The Thunder have won four of their last five games (including a three-game win streak). The Thunder had an all-around good team effort that resulted in yet another gritty and tough-fought win. This article will go over several players that made an impact in this game. Here is a Thunder vs. Pelicans Recap.
Josh Giddey Performance
Giddey had one of the more interesting stat-lines to date. He put up a double-double with zero (yes, zero points), ten rebounds, ten assists and a block. Giddey shot 0/8 from the field, including 0/2 from three so obviously, it was a rough night offensively. Nevertheless, he made an impact on the game with his playmaking and tough rebounding. That’s usually the sign of a great player: although the scoring isn’t there, he can still fill up the stat sheet and have a huge impact on the game. Giddey is a good basketball player.
Aaron Wiggins Performance
Wiggins had a beautiful offensive game. He shot a blistering hot 8/10 from the field (2/4 from three and 6/8 from the free-throw line) for 24 points, six boards, one assist and two turnovers. Not really known as a scorer, it was nice to see him sling that thing with confidence and with accuracy. Wiggins has started the last two games and it looks like it’s working. Darius Bazley struggling mightily from the field has given Wiggins the golden opportunity to showcase his talents. He still has been very inconsistent this season due to going from G-League to the Big club roster. However, if he can continue starting, maybe he can get a rhythm going.
Jeremiah Robinson Earl Performance
Robinson-Earl had a good game as well. He finished with a line of 15 points, seven boards and one dime on 5/9 shooting from the field, 3/6 from three and 2/2 from the line. When given the minutes, Robinson-Earl can put up some nice lines with a good amount of threes. He’s a strong rebounder and a smart defender so it’s only a matter of time before he gets 30 minutes a game. He’s a rookie on a rebuilding team so his playing time is bound to increase near the latter part of the season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Performance
Yet another masterful performance from the future all-star, Gilgeous-Alexander put up a gaudy line. It consisted of 31 points, four boards, five assists, one steal and three blocks on 11/20 shooting, 1/5 from three and 8/13 from the line. The free-throw shooting and three-point shooting were tough but he still willed his team this victory. Gilgeous-Alexander has been much better lately and his dominance has resulted in four wins in the last five games. The team as a whole had been much better too so yet another win is fantastic to see. The winning is a bit of a surprise coming from a rebuilding squad but if they can keep it up, then that would be amazing to watch. Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to keep putting up gaudy lines as one of the best options on the team.