The Thunder continue their march forward against the Sixers

We had to be a little patient, but Oklahoma City came forward again. On Sunday, the Thunder defeated Philadelphia (129-104) in front of the home crowd and thus left behind two slaps that were given to them by the Spurs in the last few days. The league leader signs a 23rd straight success against a team from the Eastern Conference and finds a small smile again.

OKC starts in showtime mode. Jalen Williams etc Isaiah Hartenstein return the favor, “J-Dub” sends his pivot into the foul lane seconds after being served on the baseline for an easy dunk. A symbol of Thunder’s perfect shooting, with 9/9 to start… but also numerous (seven in the first quarter alone) and unusual turnovers. OKC finished with a season-best shooting quarter (72.2%), but was unable to make a difference in the score. Star duel in between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander etc Tyrese McKay starts off on a very good footing, and the back end of the Sixers almost single-handedly keeps his team afloat (15 points on 6/7 shooting, 3 steals after 12 minutes).

The two teams are back-to-back, with Philly even spending time in front thanks to it Quentin Grimes. Just enough to make the current champion proud, more aggressive towards the circle. 10-2 gives some fresh air to Oklahoma City (39-31), with a very good pass fromAjay Mitchell10 points for 10 minutes off the bench. However, this is not enough to get away, facing the distant address of the Sixers with a Justin Edwards on 3/3 on 3 points. Even the first rush from Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored eight of the Thunder’s last nine points in the first period, isn’t enough, especially since Mackey is still as hot as ever up front (23 points at halftime). Even when shooting at 60%, OKC only leads by two small points at rest (64-62) and does not really leave a feeling of control of the match.

Halftime changed everything

This one is in the third quarter. The Thunder are regaining their standards of defensive aggressiveness and can provide more rhythm to their offense in transition as well as in post games. Chet Holmgren continues his superb match, and Jaylen Williams is getting stronger on both sides of the floor. This time Philadelphia takes the shot, and the deficit exceeds ten points for the first time in the match (86-73).

“SGA” wonderfully maneuvers the zone defense attempted by Nick Nourse and shows all his talent in finishing or distribution. In contrast, Tyrese McKay is now missing. And the good series of the home team lasted until 25-9, which was concluded by the inevitable outgoing MVP (97-79).

Finally in control, Oklahoma City can develop. Shi Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench (and throughout the fourth quarter), Chet Holmgren takes care of everything, protecting the circle as well as finishing high. The inside puts the lid on this matchup and allows Marc Daigneault to quickly open up his bench. This one does not let up the pressure and gives a little more space to win with 65-42 in the second period.

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Even imperfectly, Oklahoma City responded. Two consecutive defeats, especially Christmas v Spurs, could leave the Thunder in little doubt after their historic start to the season. The first period this week wasn’t much more convincing with the Sixers shooting 55%, including 9/15 on 3-pointers. But a third-quarter push and the toughness of the defense we know from OKC finally got the defending champions going. Oklahoma City benefited significantly from the absence Joel Embiid to hit the opponent’s circle with 72 points in the racket, a season record for the franchise.

– Duo Gilgeus-Alexander – Holmgren above the fight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with his shooting against the Spurs and had no support. Nothing happened this week. The Canadian was barely impressive in responding to all the defensive coverages he was offered (27 points on 10/13, 5 assists). On his side, Chet Holmgren delivered a very high level performance, with 29 points on 12/17 in both touch and release, and outstanding defensive work under the rim (8 rebounds, 4 blocks).

– Tyrese McKay, day and night. If this match had to be summed up in one statistic, it would be the goal of the leader of the Sixers. The All-Star was outstanding in the first half with 23 points, most of which started without the ball. Then Oklahoma City adjusted in the second period to separate him from his teammates and Philadelphia’s No. 0 no longer carried any weight (5 points on 2/8) as his team took over. Mismatch from VJ Edgecombe (10 points on 3/16 and a collection of bad picks) and a Paul George not too discreet (12 units, all on 3 points) did not help the guests.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.