Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Golden State Warriors with a score of 138:136, and the hero of the game was Shai Gilgeous Alexander.
The most positive surprise of this season is undoubtedly the Thunder team. In addition to Shai’s incredible progress, it seems that Chet Holmgren has found synergy with the point guard, and the two of them are currently leading Oklahoma to the second spot in the NBA Western Conference. Against Golden State, they showed serious character.
After the first quarter, they were trailing by nine points and played one of the worst games of the season. They managed to reduce that deficit to six points, but the overall gameplay remained subpar.
In the second half, the home team started playing at their own pace, with Shai Gilgeous Alexander stepping up. The playmaker was the main player in a fantastic series, giving Oklahoma a five-point lead heading into the final quarter. There, we witnessed a true drama, where it seemed that the Warriors would secure the victory with a three-point lead in the last minute. However, Holmgren forced Draymond Green to foul him on a three-point attempt, leading to the home team earning an overtime.
Coming from a short break, the hosts returned more focused and quickly extended their lead to 130:121, which proved insurmountable for the Warriors. This marked their 12th loss in 22 games, currently placing them at the 11th spot in the Western Conference.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the hosts to victory with an impressive 38 points, followed by Jalen Williams with 28 and Chet Holmgren with 21 points. As usual, Steph Curry was the standout performer for Golden State, scoring 34 points.