3 Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Dominant Victory in Giddey's Homecoming

The Oklahoma City Thunder knocked off the Chicago Bulls Monday night in an offensive flurry.

Mar 31, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) dribbles down the court against Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bulls may have been heading into Monday night with quite a hot streak, but once they crossed paths with the Oklahoma City Thunder, they certainly felt the wrath it's posed on the NBA throughout the year.

The Thunder spoiled the homecoming of Josh Giddey back to Paycom Center, knocking off the Bulls in a 145-117 offensive showcase. After a 45-point second quarter, it was already clear that Oklahoma
City was going to pull away with the victory.

With the 70-win threshold still a possibility, this was the Thunder's 63rd victory of the year. It was yet another game that only cements it as a dominant season, putting it as an NBA Finals favorite.

Here are three takeaways from last night's win:

That's A Lot of 3s

Every once in awhile, Oklahoma City puts on a display from 3-point range that goes right up with some of the best offensive performances of any team this season. Last night was one of those times.

The Thunder shot a whopping 23-of-43 from behind the arc — good for over 50% shooting. While Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort knocked down an efficient four and three makes, respectively, there was a clear winner from that area: Isaiah Joe.

Joe shot a ridiculous 8-of-14 on his 3-point attempts, totaling 31 points to lead the team in scoring off the bench. All it took was 24 minutes for him to become the franchise's first player to reach that many 3-pointers off the bench in one game.

"He's got a great approach and routine on his own and inside the team. He has unwavering confidence," coach Mark Daigneault said. "He's another example of a guy that shoots his shots, and his shots are more difficult than everybody else's, obviously because of his gravity. He finds his shots, he works on his shots, and he keeps doubling down and shooting them."

Having that many players firing on all cylinders on 3-pointers made it an easy night for the Oklahoma City offense to score a hefty amount of points. Chicago certainly tried with 51 attempts from behind the arc, but only making 16 was simply not going to cut it.

Welcome Back, Josh

For the first time since he was dealt in a player-swap for Alex Caruso, Giddey stepped foot in Paycom Center last night. His game-winning half-court make that took the Bulls over the Los Angeles Lakers had his name in conversations before the matchup, making for an exciting return.

While not the highs he's been experiencing as of late, Giddey did not disappoint. His stat line of 15 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists on 9-of-15 shooting from the field showcased the potential that he never could quite grasp with the Thunder.

Caruso's seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals might not seem that comparable, but his impact was just as felt. Giddey's flourishing now, but for what Oklahoma City needs to go further in the playoff this season, Caruso makes much more sense on the roster.

Regardless, seeing Giddey back in the place he started his career was a good moment for both the fanbase and him. The two sides may be separated, but there will always be a connection throughout this career.

Solid Stuff From SGA

In the final seven-game stretch of the regular season, it's really the time for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to simply pad his case for the MVP award.

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic might be competing, but the combined greatness of Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder itself is making the gap hard to close. The wins keep coming, and so are solid performances from the guard.

In just 27 minutes of action, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 27 points, 12 assists and two blocks on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. In defiance of the conversation in social media circles, he only needed 7-of-7 shooting at the free-throw line to record such a stat line.

As long as Gilgeous-Alexander continues to do his thing — even with less pressure of wins and big performances — he has nothing to worry about in the award race.

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