Top Performers from Oklahoma City’s First Win of the Season

The top performers from the Thunder's 124-115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

Derek Parker | Oct 28, 2021

Oklahoma City saw its first win of the season on Wednesday night in exuberant fashion.

There were buzzer-beaters, late-game airballs and a patented Russell Westbrook ejection in the Oklahoma City Thunder's 123-115 win over Los Angeles.

It took a team effort, but here are some of the top individual performers from the Thunder’s Wednesday win:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Far-and-away the biggest factor in Oklahoma City’s win, fourth-year guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was stellar on Wednesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander exploded in the third quarter, scoring 14 points in a matter of minutes capped by a buzzer beater shot over Russell Westbrook to end the third.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He shot 7-for-19 overall and 5-for-11 from three-point land.

Josh Giddey

His best game to date in his short career, former NBL guard Josh Giddey showed elite flashes in Wednesday’s contest.

The Aussie finished with 18 points and 10 assists, his first ever double-double. He is just the third youngest player ever to record those stats, only behind LeBron James.

Even more so, Giddey commandeered the Thunder offense with exceptional poise for a rookie, even near the end of the game.

Darius Bazley

After sitting out the end of the Warriors game due to the hot hand of Kenrich Williams, Darius Bazley came out a man possessed against Los Angeles.

The third-year forward scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished two assists in the win. He was poised defensively as well, grabbing four steals and issuing one block to Anthony Davis.

Bazley’s shooting from range was pivotal to the win, as he shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.

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Published Oct 28, 2021

DEREK PARKER

Derek is the Publisher for InsideTheThunder.com and Draft Digest for Fan Nation, powered by Sports Illustrated. He has been a sports writer in the Oklahoma City market for five years now, primarily covering the Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA Draft.