Player grades: Thunder cruises to 124-112 win over Pistons
OKLAHOMA CITY — After a 33-point shelling by the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked much better in the second half of their home-opening back-to-back.
The Thunder enjoyed a 124-112 win over the Detroit Pistons to improve their record to 3-1 on the season.
After the first quarter, the Thunder created a 12-point advantage it wouldn’t surrender for the remainder of the contest. OKC grew its lead to as large as 21 points.
The Thunder had another solid offensive outing as they shot 53% from the field and went 13-of-29 (44.8%) from 3. A 23-of-28 (82.1%) night from the free-throw line also helped in their cause.
On defense, the Thunder limited the Pistons’ production. Detroit shot 43% from the field and committed 17 turnovers.
After one of his worst career games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a bounce-back performance against the Pistons. He had 32 points and nine rebounds in the win.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s backcourt partner Josh Giddey also chipped in with 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting — his best scoring performance yet in the young season.
For the Pistons, Jaden Ivey was their leading scorer off the bench with 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Cade Cunningham struggled against OKC, as he finished with 17 points on 5-of-15 shooting, five assists and seven turnovers. Ausar Thompson had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
This was a much-needed win after their loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A
After a subpar game, Gilgeous-Alexander immediately overcame it the next night of this home back-to-back.
In 33 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 32 points on 11-of-23 shooting, nine rebounds and four assists. He also went 9-of-9 from the free-throw line — a season-high in attempts.
After starting Sunday’s game 0-for-10, Gilgeous-Alexander immediately erased any thoughts of a similar slow start with 10 first-quarter points.
On paper, this projected as an easy matchup for Gilgeous-Alexander, and to his credit, that’s exactly how it played out.
Josh Giddey: B+
After averaging nine points on 34.3% shooting in his first three games, Giddey had his best scoring outing of the young season against the Pistons.
In 28 minutes, Giddey had 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists. 17 of his points came in the second half on 8-of-12 shooting as he helped OKC bury the Pistons.
Inside of the paint, Giddey feasted as he shot 9-of-16. After three poor shooting games to start his campaign, perhaps this could be the outing to jumpstart his season.
Chet Holmgren: B
Less than six minutes into the game, Holmgren made his presence felt from outside. The seven-footer drained three consecutive 3-point attempts to set the mood early in this win.
In 24 minutes, Holmgren had 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting, four rebounds, four blocks and three assists. All five of his attempts were from outside.
Four games in and it’s easy to argue that Holmgren’s been OKC’s second-best player behind Gilgeous-Alexander. His seamless fit with the team and his willingness to adjust to the offensive role needed for a specific night continue to exceed expectations.
Jalen Williams: B
Williams continues to sneakily have excellent games for the Thunder. In 31 minutes, he had 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists.
The 22-year-old led the team in assists in this 12-point win as the Thunder continued to flex their positional versatility. Williams’ being a lead playmaker is another example of this.
