The Oklahoma City Thunder came out flat in this game against Miami. This was the first game back for the majority of starters since 5 out of the top 6 scorers sat out against Phoenix. There was a little rust to start off this one but OKC got it going with their defense which always makes things easier to get the offense going. OKC did a great job defending inside the paint but it was the outside shooting that was hurting the Thunder. Duncan Robinson was playing like a man possessed in this game and looked unconscious from 3 point range. Duncan was able to get two 4 point plays back to back on OKC as the Heat started getting things rolling. Duncan Robinson only played the first half of the game as Miami was resting players but he finished with 19 points. The Thunder suffered a huge blow when Luguentz Dort banged knees with Jae Crowder early in the game. Dort didn’t return to the game so keep it locked here for updates on his status moving forward. The Thunder started getting it going on the offensive end as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was able to find his rhythm. Tonight Shai played with a lot of confidence and had a different swagger to his game than he did in the previous games. Shai finished the game with 18 points as OKC didn’t play their starters much because Miami pulled their starters out after halftime.
This was one of those games where the OKC Thunder starters didn’t get that much work but it also showcased a lot of the young talent on the roster. Darius Bazley has been no stranger to the minutes and has shown game after game in Orlando that he doesn’t mind stepping up to the challenge. Darius has been scoring inside and outside through the restart and that didn’t stop tonight. One thing that has stood out about Darius Bazley is the fact OKC has been able to play him at multiple positions. Bazley’s played a little of the 1,3,5 for the Thunder and has been a key piece to the success on both ends. Tonight Bazley poured in 21 points to lead all scorers for the Thunder and made it look easy during their comeback. Confidence is key heading into the playoffs and that’s exactly what was on display for the Thunder youth tonight. The Thunder still has one more seeding game on Friday against the Clippers and we will probably see more of the youth then as well. Hamidou Diallo and Abdel Nader have shown up in these games for the second unit and have played in some key roles in Orlando. This just shows how comfortable Billy Donovan is with these guys and it shows the growth over the hiatus. Both Nader and Diallo scored a combined 24 points tonight while OKC was toe to toe in the battle with Miami. It would be back to back Mike Muscala shots that would help OKC beat Miami as he had a clutch moment to seal the win.
The Miami Heat sat their starters after the first half which gave Tyler Herro the greenest light ever. You can tell the Heat will be needing their rookie sniper in the playoffs as they wanted to make some he got his reps up. Herro put up 30 points and played 38 minutes tonight against the OKC Thunder. Herro was able to score inside and outside without hesitation. The young rookie was making some tough shots with Thunder defenders in his face as well. The Heat rested people but wanted to get his confidence up and that’s exactly what they ended up doing tonight. The Miami Heat will be opening up the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers which should be a great showdown especially when it comes to TJ Warren and Jimmy Butler.
The OKC Thunder will be playing the LA Clippers on Friday but they’re locked into the 4/5 seed to face the Houston Rockets in the NBA Playoffs.
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