With famous person Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2022 All-Rookie crew member Josh Giddey and fourth-year huge man Darius Bazley all unavailable, Oklahoma City wanted its function gamers to placed on huge performances in order to even compete with the red-hot Grizzlies. Memphis was recent off of a 142-101 victory over the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks whereas the Thunder had fallen in 5 consecutive contests, most just lately to the shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite being defeated by a horrifying 73 factors to the identical squad a season in the past, OKC didn’t again down from the problem, and was in a position to maintain their floor early in the sport. When Oklahoma City’s bench unit entered the competition, the Thunder have been already in the midst of extending its lead.
While Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe led the cost for OKC; Eugene Omoruyi, Lindy Waters III and Jaylin Williams, three gamers who’re sometimes taking part in with the Blue, all pitched in main contributions to the profitable effort.
Omoruyi cracked the Thunder’s beginning lineup for the primary time in his profession on Saturday night, tallying seven factors, six rebounds, two assists and one steal in 16 minutes of motion. Waters III performed essentially the most minutes of all three, totaling 18 minutes on the ground.
The Norman native went 2-for-2 from 3-point vary, ending with six factors and two rebounds. Williams, a rookie huge man from Arkansas, went 3-for-4 from the sphere and 1-for-2 from past the arc en path to seven factors, 4 rebounds two assists and one steal in quarter-hour on the court docket.
All three of the Thunder’s shock contributors completed the sport with a constructive Plus/Minus.
Omoruyi, Waters III and Williams have performed a mixed 27 video games in the NBA this season, with Omoruyi seeing motion in 13 video games with the Thunder this season. The former Oregon Duck is averaging 18 factors and 4 rebounds per sport in his time with the Blue this season, in comparison with 6.2 factors and a couple of.5 rebounds per sport in the NBA.
Waters III has performed seven video games with the Thunder this 12 months, averaging 4.6 factors and 1.7 rebounds in 14 minutes per contest. In the G League, nevertheless, Waters III is placing up totals of 14.4 factors, 4.4 rebounds and three.8 assists per sport whereas capturing over 41% from 3-point vary.
Williams has additionally seen motion in seven NBA video games this season, totaling three factors, 2.3 rebounds and one help per sport. With the Blue, the 6-foot-9 rookie huge man is tallying 14.2 factors, 8.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per sport and capturing 60% from the sphere.
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