Explosive Fourth Quarter Secures OKC Thunder Home Opener Against Hawks

The Thunder outscored the Hawks 39-18 in the fourth quarter with relentless two-way play.

Oct 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) drives down the court against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 3-0 with their third-straight blowout, beating the Atlanta Hawks 128-104 Sunday night.

The Thunder forced 19 Atlanta turnovers, including 10 from point guard Trae Young, exemplifying their positive defensive playmaking up and down the roster. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace nabbed three steals each.

Gilgeous-Alexander put together his best all-around performance of the young season with 35 points on 11-for-24 shooting and 10-for-11 on free throws, 11 rebounds, nine assists, three steals and three blocks. He also had a game-high +24 plus-minus.

Chet Holmgren had his third consecutive game above 20 points, finishing with 25 points on 8-for-12 shooting. He made three 3-pointers on five attempts after going 0-for-10 in the Thunder's first two games and tallied nine rebounds, six blocks and four assists.

Jalen Williams scored 20 points on 17 shots, adding nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Luguentz Dort had an efficient shooting night, pouring in 16 points with four 3-pointers on six attempts.

The Thunder started their third different lineup in three games, with Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, Williams and Dort joined by Aaron Wiggins.

Hawks point guard Trae Young, who entered the evening averaging 34.0 points per game on a 64.4% true shooting percentage, swished two early above-the-break triples — the second from 34 feet.

Holmgren drained his first 3-pointer of the season over a closing Clint Capela midway through the first quarter. Dort and Wiggins made their first attempts from downtown on wide-open looks, a positive sign after Oklahoma City shot 13-for-53 on 3-pointers with the closest defender at least six feet away in the Denver and Chicago games.

Atlanta grabbed seven offensive rebounds in the first quarter to obtain a 27-23 advantage, as they shot 40% from the field and committed two more turnovers than the Thunder. No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, making his first NBA start, recorded five points and two assists in the opening period.

To begin the second quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander swished a pull-up jumper from the left elbow and made a driving layup with stalwart Dyson Daniels defending him well. Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe made consecutive triples to keep Oklahoma City afloat.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault picked up a technical foul with 9:51 remaining in the second quarter arguing a perceived no-call on the previous possession. Cason Wallace had just committed an away-from-the-play foul, handing Oklahoma City two technical fouls on the same trip down the floor. Hawks guard Garrison Mathews, who had already tallied two 3-pointers, made both ensuing free throws.

Dort made a high-arcing triple from the top of the key on a kick-out pass from Alex Caruso, good for his third made 3-pointer in three attempts. He drained two free throws on the following possession to tie the game 41-41.

Young then sparked a 9-0 Hawks run, drawing four free throws and making an and-one floater in front of a bumping Wiggins. The Hawks made 14 of their 17 first-half free throw attempts.

The Thunder trimmed an eight-point Atlanta lead in the second quarter's final minute to a 58-57 score at halftime. Holmgren made a left-wing triple and drew a 3-point foul on Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu, who hit his right arm on the follow-through. The Thunder secured an offensive rebound after the third free throw, with Williams cleaning up a Holmgren airball for a layup as time expired.

Holmgren found Williams for a cutting dunk right out of halftime to give Oklahoma City a 59-58 lead, their first since four minutes into the game. Gilgeous-Alexander poked away a Young drive and blocked a Daniels jumper on consecutive possessions, which each resulted in Thunder scores.

Oklahoma City held an eight-point advantage after two Wiggins free throws, but Mathews and former Thunder forward Vit Krejci made back-to-back wing 3-pointers to force a Daigneault timeout.

Okongwu drained a left-corner triple to give Atlanta an 82-81 lead, immediately followed by Joe and Mathews dueling outside makes. The Thunder led 89-86 after three quarters after a Wallace left-handed layup.

Gilgeous-Alexander had his fingerprints all over the fourth quarter, racking up eight points, three rebounds, an assist and block in the first four minutes. Wallace picked Young's pocket multiple times at the top of the key. Dort drained a right-corner 3-pointer to make the score 102-92 Oklahoma City, forcing a Hawks timeout.

Rookie guard Ajay Mitchell connected with Holmgren for an and-one alley-oop dunk. Daniels fouled Williams to prevent a transition layup on the next possession, although the third-year forward made both free throws for a 109-95 Thunder lead, their largest of the night.

Holmgren pump-faked Capela at the free-throw line for an explosive dunk. Gilgeous-Alexander made a left-wing 3-pointer after a Caruso steal to push the Oklahoma City lead to 16 points.

The Thunder take on the San Antonio Spurs in their second straight home game this Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 8:30 p.m. CST.

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