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For the second consecutive game, the Thunder found itself in contest decided by a buzzer beater – this time ending in OKC’s favor. After a back-and-forth battle against the Clippers that endured through four quarters, the Thunder demonstrated poised execution in the final 30 seconds to put itself in a position to close out its homestand on a high note with the roaring excitement from the crowd following a thrilling finish to the game.

Beating the Buzzer
Down four points with 17 seconds left in the game, the Thunder needed to string together multiple plays of sharp execution to give itself a chance against the Clippers. The team had been in a very similar position just two days prior where execution was pivotal in orchestrating a chance to win. While that contest ended in heartbreak, OKC extracted the lessons to ensure that this one ended in triumph.

LA’s Reggie Jackson sank a pair of free throws to put the Clippers ahead 103-99 with 17 seconds on the clock. Without a timeout, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander accelerated up the floor and finished a quick layup in transition to make it a two-point game with 10.4 seconds left.

Rather than immediately foul on the inbounds catch, the Thunder fought full court to force a turnover or until the ball reached the hands of Justise Winslow (a 50-percent free throw shooter) before committing a foul – which is exactly what happened. Winslow missed both attempts at the line which gave OKC the opportunity to call a timeout, advance the ball and draw up a play to win the game with 6.9 seconds left.

“Not fouling right away, that was huge at the end there,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.  “The presence of mind to trap after the quick two, forcing the pass, get a weaker free throw shooter with the ball. He missed two free throws there and then that was a game-winning shot instead of game-tying shot.”

Following a perfectly executed inbounds play, Gilgeous-Alexander found himself with a mismatch advantage right in his comfort zone on the floor. With one dribble, SGA faked a drive to the rim that sent his defender all the way to the paint and opened up a wide-open, unobstructed step-back from behind the arc that sank through the net as the buzzer sounded.

“I knew where I caught it was perfect for my comfort zone and the shot I want to shoot,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I tried to make it look like I was driving. I just got to my step back going right that I work on every day and as soon as I let it go, it felt good.”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve seen Shai work on that shot before practice, after practice,” said Thunder guard Lu Dort. “I felt like it was great for the whole team and him because he’s been working so hard.”

Giddey’s Big Stat Line
Thunder rookie Josh Giddey made his presence known on both ends of the floor and in the history books with his eight-point, 10-assist and 18-rebound stat line on Saturday. With his 18 rebounds, Giddey logged the most rebounds by a rookie this season and the most by a rookie in OKC history. In addition, the Australian guard dished out a career-high-tying 10 assists behind a wide array of passes that ranged from flashy to simply functional.

“That's one of Josh's skills. He has a nose for the ball,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “He’s always around it, makes the right plays and it paid off tonight. He's obviously a great rebounder. He's been doing that all season. Tonight was just on another level.”

Out on the Break
The Thunder outscored the Clippers 14-6 in fast break points on Saturday. Throughout the contest, it was clear that OKC prioritized tempo and pace offensively. In addition to forcing turnovers, the Thunder broke out in transition off the Clippers’ missed shots which led to highly efficient looks at the rim a perfect 7-for-7 on fast break buckets. Giddey was a catalyst in the fast-paced effort as several of his assists were simple kick-ahead passes in transition that led to layups.

“When we were out rebounding and running, that's where we're at our best. Our bigs run the floor hard and you’ve got to reward them,” said Giddey. “I try and get them as many easy layups as possible so they keep running the floor and it creates space for the rest of us.”

Dort’s Strong Finishes
Thunder wing Lu Dort finished the contest with a game-high 29 points on 12-of-19 from the field. While the undrafted wing shot an efficient 4-for-8 from the 3-point line, it was his hard-earned, bruising finishes at the rim that caught attention. Of his 29 points, 16 of them came from the paint and four on fast breaks.

After finishing last season as one of the poorest finishers at his position in the league, Dort used the offseason to focus on finishing strong around the rim. Against the Clippers, the Montreal native used both his speed and physicality to create advantages and finish the looks he created at the basket.

