In what will be a rare instance for the Oklahoma City Thunder, it outmanned an opponent.
The Phoenix Suns, who came into Friday’s game 9-3, were missing all-stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal and it showed in the final score. OKC defeated Phoenix 99-83 with the Suns’ big three watching from the bench — or being locked down by Lu Dort.
Devin Booker, one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA, was held to just 12 points on 20% shooting from the field, his lowest-scoring output of the season. Dort frustrated Booker to the point that the four-time all-star gave Dort a shove at one point during the first half.
Dort headlined OKC’s defense, but the Thunder brought an all-around intensity on the defensive end as a team that left Phoenix scrambling to generate any offense.
Without Chet Holmgren — or any center — many thought the OKC defense would fall by the wayside. It was still expected to be a solid defensive team, but a lack of any true rim protector would doom most defenses. For OKC, Holmgren’s absence has hardly caused a blip. OKC still leads the NBA in most notable defensive categories and Friday’s game was an encapsulation of that.
OKC’s perimeter defense has remained ridiculous despite the lack of a rim protector. The Thunder lead the NBA in forced turnovers and steals, not to mention still sitting atop the league in defensive rating.
With Isaiah Hartenstein returning soon and Jaylin Williams following him, the OKC defense still has a chance to be one of the best in recent NBA history despite losing its Defensive Player of the Year candidate for most of the season in the first 20 games.
Before the game, Hartenstein was seen dunking and doing drills pregame, suggesting a return from his hand injury could be imminent.
Friday’s game in particular has to be taken with a grain of salt due to the absence of Durant and Beal, but for OKC to win a game in which it struggled offensively in such a resounding fashion is something that not many NBA teams could do regardless of the other teams personnel. Outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (28 points), no one on OKC scored more than 15 points and the team shot 39% from the field. Yet, the Thunder won by 16 points and had a bigger lead than that for most of the game.
Friday’s game didn’t show anyone they didn’t know about OKC, but for the Thunder to dismantle a team, no matter how undermanned, without a true center is still impressive.
🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾❤️