Gilgeous-Alexander Shows Off Clutch Gene in Thunder's OT Win Over Chicago

Once again, the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he is one of the best guards in the league after making some important plays down the stretch in Oklahoma City's latest overtime victory.

The Oklahoma City Thunder held their ground at home and worked their way past the Chicago Bulls in a tightly contested overtime match on Friday night, bringing them to an 8-11 record.

Despite the Thunder going just 7-for-29 from beyond the arc, they took advantage of holes in the Bulls’ defense and ultimately found 68 points in the paint versus Chicago’s 46. The Thunder also earned 32 trips to the free throw line where they shot an efficient 88%, highlighting Chicago’s difficulty guarding bigger lineups.

Oklahoma City’s victory was an all-around team effort as their reserves scored a productive 48 points to the starter’s combined 75. On the other hand, the Bulls’ reserves were only able to score just 31 points.

Here are the Thunder’s top performers from Friday night’s action.

Aleksej Pokusevski

The 7-foot Pokusevski was able to lend a hand to a Thunder team that has desperately needed some complimentary scoring, dropping 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting while knocking down one triple and making both of his free throws.

Pokusevski’s length and mobility at the five-spot were instrumental and helped limit Chicago’s 7-footer, Nikola Vucevic, to just 13 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including just 1-for-7 from behind the 3-point line. This demonstrated his importance to a Thunder team that is missing Chet Holmgren and is lacking size at the center position.

Pokusevski was also able to show some production in other areas as well. Despite the box score showing just six rebounds for the big man, his rim protection led to one block and several missed shots that ended a Bulls’ offensive possession. He was also able to find two assists on the night.

Josh Giddey

Giddey, otherwise known as “The Wizard of Aus,” had an impressive showing in Friday night’s match, going for 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists, nearly notching another triple-double.

While his performance wouldn’t garner a standing ovation from the crowd or anything, it was clear that he was playing with much more poise and confidence. He showcased his ability to play within himself, taking what the defense was giving him and playing within the flow of the offense.

The Australian playmaker was instrumental in the overtime period, too. He was able to find a couple of instances where the Bulls’ defense was just lax enough to take advantage of and drove down the lane to score four points and dish out another assist.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Last but certainly not least, Gilgeous-Alexander once again showed why he is a strong candidate for the Most Improved Player award. While the Bulls threw their best on-ball defenders on the Thunder’s lead guard, Gilgeous-Alexander’s slippery drives and playmaking ability led his team to the promised land.

After going just 8-for-21 from the field and 0-for-3 from deep, the Canadian superstar still found another 30 points to once again lead the Thunder in scoring. His seven assists on the night spoke to his ability to draw defenders and find open teammates and get them the ball in the rhythm.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to get to the free-throw line was key down the stretch, draining five of his 14 attempts in the first overtime period. Three of those came after he baited the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan into fouling him on a 3-point attempt, giving the Thunder a two-point lead with just seconds left on the clock and ultimately securing the win for his team.

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