“Lu works extremely hard, extremely disciplined, he plays the game the right way and he gives it his all every time he time steps on the floor,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I think when you do those things, good things will happen to you and they're happening for Lu fast."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his walk-off interview with Bally Sports OK following his buzzer beating 3…
“I’m excited as hell. Obviously a game of ups and downs and I was bad for most of it. I just tried to think next play mentality, tried to do whatever it takes to get a W and we got one tonight.”

Coach Daigneault on the joy of winning on a buzzer beater…
“It's awesome. Competition is joyous and heart ache. That's what happens when you pour yourself into it. I thought our team poured ourselves into the game tonight. It was a really good game. Both teams played really well. They really tested us and obviously we were able to come out on top.”

After concluding its four-game homestand, the Thunder’s next contest comes on the road in Memphis to take on the Grizzlies. From there, OKC will have a day off before a road-home back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday where the team will face the Nuggets at home and the Suns in Phoenix.

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Game Recap: Thunder 104, Clippers 103

The Thunder closes out its four-game homestand with a rematch against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. OKC will enter the game well rested following a two-day break between contests. The team’s last game came on Wednesday night where OKC fell to the Pelicans 113-110 in a heartbreaking finish.

Thunder Bench Shines
 The Thunder’s second unit scored 52 points against the Pelicans on Wednesday behind the season-high 17-point performance of Kenrich Williams and 16 from veteran big man Mike Muscala. Williams cashed in a career-high-tying five 3-pointers in the contest. The effort marked just the second time this season where OKC has logged two players with 15 or more points off the bench and the third time the reserves have scored 50 or more points.

“Just having those guys come in, being able to come off the bench and being so prepared for every situation, it means a lot to us,” said Thunder rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

Free Throw Differential
 Throughout the season, one of the hallmarks of the Thunder’s defense has been its ability to defend without sending its opponents to the free throw line. As a result, OKC ranks second in the league in opponent free throw attempts and fifth in free throw attempt differential. Meanwhile, the Clippers have held its opponents to the 5th lowest free throw attempts per contest this season. Keep an eye on how the Thunder works to get to the foul line while also keeping the Clippers away from it.

“It's something we have our eye on every night,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “From an efficiency standpoint, there's really nothing more efficient in the NBA than a free throw trip. And so we want to be a team that limits, we want to be physical, obviously, but we want to limit fouls that are cheap, and that put teams on the line. “

48-Minute Mentality
 Over its last two contests, the Thunder has gotten out to strong offensive starts averaging 25.4 points and shooting 43.8 percent from the field in first quarters. However, the last time the Thunder faced the Clippers back in November, the team fell in the fourth quarter following a dramatic game of runs. Maintaining that energy and execution for a full 48 minutes will be key in this one as the Clippers tout strong weapons on both ends of the floor.

Thunder reserve big man Mike Muscala, known for his efficiency off the bench, logged his 16 points against the Pelicans in a matter of just 14 minutes. In a testament to his readiness as a reserve the effort marked the third game of the season where Muscala has scored more points than he’s played minutes. His highest scoring effort took place in San Antonio where he poured in 20 points in 14 minutes and 11 seconds.

“He's putting so much work in here on practice days, on days off that he's probably one of the most prepared players I've been around,” said Thunder rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. “So just seeing when he goes out there and hits three threes off the bench, has a dunk, has another layup, it's not surprising because he's just so prepared for every situation.”

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl on the competitiveness in practice following the close loss to New Orleans…
“We just come back every single day and just attack it the same way. Coming out here competing trying to get better individually and as a team. We have our next game, we just go out and compete at a high level.”

The Clippers (16-13) also enjoyed a two-day respite since its last contest on Wednesday. In that game, Los Angeles fell to the Jazz 124-103 on the road. Prior to that matchup, the Clippers had won five of its previous six contests. LA has been without its leading scorer and seven-time All Star Paul George due to a right elbow sprain. In his absence, the Clippers have had three players averaging 16 or more points per night with Reggie Jackson leading the way with 19 points per game. However, in its last matchup on Wednesday, it was Marcus Morris Sr. who led LA in scoring with 24 points on 10-of-20 from the field.

