by Murat Karul
The Oklahoma City Thunder are making waves in the Western Conference as the season reaches its halfway mark. Despite being just outside of the top spot, the Thunder are determined to make an even bigger impact.
In their recent game against the Miami Heat, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with 28 points, supported by Chet Holmgren’s 23 points. The Thunder showcased their strength in the second half, going on two significant runs that secured them a 128-120 victory. This win brings their record to an impressive 25-11, marking their best start in 36 games since the 2015-16 season when they reached the Western Conference finals with stars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Head coach Mark Daigneault attributes the Thunder’s success to their continuous improvement, diligent preparation, execution, teamwork, and learning from both positive and negative experiences. They have embraced a mindset of constant growth and are committed to giving their best effort in every game.
The Thunder’s victory over the Heat was fueled by two pivotal runs: a 13-0 surge to start the third quarter and a 17-0 run that spanned from late in the third quarter to early in the fourth. During these runs, Miami struggled to find their rhythm, missing their first five shots in the second half and enduring a stretch of 10 consecutive missed shots during the Thunder’s second surge.
Contributing to the Thunder’s success, Jalen Williams had an outstanding performance with 19 points, a career-high 12 assists, and nine rebounds. Lu Dort added 14 points, while Isaiah Joe chipped in with 11 points. It was the Thunder’s second victory over the Heat in their last 10 meetings.
Miami put up a fight, with Bam Adebayo leading the team with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 21 points, and Haywood Highsmith had a career-best 19 points. Tyler Herro scored 17 points, Nikola Jovic added 15, and Kevin Love had 12 for the Heat. Despite a late 10-0 run by Miami to cut the deficit to six points with just over a minute remaining, they couldn’t close the gap any further.
Miami faced challenges with injuries, as Jimmy Butler (toe, foot) and Caleb Martin (ankle) were sidelined, and Kyle Lowry was absent due to a sprained left hand suffered in their previous game against Houston.
The first half of the game was statistically unusual, with the Thunder shooting an impressive 69.2% from the field but still trailing 69-65 at halftime. This anomaly marked only the third time in NBA history, since the introduction of digital play-by-play data in 1996-97, that a team shot over 69.2% in the first half but found themselves behind at the break.
Although the Thunder’s shooting cooled off in the second half, they still finished the game with a commendable 59% shooting percentage. Miami recognized the need to maintain their defensive intensity regardless of their shooting performance, emphasizing the importance of not allowing missed shots to affect their energy and effort on the defensive end.
Looking ahead, the Thunder will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night, while the Heat will face the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
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