Jan. 11, 2026, 10:44 p.m. CT
OKLAHOMA CITY — Going at Jaime Jaquez Jr. one-on-one, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added to the momentum. He went with his patented stepback 3-pointer. Ice-cold from the outside for the last handful of games, the shot swished through. The reigning MVP was animated in his celebration.
The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away late in a 124-112 win over the Miami Heat. The second half saw them return to form as an unstoppable NBA win machine.
Early on, you saw the same problems creep up for the Thunder. Even though they sit atop most defensive statistical categories, recent weeks saw them get tormented. It happened once again as they were in a 34-32 deficit after the first quarter. To exemplify how ridiculous things got, Andrew Wiggins stole the inbounds pass and swished in a corner 3-point attempt in the final seconds.
The second frame was much of the same. The Thunder only put up 22 points. Miami’s dare to put all of its attention on Gilgeous-Alexander paid off. Nobody else from OKC could force them to play a more traditional style of defense. The Thunder entered halftime in a 59-54 deficit.
Not the greatest situation to be in — especially against a team that was humiliated by the league-worst Indiana Pacers just the night before. The halftime break did them some good, though. They came out of it looking like the vintage version of themselves that dominated the league all of last season.
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Going back and forth a bit, the Thunder went on a signature 29-8 run in the third quarter. It was fueled by defensive stops and outside shots. A combination you’ve seldom seen mixed in OKC basketball since Christmas. Gilgeous-Alexander went with the spin move on Jaquez Jr. A couple of possessions later, he nailed a stepback 3-pointer.
The Thunder scored 39 points in the third frame. They had a 93-85 lead. No in-between quarter stoppages could slow down OKC’s momentum. The bench lineup carried the baton. Aaron Wiggins returned the favor when he stole a Miami inbound pass. After Isaiah Joe missed on an outside look, he followed his miss for the offensive rebounds. He swished in a second-chance jumper.
The Thunder played with much better energy and discipline. Jalen Williams sliced his way through Miami’s defense to the rim for a layup. Suddenly, OKC had a 111-95 lead with less than seven minutes left. All with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, too.
The Thunder scored 31 points in the final frame. After it looked like they would need to escape with another close win over a subpar squad, they had a monster second half to cruise their way to a much-needed lopsided victory. Something that OKC fans have taken advantage of over the last two seasons, but welcomed with open arms tonight.
The Thunder shot 51% from the field and went 10-of-34 (29.4%) from 3. They shot 20-of-28 on free throws. They had 23 assists on 47 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an efficient 29 points and eight assists. Williams had an efficient 18 points and four rebounds. Holmgren tallied a 16-point and 10-rebound double-double. Ajay Mitchell had 16 points and four rebounds. Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins each scored 11 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Heat shot 54% from the field and went 17-of-32 (53.1%) from 3. They shot 7-of-13 on free throws. They had 35 assists on 44 baskets. Five Heat players scored double-digit points.
Wiggins led the way with 23 points and seven outside makes. Tyler Herro had 19 points and three assists. Davion Mitchell finished with a 13-point and 10-assist double-double. Pelle Larsson scored 16 points. Nikola Jovic had 13 points off the bench.
Slicing this game in half, you saw OKC’s version of itself in the last couple of weeks in the first half. And then you saw OKC’s version of itself in the last couple of seasons. Choose which sample size you’d rather trust more. The Thunder eventually dominated the Heat on the scoreboard and led by as many as 20 points.
Let’s see if the Thunder can roll this momentum as they enter the meaty part of their schedule. Plenty of contenders are lined up to face the reigning NBA champion. Beating up on the bottom half of the league over the last week should help OKC get back some of its mojo. Now it’ll be put to the test.
Let’s look at Thunder players:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A
Taking on Jaquez Jr. again, Gilgeous-Alexander added to OKC’s avalanche. He seamlessly spun around the Miami defender. The reaction time was too slow as the reigning MVP finished through contact to bank in the layup as he left the ground with one foot.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting, eight assists and five rebounds. He shot 2-of-6 from 3 and went 7-of-9 on free throws. He also had a steal and a block.
Early on, Gilgeous-Alexander couldn’t buy a bucket. I know, I know — that sounds like an oxymoron. But that’s what happened as he missed his first six shot attempts. Something that seldom happens to the reigning MVP who’s built a Hall-of-Fame career by being a walking 30-point machine.
Eventually, Gilgeous-Alexander figured things out. He made his next 10 shot attempts. By now, you should know Miami loves to run some gimmick defenses. This was more or less of the same. Didn’t matter, though. He sliced through their defense and got to the paint with an array of headache-inducing moves to follow with your pupils — much less being asked to defend him in the flesh.