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Preview: Thunder vs. Clippers - 12/18

The Thunder’s tightly contested contest with the Pelicans featured 15 ties, 14 lead changes and a pair of back-to-back unlikely heaves from deep to determine a winner. A side-step 3-pointer from OKC’s leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied the game with 1.7 seconds left, but it was a last-second 60-foot heave from Devonte’ Graham that gave the Pelicans the 113-110 win on Wednesday night.

A Wild Finish
Of the combined 29 ties and lead changes in the ball game, 13 of them occurred in the back-and-forth battle of the fourth quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 of his team-high 33 points in the frame as Brandon Ingram also cashed in a dozen of his own. Neither team led by more than four points, and it came down to an unbelievable final five seconds of the game to determine a winner.

With just 4.7 seconds left in the game, Ingram steps to the foul line and sinks a pair of free throws to put the Pelicans ahead 110-107. The Thunder called a timeout to draw up a play on the inbounds. On the previous inbound attempt for the Thunder, New Orleans fouled immediately to deter a 3-point shot and force two free throws. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept that in the back of his mind as he worked to free himself from Garrett Temple.

On the catch, Gilgeous-Alexander took one dribble and a quick sidestep to the right, evading the arms of Temple and elevating for a 30-foot 3-pointer that fell through the rim with just 1.7 seconds left to tie the game at 110. Paycom Center erupted with elation and the Thunder bench exploded in approval.

“I knew they were going to try to foul because they were up three with a little bit of time left. So I tried to get away from the guy as fast as possible,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “I wanted to go right because I know that’s my comfort zone and fortunately the shot went in.”

With no timeouts and less than two seconds left in the game for New Orleans, it seemed as though Gilgeous-Alexander’s bucket would be enough to send the game into overtime. However, in a wild turn of events, New Orleans’ Devonte’ Graham caught the ball on the inbounds took a single dribble and heaved up a prayer from the opposite 3-point line over the outstretched arms of Kenrich Williams. As the buzzer sounded, the ball banked off the backboard and dropped through the rim to give the Pelicans the 3-point lead and the win.

“Two great shots, crazy shots. In terms of us, I thought we did what we could do in terms of execution down the stretch of the game,” said Daigneault. “I thought we put ourselves in a really good position all things to consider, but when you lose a game that tight, that stings.”

“It’s hard to describe it. You have to tip your cap to them,” said Williams on the emotional ending to the game. “It was a matter of seconds you go from happy to ‘wow’. Just kind of a loss for words.”

Rookie Jams
With Lu Dort out of the lineup against the Pelicans (left ankle sprain), rookie two-way player Aaron Wiggins stepped into his second start of his career. It didn’t take long for the former Maryland Terrapin to display his energy and athleticism in the first quarter as he tracked down a missed bucket from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and slammed the put back through the rim.

Fellow rookie Tre Mann left his mark on the rim as well in the first frame. After catching attention with his one-handed slam against Dallas on Sunday, Mann followed up the performance on Wednesday with yet another high-flying jam, this time on a backdoor pass from rookie Josh Giddey.

“Tre's got bounce. I don't think a lot of people knew that but I mean, I think they know it now,” said Giddey. “Both [Wiggins] and Tre have been really good for us.”

K-Rich from Deep
Thunder reserve Kenrich Williams chipped in a season-high 17 points to go alongside a season-high five made 3-pointers. The fourth-year wing is usually the source for the scrappy, hard-earned second chance opportunities for the Thunder, but on Wednesday he was the beneficiary of multiple of those second chances baskets.

“It felt good. Feels good especially when the guys are hustling like that. The energy goes back to you,” said Williams. “I appreciate those guys and I appreciate those guys finding me tonight for the three ball.”

Burst from the Second Unit
In addition to Williams, the Thunder’s second unit provided quite the spark to the tune of 52 points compared to just 26 for the Pelicans. Williams led the way with 17 points as  Mike Muscala poured in another 16 of his own in a matter of just 14 minutes which marked the third time this season where Muscala has scored more points than he’s played minutes.

