The Big Picture
The Thunder stared down an 18-point deficit in the first half against the Pistons. Detroit put up 37 first quarter points and shot an efficient 50-percent clip from the 3-point line in the first half. It took a determined second-half defensive effort coupled with a monstrous offensive punch in the fourth for the Thunder to tie its third-largest comeback victory this season.
Moments from the 48
A Furious Fourth
The Thunder trailed by as many as 18 in the first half but heading into the final frame OKC had cut the deficit at a nine thanks to a stout defensive effort that held Detroit to just 18 points in the quarter. This opened the door for OKC to mount what would tie the third-largest comeback win for OKC this season.
What started defensively, finished on the offensive end for OKC. The Thunder opened the fourth quarter with 12 consecutive made baskets that fueled a 12-0 run. The burst not only eliminated OKCʼs deficit but gave it the lead with 3:30 left in the game. The Thunderʼs red-hot offense offense didnʼt cool off after its first miss of the fourth quarter. OKC shot a scorching 17-of-19 from the field in the final frame to outscore Detroit 42-22 in the fourth quarter to put the clamps on the comeback in the final moments.
“It just took us staying in the moment, not trying to look ahead or look at how the game was going previously,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Tried to stay possession by possession and try to win every possession going forward. If we could do that, we would have got a W and we did.”
“I thought we did a great job of not panicking, and just staying the course and focusing on controllables and execution,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “It just goes to show that when you do that, the game can turn and you can be on the other side of that.”
Difference at the Line From the very outset, the Thunder looked to attack downhill and get to the rim. As a result against a young, physical Pistons team, the Thunder created 30 free throw attempts on the night compared to just six for the Pistons. The +24 differential at the line marked the largest for OKC this season and the largest for the team since January of 2019.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander charted the path in this department setting a tone from the outset of hunting the paint. By the end of the night, Gilgeous-Alexander went 12-of-15 from the charity stripe – just one attempt shy of his career-high.
“We just know our brand of basketball that we want to play. That's downhill getting to the paint and we know that when you get to the paint the best shots are generated,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “Most free throws happen because you're in the paint. We know that as a group, and that's something we try to hang our hat on every night.”
Shai’s Hot Start In his first game back in action from concussion protocols, Thunder leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasted no time getting going offensively. In the first quarter alone, Gilgeous-Alexander posted 11 points which included 5-for-6 from the free throw line. In addition to his own scoring, the league-leader in drives per game demonstrated his balance by dishing out four assists which led to an additional nine points for the Thunder.
For the night, SGAʼs balanced attack resulted in a game-high 30 points and a career-high 13 assists.
“He had great balance, obviously passed the ball really well. Put a lot of pressure on them at the basket, theyʼre a physical team at the basket and they fouled us a lot tonight,” said Daigneault. “To the guys credit and especially Shaiʼs credit, it didnʼt dissuade him from going into the lane and attacking the basket.”
Dort's Shooting Night Part of the Thunder's offensive onslaught in the fourth quarter came from the shot-making of Lu Dort from behind the arc. The third-year wing drained a pair of triples to help shrink the deficit to just three points with 4:45 left in the game. Lu finished the night with 28 points including a 5-of-10 performance from the 3-point line which ties his season-high in made 3-pointers.
STOCKS for Baze and Kenrich
The Thunder's second-half defense received massive contributions from both Darius Bazley and Kenrich Williams who returned to the lineup after missing three games with a right ankle sprain. With his lengthy 6-foot-8 frame and rangy athleticism, Bazley logged two consecutive blocks that led to buckets to help shift the momentum in the third quarter. By the end of the night, Bazley recorded three blocks and two steals.
"Baze got us gong with a couple big blocks in the third and kind of sparked us a little bit," said Williams. "It gave us that boost that we needed and we just followed the energy right there."
Williams logged three of his season-high four steals in the third quarter. It wasnʼt until the fourth frame, though, that he put his name in the block column. In addition to going a perfect 3-for-3 from the field in the final 12 minutes, Williams also batted away two blocks and added another steal.
“[Kenrich] was a monster night. It's great having him back out there,” said Daigneault. “He brings a great spirit, gets to loose balls, rebounds and he takes great pride in the areas of the game that are competitive, but invisible and team-oriented.”
For the night, Bazley and Williams combined for 11 total stocks (steals plus blocks).
The Last Word
Kenrich Williams on the poise demonstrated in the comeback… “It's just being resilient. Sticking to the game plan on the offensive and defensive gameplan trusting one another and just not getting down. The first half they hit some tough shots. They shot 50 [percent] from 3 – that's tough to do the whole game. So we just stay with it. Stay down and just trust one another.”
What’s Next
The Thunder will make its way to Toronto where the team will have a day of practice before facing the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. From there, the team will return home where theyʼll face the Lakers on Friday inside Paycom Center.