OKC Thunder player grades: Thunder shifts focus to keeping fourth-best lottery odds with 94-98 win over Trail Blazers
The race for the third-best lottery odds is essentially over as the Oklahoma City Thunder mount a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers once again, 98-94.
Things were looking great entering the fourth quarter for the Thunder’s lottery odds. After 36 minutes, the Trail Blazers had an 82-67 lead and were well on their way to a win that would’ve really benefited the Thunder. If the lead held, then that means the Thunder would be just half a game back from the Detroit Pistons currently for the third-best lottery odds. Now, a 26-4 finish to the game that saw the Trail Blazers score just four points in the final 5:41 of the game has Thunder fans focused on keeping its fourth-best lottery odds as the Indiana Pacers are just half a game back.
This win has deflated the fanbase to say the least, with a real shot at getting top-three lottery odds just a couple of weeks ago, the Thunder going 4-3 in its last seven games as ruined any dreams of that happening. The Thunder threw everything at this game to maximize its odds to lose as it only played six guys essentially with three of them currently on 10-day deals. I mean, Lindy Waters III, a two-way player, was pulled after four minutes as he scored eight quick points for Pete’s sake. There was nothing else that the team could’ve done to lose this game and the Thunder have great synergy throughout the organization has really bit them in the butt hard these last couple of seasons in terms of draft lottery odds.
It’s a failure that the Thunder will not be able to get top-three lottery odds for the second straight season during this rebuild and creating a program that brings the best out of its players has proven to be a hinderance when it comes to losing games. Let’s take look at player grades.
Jaylen Hoard: A+
Jaylen Hoard broke the hearts of many tank-supporting Thunder fans as his 24 point and 21 rebound double double basically sealed any shot at getting top-three lottery odds. Now the Thunder need to move on and focus on keeping the fourth spot as the Pacers are just half a game back.
But back to Hoard, he played great this game. Even if it was against G League talent, Hoard still deserves credit for the numbers he put up as he tries to extend his NBA career.
Per StatMuse, Hoard became the first rookie with a 20/20/3 game on 60% shooting since Shaq. Not sure if Hoard still has rookie status as this is his third season, but it’s still an impressive stat nonetheless.
Georgios Kalaitzakis: A
Considering that Georgios Kalaitzakis was signed to a 10-day hardship deal earlier on Tuesday, him putting up 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting is quite the feat. This included hitting a pair of threes to help complete the fourth-quarter comeback win.
Kalaitzakis would exit the game with what appeared to be a knee injury in the fourth quarter and didn’t return but Daigneault said that he should be fine and ready to go for the next game.
Isaiah Roby: B
Isaiah Roby once again showed out against the Trail Blazers with 18 points and six rebounds. The last time these two teams met included a 30-point performance for Roby that saw him hit a difficult three that would tie the game and lead to an eventual win.
Zavier Simpson: B
Just like Kalaitzakis, Zavier Simpson was signed to a 10-day hardship deal earlier on Tuesday before being jammed into the starting lineup and playing 44 minutes. Captain Hook finished with 10 points and five assists. When asked about his NBA debut, Simpson showed gratitude for the opportunity and said that he’s still processing the moment.
“I think I’m still sinking it in,” said Simpson. “[lawrence-newsletter]I’m grateful and thankful It’s been a long 24 hours but this is what I work for.”
Olivier Sarr: B
Olivier Sarr finished the game with a 10 point and 12 rebound double double. I’m not sure what Sarr’s future is with the team or how much these performances matter to the front office, but to his credit, he’s been playing well and has shown an ability to expand his range.
Vit Krejci: B-
Vit Krejci finished with 11 points in 21 minutes. This included a clutch three late in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed the game as the struggling Trail Blazers mustering up seven points in the final three minutes of the game seemed like a pipe dream.