“Second unit was big,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “Especially in the second quarter. They really opened the game up for us, gave us a comfortable lead and we were kind of riding that all night. They were huge in us being in the game tonight.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the wild ending to the game…
“Being on this end of it sucks for sure, but it’s basketball, it’s life. Sometimes things don’t go your way and all you can do is control what you can control. We gave it our all tonight and unfortunately we didn’t come out with a win but we’ll look forward to the next game.”

The Thunder will have two days between games before wrapping up its four-game homestand on Saturday against the visiting Los Angeles Clippers. The team then kicks off Christmas week in Memphis to face the Grizzlies on Monday.

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Game Recap: Thunder vs. Pelicans - 12/15

Following its matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder had two days between contests to reset and refocus before its next challenge against the New Orleans Pelicans. Wednesday’s match marks the second meeting between the Thunder and the Pelicans this season as OKC escaped the Big Easy with a win back in November.

48-Minute Mentality
In its last meeting against the Pelicans, the Thunder fought to maintain a double-digit lead that was put in jeopardy in the fourth quarter. New Orleans, behind the 22-point fourth frame effort of Nickeil Alexander Walker, threw a massive fourth quarter punch to shave OKC’s double-digit lead to just five points. Look for OKC to demonstrate its 48-minute mentality by emphasizing a solid start and finishing strong.

“That’s a major thing the coaches have been emphasizing,” said Thunder wing Kenrich Williams. “Starting off strong and finishing strong for a full 48 minutes.”

Flying to the Paint 
 All roads lead to the paint between the Thunder and the Pelicans as both teams average around 44 percent of their total points from the lane – both top 10 marks in the league. Pelicans’ center Jonas Valanciunas leads the league in total paint points this season as New Orleans has tallied the most total layup attempts in the league. On the other end, expect the Thunder to prioritize its downhill attack after logging an uncharacteristic 20 points in the paint on Sunday against the Mavericks.

Limiting Ingram
While Wednesday’s game marks the second matchup of the season between the Thunder and the Pelicans, it will be the first meeting for OKC against New Orleans’ leading scorer Brandon Ingram who was out with injury in OKC’s November meeting. Ingram averages 23 points per contest while also dishing out a team-high five assists. Keep an eye on how the Thunder defense works to limit Ingram’s playmaking ability on Wednesday.

In its game against Dallas on Sunday, the Thunder allowed zero fast break points for the Mavericks. The effort marked the third time this season where OKC held its opponent to zero points on the break which ties for the most by any team in the league over the last ten seasons. Overall, the Thunder is second in the league in opponent fast break points allowed per game as the team gives up just 8.8 on average.

Kenrich Williams on the benefit of two days between games…
“It’s pretty good to get a little break. It gets us a chance to kind of regroup, take a day off, mentally get that reset and just kind of look forward to the next game and game plan as well.”

Coach Daigneault on the mood of Tuesday’s practice…
  “I thought the guys came in with a sense of purpose and a level of hunger that we obviously hope carries over to the game tomorrow, but the type of hunger and motivation that we would expect to see coming off a couple tough games where we weren’t at our best.”

New Orleans (8-21) enters Oklahoma City well rested after a pair of days to rest following its loss to San Antonio on Sunday. Ingram led the Pels in scoring against the Spurs with 27 points to go alongside nine assists and seven rebounds. Valanciunas chipped in a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. New Orleans’ starting backcourt consists of Josh Hart and Devonte’ Graham who combine for 24 points and eight assists per contest.

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Preview: Thunder vs. Pelicans - 12/15

After throwing the first punch in the ball game, Dallas had its chances throughout the night to break the game open against OKC, but the Thunder hung in there to keep the deficit manageable through three quarters. Although the Thunder kept itself within striking distance of Dallas through much of the ball game, a costly, lopsided fourth quarter allowed the Mavericks to break away to a 103-84 win.

Costly Fourth Frame
For the first three quarters of the ball game, the Thunder were within striking distance of the Mavericks who balanced lead of just 12 points or less. It even looked as though the Thunder would be able to break through at the end of the third quarter. Jalen Brunson had just erupted for 10 consecutive points to build up the 12-point lead, but a pair of 3-pointers and a strong defensive stop led to a six-point swing to close the frame. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Thunder only trailed by a manageable nine points.

However, while OKC’s defense remained on par through the final frame, its offense fell flat putting up just 13 points over the final 12 minutes. Although Dallas went just 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter, it’s nine free throw attempts and 42-percent clip from the field were enough to eclipse the 26-percent shooting clip of the Thunder and take the game.

“I thought they outplayed us much of the night, and we just kind of made enough plays to hang around and stay within striking distance,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.

“One through four, all quarters, I don't think it was there enough to make the plays, doing the stuff required to win the game,” said Thunder forward Darius Bazley. “I thought it was very winnable, but we just weren't the hungrier team.”

Blocks by Baze
Darius Bazley, using his 6-foot-8 frame and rangy wingspan, swatted away three shots on the night which marks his seventh career game with three or more blocks – five of which came this season. Bazley leads the team in total blocks this season with 28 (already three more than he tallied all of last season.) He added to his list of tough defensive assignments with the matchup against 7-foot-3 forward Kristaps Porzingis on Sunday. Bazley, who asked for the increased defensive responsibility before the season, continued to demonstrate his elevated floor when going up against elite, high-scoring opposition.

“My confidence just grows because I'm guarding pretty good guys every night. I got to be ready for that challenge,” said Bazley. “Also, it's something that gets me going. Stops are obviously important. I kind of realize that I'm blocking shots and it's a goal of mine - like I'm going to block his shot tonight."

“Baze has a defensive specialty,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Super good athlete, can move, guard one through five. We all know that and believe that. We just need him and want him to bring that in every possession. He's getting better at that as the season goes on.”

Muscala’s Microwaved Minutes
In the first frame, the Thunder’s offense emanated from multiple sources to create its first lead of the night. Most notably, veteran big man Mike Muscala stepped in off the bench and microwaved eight points in a matter of just two minutes. In a display of readiness and pure efficiency, the stretch big drained a pair of 3-pointers while also cashing in a layup at the basket all on consecutive possessions.

Dort’s Historic Streak
In the first quarter, Darius Bazley zipped the ball across the court to Lu Dort who stood wide open in the right corner. Without hesitation, the third-year guard fired off and sank the triple which marked his 40th consecutive game with at least one made 3-pointer. His string of 40 straight games is the second-longest active streak in the league, trailing only Stephen Curry. The streak has also found its way into the Thunder history books as the fifth longest streak of games with at least one 3-pointer made.

Darius Bazley on the lessons from the night…
“Sometimes I think we dig ourselves a hole and we're able to get ourselves out of it and it shows the fight in us. Just being able to get out on teams early and stay consistent with it is something we need to do. We'll definitely watch film and take away from tonight's game and sharpen up in different areas that are key for us."

Mark Daigneault on the energy of the night…
    “Our whole team tonight just wasn't up to the level that we established earlier in the week on those two road games, and we've got to kind of tap back into that from an energy standpoint, competitiveness standpoint. It wasn't awful tonight, but certainly wasn't up to the level that we're capable of or that we've been at here recently.”

OKC will have a two-day break between contests before tipping off again on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans at home. The team will then conclude its four-game home stand with a tilt against the Clippers on Saturday at 7 pm CT.

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Game Recap: Thunder vs. Mavericks - 12/12

The Thunder continues its lengthy four-game home stand with its first matchup of the season against the Dallas Mavericks. Following its loss to the Lakers on Friday, the Thunder had a day of practice on Saturday before hitting the hardwood again against Dallas on Sunday.

Keying in on Defense
OKC’s defensive numbers have shown steady increases and improvements throughout the season. Particularly over the last six games, the Thunder’s increased its steals, forced turnovers and points off turnovers from its previous marks this season. Thunder forward Darius Bazley has made significant contributions in this area as he’s averaged two steals per game over the last five contests.

