In the most important game of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s season to this point, it came out flat.
The Milwaukee Bucks dominated OKC, winning 97-81 and forcing the Thunder into one of its worst offensive showings of the year. For a team that has done a good job of bringing passion and intensity to each game, OKC seemed to be overwhelmed by the moment — just as it was in the playoffs last season.
Similarly to that fateful series against Dallas, OKC’s role players couldn’t hit a shot from outside. As a team, the Thunder went 5-32 from three. Needless to say, shooting 15% from 3-point range isn’t going to cut it against a good team.
Of OKC’s five total 3-pointers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made two and Kenrich Williams, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe each made one. With Lu Dort, Joe and Williams combining to go 2-14 from deep, it’s no wonder the Thunder had one of the worst offensive performances of any team all season.
On the defensive end, Giannis Antetokounmpo thrashed the Thunder. Antetokounmpo waltzed his way to an impressive 26-19-10 and killed OKC inside regardless of who was defending him. Damian Lillard also played well, shooting 50% from the field and putting in 23 points. Outside of its stars, Milwaukee was pedestrian, but good enough to outflank the horrid performance of the Thunder.
Even Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been a model of consistency over the past three seasons, shot just 8-24 and scored only 21 points.
It was a dismal performance from OKC all around, but fortunately for it, this game doesn’t count against its final record. However, it is a concerning trend that OKC and its players seem to shrink when the lights get bright. Could a bad performance in the NBA Cup mean absolutely nothing? Certainly, but a win in a big spot would’ve proven a lot for a young team that is being forced to adjust to heightened pressure in big spots.
On a positive note, OKC did take down two of its potential playoff opponents in Dallas and Houston, doing so in dominant fashion against both.
In the long run, this game will come and go like any other, but in the moment, being dominated by a team that is seen a tier below OKC in the NBA hierarchy in a big spot is a tough pill to swallow for a team with legitimate title aspirations.
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