NEWS UPDATE:OKC Thunder Survive Late Comeback, Take Down Detroit………Read more 

 

 

Gaining momentum on either side was a challenge, but the Thunder pulled away an impressive win over the Pistons late in the game.

Thanks to a hot start from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away for a 119-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Holmgren finished the game with 22 points and Gilgeous-Alexander with 33, improving their record to 64-12 on the year.

It didn’t take long for the Thunder to gain an early lead, thanks to the scoring heroics of the big man and guard combination. They also forced five first-quarter turnovers and made the Pistons shoot poorly to start the game.

The discrepancy in field goal percentages between both teams was important in the first half but remained prevalent until the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter. OKC shot 43.8% from the field and Detroit shot 40.4%, showing a clear difference between the two. Oklahoma City also made six more shots than its opponent, which is just another way to show the Thunder’s superior offensive performance.

One common theme between both teams was the struggles both saw from the perimeter. OKC went 10-for-38 from the perimeter the whole game and the Pistons 10-for-33. It wasn’t the prettiest offensive performance from either team, but the home team and their consistently agitating defense paved the way for an eventual win.

A steady second quarter of back-and-fourth basketball that included a late Pistons run that was spearheaded by guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and forward Tobias Harris brought the game closer than it may have seemed. A Lu Dort tip-in at the buzzer helped them hold onto a 65-59 lead heading into the half-time break, despite holding a double-digit lead earlier in the half.

It may have seemed like Gilgeous-Alexander was quiet during the game, but he sneakily racked up his normal scoring amounts. It was he and Holmgren again who led an early run to begin the third quarter to elongate that six-point lead to a 14-point one, giving them a cushion for the rest of the game.

Oklahoma City continued to play sound defense and it led to another hefty scoring advantage heading into the final quarter of the game. Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams dominated that quarter, leading to a 97-81 advantage.

At this point, the trio of Holmgren, Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams had combined for 60 of the team’s 97 points, showing why they are the face of one of the best squads in the NBA. The three players finished with a total of 78 points at the game’s end.

For the Pistons, who were without star guard Cade Cunningham, it was Tim Hardaway Jr. who led the way in scoring for Detroit, who finished with 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Point guard Dennis Schroder was the next man up for them, finishing with 15 points and seven assists on 6-for-18 shooting.

There have been moments this season where Oklahoma City allowed teams to get back into a game in the fourth quarter and that was the case in this one. After holding a double-digit lead for most of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, until a wide-spread combination of Pistons players stomped back. The lead for the Thunder got down to four points at one point, but that didn’t last for long.

Two forced turnovers and buckets from Williams, Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander helped the Thunder pull away and earn the win, despite a late Detroit comeback.

As the season winds down, OKC will take on the Houston Rockets next at 7 p.m. CT in Houston on Friday, April 4.