Big Rookie Numbers
In OKC’s matchup against the Lakers, rookie Tre Mann led the Thunder with a career-high 19 points including three made 3-pointers and a monstrous slam over Wayne Ellington.

“That was crazy,” said fellow rookie Jeremiah Robinson-Earl on Mann’s dunk. “It came out of nowhere event though we know he can do it. It was a great play.”

In addition, rookie guard Josh Giddey logged his fourth game of the season with a stat line of at least 10 points, seven rebounds and seven assists which marks the most by a rookie in OKC history.

Luka and Kristaps
Dallas’ two-time All Star Luka Dončić leads the Mavericks with 25.6 points per game as big man Kristaps Porzingis adds 19.6 of his own. Dončić ranks second in the league in unassisted field foals made this season while tallying the second most floaters and step backs made so far this season. However, the Mavs leading scorer has also logged two triple-double games in his 21 games played so far this year. Keep an eye out for how the Thunder works to limit looks from Dončić throughout the night.

While Sunday marks the first meeting between the Thunder and the Mavericks this season, the two teams have alternated victories over the past seven meetings in Oklahoma City. On average, those contests have been evenly matched with OKC and Dallas averaging 109 points per game and roughly 44 percent shooting from the field. Over that seven-game stretch in Oklahoma, the Mavericks hold the narrow 4-3 series lead.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl on the lessons from the loss to the Lakers…
“We might not be able to control if our shots are going in, we shot at a pretty low percentage from three throughout the majority of the game and they were hitting a lot of shots, but we can control what type of level we’re going to compete.”

Dallas enters Oklahoma City after falling to the Pacers 106-93 on Friday while shooting an uncharacteristic 13.8 percent from the 3-point line. Dončić led the way with 27 points and a near triple double with nine assists and nine rebounds. Porzingis chipped in 22 of his own while shooting 9-of-1 from the field.

Overall, Dallas’ offense generates among the fewest percentage of its points from the paint. In turn, the team thrives off of the 3-point line and the midrange. For the season, the Mavericks also turn the ball over at the second-lowest rate in the league.

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Preview: Thunder vs. Mavericks - 12/12

The Thunder fell behind early in its matchup against the Lakers. A hot-shooting night from Los Angeles coupled with a slow offensive start for OKC forced the Thunder to play behind for the duration of the contest before falling 116-95. Los Angeles’s 19 3-pointers at a 45 percent clip proved to be the difference in the night as the Thunder shot just 22 percent from deep and 39 percent from the field. Offensively, it was Thunder rookie Tre Mann who led OKC in scoring with a career-high 19 points off the bench.

Second-Quarter Run
The Thunder fell behind by 14 in the first frame and 25 in the first half. However, the team threw its biggest punch of the night in the second quarter to the tune of a 16-3 run to bring its deficit down to just 12 points. After missing all 11 of its 3-point attempts in the first quarter, the Thunder sank three in the second frame while also turning its defensive stops in to opportunities on the other end of the floor.

“Shots started falling for us, our defense picked up, we kind of plugged off a bit more and I think we communicated and got stops, got out and ran and we looked good,” said Thunder rookie Josh Giddey. “We started off slow again and played from behind all night.”

The Thunder wouldn’t be able to close the margin any further throughout the contest as the Lakers continued to shoot above 40 percent from deep while OKC struggled to match the offensive pace. LeBron James led all scorers with 33 points on 13-of-20 from the field and Avery Bradley added 22 of his own including six made 3-pointers.

“We could have been a little sharper on our rotations. A lot of that was advantages that were created in other parts of the game where I think we were a step late,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “With James and [Russell] Westbrook specifically – those guys really fire passes to the perimeter and if you're a step late to the initial help, now you're really late out to the shooter and I thought that's just the state we're in in the first half.”

Mann, What a Night
Thunder rookie Tre Mann was the team’s leading scorer with a career-high 19 points on an efficient 8-for-15 shooting from the field including three 3-pointers. In addition to his career offensive numbers, Mann continued to show strides of competitiveness and aggression on the defensive end – an area the Thunder coaching staff has challenged Mann to add to his game.

