Bazley, Waters III Lead the Way in Thunder's Loss to Orlando

Darius Bazley continued his strong play with another big performance Sunday night.

In Sunday night’s contest around the NBA’s worst records, Orlando took home the victory over a hobbled Thunder squad. The Magic’s victory came at a cost, though, as OKC is creeping up on the top three in the lottery.

The Thunder had to sweat this one out until the final frame. After the third quarter, Oklahoma City was ahead 64-62 in a must-lose game for tanking purposes.

The Magic used a 28-point fourth quarter to propel the team to victory. Wendell Carter Jr. was unbelievable on the night for Orlando. Carter finished with a whopping 30 points and 16 rebounds, finishing the night shooting 12-of-15.

OKC struggled down low where injuries have impacted a hobbled front court that already featured no depth. The Magic out rebounded the Thunder 60-47, as Mo Bamba and Chuma Okeke were in double figures rebounding as well.

While this game counts as a loss on the schedule, dropping one to Orlando at this point in the season is a pretty hefty win. Here are the top performers from Sunday’s loss:

Lindy Waters

Kim Klement / USA Today

Outside of Bazley, Waters had the most efficient night given the minutes played. Since coming to Oklahoma City, he’s been somewhat of a streaky shooter.

We haven’t fully seen Waters settle in and get comfortable from behind the line, but it was on display Sunday night. Waters showcased what a future role on the Thunder looks like, one as a microwave shooter off the bench.

The rookie came in and drilled four 3-pointers, finishing with 12 points, and grabbing six rebounds in just 20 minutes. He shot 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point line. If he can do that consistently, he can be useful long term.

Darius Bazley

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

Bazley was the lone veteran member of the Thunder Sunday night who hadn’t spent time in the G League. The third year forward has been on a tear for the Thunder lately, coming off of three 25-point outings last week.

Sunday, Bazley finished the night with a team-high 18 points. He shot 6-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-6 from 3-point range. His percentages are steadily rising will the production has really been increasing.

While he finished the first half of the season shooting well into the mid-to-high 30% range, it’s very encouraging to see his numbers spike. Bazley is now averaging 10.7 points per game on a career high 42.1% from the floor.

Depending on just how much time Shai Gilgeous-Alexander misses, Bazley’s role in the offense could continue to increase.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.