Lu Dort Leads the Way With Monster Performance vs. Pacers

Lu Dort had a massive night, but OKC couldn't overcome Gilgeous-Alexander's injury.

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

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Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

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

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Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

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

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Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

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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Ross Lovelace
ROSS LOVELACE

Ross is a 2023 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the OU Daily and Prep Hoops. He now works for the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee and covers OU sports for AllSooners.com. He has been covering the Thunder since the 2019-20 season.