SACRAMENTO, CA – The OKC Thunder is off to a strong start to NBA Cup group play.
OKC cruised to a 132-101 road win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday. It also marked a bounce-back performance for the Thunder (9-1) following its first loss of the season, which came against Portland on Wednesday.
Here are three takeaways from the win:
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Isaiah Hartenstein delivered a monster performance
Chet Holmgren stood under the rim as Isaiah Hartenstein put the ball on the floor.
Nine times out 10, the play would’ve resulted in an easy alley-oop dunk. But Friday was one of those nights for Hartenstein, who instead got past Maxime Raynaud and sank a high-arcing hook shot over DeMar DeRozan.
That bucket came during a 10-point scoring spree by Hartenstein to start the second quarter, and he didn’t stop there.
On a night when the Kings focused on shielding themselves from the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren, Hartenstein found a hole in their armor. He crashed the glass for second-chance opportunities, displayed a soft touch around the rim and showcased his strength when needed for some rim-rattling dunks.
Hartenstein racked up a career-high 33 points in 31 minutes on 14-for-17 shooting from the field. He also snagged 19 rebounds, which was one board shy of tying a career high.
Chet Holmgren struggled to find a rhythm in his return
Zach LaVine swung his arms back and forth midway through the third quarter.
The Kings’ star guard wanted to show off his muscles, which he’d just used to move Holmgren out of the way and finish an and-one layup.
Meanwhile, Holmgren also raised his arms. But it was for a different reason, as the 7-footer expressed his confusion over the foul. It was his fourth of the night, and he shook his head while slowly walking to the bench after being subbed out.
Holmgren struggled to find his rhythm in what marked his return from a one-game absence due to a lower back sprain. And while he seemingly did so at the start of the fourth quarter, scoring a quick four points, he picked up his fifth foul one minute later and subbed out for the final time shortly after that.
Holmgren finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. He went 4 for 9 from the field (0 for 4 from deep).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took over in the third quarter
After missing a buzzer-beating layup at the end of the second quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander could be seen jumping up and down in frustration.
Those shots are nearly automatic for the reigning regular-season and Finals MVP. A surefire bucket for the hottest hand in all of basketball.
But Gilgeous-Alexander returned to his usual self after halftime. He erupted for 15 points in the third quarter on 6-for-6 shooting from the field, which helped OKC claim a commanding 98-83 lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander has developed a habit of making some first-half course corrections. He entered Friday with an average of 11.4 points scored in the third quarter of games, which is his best of any quarter. That also ranks third in the NBA, only trailing Donovan Mitchell (12.1) and Devin Booker (11.6).
Gilgeous-Alexander finished the night with 30 points and three assists in 29 minutes. He went 12 for 20 from the field (2 for 6 from deep).
Tip-ins
- Lu Dort missed a second straight game due to a right upper trap strain. He suffered the injury during OKC’s road win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
- Playing on his 22nd birthday, Cason Wallace scored a season-high 15 points. He went 6 for 8 from the field (3 for 4 from deep).
- Ajay Mitchell recorded his first double-double with a stat line of 18 points and a career-high 10 assists in 31 minutes. He went 5 for 12 from the field (2 for 2 from deep).
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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