Hot Shooting Night Leads OKC Thunder Blowout Over Philadelphia

A combined offensive effort from the whole team helped the undermanned Thunder take down the 76ers.

Mar 19, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) moves the ball past Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

A unique rotation for the Oklahoma City Thunder presented an interesting matchup against the struggling Philadelphia 76ers, one that ended in a 133-100 OKC victory.

The 76ers were also undermanned, reaching into the depths of their bench to field a team. They rolled with Guerschon Yabusele, Justin Edwards, Oshae Brissett, Jared Butler and Quentin Grimes to start. OKC went with Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Dillon Jones, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.

Missing two of their best players didn't stop the Thunder from getting out to an electric start. The 17-3 start on the scoreboard was impressive, but the 6-for-8 shooting start was arguably better. Everything was falling early on and the same could not be said for Philadelphia.

Despite missing a bunch of players, Oklahoma City compiled a well-balanced scoring night. Seven players scored in double digits, featuring many who normally don't on a night-to-night basis.

There was a clear emphasis on getting the ball inside, especially to Holmgren and Williams. The duo combined for 18 early points and took the scoring reigns in the absence of OKC's stars.

With the injuries and rest came more opportunities for Thunder players, including center Branden Carlson. He finished with 10 first-quarter points and 16 by the game's end, providing a surprising scoring spark off the bench.

The second quarter was more of the same, with the continual solid performances of OKC's depth, including Isaiah Joe and Kenrich Williams, helping OKC hold onto its lead. Holmgren also continued adding to his scoring total, as did Wiggins. This led to a 70-56 halftime lead for Oklahoma City.

Three-point shooting was also a clear emphasis for the Thunder, who shot 46.2% from the perimeter. This included 24 made triples. It was one of many impressive stats that the eventual winning team posted in the box score, all without its best players.

OKC continued to handle this game with ease as the second half progressed, continuing to tally up points from a variety of scorers. However, one of those guys stood out the most as the game went on.

For the second time when OKC was down its best players, Jaylin Williams stepped into a much larger role. He finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds and 11 assists, recording his second triple-double of the season. This was his second of the last six games, good for a team record.

Perimeter shots never stopped flying and going in, especially for Joe and Wiggins. Joe went 5-for-9 from the outside and Wiggins 4-for-10, showing their perimeter shooting confidence. Wiggins was ultra-aggressive on offense, finishing the game with 26 points and adding four rebounds and six assists.

After three minutes into the fourth quarter, the game was effectively done. Wiggins and Williams buried Philadelphia by executing an efficient two-man game and knocking down triples of their own. Even Adam Flagler got in on the scoring fun, making it so every player that touched the court for OKC got onto the box score.

Grimes, Edwards and bench forward Chuma Okeke led the 76ers in scoring by the time the clock hit zero seconds. Grimes finished with 28, Edwards with 19 and Okeke with 14. As a team, Philadelphia struggled to put the ball in the hoop, shooting 36.8% from the field and 31.6% from three.

OKC hits the court next against the Charlotte Hornets to continue an easier stretch of their schedule, tipping off at 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, March 21 at home.

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