Highlights: OKC at LAL
By Paris Lawson | Broadcast and Digital Reporter | okcthunder.com
BOX SCORE: OKC AT LAL
THE BIG PICTUE
A shortened six-man Thunder rotation kept pace with the Lakers through the first three quarters on Friday night. Georgios Kalaitzakis and Jaylen Hoard both posted career-high scoring nights to help keep the Lakers’ lead within single digits. After 16 lead changes, L.A. pulled away in the fourth quarter to build its largest lead of the night but that didn’t stop the hustle and energy of the Thunder who had five players play over 40 minutes of basketball.
MOMENTS FROM THE 48
OKC’s Strong Effort
Despite the final score, the Thunder and the Lakers racked up 16 lead changes throughout the night. OKC’s six-man rotation kept pace with the Lakers through the first three quarters, not falling behind by more than nine points.
Leading up to the fourth quarter, both teams operated at a 50-percent clip from the field. The Purple and Gold, who played without their key figures, put up a balanced scoring performance with six players registering nine or more points. The Thunder, who played with a rotation of just six players, were led by 10-day signees Georgios Kalaitzakis and Jaylen Hoard who combined for 47 points through the first three frames.
It wasn’t until the fourth frame, where the Lakers outscored OKC 30 to 19 that Los Angeles built up a double-digit lead and comfortable control of the game.
“I thought [the Lakers] caught a rhythm there. We did a good job of keeping that check for the majority of the game and then made a couple of shots get their rhythm. We stopped scoring during that stretch and they were able to open it up,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “We fought hard really competed that we played all the way through the 48 both ends of the floor. Yeah, commend the effort of our players.”
Effort played a massive role throughout the night for the Thunder because by the end of the night, five of the six rotation players logged over 43 minutes of action. Even still, the effort, hustle and energy hummed at a steady level through all 48 minutes with players jumping into passing lanes with urgency and making the extra effort on the offensive glass for second chances. That’s because for the young guys who have the chance to see extended minutes on an NBA floor, the feeling after the game isn’t exhaustion – it’s gratitude.
“We love basketball. Being out there 40-plus minutes is always fun. If you're in shape it doesn't really matter. You're happy to be out there,” said Thunder 20-day forward Jaylen Hoard who logged 47 minutes of playing time. “A lot of minutes, you get a chance to be out there, you have a little bit more leeway to make mistakes and still learn from them during the game. It's been fun."
Big Night for Georgios
With three seconds left on the shot clock, Georgios Kalaitzakis lost control of the ball. The Greek rookie avoided a turnover by recovering the loose change but need to hoist up a shot to beat the shot clock. Kalaitzakis quickly turned around and floated the ball toward the rim and watched as it banked off the backboard and fell through the nets.
It was that type of night for Kalaitzakis.
The 10-day signee finished with a career high 25 points on an efficient 10-of-19 from the field. Kalaitzakis became the sixth Thunder rookie to log 20 or more points in a game this season. The Thunder now has the most rookies with 20-plus point performances in a single season since the 1962-63 season.
“I hit my first four shots, so I saw that it was failing and I said that I'm gonna keep rolling,” said Kalaitzakis.
“It was a little bit of everything,” said Daigneault. “He had two energy plays for steals. That got him some points out in transition, made a couple shots, got to the rim a couple times, got to the line. I thought he had a nice balance tonight.”
Hoard’s Double-Double
After doing most of his offensive damage from behind the arc on Wednesday against Utah, Hoard took a more physical approach to scoring against the Lakers on Friday night. The 10-day signee posted a new career high with 27 points by attacking downhill to the rim and finishing strong through contact. In several cases, the contact came from the much bigger, bruising presence of Dwight Howard.
Hoard has now logged over 20 points in three consecutive contests and with 17 rebounds, posted his third double-double in a matter of just five games.
“The thing about him that I've always respected is defensively and toughness plays and competitive plays,” said Daigneault. “The scoring and rebounding numbers are like a bonus.”
“I feel pretty good,” said Hoard on his offensive game. “Just knowing that we have a lot of guys out I know even if I make a couple of mistakes here and there, I'm most likely gonna stay in the game so it's helping me play free.”
The Last Word
WHAT'S NEXT
The Thunder remains in Los Angeles for its final game of the season. The team will take on the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at 6:30 pm CT.