For the second time in as many games, the Oklahoma City Thunder waited until the second half to put its foot on the gas.
After an inefficient first half saw OKC score just 48 points, the Thunder dominated the second half, eventually taking down the Los Angeles Clippers 116-98, earning its 13th consecutive win and its first win of the new year. Without James Harden, the Clippers’ offensive attack couldn’t hold up for more than a half against the league-leading defense of OKC.
With Harden watching from the bench and Kahwi Leonard continuing to miss time, LAC turned to Norman Powell and Kevin Porter Jr. to lead its offense. Powell, who has been one of the NBA’s best scorers this season, came out cold, going 1-11 and scoring only six points. Porter Jr. joined Powell in having a rough night, as he scored just 11 points on 3-11 shooting.
In short, everything that could go wrong for the Clippers did go wrong — and OKC, eventually, took advantage.
After a slow start, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams got it going and the Thunder crawled out of a double-digit deficit to lead by as many as 30 in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 29 and Williams’ 18 were enough to close out LAC with ease. With just under eight minutes remaining, LAC emptied its bench and rested its starters, a gesture matched by Mark Daigneault and a decision that could be meaningful for OKC as it takes on the New York Knicks on Friday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams led the charge, but Isaiah Hartenstein and Ajay Mitchell both reached double figures as well. Hartenstein posted an impressive 11-9-6 and continued to show why he is a perfect fit for OKC. Mitchell reinforced what he has shown over the past handful of games — he is a must-play as a second-round rookie on a deep OKC team.
While a win is never a bad thing, the Thunder did what it should’ve done against an LAC team that is missing its two best players. When an undermanned team comes to town, a team that is as good as OKC should win handily.
Over the last handful of games, OKC has gotten lucky with opposing teams’ health. Brandon Miller, Lamelo Ball, Harden, Leonard and Ja Morant have all missed games against the Thunder over the last few weeks. While playing teams at less than their best isn’t ideal for anyone in the long run, it is a good sign that OKC has been able to dominate most of these teams.
Regardless of who did or didn’t play, the Thunder took care of business against the Clippers and in the end, that’s all anyone can really ask for.