The jumper eventually returned to Gilgeous-Alexander. First, from his typical mid-range spots at the elbow and baseline. And then the outside shot finally fell. About time. Feels like it’s been forever since he’s seen those shots consistently fall through amid OKC’s recent scoring hiccups.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 16 points in OKC’s game-winning third frame. As the second unit ran away from the Heat in the fourth quarter, he wasn’t asked to do much. Which is a crazy thought considering how the first half played out. After a one-game absence, welcome back.
Jalen Williams: A-minus
Forcing another turnover, Williams picked up the loose ball. He dribbled his way down the court. Determined to go all the way, he bullied his way through Wiggins before he utilized his extensive wingspan to go for the underhanded layup he scooped into the rim.
Williams finished with 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting, four rebounds and four assists. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 0-of-2 on free throws. He also had two steals.
Make that two-for-two in Williams having his best games of the season. Looking at the shot charts, he’s ditched the outside jumper. Now, he only settles for drives to the rim and pull-up mid-range looks. Until his wrist returns to normal, that’s likely the diet he will have to limit himself to.
Against a questionable defense, Williams went straight at the teeth of Miami’s defense. He’s found a flow as a drive-heavy scorer. Barreling himself to open up lanes has been his bread and butter. The Heat didn’t have adequate paint protectors to alternate his approach.
Helping the Thunder balloon their lead with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, Williams went back to the formula in this one. They dominate with Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor and marginally win the minutes he’s off it. That’s how they dominated their way to an NBA championship. And it is likely what needs to happen again if they want to go back-to-back.
Chet Holmgren: A
Catching the ball deep inside the paint, Holmgren went to work. He had the size advantage with Herro on him. Bam Adebayo quickly realized that and went to help. With two Miami defenders at his grill, the 23-year-old went to work. Establishing his pivot foot, he daringly went for the fadeaway jumper that swished in.
Holmgren finished with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had three blocks.
Anytime OKC’s offense stalled out, Holmgren was there to clean up messes. He had plenty of putbacks and served as an escape valve on alley-oop connections. He’s also shown an ability to self-create some of his buckets. The last couple of weeks have been great for him in leveling up his confidence. It’s now about translating that from the NBA cupcakes to the top of the league.
The defense, though, you can expect that to be universal. The Thunder have had the NBA’s best defense for the last two seasons. Holmgren has been the franchise QB who makes everything work. The rim protection is some of the best in the league. Returning to center, the block numbers have multiplied since that positional change.
There’s a reason why the Thunder usually win the minutes Holmgren is on the floor by a pretty big margin. He might not have the flashiest box score or get the scoring plays that go viral on social media. But he’s been OKC’s second All-Star player all season.
Ajay Mitchell: B
Pressuring Jaquez Jr. into a turnover, Mitchell ran the floor. Quickly going from defense to offense was rewarded. Holmgren threw the deep pass to him as he urgently scored on the layup in transition. What a sequence by the 23-year-old as OKC buried its opponent on the scoreboard.
Mitchell finished with 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting, four rebounds and one assist. He shot 0-of-3 from 3.
Flipping a switch, Mitchell scored 12 points in the second half as the Thunder overwhelmed the Heat. Even though the jumper didn’t fall, he stepped up as a scorer in different ways. He relentlessly attacked the paint for several finishes around the rim.
The Thunder are figuring things out with their bench lineups. Mitchell has usually been the lead ball-handler, but Williams’ return and recent surge have thrown them an interesting puzzle to solve. So far, they’ve found the perfect balance. Heck, they turned this into a blowout with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench in the fourth frame.
Even with Lu Dort and Cason Wallace struggling on both ends recently, Mitchell’s emergence has given the Thunder an easy solution to that problem. The minutes reflect it, too. The deepest team in the NBA continues to have a Rolodex of great secondary guards.
Aaron Wiggins: B-plus
As the shot clock was on the verge of a dreaded loud buzz, Wiggins went rogue. No other option to go to, so he went with the surprise pull-up outside jumper at the left corner. The shot swished through. That was the first of a handful of outside jumpers by the microwave scorer in the final frame.
Wiggins finished with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, two rebounds and two assists. He shot 3-of-7 from 3. He also had three steals.
Trying to put this one away, Wiggins scored nine points in the fourth quarter. All were on outside makes. We all know he can get hot and score a flurry of points, but it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen him do it this season. The Thunder hope this can be the start of an upward trend after struggling in recent weeks in the scoring department.
When role players like Wiggins and Joe get going, the Thunder are unbeatable. As they continue to put up freezing cold outside shooting performances, maybe the second half can jumpstart an offense that desperately needs a jumpstart.
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