Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Are a Second Half Team

The Oklahoma City Thunder rode another strong second half performance to its 15th straight win behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP level performance. Why is OKC so good in the second half?

Jan 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) moves the ball around Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Call it flipping a switch, course correcting, getting the car back on the road or whatever you want - the bottom line is the Oklahoma City Thunder are a second half team.

The Thunder again rode a second half surge to its 15th straight win, much like it did against the New York Knicks on Friday. A trend that has followed Oklahoma City this week and for most of the season.

It is in large part due to Oklahoma City's defense. After Jaylen Brown turned in 21 points in the first half, he was held scoreless after intermission. In the first half, the Celtics had their way with the Thunder, posting 65 points to the tune of 51 percent shooting from the floor. In the second half, the green and white mustered just 27 points on a dreadful 20 percent shooting from the field.

"It's been a theme this week that parts of the game where we could have frayed. The guys relied on each other, trusted each other, trusted themselves," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. "We have to be who we are in these games."

Daigneault quickly pushed back on the idea that Oklahoma City flipped some magical switch in the locker room, crediting the win instead to the Thunder getting back to its idenity and style of play after halftime.

Perhaps one of the reasons the Thunder find success after regrouping in the locker room is due to its youth.

Oklahoma City never gets buried, doing enough to hang around in these games. That gives the Thunder the ability to see how the game is flowing - and what is required of them to win - then going out and executing those details. Where a more experienced team understands what it takes to win in each particular matchup right out of the gate.

Being a second-half team, especially to the degree the Thunder are - always keeping games within a 15-point margin - is far from a bad thing. Oklahoma City carries the fight for 48 minutes and is talented enough to adjust on the fly, thus making its own breaks.

Look no further than its defensive makeover in the second half. While many will check the box score this morning and chalk this up to a poor shooting night from Boston - the Thunder forced the Celtics into highly difficult shots that continued to clank off the rim.

"We just got all of our switching and rotations down," Jalen Williams said after the game. "We got our schemes into the game and just our core principles. We buckled down on that, and then from there, it's just about competing and making the right play."

With the Thunder on a historic pace defensively, and an MVP all-time scorer as the head of the snake, it is no surprise even a shorthanded Oklahoma City club can not only compete with but topple the reigning champions.

It is not unusual for young players to take time to get into the mix and ease into the game, and it especially does not hurt a very versatile Thunder team that can bend its style to fit any type of fight.

Stiles Points

• The Thunder have won 15 games in a row.
• Lu Dort caught fire from beyond the arc tossing in all four of his triples in the second half - including a 3-for-3 mark in the final frame to help seal this win for OKC.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had another MVP game in this one, with a massive step back three, a block on Tatum in transition and lob to Isaiah Hartenstein in short order putting the finishing touches on this comeback win over the Celtics.
• Jalen Williams struggled offensively, arguably posting his worst scoring game of his career, but was stellar defensively to help OKC nab a win.

Song of the Day: Trouble by Cage the Elephant

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