“It's been building to this to be honest with you,” said Daigneault on Mann’s career night. “He's competing on a consistent enough level that it gives you confidence having him in the game.”

Mann’s most emphatic bucket of the night took place in the first half. After committing a foul on James on the other end of the floor that resulted in an and-one, Mann responded on the very next possession with a rim-rocking dunk of his own. The rookie accelerated past Carmelo Anthony and elevated for a determined one-handed jam over Wayne Ellington that sent all of Paycom Center into a roar.

“When it first happened, it just felt good because I had just gotten dunked on a play before,” said Mann. “So to come back and get one like that I felt good.”

Giddey’s Stat Line
Mann wasn’t the only rookie with an impressive stat line against the Lakers. Australian point guard Josh Giddey finished the night with 12 points, seven rebounds and a team-high seven assists for the fourth time this season. Giddey now has the most games by a rookie in OKC history with a stat line of 10-7-7 or better.

VIPs in the Building
All attention turned to the video board at the end of the first quarter. The crowd inside Paycom Center rose to their feet for a standing ovation as the Thunder recognized two very special guests inside the building – two of the three known living survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. 107-year-old Mrs. Viola Ford Fletcher and her brother 100-year-old Mr. Hughes Van Ellis sported their Thunder uniforms while enjoying their first ever NBA game.

Josh Giddey on the Thunder’s takeaways…
“There’s going to be nights like this. This is the NBA, guys made shots and there’s going be nights where teams shoot it bad and they shoot it great like the Lakers did tonight and it's not losing sight of the end goal. If we're making them make contested shots all night, it's not sustainable for 82 games.”

The Thunder’s four-game home stand will continue Sunday with a tilt against the Dallas Mavericks for the first time this season. The matchup is set to tip off at 6 pm CT and will air on Bally Sports Oklahoma.

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Game Recap: Thunder vs. Lakers - 12/10

The Thunder returns home from a successful 2-0 road trip up north to take on a familiar Los Angeles opponent inside of Paycom Center. The matchup marks the third meeting this season between the Thunder and the Lakers as OKC holds the 2-0 series edge thus far.

SGA at the Line
In OKC’s win over the Raptors on Wednesday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 26 points including a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line. The performance marked his third consecutive game with 12 or more free throws made making him the first Thunder player since 2015 to accomplish such a feat. Over those three contests, SGA has gone 38-of-43 from the line.

Strong Second Halves
In its two games on the road, the Thunder’s second half efforts proved to be decisive in their victories. Over those two contests, the Thunder averaged 60 second-half points while shooting 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line.

The same trend has been true in the Thunder’s last two meetings with the Lakers – both of which were comeback efforts of 19 or more points. In the second halves against LA this season, the Thunder has averaged 63 points while shooting 53 percent from the field and 45 percent from the 3-point line.

Gritty Defensive Effort
 After logging a season-high 11 blocks against the Pistons on Monday, the Thunder followed up the defensive effort with a season-high 12 steals against the Raptors on Wednesday. In a full-team effort, the Thunder had four players who logged two or more thefts as Kenrich Williams led the way with four of his own.

After sealing an 18-point comeback win on Monday against the Pistons, the Thunder has now logged five wins this season after trailing by 16 or more points. Two of those five wins came against the Lakers, including a Thunder-record-tying 26-point comeback back in October which also still marks the largest come-from-behind victory in the NBA this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the team’s progression…
“I know for a fact we're getting better every day and we're learning. What the future holds, I have no clue. I can’t control it. That’s something we do, just stay in the moment, focus on the day to day and try to get better every day. Wherever that takes us, that takes us but we're heading in the right direction for sure.”

The Lakers will enter Oklahoma City on the second night of a back-to-back after facing the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.  So far this season, the Lake Show is 1-2 when playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The team’s offense is fueled by the three-pronged attack of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook who all average over 20 points per game. James missed the first two meetings with the Thunder this season due to injury. In his absence, Davis posted an average of 29.5 points between both games against the Thunder and Westbrook added an average 23.5 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in both contests.