April 5, 2026, 9:41 p.m. CT
OKLAHOMA CITY — Getting a one-on-one look with Cody Williams, Jalen Williams had the chance to see backyard memories amplified on the NBA scale. The 24-year-old enjoyed the fun possession as he danced with his little brother before he drilled a stepback mid-range jumper in his face.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed their last gimme of the regular season with a 146-111 win over the Utah Jazz. As the scoring margin indicates, it was never really that close. The reigning NBA champions led by as many as 43 points.
Hunting for a poster, Ace Bailey’s attempt at a viral moment was ripped in half by Isaiah Hartenstein. Williams added to the momentum when he bullied his way to the basket for a driving layup despite Williams’ contest. The big-brother-on-little-brother moment exemplified how the rest of the night unfolded.
At one point, Jaylin Williams threw a successful lob to Ajay Mitchell. And then the latter stonewalled Kennedy Chandler for a turnover in the final seconds. Cason Wallace floated in the buzzer-beater. The Thunder had a 40-25 lead after the first quarter.
Things only escalated from there. The second unit ballooned their lead. Hartenstein punched the ball out to Isaiah Joe for the second-chance 3-pointer. Williams threw a slick pass to a cutting Chet Holmgren for a poster. That pushed OKC’s lead to 20-point territory.
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The Thunder had 35 points in the second quarter. They entered halftime with a 75-54 lead. Wanting to clock out earlier than usual, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander quickly got to 20 points at the free-throw line. On his way there, they absolutely blitzed the Jazz to start the second half.
At one point, the score was symmetrical at 95-59. And then it got even more ridiculous with 100-63. That was enough for Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the OKC starters to leave the game for the final time with over five minutes left in the third frame.
The Jazz made a run at making things a little interesting, but nothing serious. The Thunder had 33 points in the third quarter. That gave them a 108-81 lead. At that point, the game was over. In front of a half-filled OKC crowd, the final frame was played out of necessity.
In the final dozen minutes, the Thunder flexed their depth. Even the back of their bench — all the way to the two-way guys — piled on. They scored 38 points in the final frame. The lead reached 40-plus points — that’s two straight games for OKC that have happened.
The Thunder shot 59% from the field and went 24-of-45 (53.3%) from 3. They shot 14-of-16 on free throws. They had 40 assists on 54 baskets. Seven Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander had a cool 20 points and seven assists. Holmgren had 21 points and seven rebounds. Williams finished with 15 points and seven assists. Hartenstein tallied 10 points and eight rebounds. Wallace had 16 points and five rebounds. Branden Carlson scored 11 points in garbage time.
Meanwhile, the Jazz shot 43% from the field and went 14-of-39 (35.9%) from 3. They shot 11-of-15 on free throws. They had 29 assists on 43 baskets. Four Jazz players scored double-digit points.
Brice Sensabaugh somehow dropped 34 points and five assists. Kyle Filipowski tallied 20 points and 14 rebounds. Svi Mykhailiuk had 17 points and four rebounds. Bailey finished with 14 points and four rebounds.
Well, this played out exactly as most thought it would. Fully healthy, the Thunder destroyed the tanking Jazz. This game padded some of their net rating and point differential stats. With both teams on opposite sides of the NBA highway, it shouldn’t be a shocker to see the reigning NBA champions make light work of one of the league’s worst teams going all out to ensure they keep their lottery pick.
This was the Thunder’s last NBA cupcake on the schedule. They thoroughly enjoyed the low-stress win. Only a week remains in the regular season. And while nothing is locked in yet, they’re pretty much guaranteed to be the NBA’s first seed. OKC is peaking at the right time — both on the court and in health.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: B
On an island with Bailey, Gilgeous-Alexander taught the Utah rookie that there are levels to scoring. Not even breaking a sweat, the reigning MVP checked off the last item of his to-do list before he could officially clock out — drain a couple of free throws to extend his historic 20-point streak.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, seven assists and four rebounds. He shot 2-of-3 from 3 and went 4-of-5 on free throws. He also had one steal.
Pretty effortless game for Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s what happens when you face one of the worst defenses. He got to his spots all over the mid-range and buried jumpers. He also sprinkled in a couple of outside jumpers to mix things up. With 15 points at halftime, he didn’t need long to reach 20.
On a short shift, Gilgeous-Alexander only played seven minutes in the second half. He sat out the rest of the game. Talk about earning valuable rest. That’s been a theme of OKC’s all season — blowing out teams to the point that the starters seldom suit up in the final frame. At this juncture of the year, you’ll steal any rest you can.
