Lu Dort Leads the Way With Monster Performance vs. Pacers
For the third game in a row, Oklahoma City came up just short. The Pacers knocked off the Thunder Friday night 113-110 in OKC.
The Thunder led the majority of this game and lost control late in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder really struggled to rebound as Indiana dominated on the boards. Domantis Sabonis had a monster triple-double that included 18 rebounds. On the night, Indiana outrebounded OKC 60 to 43.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander only played 17 minutes on the night, as he exited the game early in the second half with an ankle sprain. The Thunder guard was a +10 on the night as OKC was in firm control with him in the lineup.
Here are the Thunder’s top performers from Friday night:
Lu Dort
Dort was fantastic for the Thunder on Friday night, netting 27 points in 40 total minutes. He had to shoulder a huge portion of the offensive load when SGA went down and continued to play solid defense with two steals.
The Arizona State product was an efficient 10-for-16, knocking down three 3-pointers too. Dort nearly had a double-double, coming up just short with eight rebounds.
Minus his performance against Charlotte last week, Dort has gotten back to his rhythm from the beginning of the year. He’s consistently knocking down shots and playing great basketball.
Darius Bazley
Bazley got an opportunity to play extended minutes and made the most of it.
The third year forward played 31 minutes on the night and recorded 14 points, three rebounds and two blocks. One of the biggest concerns about Bazley is his frustrating turnovers, and Friday night he recorded zero.
The former New Balance Intern finished the game shooting 5-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from deep.
Josh Giddey
The rookie stuffed the stat sheet once again, pouring in 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Giddey was back in double figures in the scoring column after two-straight games of single digits. He finished the game shooting 7-of-15 from the field.
The Australian native was able to control the pace of the game and play smart basketball. He was able to take care of the ball and facilitate the offense, only turning it over twice.
Oklahoma City completes its home stand Monday night, as the Thunder take on the Trail Blazers at 7 p.m.
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