Just a few days ago, it felt like the all-star break couldn’t come fast enough for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Coming off a brutal January that featured 17 games, eleven of which came on the road, and five back-to-backs, OKC was reeling coming off a demoralizing loss to Minnesota.
Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe both got hurt in that game, and OKC coach Mark Daigneault made it clear fans shouldn’t expect them back before the break.
Fast forward a few days and OKC is on a three game win streak, including a 2OT thriller against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. The Thunder trailed by as many as 23 points, but behind strong performances from Josh Giddey and Aaron Wiggins, they fought back and eventually earned a 135-127 win.
The performance may leave some fans slightly alarmed. After all, it was only Toronto, one of the NBA’s worst teams and a franchise clearly in the middle of transitioning into a new era. To those fans, I would point to the absence of Joe and Williams as to why other portions of OKC’s fan base may be so excited.
Among other things, Williams is the clear-cut leader of the Thunder’s second unit, and provides a monstrous offensive spark on the rare night Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is unable to get it going early. Williams’ offense, or the lack there of, was felt against Toronto, who raced out to a double digit lead and held SGA to only six first quarter points. Williams’ typical role of secondary ball-handler/creator was filled by rookie Cason Wallace in the first quarter. Wallace responded well to the increased offensive volume, scoring eight first quarter points and igniting the Paycom Center with a few impressive hustle plays.
Despite the promising start, Wallace eventually tailed off after suffering an injury of his own, one that was described as “shoulder soreness” and would lead to him missing most of the game.
Joe’s ability to space the floor was missed as well, and it came into even more focus after the injury to Wallace. Despite eventually tying a franchise record with 23 made threes, OKC started off cold from behind the arc, and the lack of consitent catch and shoot threats was the main reason why.
As good as SGA is, his three ball tends to come and go, Lu Dort’s deep range game can be described similarly, and Josh Giddey’s struggles have been well documented. OKC’s lone dependable catch-and-shoot candidate was Chet Holmgren, who still has a tendency to pump fake and pull the ball down instead of letting it fly.
The lack of two of the Thunder’s most important offensive weapons bled from the first quarter into the second, and OKC could muster only 47 points in the first half.
OKC’s offense started feeling itself again in the third quarter, primarily due to the heroics of Wiggins. The man who has been credited with “saving basketball” did just that Sunday night, racking up 20 points and sinking four three-pointers. Wiggins emergence into the small market version of the limelight couldn’t have come at a better time for him or the Thunder, who may have found the last guy in their playoff rotation that so many have been clamoring for them to trade for.
Wiggins wasn’t alone in the third quarter though. OKC as a team seemed to come alive in the later stages of the third, with Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, and Dort all rising up to shrink a lead that once felt insurmountable to single digits.
The fourth brought more of the same for OKC, but in the last minute, it seemed like the improbable comeback was going to be all for not. Gilgeous-Alexander pulled up for an awkward mid-range jumper with 12 seconds left, OKC trailing by two. The possession never felt right, and SGA, who gets to his spots as well as any player in the NBA, just couldn’t wriggle free from the Toronto defense.
Gilgeous-Alexander missed the shot, and the ball bounced to the floor. A bit of a scramble ensued, and the ball ended up in the hands of Raptors forward RJ Barrett. OKC never gave up on the play, and Barrett fell to the ground and slid across the hardwood before coming down out of bounds and giving the Thunder the ball back with five seconds remaining.
OKC called a timeout, and proceeded to tie the game in the most Thundery way possible. 99% of NBA teams are drawing up a play for SGA in that situation, letting their best player decide the game despite an off night… not OKC. Giddey worked some of his inbound-passing magic, and found Wiggins cutting to the rim. Wiggins easily caught Giddey’s pinpoint pass and sunk a layup, tying the game and eventually sending it to overtime.
OKC’s ability to not only come back from a massive deficit, but do so without two of its six best players is very impressive, regardless of the opponent. The absence of Williams and Joe would’ve doomed most teams in at least one of the last three games, but in OKC’s case it opened the door for the emergence of Wiggins, who profiles as the exact kind of guy every team would want to have coming off the bench come playoff time.
Two overtime periods later, the Thunder ended up winning in convincing enough fashion that the Paycom Center staff felt comfortable playing “I Gotta Feeling,” with eleven seconds left on the clock.
The win proves exactly what every OKC fan already knew. This team, while young, is incredibly poised and resilient, and has several players who can step up and fill in as a vital role player on any given night.
The losses of J-Dub and Joe, while undeniably unfortunate, allowed players like Wiggins and Wallace to show a little bit more, and possibly let the front office know that a trade to deepen the bench for a playoff run isn’t necessary.
OKC still has four games left before the all-star break, and the return date for Joe and Williams is unclear, but if the past week has proven anything, it is that the Thunder don’t need to make a big splash at the deadline, and even making a small ripple may be unnecessary. Wiggins has long been a fan favorite, and his ascension to clear playoff guy has not come as a complete shock to those who closely follow the team.
That being said, the coaches decision DNP’s for Wiggins should be put in the past permanently, and the more minutes the staff decides to give him, the higher the chances become that he “saves basketball” come playoff time.
