Three Takeaways from OKC's Dazzling Win Over the Knicks

In a win that solidified the Oklahoma City Thunder's playoff spot, it overcame the New York Knicks off a game-clinching jumper from its MVP candidate.

Mar 31, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) sets / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

All Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed was 2.3 seconds.

As 4.1 seconds remained on the clock in the Oklahoma City Thunder's possession, the MVP candidate ran to the corner to hit a tough fadeaway jumper over New York Knicks' guard Miles McBride, sealing a win and clinching his team's playoff spot officially. New York had 1.8 seconds to make something happen, but Jalen Brunson's own corner fadeaway attempt didn't have the same result.

In a season filled with several moments to remember, last night had one of the greatest. Not only did Gilgeous-Alexander make a defining play of his incredible campaign, but the likes of Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey displayed exceptional basketball on the Madison Square Garden stage.

As if the win couldn't get any sweeter, it also brought Oklahoma City right back up to the sole possession of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Here are three takeaways from the 113-112 win:

Mar 31, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) brings the / John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Giddey's Recent Stretch is Legit

As up and down as Giddey's 2023-24 season has been, the last week has been his best stretch of play by a considerable margin.

In the win over the Knicks, Giddey recored a triple-double of 16 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists, one steal and two blocks on 7-of-11 shooting. There must be something special in the air of the garden for the 21-year-old, as he's recorded a triple-double in all three of his games there.

Giddey's four previous performances have consisted of 23, 31, 25 and 19-point games respectively, all on above 50% shooting from the field. His shooting and efficiency have come around dramatically, along with an overall more comfortable pace inside the Thunder offense. He looks a whole lot more confident as an offensive leader, which has been missing throughout the year.

At first it may have seemed like a coincidence that he started to play well, but with fantastic performances in Oklahoma City's last five games, it seems that the trend should continue relatively the same. If Giddey can keep it up, it will be an even more deadly team once the playoffs roll around.

The J-Dub Show

Even though Giddey's triple-double and Gilgeous-Alexander's game-clinching shot took much of the discourse last night, the best performer was none other than Williams.

In 34 minutes of action, the sophomore dropped 33 points, four rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks on 14-of-18 shooting, the highest point total for either side of the court. He was nearly unstoppable all game, even against a very respectable New York defense.

Williams has solidified himself as the Thunder's No. 2 scoring option with his play throughout the season, averaging just over 19 points per game and above 50% shooting from the field. He's highly efficient when considering his volume, while also making a great defensive impact on the wing.

The 22-year-old has it all. Offense, defense, charisma, confidence. All the tools are there for him to be an All-Star as soon as next year, and his first playoff run will be crucial to his development as cornerstone for Oklahoma City. With play like this alongside Gilgeous-Alexander's superstar talent, it could take the Thunder deep into the playoffs, and much sooner than anyone could've expected.

Shai is Still Working Back

Although Gilgeous-Alexander suited up against the Knicks — and hit the eventual game-winning jumper — he's currently far from being 100%.

The guard has been dealing with a nagging quad injury that has kept him out of a couple of Oklahoma City's games in the last week, but it gave him the clear against New York. He put up 19 points, two rebounds, three assists and a steal on 7-of-16 shooting, far and away from being one his better performances of the season.

Obviously its great for the Thunder to have Gilgeous-Alexander down the stretch as it attempts to fully clinch the No. 1 seed and he tries to lock up the MVP award, but with the injury visibly affecting his mobility and production, it might be in both parties' best interest for him to go back to the sidelines for most of the remainder of the regular season.

The playoffs are ultimately the most important place for the 25-year-old to perform, and if the injury could affect his play ahead of it, it could spell doom for an Oklahoma City team looking to compete for an NBA championship. He can still provide a considerable amount for it injury or not, but a fully-healthy Gilgeous-Alexander will be better than a semi-healthy one against seven-game series with the top teams in the West.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.