Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Hartenstein stood in one corner. Alex Caruso stood in the other corner. And Lu Dort stood near the Thunder logo at halfcourt.
They all wanted to clear out space for OKC’s most lethal weapon, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was looking to deliver a dagger in the closing seconds of a game against Sacramento on Tuesday.
With a three-point lead in one pocket and an array of scoring moves in the other, Gilgeous-Alexander opted to pull out a stepback 3-pointer. It wasn’t quite the Dort-level moon shot, but it was enough to sail over the outstretched hand of DeMar DeRozan.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s teammates sprang into action while the ball glided through the air, just in case they needed to snag the offensive board. But that wasn’t necessary. The ball fell through the rim, securing OKC’s 107-101 win.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 31 points to go along with nine rebounds, four assists and three blocks. The Thunder (5-0) is still one of four undefeated teams left in the NBA.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
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Russell Westbrook set the tone for Sacramento early on
Russell Westbrook had already connected on both of his 3-point attempts when he walked the ball up the floor midway through the first quarter.
And yet his defender, Dort, was as disconnected as could be. Instead of fighting over a screen set by Sabonis, the All-Defensive first team guard retreated to the free-throw line, daring Westbrook to try his luck at another triple.
Westbrook accepted that challenge and won, sinking the open 3-pointer. He then smacked his forehead repeatedly, almost as if he was telling the Thunder’s defenders to get something through their heads: He was dialed in.
In what marked his return to Oklahoma City and his first start of the season, Westbrook set the tone by scoring nine of Sacramento’s first 16 points. He finished with a stat line of 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists on 6-for-16 shooting from the field (4 for 8 from deep).
Ajay Mitchell helped spark OKC’s comeback
Keon Ellis held his hands to his head in frustration near the 3-point line early in the fourth quarter.
That’s all he had time to do as the shot clock winded down with five minutes left in the game. It was far too late to catch up to Mitchell, who somehow turned a broken play into a bucket by blowing past his defender for a layup.
It wasn’t the only time Mitchell played with a sense of urgency.
When the Thunder tried to claw its way back into the game, Mitchell was as tough as nails. From acrobatic layups to timely triples to hustle plays on defense, the Thunder’s hidden gem came alive in high-pressure situations.
Mitchell finished with 18 points and two steals in 24 minutes off the bench. He has scored at least 14 points in every game this season.
“I think never being too high or too low,” Mitchell said of the key to his success. “I think just staying consistent with everything I do. Obviously, I work hard. And I know every time I go out on the court that I just need to play my game and not worry about anything else.”
It hasn’t been perfect, but OKC’s record is
A one-possession game. Two double-overtime games. Three road games. Four games that were decided in the fourth quarter.
Those numbers are staggering when looking at the Thunder’s start to the season. But one number says it all: Five wins.
OKC cleared every hurdle throughout the first eight days of the season. Next up is a home game against Washington at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“It hasn’t been a masterpiece of execution,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “But I do think we’ve flexed our resilience muscle in this stretch just by staying persistent and enduring what was a very challenging stretch of games in a condensed period of time. The guys did a great job of just sticking with it.”
Tip-insChet Holmgren did not play due to lower back soreness. It marked his first missed game of the season.Aaron Wiggins received the starting nod while Holmgren was out. He finished with 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and a career-high three blocks.After missing the last three games while in concussion protocol, Alex Caruso made his return to the court. He finished with eight points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals and one block.OKC has played in four clutch games this season, meaning a game where the score is within five points during the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. The only other team with that many clutch games this season is Philadelphia, which is also undefeated (4-0).
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 vs. Wizards
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Thursday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (FanDuel Sports Network)