Mussatto's Minutes: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren have OKC Thunder rolling
We’re entering the last week of the college football regular season, with OSU primed to play for a conference championship and OU still in the mix.
But we start this week’s edition of Mussatto’s Minutes with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Co. deserve the spotlight.
The Thunder is on a five-game winning streak and is returning home to face the Bulls on Wednesday having just swept a three-game road trip. And boy oh boy, how about those last two wins?
A 130-123 overtime win Saturday at Golden State, where Holmgren buried a fadeaway, game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer before Gilgeous-Alexander engaged MVP mode from the midrange in overtime.
Then, on the second night of a back-to-back Sunday, the Thunder beat the Trail Blazers by 43 points. It was OKC’s largest margin of victory over Portland in series history, and the Thunder’s most-lopsided road win ever.
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The Blazers are not a good team even at full health, and they weren’t close to that. Still, though, we’ve seen teams, even great Thunder teams, sleepwalk through games like that. Especially on a back-to-back. But this version of the Thunder pummeled the Blazers into submission before boarding a plane back to OKC.
Impressive stuff.
The Thunder (10-4) became the first team in the West to reach 10 wins. OKC’s +8.8 point differential is the best in the conference. Almost two points better than Minnesota (+6.9) and more than three points better than the defending champion Nuggets (+5.5).
As of Tuesday morning, only the Celtics (+10.6) and Sixers (+9.0) had a better point differential than the Thunder.
The season is young, though, as is this Thunder team.
OKC isn’t in the class of contenders along with Denver and Boston — not even close. Those teams have been playoff-tested for half a decade now, and this Thunder squad has yet to even play in a playoff game.
The stew has been simmering, though, and we’re only now getting a taste.
More: Who makes the OKC Thunder list for 15 best players in team history?
Thunder-Blazers by the numbers
22: The Thunder shot 22-of-36 from 3-point range, one make shy of tying the franchise record for 3-point makes (23 at Milwaukee 4/10/19).
14-of-14: The Thunder was perfect from the foul line — the eighth game in team history in which the Thunder didn’t miss a free throw.
60.5%: The second game of the season in which the Thunder shot north of 60% from the field (vs. Warriors 11/3).
5-of-6: Isaiah Joe shot 5-of-6 from 3-point range. In his last five games, Joe is 17-of-22 (77%) from deep.
134: The Thunder’s 134 points tied its sixth-highest ever total in regulation.
More: Here is the OKC Thunder's roster, player contracts entering 2023-24 NBA regular season
Pick Six
Each week I make a list of six college football somethings … This week, now that the coaching carousel is spinning, I’m ranking the most attractive open coaching jobs.
1. Texas A&M
Imagine being so bad at your job that your boss pays you $76 million just to go away. What a life.
We all know the cons of the Texas A&M job: outsized expectations, strength of the SEC, impatient donors and the cult-like atmosphere in College Station. The pro? Money. Money for coaches, money for NIL deals, money to keep Reveille fed and the grass pristine.
Candidate to keep an eye on: UTSA’s Jeff Traylor. Traylor already interviewed for the job, The Austin American-Statesman reported. Traylor is 38-13 at UTSA, and he’s a Texan through and through. He’s from Gilmer, Texas, played at Stephen F. Austin and was a longtime high school coach. Traylor is not a splashy name though, and the Aggies like to make a splash. Maybe they’ll learn from Jimbo Fisher’s belly flop.
2. Michigan State
Mel Tucker was fired with cause amid sexual harassment allegations. Whoever gets the Spartans gig will have to restore the image of a school that’s been mired in sports-related controversies.
You can win big in East Lansing, though, as Mark Dantonio proved. Dantonio, whose tenure also ended in controversy, went 114-57 overall and 69-39 in the Big Ten.
Candidate to keep an eye on: Toledo’s Jason Candle. Michigan State could go the Iowa State route and hire the Toledo coach. Candle was on Matt Campbell’s staff at Toledo. Candle, a Midwestern man, has coached the Rockets to a 10-1 record. Toledo is undefeated in MAC play.
3. Mississippi State
Zach Arnett, who succeeded the late Mike Leach, was fired after a 4-6 start in Starkville.
Mississippi State is a lower-rung SEC job, but the fanbase is passionate and Dan Mullen provided a blueprint for success. Heck, maybe the Bulldogs will bring Mullen back.
Candidate to keep an eye on: Jon Sumrall, Troy. Sumrall was born in Alabama, played at Kentucky and is in his second year as Troy’s head coach. His southeast ties are strong, and he’s one of the hottest coaching candidates. Troy is 21-4 in Sumrall’s brief tenure.
4. Boise State
Boise State, with its loyal fanbase and history of success, is one of the top mid-major jobs in the country. Andy Avalos, a Boise State alum, was an outlier in failing to win there.
Candidate to keep an eye on: Bryan Harsin. Harsin’s Auburn tenure was a disaster, and in hindsight, I’m sure he wishes he would’ve never left Boise State, where Harsin went 69-19 in his seven seasons there.
5. Syracuse
Syracuse is a power conference job, but it’s an awfully tough place to win. Expectations are low, though, and making a bowl counts as a good season. Syracuse gave Dino Babers eight years with mixed results, so at least there’s a longer leash with the Orange.
Candidate to keep an eye on: Bob Chesney, Holy Cross. Chesney has Northeast ties and he’s done a tremendous job at FCS Holy Cross. The Crusaders are 28-4 in the Patriot League in Chesney’s tenure. The 46-year-old is an up and comer to monitor.
More: What does Gavin Sawchuk's surge mean for OU football? 'Couldn’t come at a better time'
Big 12 Game of the Week
Texas Tech (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) at Texas (10-1, 7-1 Big 12), 6:30 p.m. Friday, ABC: Significant implications in this one. With a win, Texas not only secures a Big 12 Championship Game berth, but the Longhorns would stay alive in the College Football Playoff race. If Texas wins, OSU can clinch a Big 12 title ticket if the Cowboys beat BYU on Saturday.
More: Why OU football's trip to BYU meant so much to some Sooners fans
National Game of the Week
Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) at Michigan (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten), 11 a.m., Saturday, FOX: The game of the year. Basically a College Football Playoff semifinal.
Mid-major mention: UTSA (8-3, 7-0 American) at Tulane (10-1, 7-0 American), 2:30 p.m. Friday, ABC: UTSA is trying to make the American Athletic Conference Championship Game in its inaugural AAC season. Tulane is playing for a New Year’s Six Bowl.
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
More: Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy on Big 12 tiebreakers: 'I don't really care'
Thunder vs. Bulls
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. at Paycom Center (Bally Sports Oklahoma)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder winning big with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren
