Top Performers: Gilgeous-Alexander's Efficient 29 Points Leads Thunder in Loss to Raptors

With the Thunder struggling to generate offense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still found a way to score 29 points against a lengthy Toronto Raptors team.

Less than 48 hours after earning the eighth seed in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder tipped off against the Toronto Raptors, in Scotiabank Arena, with an opportunity to improve their seeding in the Playoffs and a chance to earn a .500 record.

Unfortunately, the Raptors had other plans.

After somehow keeping up with Toronto all night long, despite being dominated on the glass, the Thunder found themselves down just six at the end of the third quarter, but struggled mightily to find their offense down the stretch. Up against the size and length of the Raptors, led by Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes, The Thunder would finally cave after converting just seven of their 22 shots in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 111-128 loss.

Now, with a record of 34-36 on the season, the Thunder find themselves tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the ninth seed in the West and just a half game up on the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers. But, since the Lakers have bested the Thunder head-to-head, they earn the tiebreaker, pushing Oklahoma City down to the 10th seed, the final Play-In slot.

Here are your top performers in Thursday night’s action.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Despite the loss, Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive repertoire was on full display as he used an array of fancy footwork and crafty dribble moves to penetrate the middle of Toronto’s defense before ending up at or near the rim with an even craftier finish.

Hitting 12 of his 19 shots from the floor and drilling his lone 3-point attempt, Gilgeous-Alexander still recorded a game-high 29 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in his 35 minutes of action. And though he was the only source of consistent offense in the Thunder’s starting lineup, it was unusual to see the slithery ball-handler generating just five free throw attempts – an ode to the Raptors’ defensive capabilities.

Tre Mann

After not seeing the floor for three straight games, Tre Mann reminded everyone why he was the 18th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. His ankle-breaking crossovers and lightning quick first step had the Raptors dancing to the beat of his music as Mann poured in 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in just 21 minutes.

The Florida product also hit two really impressive 3-pointers on his three tries from beyond the arc. One was a 25-foot catch-and-shoot attempt from the left wing and the other was from the above the break where Mann crossed over Jakob Poeltl before stepping back and burying his second triple.

He also drew an impressive charge on the larger Chris Boucher, sacrificing his body to earn a defensive stop.

Isaiah Joe

With the Thunder struggling every step of the way to generate good looks against the Raptors’ defense, Isaiah Joe’s team-high three 3-pointers were certainly a boon to his team’s offensive agenda. Coming off the bench, the deep range threat that Joe provides helped open up the offense, too, allowing easier looks on the inside for Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the team.

Joe finished with 12 points behind 3-of-5 shooting from behind the 3-point line, one rebound, one assist, and one block in 24 minutes.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like SI 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.