As valuable final seconds ticked away, Kawhi Leonard needed to hurry. He received the ball and went right. Hoping to create a driving lane against Alex Caruso, all he could muster was a deep contested mid-range jumper. As Cason Wallace came over to help, Leonard quickly shot a turnaround fadeaway jumper that clanked the rim.
For the Thunder, Aaron Wiggins stepped up as the go-to scorer. They found a groove on offense while the Clippers struggled to generate buckets. In a surprising development, OKC had a 33-17 second-frame scoring advantage to enter halftime with a 57-51 lead.
Both teams couldn’t create distance on the scoreboard in the second half. The Clippers kept up with 26 points in the third quarter. The Thunder entered the final frame with a slight 81-77 advantage. A close contest was surely guaranteed.
That happened as neither team led by more than seven points in the fourth quarter. After Ben Simmons’ transition floater, the Thunder only had an 88-87 lead with eight minutes left. The rest of the contest was played within a single possession as they went back and forth.
Amir Coffey gave LA its first lead of the second half at the free-throw line. With a 91-90 score with seven minutes left, the Thunder quickly answered on the other end. The final two minutes filled the air with drama as it resembled a playoff atmosphere.
Down 99-97, Lu Dort found Caruso for the corner 3-pointer. After James Harden turned it over on the other end with a lazy inbound pass, Caruso scored at the free-throw line when he was fouled in transition. The Thunder suddenly had a 101-99 lead with 1:33 left.
Fast forward to a minute later and the Clippers had the ball with a 101-100 deficit. Norman Powell’s 3-pointer missed but the ball ricocheted to Ivica Zubac for the offensive rebound. Leonard had 17 seconds to score a possible game-winner but settled for a deeply contested jumper that missed.
Down by three points with three seconds left, Caruso smartly fouled Leonard to go to the free-throw line. He intentionally missed the second attempt but the Clippers couldn’t come up with a last sixth-of-a-second miracle.
The Thunder shot 40% from the field and went 12-of-35 (34.3%) from 3. They shot 17-of-20 on free throws. They had 28 assists on 37 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 26 points but on 29 shot attempts. Wiggins stepped up with 19 points. Isaiah Hartenstein had a 14-point double-double. Caruso finished with 14 points. Dort had 10 points and four rebounds in his return from hip impingement. Jaylin Williams contributed with 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Clippers shot 43% from the field and went 8-of-26 (30.8%) from 3. They shot 23-of-28 on free throws. They had 20 assists on 35 baskets. Three Clippers players scored double-digit points.
Leonard led the way with 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 10 rebounds and three assists. Harden had 17 points on 4-of-14 shooting, eight assists and five rebounds. Zubac tallied 15 points and 11 rebounds. Powell was limited to nine points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Even though the Thunder have locked up the first seed, these experiences could pay dividends in the playoffs. To go to LA and beat one of the hottest teams fully healthy is such a confidence boost. Add in Williams’ and Holmgren’s absence, and the impressiveness of this victory multiples tenfold.
You just know the veteran Clippers had this game circled on their calendar. After all, it’s a possible playoff preview. So for OKC to finish off the four-game sweep of its regular-season series between the squads is as much about flexing its dominance as creeping closer to 60 wins.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: C
Already at the top of the scouting report for 29 other teams, the Clippers felt extra comfortable solely focusing on Gilgeous-Alexander. To LA’s credit, the strategy almost won the contest. The MVP candidate had one of his worst games of the season.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points on 7-of-29 shooting, eight assists and three rebounds. He shot 1-of-7 from 3 and went 11-of-11 on free throws. He also had two steals and two blocks.
The superb-efficient scorer was uncharacteristically inefficient. Instead, he looked akin to prime Harden with his inefficient shot-chucking of 26 points on 29 shot attempts. Kris Dunn was pesky against the MVP candidate. Rotate through others like Leonard, Harden and Derrick Jones Jr. and Gilgeous-Alexander couldn’t gain a rhythm.
Instead, Gilgeous-Alexander relentlessly drove to the basket. He drew contact and got to the free-throw line at a decent clip. Two critical makes after an intentional foul put OKC up by three points with three seconds left.
Not much can be taken away from this outing. If Williams and Holmgren are out, teams will entirely focus on Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder plan to avoid this unique scenario in the playoffs.
Alex Caruso: A-plus
When the Thunder added Caruso, he was a popular pick to be a potential X-factor in the playoffs. Shuffle this game to the top of the evidence case to how that can look on the court. In his second start of the season, the 31-year-old single-handily changed the outcome.
Caruso finished with 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, six rebounds and five assists. He shot 2-of-7 from 3 and went 2-of-4 on free throws. He also had two steals.
The final two minutes of a two-point game turned into a personal Caruso highlight package. First, he scored a critical corner 3-pointer to give the Thunder the lead. Then he stole the ball on the next possession when Harden threw it in on the inbound pass.
Caruso split a pair of free throws when fouled to avoid giving up the easy layup. The small mistake was quickly forgiven. He shut down Leonard in the final seconds and didn’t let him get any of his favorite mid-range spots. Instead, he held his ground and forced him to take a contested deep jumper.
Up by three points, Caruso made the savvy play to foul Leonard. The Thunder could afford to let him get to the free-throw line with three seconds left. The plan worked out as OKC escaped with an impressive road win thanks to the 31-year-old stepping up in the final moments.
This is why the Thunder traded for and signed Caruso to a long-term deal. Only a handful of role players like him can completely disrupt a game’s flow without adding up box-score stats. He’s one of the NBA’s best defenders and that was shown down the stretch.
Aaron Wiggins: A
With Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, the Thunder’s double-digit deficit could’ve ballooned to 20-plus. No Williams or Holmgren spelled disaster as they usually man the second-unit lineup. Instead, Wiggins stepped up and led a 15-0 to get right back into it.
Wiggins finished with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting, three rebounds and an assist. He shot 3-of-8 from 3.
Badly needing another scorer, Wiggins stepped up to the plate. He served as the Thunder’s second-best scorer and took advantage of the extra shot attempts. The 26-year-old found a groove in the second quarter and helped close it with a loud fourth frame. Deep outside attempts showed how much he’s progressed as a scorer.
The Thunder needed Wiggins to step up. He’s back on the high side of the ebbs and flows of his season. He’s scored double-digit points in three straight games now. It’s a ridiculous spoils of riches to have somebody like him come off the bench and step up.
Lu Dort: B
After a three-game absence due to hip soreness, Dort returned. Talk about perfect timing, too. He did it just in time to match up against his archrival Harden. The two have been linked for five years, dating back to their 2020 NBA playoff series.
Dort finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. He shot 2-of-4 from 3. He also had a block and steal.
Harden’s been on a heater during this Clippers’ hot streak. Facing off against Dort, he was splashed in cold water and limited to 17 points on 14 shot attempts. It’s always a fun matchup to see those two square off. In this latest round, Dort got the better hand against Harden.
