The Thunder survived a Golden State comeback to squeeze past the Warriors 124-112. A game that looked heavily one-sided turned into a battle real quick. At one point in the game, the Thunder found themselves winning by 22, but here they were down by one with 4:54 left in the game. 

Luckily for OKC, they know how to win tough games. The Thunder never quit and continued to battle back until two made free throws from Jalen Williams with 54 seconds left would ice the game. 

OKC walked into this game short-handed as Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso were all inactive. This might be the reason for some defensive mishaps throughout the game, but luckily, Oklahoma City always finds ways to win. 

Even though the Warriors were without star Steph Curry, they still gave the Thunder a run for their money. In the end, the Thunder learned things that will be essential down the road in future games. 

Here are three takeaways from the Thunder’s win over the Warriors

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Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) makes a shot over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the first quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

1. Jalen Williams is starting to find his groove again

It might only be the Thunder star’s third game back, but he is already starting to get back into the swing of things. William was a big part of the Thunder’s win over the Warriors, and he has continued to improve night after night. 

Williams had 22 points, six assists and three rebounds Tuesday night in arguably his best game of the season. After missing the first 19 games of the season, Williams started the year a little rusty. However, he is slowly climbing up to the All-Star level of play he is capable of, and it’s only a matter of time before he’ll be back to full potential. 

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Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kenrich Williams (34) holds onto a rebound next to center Chet Holmgren (7) against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

2. The Thunder are actually human

The Thunder have played so well and won so much that you forget they’re not perfect. This showed up in a third quarter that was far from a good Thunder quarter. OKC was outscored 44-28 in the third quarter, struggling to find an answer for Golden State.

This is out of the ordinary, as the Thunder are the league’s best defensive team in almost every category. Something that continues to hurt the Thunder is the offensive boards given up. Golden State had 12 offensive rebounds compared to the Thunder’s four, and it made an impact in the game. Luckily, the Thunder find ways to win, and it was no different tonight. 

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Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks towards the team bench during a break in the action against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

3. You can always count on the MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP for a reason, and once again that was on display tonight. Not only did he score 20 points to increase his streak to 93, but he decided to just score 38. 

Gilgeous-Alexander has been the X-factor for the Thunder all season, and tonight was no different. He entered the game with about 6:30 left in the fourth and the Thunder down three. But as if there was ever any doubt in the MVP, the Thunder won by 12. 

Gilgeous-Alexander is truly a player who flips a game upside down, and tonight he made sure OKC walked out with a win.Â