The OKC Thunder unveiled a new look during its home game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
It debuted its City Edition uniforms and matching court in what marked Native American Heritage Night. And plenty of fans inside Paycom Center followed suit by wearing the new threads.
But at the end of the day, it was still the same Thunder team underneath that different appearance. The same reigning champions who’ve treated the rest of the league like target practice despite teams aiming to take them down.
OKC secured a 113-99 win over Sacramento. That extended its winning streak to seven games, and the Thunder (15-1) also completed a three-game regular-season sweep of the Kings.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 33 points and eight rebounds in 36 minutes. He went 12 for 24 from the field (1 for 3 from deep).
Here are three takeaways from the win:
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Chet Holmgren used skills over strength
DeMar DeRozan earned the nickname “Deebo,” which is a reference to a menacing neighborhood bully in the movie “Friday.”
He has had it since the sixth grade, back when he was a kid growing up in Compton, California. DeRozan would often play basketball against eight graders in PE. And when one of the big kids tried to pick a fight because DeRozan was too good, soaring through the air for dunks, the future NBA star beat him up with ease.
The “Deebo” nickname has stuck ever since. And when DeRozan found himself defending the taller Chet Holmgren early in the first quarter, he was prepared to use that muscle once again to hold his own near the free-throw line.
But Holmgren didn’t need to use his strength. He used his skills, blowing past the unsuspecting DeRozan with a series of dribble moves and a burst of speed before throwing down a two-handed dunk.
Holmgren continued to showcase an impressive level of mobility, ball handling skills and finesse throughout the night. From up-and-under moves to crossovers to fadeaway shots, everything was working for the 7-foot-1 forward.
Holmgren finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in 31 minutes. He went 10 for 15 from the field (1 for 5 from deep).
Alex Caruso is a confidence crusher
Confidence is never an issue for Dennis Schroder.
But the former Thunder guard’s swagger grew even stronger with each bucket in the first half. And after sinking a 3-pointer early in the second quarter, giving him a team-high 12 points, his teammates on the bench hyped him up even more.
But as much as Schroder is confident in his scoring abilities, Alex Caruso is confident in his ability to shut scorers down. And he did exactly that a few possessions later.
Schroder drove along the baseline and was met at the rim by Caruso, who jumped straight up and delivered a clean block. Isaiah Hartenstein ultimately finished a layup on the other end.
Caruso ended the night with a modest stat line of two points, four rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes off the bench. But he contributed in plenty of ways that don’t show up on the box score such as pestering opposing players on the perimeter, pushing the pace in transition and setting the tone with his physicality.
Big Game Lu Dort struck again
Holmgren believes in Lu Dort to knock down a shot when it matters most.
He made that abundantly clear after OKC’s road win over New Orleans on Monday.
“When we need him to hit,” Holmgren said, “there’s nobody better than Big Game Lu Dort to swing the ball to and trust that he’s going to throw a moon ball up and hit nothing but net. We’ve seen it before. We’ve seen it in the biggest games in the playoffs, and we trust that’s going to be there when we need it.”
OKC needed it on Wednesday, as it looked to close out a resilient Sacramento team. And Dort delivered.
Despite missing his first four 3-pointers of the night, the 26-year-old guard drained three sky-scraping triples in the fourth quarter. That helped the Thunder secure its win.
Dort scored 11 of his 14 points in the final frame. He also finished with four rebounds, one steal and one block in 33 minutes on 5-for-10 shooting from the field (4 for 8 from deep).
Tip-ins
- Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 88 consecutive regular-season games, which is the third-longest streak in NBA history. He trails Wilt Chamberlain, who had two streaks of 126 games and 92 games.
- Aaron Wiggins missed his seventh straight game due to a left adductor strain. OKC also continued to be without Thomas Sorber, Nikola Topić, Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams, who have yet to play this season.
- Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook finished with seven points, 11 rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes. He went 3 for 7 from the field (1 for 4 from deep).
- Holmgren surpassed 1,000 career rebounds on Wednesday. He now has 1,003 boards to his name.
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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