The OKC Thunder entered Monday’s practice with a vendetta to prove.
Not to the NBA world at large, but to each other.
Following a historic start to the season, OKC’s 16-game winning streak was snapped by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinals. The Thunder welcomed the pause that followed, using a five-day layoff to reset and regroup.
“We just had to gel more,” Thunder forward Jalen Williams said. “Whenever you get that many days to actually practice, it’s good — and we used the most of it. Today there was a lot more cohesion. We were sharper defensively and offensively, too.”
That renewed focus showed Thursday night, as the Thunder led from the second quarter on to secure a 122-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
OKC (25-2) was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who racked up 32 points, six assists and seven rebounds in just 28 minutes.
After the Thunder trailed by as many as 11 in the first quarter, big man Chet Holmgren kept OKC within reach by scoring 18 of his 22 points in the first half to help spark a 21-7 run in the second quarter.
“I thought we were connected and did a great job of playing with force,” Holmgren said.
With Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams sidelined, Holmgren anchored the paint, holding Clippers center Ivica Zubac to just 11 points.
Holmgren may be tasked with doing it again Friday in a Western Conference finals rematch against Minnesota, but he isn’t concerned.
“I don’t think it ever matters who’s in or out of the lineup,” Holmgren said. “We all understand what our jobs are as individuals and what we’re trying to do as a team. The beauty of the league is we get another chance to do it tomorrow.”
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Order book on the Thunder’s road to NBA title
SGA’s third quarter onslaught helps put Clippers away
One of the NBA’s most notable trends continued to blossom Thursday night.
And against his former team, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered another reminder — erupting in the third quarter to put the Clippers away without needing to play the fourth.
Gilgeous-Alexander ignited a 25-8 Thunder run late in the period, scoring 19 of his game-high points in the frame. It didn’t matter where he operated on the floor — midrange, downhill or beyond the arc — SGA went to work while making defenders look like child’s play.
He even flirted with a rare heat check, pulling up from nearly 40 feet on a 3-pointer that rattled out at the buzzer of the quarter. The statement had already been made.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s burst came while OKC experimented with different lineups, including extended minutes from Branden Carlson and Ajay Mitchell.
“Those are two vastly different groups,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s why you’ve got to stack as many possessions as you can over 48 minutes. We were a little rusty to start, but I thought we stayed with it and got it going.”
SGA has been open about the extra edge he carries against the Clippers — the team that traded him to Oklahoma City in the July 2019 Paul George deal. Entering Thursday, he averaged 29.5 points and 7.8 assists in his previous nine games against Los Angeles while shooting 38.6% from three.
He didn’t let that chance pass this time, either.
Thunder bounce back from slow start in first quarter
After the five-day break, Oklahoma City showed signs of rust early.
The Clippers knocked down their first four shots to jump out to a 10-2 lead and pushed the margin to as many as 11 late in the first quarter.
But the tide shifted quickly behind Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander.
The duo sparked a 21-7 run to close the period, with Holmgren reaching 18 points by halftime. Cason Wallace left his imprint defensively, finishing with five steals and repeatedly jumping passing lanes.
“I thought the intensity and pressure really amped up in the second quarter,” Daigneault said. “We were a step behind early, but that group to start the second did a really good job.”
Wallace was a driving force behind the defensive surge.
The Thunder forced 29 Clippers turnovers while committing just nine of their own. Wallace accounted for five steals and entered the night leading the NBA at 2.3 steals per game.
From the second quarter on, control never left Oklahoma City’s hands.
“He makes everyone else’s job easier,” Holmgren said. “He makes up for other people’s mistakes on both ends. It’s pretty impressive.”
Thunder becomes fifth team in NBA history to open season 25-2
OKC continues to carve out history with nearly every win.
With Thursday’s victory, the Thunder became just the fifth team in NBA history to open a season 25-2, joining the 2008-09 Boston Celtics, 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, 1969-70 New York Knicks and 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers.
Only the Knicks and 76ers went on to win an NBA championship.
At 25-2, the Thunder own the best start in franchise history. And they’re not satisfied.
“We take pride in winning, and we want to win every game,” Wallace said. “Whenever we lose, we don’t want to keep that energy around. We learn from it, get back on the road and keep moving forward.”
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @thejordancdavis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com