Can’t ask for much more. Gilgeous-Alexander was in bus driver mode. No need to unnecessarily chase glory scoring numbers when the MVP is yours at this point. The Thunder had this in the bag as soon as they set foot in the building.
Jalen Williams: B
In an otherwise mundane matchup, Williams had some bulletin board material — to one-up his brother. Always fun to see NBA siblings go at it. In this latest round, the 24-year-old bested his young sibling. Both in the box score and on the scoreboard.
Williams finished with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, seven assists and two rebounds. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws.
Another great game for Williams. Knock on wood, but his hamstring problems feel like an eon ago. He bumped his way to the basket for a handful of layups. He also showed off that his wrist woes are behind him with a mid-range jumper and an outside make. The playmaking also flashed as it was too easy to pick apart Utah’s defense.
Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams didn’t need to exert a ton of energy. This game was on rookie mode from the jump. He also sat out most of the second half. Inching closer to clinching the first seed, OKC is close to crossing off one of its two big goals for the final one-third of the regular season.
The other, of course, is getting Williams in a groove by the time the NBA playoffs start. And considering how much better he’s looked on both ends of the floor, think they’re close to crossing that one off too. The Thunder will need the All-NBA talent to be their second go-to scorer when push comes to shove.
Chet Holmgren: A
Hovering around the dunker spot, Holmgren caught a couple of alley-oops in the opening two minutes of the second half. Utah’s nonexistent defense helped the All-Star put up some easy scoring numbers. None could stick with the seven-footer.
Holmgren finished with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds and one assist. He shot 4-of-5 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had four blocks.
Anytime Holmgren sees Jazz jerseys in front of him, he turns into Kevin Durant. In this latest matchup, he was spoonfed several easy buckets around the rim. Utah’s defensive breakdowns let him get up for easy jams. When that didn’t happen, he was money from the outside on catch-and-shoot looks.
On defense, Holmgren completely denied any Jazz players hoping to make an NBA moment. He swatted away several daring drives to the rim. He also flat-out punched Filipowski’s attempt at a stepback mid-range jumper. He might not win Defensive Player of the Year, but his defensive gravity warrants a runner-up finish.
Like the other Thunder starters, Holmgren had most of the second half off. Not much was needed out of him as they doubled up the Jazz on the scoreboard. No funny business in this one as OKC took care of Utah. They’re playing some of their best collective basketball of the season.
Lu Dort: B-plus
Anticipating the pass, Dort intercepted Sensabaugh’s pass attempt. He accelerated to the other end of the floor for the easy layup. Pushing their lead to over 30 points, the 26-year-old continues to stack up confidence in his best stretch of the season.
Dort finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. He shot 3-of-5 from 3. He also had one steal and one block.
In a game where everybody had a moment, Dort’s included some outside makes and awesome one-on-one defense against toned-down competition. He rained in a handful of outside jumpers. Feels like he was overdue for a good shooting streak. It’s been a brutal season just from the percentages. But his career’s work shows he’s much better than this.
Out of all the Thunder’s traditional starters, Dort needed the boost the most. It’s been a tumultuous season. The shooting splits are down across the board. And even the defense hasn’t been as sharp as before. But with the NBA playoffs around the corner, you’re seeing him pick up some steam. Which is exactly what you need from one of your longtime starters.
After barely playing together, the Thunder have seen their championship lineup finally gain some reps in the last couple of weeks. They’ve juggled injuries all season long. This is the healthiest they’ve been. Talk about perfect timing for that to happen. With everybody back, Dort has discovered his comfortable role.
Cason Wallace: B-plus
Quickly recovering the loose ball, Wallace took a couple of dribbles before he flicked up a floater. As the buzzer sounded, the last-second bucket pushed the Thunder to 40-plus points in the first quarter in back-to-back games. That about summed up the night.
Wallace finished with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, five rebounds and one assist. He shot 4-of-5 from 3. He also had two steals.
Just like how bad shooting can be contagious, hot shooting can have the same effect. Wallace joined in on the fun by being a double-digit scorer. He couldn’t miss from the outside as the Thunder buried the Jazz on the scoreboard by the end of the first half.
Playing airtight one-on-one defense, none of the Jazz perimeter scorers could get going when the game really mattered. Sorry Sensabaugh. Not trying to downplay your 34 points. Unlike the last time the Jazz were in town, the Thunder didn’t need anybody to carry them to the finish line.
It was a group effort where everybody had their moments. Wallace included. He had a nice double-digit scoring performance. All 15 Thunder players logged serious minutes. The only one who remained scoreless was Aaron Wiggins. Just another fun night where you probably could’ve skipped out on this game.
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