OKC Thunder player grades: SGA, Tre Mann highlight 120-108 loss to Heat

Considering this game was a matchup between a team with the first seed in the Eastern Conference and a team fighting to get the first overall pick, this outcome was the most likely one. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s losing streak extends to eight games as the Miami Heat blow them out, 120-108.

The Thunder were able to keep up for just a quarter as the Heat blew this game open in the middle quarters to make the entirety of the fourth quarter garbage time. The Thunder’s 12-point advantage in the fourth quarter made the final deficit look more respectable, but considering the Heat led by as much as 29 points, don’t let the final score fool you.

For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tre Mann were the brightest positives for this game as both scored over 20 points with the latter shooting the ball lights out in the first half off the bench.

For the Heat, it was a well-balanced scoring attack as seven players scored in double figures with sixth man Tyler Herro leading the way at 26 points.

This game was a reminder at just how far apart both of these teams are from each other in the NBA hierarchy. The Thunder have had a pleasant season considering expectations, but the franchise still has a long way to go to which the Heat’s levels. Let’s take a look at player grades.

Tre Mann: A+

After struggling in the month of March in terms of scoring efficiency as he has averaged 11.7 points on 34.5 percent shooting in seven games, Tre Mann returned to the bench for the first time in nine games and ha his best scoring output in over a month.

Mann finished the game with 25 points on 10-19 shooting that included going 5-of-11 from three. This included 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting that included 4-of-7 from three in just the first half. Mann set a franchise record with a 20-point second quarter, the most by a Thunder rookie ever.

The Florida product got out of his shooting funk in his first game back in Florida since college. Not sure if it’s a causation or correlation, but the move back to the bench probably played a factor into Mann’s performance. It’s going to be interesting to see if Mann continues to come off the bench or if he will return to the starting lineup the next game he appears in, which is to be decided as he suffered a late-game ankle injury.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A+

Now while it wasn’t the 30-point performance Gilgeous-Alexander has accustomed us to since the All-Star break, a 26 point, 9-of-17 shooting game is nothing to sneeze at.

Gilgeous-Alexander continues to play like arguably the best scorer in the league since the All-Star break and the fact that he was able to score at a high efficiency level against a top five defensive rated team with the lack of NBA talent on the floor makes this game that much more impressive.

Much like most games, Gilgeous-Alexander did almost all of his scoring damage inside the paint as he was able to slither his way to the rim on his attacks of the basket. Gilgeous-Alexander is just on another level right now as he has scored at least 25 points in 15 of his last 18 games.

Darius Bazley: B

While it isn’t 25 points like his last three games, Darius Bazley was able to have a productive game and be a positive for the Thunder with 15 points. Joking aside, Bazley was going to come back down to Earth eventually with his scoring and this was a nice floor game to have as he was able to perform well in a fashion that is much more sustainable.

Aleksej Pokusevski: A

In a rare start, Aleksej Pokusevski was able to continue his great production since his last G League assignment as he finished with a 10 point and 15 rebound double double. Pokusevski also contributed with five assists.

Pokusevski has played like a legit NBA player and this recent month-plus stretch has salvaged his sophomore campaign after a struggling start that saw him flounder at both the NBA and G League levels. I sound like a broken record saying this, but considering how bleak things look less than two months ago, it’s astonishing how dramatic of a switch Pokusevski has flipped to play this well for this long.

Aaron Wiggins: B

Aaron Wiggins had a good scoring output as he finished with 17 points. Wiggins also did a nice job at attacking the basket and drawing fouls a he went 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

Sure, 10 of those points came in relative garbage time in the fourth quarter. But you take what you can get, especially as a second-round rookie who is trying to establish himself in the league.

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