Thunder 131, Bulls 113: The Day After Report
Nuggets & Notes
- The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Chicago Bulls 131-113, but this game had two completely different personalities depending on when you tuned in.
- Chicago came in shorthanded and still looked like the sharper team for a half. The Bulls' quick strike offense was giving OKC's defense trouble, especially because Chicago just wouldn't miss. Billy Donovan's team shot 56% from the field in the first half, including 12-of-24 from beyond the arc.
- It led to a 67-62 Bulls lead at the half. In a game where the Thunder can ill afford to lose games like these if it wants to hold the #1 seed, it was a bit worrisome.
- A big reason Chicago was so hot offensively was Collin Sexton. Early in the third quarter, I made a note that it feels like Sexton couldn't miss, and wouldn't you know, at that point, he literally hadn't missed. Sexton ended up scoring 22 points and shot 5-of-7 from three.
- Not hot shooting? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The reigning MVP had a rare off shooting night—8-of-24 overall and 0-of-10 from three.
- Still, Shai being Shai, he got to 25 points anyway and extended his streak of 20+ point games. And importantly, the shooting didn’t bleed into the other end. Shai still had 3 blocks and was active defensively.
- Despite trailing for most of the game thanks to Chicago's insane scoring, OKC managed to stay close thanks to forcing turnovers and controlling the glass.
- The Thunder won the glass 58-47 and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. Isaiah Hartenstein, in particular, was a force: 16 rebounds (5 offensive).
- With 3:43 to go in the third quarter, ESPN gave the Bulls a 58% chance of winning thanks to an 88-80 lead at that point.
- The Bulls did not score another point until 9:07 in the fourth quarter. During that stretch, Oklahoma City scored 22 points.
- That 22-0 run ended up being a 36-8 that ripped the soul from the Bulls and turned a nail biter into a blowout.
- Cason Wallace was huge: 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three, plus 3 steals.
- Jalen Williams continues to look completely comfortable post-injury: 18 points, 8 assists, and steady control of the offense.
- JDub’s playmaking during the surge stood out, including the emphatic dunk that punctuated the 36-8 run.
- Like a broken record, I can't stop repeating that Ajay Mitchell is such a stud. He had 15 points, 5 assists, and 2 blocks coming off the bench.
- There are real shades of Shai in his game. Ajay has a knack for being able to get exactly where he wants on the floor, while making sneaky contributions on defense (2 blocks last night).
- Jaylin Williams continues to be a reliable, plug-and-play contributor: 12 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. You just know JWill is going to hold his own out there.
- I love it when Isaiah Joe only sees green lights. Joe is at his peak when he's just firing at will, as he did last night. It led to 15 points of 4-of-9 shooting from three.
- It just creates so much pressure on the defense because of the threat the sharpshooter creates.
- Jared McCain had his worst offensive night for the Thunder, 0 points in 13 minutes.
- Josh Giddey had a rough return to OKC with just 5 points on 1-of-11 shooting and 0-of-8 from three.
One Key Takeaway
I'm going to cheat a bit with this takeaway, as this one doesn't really focus on anything that happened in the run of play. But last night was the last night "City Night", with the Thunder playing on their alternate court and in their city edition jerseys.
On the heels of the groundbreaking of the Continental Coliseum, Oklahoma City's billion dollar arena project, a thought came to my mind. Nay, a hope, a dream, an ask.
The Thunder should do a rebrand to coincide with the opening of the new arena in 2028.
I know I'm not alone in my love for the these city alts. The deep blues and the Native American-inspired OKC-logo, not only are they slick, but it feels like a real identity for the team.
So the core of a rebrand is there. It just needs the final polish to make it permanent, and what better way to open a sparkling new building than with a sparkling new brand for the team.
