Thunder Storm Back But Fall to Chicago By 1
Billy Donovan was back in Oklahoma City Monday night, but this time was standing in front of a different bench.
The five-year Thunder coach was greeted warmly by his former players but drew a mixed reaction from the OKC crowd at the Paycom Center as he returned as the leader of the upstart Chicago Bulls, whose 29-17 record is good for a surprising second in the Eastern Conference. Fortunately for Oklahoma City, Chicago was short-staffed on Monday, playing without the injured Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso while DeMar Derozan rested.
It was a prime opportunity for the struggling Thunder to get back in the win column. Unfortunately, Oklahoma City played through three quarters as though it was the outmanned team.
Chicago's Ayo Dosunmu stepped into the starting lineup and put up a huge night for the Bulls, with 24 points to complement 26 from Nicola Vucevic and 23 from Zach LaVine. Oklahoma City gave up 35 points in the first quarter but trailed by only 10 at the half.
But Chicago's hot secondhalf start saw the Bulls pull ahead by as many as 28 points.
That's when OKC kicked into gear. Oklahoma City ended the third quarter on a 22-8 run, putting it within shouting distance when the final frame commenced. And in that fourth quarter, the Thunder outscored Chicago 32-19.
They were led, as usual, by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up 31 points on Monday with 10 assists and three rebounds to boot. SGA sank two 3s and nailed 11 of his 14 free-throw attempts in the effort.
"That was a really efficient 31 points," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game.
Unfortunately, Shai's step back 3-point attempt with 2.3 seconds remaining didn't fall, leaving the Thunder down three. Mike Muscala sank a 3- pointer as time expired, but it didn't matter as Oklahoma City dropped the ballgame 111-110.
In addition to SGA's stellar performance, OKC benefited from a 16-point, seven-rebound effort from Luguentz Dort and nine points, eight rebounds and six assists from Josh Giddey. It was the same night the young Aussie accepted his second consecutive Western Conference Rookie of the Month award in a presentation before the game.
OKC's comeback provided optimism, but still marked the team's sixth loss in a row and sank its season record to 14-33, including 1-11 for the month of January.
"Regardless of what is going on in the game, scoreboard and things you can't control, you’ve just got to continue to stay in the moment and in the next possession," Daigneault said. "Because the game can turn and you want to be ready when it does, and I thought we did that."
It wasn't Oklahoma City's only impressive effort of the week. The Thunder returned home Monday after a fourgame road trip that saw them battle the weather in addition to the elite competition.
On Friday, after a 121-98 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, OKC had to fly to Cleveland for a matchup with the Cavaliers the following night. But the Thunder bus got stuck on icy Charlotte roads, forcing Daigneault and some players to get out and push to free it up.
Then, at the airport, OKC waited on a plane for hours while it de-iced, only to eventually switch to a new aircraft before finally making the flight to Ohio. The Thunder didn't arrive until 8 a.m., scheduled to play Cleveland 12 hours later.
Despite the long night, Oklahoma City played the Cavs well. SGA put up 29 points, six assists and nine rebounds, leading the Thunder in all three categories. The game came down to the wire, but Cleveland held on for the 94-87 victory.
Oklahoma City will look to get back on track this Friday, Jan. 28, when it takes on the Pacers at the Paycom Center. The Thunder remain at home to close out the month on Jan. 31 versus Portland.
Until next week, Thunder Up!