Game recap: Thunder 118, Hawks 109

Others



[ad_1]

High-level ball movement and quicker pace during the transition gave the Thunder an imposing lead over the Hawks. Although Atlanta reduced the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter, the contributions of every player on the ground got the Thunder away with the win.

The Thunder scored over 30 points in each of the first three quarters, shot over 50% from the field for the game and gave out 31 assists overall. In short, the Thunder’s attack was buzzing at a high level.

“I thought it was the epitome of guys playing with the beat, creating advantages for each other and pulverizing the ball to find the open man,” said Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.

The biggest factor in the Thunder’s offensive pace against the Hawks was his high-level ball movement as he distributed 19 assists in the first half alone. At the head of the pass column, thunder guard Ty Jerome on his thunder debut. Jerome was recalled from Thunder’s G League affiliate OKC Blue just the day before he was posted after missing much of the Thunder’s start to the season with a sprained ankle. In Orlando, Jerome regained his health and was able to contribute at a high level by participating in nine games and averaging 12 points in 24 minutes per night.

In his first 12 minutes in a Thunder uniform, Jerome immediately caused a stir on the floor as he fitted into the Thunder’s attack flow perfectly with four points, six assists and a steal. At the end of the night, Jerome notched a new record for most assists in a first Thunder with seven.

“I think it’s just a really good anecdote for us from a development perspective,” said Daigneault. “The best part about it was it wasn’t easy and most of the credit goes to Ty because he’s the one doing the work, but that’s the kind of stuff we’re very proud of.” as a program.

“He’s a basketball player. You can stick it anywhere with any alignment and it’s going to mesh well, ”said Gilgeous-Alexander. “He can shoot, pass, take down and do so many things that it’s easy for him to blend in and look good and you saw that tonight and he really improved our game tonight.

Thunder rookie playmaker Theo Maledon also made massive contributions to the Thunder’s assists column, tying an OKC rookie record with 12 dimes. Maledon was an important facilitator in the Thunder’s attack, taking advantage of transition opportunities to pick up the pace and find his teammates.

“I tried to push the ball as much as I could and that opened up a lot of teammates and they made the right choice,” Maledon said in his post-game interview with FOX Sports Oklahoma.

The only area the Thunder suffered against the Hawks was in the offensive glass. Atlanta big man Clint Capela proved to be a threat on the boards as he racked up 21 rebounds and nine on offense. He was the spark that got the Hawks past the Thunder 54-39 and would play a major role in the streak as Atlanta looked to come back from 17.

Despite a 17-point lead in the third quarter, Atlanta regained the upper hand to make it a six-point game in the fourth quarter. It was a 12-4 run fueled by second chances on offense. The Hawks ended the night with 19 offensive rebounds, including eight in the fourth quarter alone. The second look at the rim opened the door for ATL to get back into the driver’s seat in the final two and a half minutes.

However, in addition to the Thunder’s shot on Friday, his disciplined defense kept the Hawks’ leading scorer at Trae Young a manageable 17 points (10 below his average) on just 7 of 21 shots and 3 of 9 from the line at 3. points. In the fourth frame, Young was limited to just four attempts, all from the 3-point line and he only converted on one. Even more, Young finished the night without a single trip to the foul line. As a player who is third in the league in free throw attempts per night, the Thunder’s emphasis on clean, disciplined defense was executed to perfection.

“Be aggressive without making a mistake,” said Gilgeous-Alexander who finished with a record 24 points. “A lot of good scorers in this league generate points and a pace like that. We just didn’t want them making too many trips to the free throw line. It was a big priority.

Atlanta cut the game down to nine points on several occasions during the fourth quarter, including with 1:40 to go. It was a moment in the game that could have been considered a critical moment had it not been for the dazzling play that sent the game back to double digits.

Darius Bazley received a pass from Maledon as Atlanta’s aggressive defense looked to steal. As he approached the rim, Bazley gave a quick false pass into the corner that sent two defenders out of position. Suddenly, the track was completely vacant for the second year ahead to attack the rim. As he rose, Bazley lowered the ball for a brief moment to avoid John Collins’ outstretched arms, but he still had enough time to complete the dunk and force Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce to call. a downtime.

“I honestly think it was just a gut feeling for Baze. I call him a freak of nature, but he’s just a monster athlete, ”Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He just played a regular basketball game for Baze, which is kinda crazy.”

Between assists, shooting percentages and the odd number of uniforms, Friday’s game featured a range of stats worthy of attention.

Kenrich williams

“I think it’s our best game when it comes to getting everyone involved and playing basketball as a team.”
-Kenrich Williams

“Playing fast like that, making saves and moving the ball, it creates a lot of energy. It was really fun.”

–Darius Bazley

The Thunder will close their grueling five-game seven-day streak on Saturday as the team host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on the second night of a game in a row. The game will air on FOX Sports Oklahoma at 7 p.m. CT and on WWLS 98.1 FM The Sports Animal and Thunder Radio Network.



[ad_2]
Source link

Powered by https://naaju.com/ghana | Designed by Naaju
© Copyright 2024, All Rights Reserved