ATLANTA — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander interjected before Jalen Williams could complete his postgame scan of the box score.
The pair was asked about teammate Lu Dort and his blazing night from 3, and Williams hadn’t a clue what Dort produced.
“He had six (3s),” SGA said confidently. “Six for 11.”
Gilgeous-Alexander poked his chest out for a teammate that couldn’t. And Dort’s night, a shift from his recent post All-Star break stretch, was emblematic of the month Oklahoma City had. Its 135-119 win Friday in Atlanta was a fitting way to turn the page on its 28-day jolt in offensive efficiency.
The Thunder made 23 of its 50 3s, and was shooting 53.8% from deep when it entered the fourth quarter with a 24-point lead.
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Prior to his Friday showing (20 points, one 3 shy of tying his career high), Dort had made just two of his last 16 3-point attempts past the break. He aided the Thunder’s wire-to-wire win, one that watched State Farm Arena’s nets turn to soot.
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Dort’s bounce-back represented the Thunder’s. Through Jan. 1, OKC was the league’s 20th most efficient 3-point shooting team. Since the new year, its placement has skyrocketed, and it finished February shooting 39.1% from deep, the second-best mark in the league behind the Cavaliers (40.7%). In that same span, OKC’s had the league’s second best offense, with a 124.8 offensive rating.
“We try to help them shoot their shots,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “Understand what a good shot is for them as it relates to our team, and then give them the confidence to shoot that in every circumstance. And if you get it going, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should be expanding, (but) that you just keep doubling down.”
Daigneault considers the variance involved. But he zoomed out to the big picture of the offense, and what’s been sustainable.
“You don’t score the way we’re scoring as consistently as we’re scoring without nice balance,” he said.
At the head of that balance is Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s steadied myriad lineups and rocked out alongside anyone he’s paired with. For all the drives he embarks on, he entered Friday shooting nearly 49% on catch-and-shoot 3s.
He poured in 31 points, five assists and drilled three 3s, a plus-23 in a 16-point win.
Jalen Williams added 20 points and eight assists on 6-of-16 shooting, making four of his eight 3-point attempts.
Dort sealed a month of shooting touch to remember.
“Jumpshots fluctuate all year, I don’t care who you are,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’ve seen Steph Curry go 0 for 10 in a game and we saw what he did the other night, and he’s the best shooter ever. It’s gonna fluctuate. You just gotta trust your work and take good shots, and it’ll happen for you.”
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Gilgeous-Alexander converts chants once more
The chants, short-lived and quite late, fell to a hush.
Those that aimed to shout “free-throw merchant” as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander approached the line waited nearly two hours to do so, with his first free throws arriving with less than six minutes to play in Friday’s game; Just four of his 31 points came from free throws Friday.
Minutes later, that noise was replaced by MVP chants.
Days removed from Minnesota coach Chris Finch’s comments questioning the way SGA is officiated, the chant rang out in State Farm Arena — joining the short list of buildings willing to throw his propensity for charity shots in his face.
Gilgeous-Alexander has laughed off the notion. Daigneault figures it’s what comes with his status.
“Hate is the highest of compliments when it comes to the great players,” Daigneault said. “Comes with the territory.”
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In-game injuries for Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Joe
After totaling seven points, four rebounds and three assists in 15 first-half minutes, Chet Holmgren was ruled out for the remainder of Friday night with a left ankle sprain.
The 7-foot-1 center could be seen limping through the locker room after the game.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault confirmed the ankle sprain, asserting his belief that he sustained the injury during his first quarter collision with Hawks wing Dyson Daniels.
On a drive just two minutes into the game, Holmgren gathered in transition, attempting to sweep through the lane when it appeared that his foot was planted on Daniels’. Holmgren held his lower leg following the play.
Daigneault noted that Holmgren “played through it a little bit.” Holmgren played 13 more minutes, completing the half before being ruled out. Friday was his seventh game back from a right iliac wing fracture, which held Holmgren out for nearly three months.
Guard Isaiah Joe also did not emerge to play the second half, ruled out with lower back soreness. He finished with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep.
