OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant hit a 27-foot right-wing 3-pointer to cap a monster fourth quarter. Playing against a fully healthy Phoenix Suns, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost, 128-118.
Durant gained the last laugh after being met with boos every time he touched the basketball in his first game back in OKC since November 2021. The Suns are 6-0 with Durant.
Despite losing for the third time in their last four games, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was proud of the team’s effort.
“I told the team after the game, we got a week left of the regular season,” Daignrault said. “If we bring the same level of focus, competitiveness, physicality, execution and gameplan. If we bring the same level of that to all these games, we’ll be able to lay our heads on the pillow at night.”
It’s hard to blame Daigneault for sounding optimistic despite the loss. The young Thunder played a tough, back-and-forth contest against a healthy title contender. Neither team led by more than 16 points in a game that featured five lead changes and five ties.
The closest the Thunder drew in the fourth quarter was a four-point deficit. An Aaron Wiggins layup cut Phoenix’s lead to 104-100 with 7:54 to go.
Alas, the Suns answered every comeback attempt with timely buckets. They went on a quick 5-1 run — with all five points coming from Durant — to create an eight-point advantage.
The Suns were blistering hot throughout the game. They shot a ridiculously-efficient 46-of-81 (56.8%) from the field and went 13-of-34 (38.2%) from 3. They also dished 31 team assists in the win.
The Suns’ offense peaked in the second quarter, when they outscored the Thunder, 42-28, to enter halftime with a 69-55 lead. The 42 points tied a season-high for most points allowed in a quarter by OKC.
“The difference in the game was the shot-making,” Daigneault said. “They made some tough shots you have to tip your hat to. They made some shots that were Plan B plays. … We got to bottle this (effort) up and bring it again.”
Durant finished with 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including 13 fourth-quarter points. Devin Booker had a 22-point and 10-assist double-double. Chris Paul had 16 points and eight assists. Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds.
With a clean bill of health on their injury report entering this game — a privilege considering how late the season is — the Suns look like they’re primed for a deep playoff run.
Another possible reason for Daigneault’s upbeat attitude following OKC’s 10-point loss was because of another game.
The Dallas Mavericks’ overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks negated the Thunder’s loss to the Suns. OKC continues to lead the 11th-place Mavericks, who’ve gone 1-7 in their last eight games, by one game with just three games remaining in the season for each team.
“We’re aware of the scores. We’re not blinding ourselves from the scores,” Daigneault said about the play-in tournament race. “The best way to win a race is to keep your head down and run your race as fast as you can and as best as you can.”
Wiggins also expressed a similar sentiment, stating it would say a lot about the Thunder if they manage to sneak into the play-in despite their youth and inexperience.
“It’s definitely something we have an eye on and are aware of,” Wiggins said. “… We want to be in the play-in and we want to win games.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlined the loss for the Thunder. He finished with 39 points on 11-of-22 shooting. In a game that featured several prominent players, Gilgeous-Alexander was arguably the best on the court.
Despite his 39 points coming in the loss, Gilgeous-Alexander liked the effort the Thunder showed and hopes it can carry over in their final three regular season games.
“I thought we tried to do the right things tonight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We had great intentions. I think they just made more shots than us tonight and were better this night.”
Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Despite the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his push for the All-NBA first team.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 39 points on 11-of-22 shooting and went 17-of-17 from the free-throw line. He also had five assists and three rebounds.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge for a busy free throw night for OKC, which shot 35-of-41 (85.4%) from the line. This was OKC’s lone significant advantage over the Suns; it shot 23-of-28 (82.1%) from the charity stripe.
Oddly, this is the second consecutive game Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 39 points on 11-of-22 shooting and 17-of-17 from the free-throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored most of his buckets in the third quarter, when he finished with 17 points on 4-of-6 shooting. It helped OKC cut the Suns’ lead to nine points entering the final frame.
The other notable thing from Gilgeous-Alexander’s third quarter was his fall while driving that resulted in him limping on subsequent plays. Thunder fans can breathe a sigh of relief though. He said it’s nothing to be concerned about.
He finished the game and said he felt knee-to-knee contact but that he’ll be fine.
Put his head down and got to the lane strong @OGandE Power Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/eZkvrJov8q
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 3, 2023
Šarić ➡️ Shai 😤 pic.twitter.com/Dz13ipdm8S
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 3, 2023
Stops on defense ➡️ converting on offense ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/91KP3TZoOt
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 3, 2023
Crafty finish from Shai 👀@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/OfHBEwgBzH
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) April 3, 2023
Tough finish in the paint 💪 pic.twitter.com/zXiLiMRFwC
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 2, 2023
Aaron Wiggins: A-minus
Leading the bench in minutes, Aaron Wiggins left his impact with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 2-of-3 from 3. Nine of his points came in the fourth quarter as he helped mount a comeback attempt.
Regardless of the role or quantity of minutes, Wiggins continues to provide a steady hand for the Thunder.
“He knows what he does and he does it every night,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about Wiggins. “He’s a guy that brings energy. … He knows what he hangs his hat on every night and he’s been good for us all year — even though he’s been in and out of the rotation.”
Great cutting meets great passing 🤝 pic.twitter.com/wMBnIb9pfx
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 3, 2023
Downhill scoop and score! pic.twitter.com/u1HtVXpL7t
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 2, 2023
Josh Giddey: C-plus
In the loss, Josh Giddey finished with a near-triple-double of 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Giddey also went 2-of-7 from 3 — with the seven attempts tying a season-high for him.
After a slow first half, Giddey turned his scoring around in the second half with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting.
Giddey is going to find you 👀 pic.twitter.com/mhLJ8A3Fja
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 3, 2023
An absolutely FILTHY pass from Shai to Giddey 🤢@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/wIswQ4qp1R
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) April 2, 2023
Lu Dort: C
It was another tough shooting night for Lu Dort, who finished with 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting and eight rebounds.
Dort once again struggled to finish inside of the paint; he shot 2-of-7 for four points in that area. He also shot 2-of-7 from 3 in the loss.
Despite the poor shooting, Daigneault spoke highly of Dort following the game, saying he provides contagious energy regardless if the shot is falling.
“He has a sixth sense for competitive situations,” Daigneault said about Dort. “It just seems to bring out the best in him. He rises to competition — I’ve said that many times about him. When the level of game gets amped up, he amps up with it and stays ahead of it. He’s always been like that.”
