SAN FRANCISCO — After connecting on a 3-pointer, Pat Spencer connected with his own face.
The Golden State guard celebrated by punching himself on the chin three times while he got back on defense. First came a right hook. Then a left. Then another right.
But the real heavy hitters rolled their eyes at those playful jabs. That was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s reaction, as he shook his head while watching from the bench. And fellow star Jalen Williams, who was seated next to him, mocked the celebration by punching his own face.
Their night was already over with just a few minutes left in the blowout contest. They’d delivered the knockout punch a few rounds ago to help OKC secure a 131-94 road win. A beatdown against a Golden State team that didn’t have a puncher’s chance with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green sidelined.
Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC (30-5) with 30 points and seven assists in 26 minutes. Williams added 12 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.
OKC became just the third franchise in NBA history to start 30-5 or better in consecutive seasons, joining Chicago (1995-96 and 1996-97) and Golden State (2014-15 and 2015-16). And after recently losing four games during a 12-day span, the Thunder has shown why it’s a heavyweight contender with four straight wins by an average margin of 25.5 points.
“We’re just trying to look at the games possession by possession instead of reacting to the outcomes or the score,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said of his team’s recent play. “There’s a lot of noise in an individual game, but we try to learn from every possession and make sure that we’re stacking good possessions.”
Here are three takeaways from the win:
Order new book on Thunder’s run to NBA title
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has no problem earning his points
Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning regular-season and Finals MVP. He’s an NBA champion. He’s Sports Illustrated’s newly-crowned Sportsperson of the Year.
And yet social media has given Gilgeous-Alexander some less-flattering titles. He’s often called a free-throw merchant, a foul baiter and an unethical hooper.
It’s a narrative that has persisted throughout the past few seasons. And while free throws are exactly that for Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s happy to collect on some easy points, he’s equally glad to earn them the hard way.
Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t attempted double-digit free-throws in a game since Dec. 5, which was nearly a month ago. He’s only averaging 6.4 attempts in his last 11 games compared to 10.2 attempts throughout the rest of the season.
And yet Gilgeous-Alexander has still averaged 30.5 points during his current 11-game streak, which included Friday’s contest. He’s averaging 0.93 points per minute, only a slight decrease from his average of 0.98 points per minute throughout the rest of the season.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored his 30 points Friday on 10-for-20 shooting from the field (3 for 5 from deep) in 28 minutes. He went 7 for 7 from the free-throw line, with one of those attempts coming via a first-quarter technical foul on Spencer for trash talking OKC’s bench.
The superstar guard instead earned his points with impressive shot making. A prime example came midway through the first quarter when OKC drew up a baseline-out-of-bounds play that led to a rare corner 3-pointer by Gilgeous-Alexander. He had only attempted 11 corner threes all season.
But Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot still splashed through the rim, just like it often does from his go-to spot on the wing of the 3-point line. Or the middle of the baseline. Or the free-throw line.
Chet Holmgren is thriving at the five
Padded blocking guards are a common tool used by basketball players in practice.
They’re long sticks with padding on the ends, and trainers hold them up to simulate a defender with a long wingspan. It’s a helpful piece of equipment for players who are looking to improve their finishing around the rim.
But it still can’t simulate the real thing. That became clear for Trayce Jackson-Davis, who went to work down low midway through the second quarter and attempted a layup.
It was sent back by Chet Holmgren, who barely had to leave the floor to record the block. The 7-foot-1 big man simply held both of his lengthy limbs high in the air to deflect the ball.
Holmgren has been a blocking machine as of late. He had four on Friday to go along with his 15 points and 15 boards, bringing his average to four blocks in his last four outings. He was averaging 1.4 on the season before that stretch.
“Just like anything in basketball, there’s a rhythm to it,” Holmgren said. “You can get in a good flow offensively out there, same thing with defense. You can get in a good flow and just naturally end up in the right spots at the right time.”
Holmgren has also been in the right spots for blocks because of his recent position change.
His four-game stretch of blocks began once Isaiah Hartenstein was sidelined with a right soleus (calf) strain. Holmgren moved from power forward to center as a result.
“I just think he’s going to be at more point-of-attack situations at the basket (as a center),” Daigneault said. “I think when you’re a weak-side roamer and Hartenstein is out there or J-Will (Jaylin Williams) is out there with him, he’s just going to have less situations where he’s the guy contesting primarily.”
Of course, Holmgren has been protecting the rim well all season regardless of what position he plays.
Opponents are shooting 12.6% worse than their average from inside six feet of the rim when defended by him. For context, opponents are shooting 10.2% worse from that range against Evan Mobley and 9.5% worse against Victor Wembanyama.
It’s a big reason why Holmgren is the betting favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, and it’s also why he was named the Western Conference’s Defensive Player of the Month for December on Friday. He averaged two blocks through 12 December games while making opponents shoot 17.3% worse than their average from inside six feet of the basket.
Lu Dort’s 3-point shot is starting to fall
Lu Dort held his right hand in the air for about 10 seconds as he looked around the Chase Center.
He wanted everyone in the building to see him flashing three fingers, signaling the 3-pointer he’d just hit at the buzzer to end the second quarter. And they indeed saw it, along with the other triples he drained throughout the night.
Dort chipped in 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field in 26 minutes. He connected on three of his four 3-point attempts.
It marked another good performance by Dort, who’s shooting 43.2% from deep in his last seven games. That’s an encouraging stretch after he shot just 29.8% throughout the rest of the season.
Tip-insCason Wallace did not play in the second half due to a right knee contusion. He finished with two points, three rebounds and two steals in 14 minutes.Mark Daigneault on Branden Carlson, who recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench: “It just shows great professionalism by (Carlson). His readiness. His impact. And he just continues to perform well in the minutes that he gets, including tonight.”Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on being named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year: “It’s just an honor and a blessing to know that all of the hard work I’ve put in has paid off, and I’m reaping the benefits. Shoutout to the people who helped me get here. … It takes a village, so I’m very thankful.”Jalen Williams’ brother, Utah forward Cody Williams, and his parents sat courtside at Friday’s game. The Jazz has a road game against the Warriors on Saturday.OKC was without Brooks Barnhizer (G League two-way), Ousmane Dieng (right calf strain), Isaiah Hartenstein (right soleus strain), Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgery recovery), Nikola Topić (surgery recovery) and Jaylin Williams (right heel bursitis).Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 106 straight games. It’s the second-longest streak in NBA history, only trailing Wilt Chamberlain (126).
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
Thunder at Suns
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Sunday at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix (FanDuel Sports Network)