No Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, no Jalen Williams.
That should be the only takeaway for Oklahoma City Thunder fans following a late-game collapse that led OKC to a 109-105 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. The star-less Thunder was tasked with playing spoiler, as 76ers superstar Joel Embiid was making his long-awaited return to the lineup after missing over two months with a torn meniscus.
Embiid was clearly a step slow, and that was probably the main reason OKC was even in the game. The reigning MVP put up a respectable 24-7-6 but was gassed for most of the game.
Chet Holmgren led the charge for a depleted OKC, scoring 22 points and swatting away 2 shots. Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, and Isaiah Joe all did their best to fill in for SGA and Williams, but in the end, OKC’s usual crisp late-game offense was nowhere to be found. Joe, along with Jaylin Williams got good looks to tie it up but missed.
In the moment, it is a demoralizing loss for OKC, who had the game in hand late before fumbling it away due to an offensive onslaught by 76ers wing Kelly Oubre Jr. But, when the dust settles on this game, one thing will be made clear, the absence of SGA and Williams, along with the surprising return of Embiid overwhelmed an out-talented OKC team, and there is little more than that to the result.
It’s hard to take a lot away from a game without two of the NBA’s premier creators sitting in street clothes, but one takeaway for OKC was the elegance with which Wiggins handled being inserted into the starting lineup.
Rookie Cason Wallace has been tasked with filling in for missing starters for most of the season, but Wiggins got the call on Tuesday. He flashed what OKC fans have known all season on a national stage, playing scrappy perimeter defense, hitting open shots, and saving basketball — or at least trying to.
In all seriousness, Wiggins was fantastic in his role, and with Wiggins boasting superior size to Wallace, it could make sense come playoff time for him to be the one who fills in if an injury is to come up.
So, OKC fans, don’t fret. Any team missing its two best players, including one who is an MVP candidate, is going to be hard-pressed to earn a win, especially in a juiced-up environment like Philadelphia seeing its favorite player return.
Wiggins’ performance in a high-pressure situation, along with Holmgren holding his own against Embiid, even if it was a hobbled version, is far more important than the final score.
Hopefully, SGA and/or Williams can return tomorrow against Boston, or else, a two-game losing streak is likely at a time when OKC cannot afford it.
Great summary! The game often seemed like scrimmage………….