williams was fouled five times in just 18 minutes. Considering he played against Embiid and Harden, two of the best foul drawers in the league, it’s hard to assign a ton of blame for Williams.
HIGHLIGHTS