The three game winning streak has officially come to an end, but there is no reason for Thunder fans to be upset. The Thunder went into Phoenix and nearly took down a fully healthy Suns team that currently holds the league’s best record. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29, Josh Giddey‘s hot streak continued, and OKC had the game within single-digits going into the final minutes.
Phoenix is a great team. Everybody who has followed the NBA this season knows this. The Thunder should feel great about the way they fought against this squad. There’s really not much to say here. Two teams played a hard-fought basketball game and the better team came out on top.
Star of the Game
It was another great performance for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s averaging over 25 points, 6.5 assists, and 4 rebounds in the nine games he’s played since suffering a concussion earlier this month. He continues to emerge as the clear leader of this young team, he is showing clear improvement on defense, and he makes clutch shots. Shai has shown this team everything that they wanted to see from him. We officially have a franchise player in Oklahoma City (in case any Thunder fan was still doubting him).
Biggest Concern
There is not a single thing that I am concerned about right now as a Thunder fan. I’ve already discussed the brilliance of Shai Gilgeous Alexander. Giddey continues to climb in the Rookie of the Year rankings (He dropped 17 tonight). Luguentz Dort was inefficient tonight but it is nothing to be worried about (he is still averaging over 17 PPG on the year). Darius Bazely (who I have been highly critical of) has greatly improved since being demoted to the bench, while fellow big Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has shined in the starting lineup. This is a good time to be a Thunder fan.
Surprise Contribution
Nobody in particular stepped up for the Thunder tonight. Aaron Wiggins struggled in his 3rd start of the year while Aleksej Pokusevski and Tre Mann were quiet off the bench. But it would be impossible to cover this game without bringing up Cameron Johnson. The third year forward was on fire, scoring 21 points while shooting a perfect 7/7 from the field (with five threes). Every time OKC would start to gain some momentum he would step up and hit a big shot. He is the perfect role player for this Suns team
Next Game
OKC will look for their revenge following last week’s heartbreaking loss to the Pels Vs New Orleans Pelicans on December 26th at 4PM Pacific
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OKC FALLS TO PHOENIX OKC FALLS TO PHOENIX OKC FALLS TO PHOENIX
