Swarming Defense Aids in OKC's Blowout Victory Over Utah

The Thunder forced 29 turnovers against the Jazz, pushing them ahead of a struggling Utah team.

Dec 3, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) moves the ball against Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the first quarter of an NBA Cup game at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder secured a defensive-driven 133-106 victory over the Utah Jazz, improving to 16-5 on the season.

OKC's victory had direct implications on the 2024 NBA Cup. This win put the team in position to win the its group, as long as the San Antonio Spurs lose to the Phoenix Suns. Another long list of circumstances would dictate the Thunder's chances of making it out of its group otherwise.

It was OKC's swarming defense that pushed the score differential ahead, especially in a messy first half on offense. The Thunder led 62-50 at the halftime break, shooting just under 45% from the field and 33% from three. OKC's shooting wasn't the headline of the first half, or the entire game, for that matter.

The Thunder forced 19 turnovers in the first half and the on-ball defense was at full go. They forced 29 turnovers throughout the game's entirety and had 18 steals to show for it.

Despite the overall ability to create turnovers, the Thunder got out to a slow first-quarter start. Utah got scoring contributions from all over its roster and led 25-22 with 2:28 to play. A triple from Lu Dort and a dunk from Isaiah Joe sparked a run that allowed OKC to take the lead and not allow another point in the period.

OKC took that lead and never looked back. The Thunder would not trail for the remaining 36 minutes of play, thanks to its intense defense and all-around scoring from the bench unit. Jalen Williams sparked the scoring run off the bench, scoring six points in the first four minutes of the quarter. By the quarter's end, OKC had a 12-point lead.

Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might have had a quiet first half, but he finished with 26 points on the night. As usual, OKC's go-to scorer was just that, getting to his spots at all three levels. He shot 11-for-19 on the night while grabbing six rebounds and seven assists.

The second half for the Thunder was a breeze. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams took it upon themselves to run up the score. The pair scored the first 18 points of the third quarter and had OKC up 80-65 nearly halfway through the period. The lead only ballooned from there and the Thunder finished the period up 02-75.

Guard Aaron Wiggins went on a miniature run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but the final period was a little more quiet than the rest. Rookie forward Dillon Jones made his mark in the period, scoring five points in its waning moments. Recently signed center Branden Carlson scored two points, both from the free throw line, but missed all five of his field goal attempts. The Thunder's bench depth got most of the run in the fourth quarter and managed to hold onto the lead.

In only 28 minutes, Williams finished with 28 points, going 12-for-18 from the field. Off the bench, OKC's sharpshooter, Isaiah Joe, posted 19 points and made five triples on nine attempts.

The Thunder's next matchup is against the Toronto Raptors at 6:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 5 on the road.

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