Top Performers: Jalen Williams, Lu Dort Personify Effort as Thunder Lose Play-In to Timberwolves
The goal was simple: beat the Timberwolves and advance to the NBA Playoffs. But execution would prove to be difficult on Friday night as the Thunder were disadvantaged due to having less rest, being on the road, and a lack of interior size to compete with Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Thunder would lose 95-120 and their season would come to a screeching halt.
In the highly anticipated match, Oklahoma City just couldn’t seem to find their footing offensively, shooting just 36% from the field and only 32.5% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s twin towers, Gobert and Towns, would score a combined 49 points on 17-of-27 shooting while taking 19 free throws, exploiting the Thunder’s undermanned frontcourt.
Here are the top performers from the Thunder’s last game of the season.
Jalen Williams
With Josh Giddey proving ineffective and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dealing with a cut on his right eye and struggling to score with all of Minnesota’s defensive attention, Williams stepped up to the plate, running the offense, making timely 3-pointers, and forcing the issue when needed.
Williams even led the Thunder in scoring in the second quarter to keep the game from getting out of hand, scoring nine points in just under eight minutes on the back of two triples and a pair of trips to the free throw line.
Ultimately, the Santa Clara product proved that he could hang on the big stage, scoring 17 points on 10 shots, knocking down four of his eight 3-pointers, and racking up four rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Luguentz Dort
In a game where defense was hard to come by and every rebound, every loose ball, and every second-chance opportunity mattered, Luguentz Dort reminded everyone how he earned a starting gig in the NBA: he’s scrappy and he hustles. Dort also impressed with his defensive versatility, guarding everyone from Towns to Edwards.
Dort came out strong from the start, scoring six points, grabbing four rebounds, coming up with a steal, and making his way to the free throw line to help the Thunder to a 23-24 score after the team missed several shots. Dort was also the Thunder’s second-leading scorer in the second half, finding nine points on the back of three 3-pointers.
Dort rounded out the fourth year of his NBA career with a solid stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals while turning the ball over just once.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
While Gilgeous-Alexander was definitely the Thunder’s top performer this season, the All-Star guard struggled on Friday night after the Timberwolves elected to throw his cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, on him in a last second lineup change. But it wasn’t just his cousin defending him; every Timberwolves player had an eye on him all night long.
That led to just a paltry shooting night for Oklahoma City’s star as he converted on just five of his 19 shots and missed his only 3-pointer. But despite the poor shooting, Gilgeous-Alexander still led the charge for his team, behind 12-of-12 shooting from the free throw line and even elected to keep playing after suffering a massive cut on his right eye.
Oklahoma City’s franchise cornerstone rounded out his fifth year by posting a team-high 22 points while grabbing seven rebounds, producing three assists to just one turnover. Gilgeous-Alexander also recorded three blocks and one steal, highlighting his effort on both ends of the floor.
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