Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander Help OKC Secure Another Late Game Victory

For the third straight game, OKC was brought to the final minutes of the fourth quarter to win the game, this time capitalizing on it.

Nov 20, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) shoots a three point basket over Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder stopped a two-game losing skid against the Portland Trail Blazers, capturing a 109-99 victory. This was the third consecutive game in which OKC was close with its opponent in the final stretch of the game, this time capturing a win.

OKC needed to get back on track against Portland, but the first eight minutes of the game did not reflect that. The Trail Blazers got out to a fast 23-13 start over Oklahoma City, but Isaiah Hartenstein, playing in his first game of the season, and Alex Caruso, pushed OKC to only trail by two.

Caruso opened the scoring in the second quarter and quickly, the Thunder found themselves in front. A key contributor to the struggles in the first half came from the perimeter, where OKC went 4-for-16 to start the game. The only makes in the first period came from Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins. Alternatively, Portland shot 8-for-19 in the half.

Though they led 47-44 at the halftime break, an ugly start to the game from star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did not help the Thunder's cause. He started the game 2-for-11 from the field, scoring only six points and grabbing two rebounds. Two of his points came from his only trip to the free-throw line and he did not connect on either of his two three-point attempts.

Gilgeous-Alexander, needing to get going, fell back on his elite mid-range game to get on the board early in the third quarter. He used a quick spin move and a fadeaway jump shot to gain his eighth point of the night and he did the same thing on the next offensive possession to make it ten.

Portland rookie Donovan Clingan used this matchup against the Thunder to continue his growth and display his early improvement as a professional. He finished with 10 points and nine rebounds on the night, knocking down a single three.

The ball movement all night from the Thunder was a reason the lead was close. Everyone on the court, the majority of them guards, put energy and quick ball movement into the offense to find open shots. They didn't always fall, especially from the perimeter, but the constant and fast passing of the basketball provided multiple open looks.

When Hartenstein was in the game, he displayed his passing ability and the offense ran through him. In dribble hand-offs and high-post situations, Hartenstein found his guys often and only turned the ball over three times. He also added 13 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks to his first stat line as a member of the Thunder.

Both teams went down to the wire in the third quarter, with Portland's swarming defense and neither team able to make shots. OKC led 70-69 with the final quarter to play.

The score continued to go back and forth in the fourth quarter and both teams struggled on offense. OKC needed its stars to step up on offense down the stretch and that's exactly what Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander did. Williams scored a challenging and-one bucket over Clingan and Gilgeous-Alexander got to the rim and added a free throw, both in the middle of the quarter. This small run put OKC in the lead 85-79 with 6:47 to play.

OKC ran away with the game in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, primarily thanks to the performance of Hartenstein in all facets. His ability to play the facilitator role, block shots and grab rebounds down the stretch was important in OKC storming ahead. The Thunder also got an important bench contribution from Caruso, who finished with 17 points and two steals in only 15 minutes of the play.

In usual fashion, it was Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way scoring for OKC. Williams finished with 30 points and GIlgeous-Alexander 28, with Gilgeous-Alexander finally finding rhythm in the second half scoring the ball.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI 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.