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OKC Thunder offense struggles without Jalen Williams in loss to Indiana Pacers
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- OKC Thunder offense struggles without Jalen Williams in loss to Indiana Pacers
Lu Dort had been around all night, lunging every which way, forced to occupy impossible spots. Enough to know the next play was inevitable.
When rookie Chet Holmgren 's desperate, late-clock drive fell short (as did the next one), the Pacers ripped it from his grasp. Tyrese Haliburton , then in a full sprint, left behind an Indiana breeze.
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Dort even managed to seize him, hawking down Haliburton's catch. But Dort alone couldn't keep the Pacers star from contorting to finish what effectively put the seal on the Thunder's 121-111 loss Tuesday night at Paycom Center.
"They're a fast team," Holmgren said. "We know it, everybody knows it. It's the first thing you're told in the film session. We weren't as good tonight as we needed to be in that aspect to come away with a win."
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Mar 12, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) celebrates after an offensive foul is called against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Daigneault has shot down any notion that Oklahoma City looks to force turnovers. Its defense will always remain aggressive and apply pressure, which he admits will lead to high turnover games. The Thunder has become a machine that way, running past teams and youthfully skipping to the rim.
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But what happens when two free-flowing, immovable basketball currents meet? The Thunder and Pacers were meant to bounce back and forth like a classic match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Instead, Indiana disrupted OKC's rhythm before showing its true speed.
The Pacers forced 12 turnovers to OKC's seven. They scored 23 fastbreak points (9 for 13). The Thunder scored just three (1 for 10).
Indiana ran the Thunder down. Corralled rebounds, pushed the pace, welcomed tired legs and exhausted sequences. Even its halfcourt possessions were exhausting. It entered Tuesday with the league's second-best offense. If Haliburton (18 points, 12 assists) wasn't getting downhill, TJ McConnell was putting on for small players everywhere. If Pascal Siakam wasn't cleaning up after a miss, Obi Toppin emphatically was.
If all else failed and OKC slid just enough to disrupt multiple actions, Myles Turner was in the cut to drop in momentum-clogging jumpers. He finished with 24 points and four blocks, shooting 11 for 17 from the field.
Mar 12, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
The Pacers scored an unbelievable 72 points in the paint, outscoring OKC by 20 — an ingredient best for cooking up disaster so far this year.
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Dort and Holmgren filled gaps they shouldn't have needed to. Holmgren at the rim, one eye pointed toward a shooting big and the other point toward drives. Dort on matchups bigger than him, on a variety of guys, and in spaces that were stunned to see the 6-foot-4 guard.
For as much as Dort was almost omnipresent in an 18-point, whirlwind effort, he couldn't be everywhere. Jalen Williams , who missed Tuesday's game with a right ankle sprain, would've plugged some of those gaps. Perhaps even ran down some of those routes.
Without him, and with the way Indiana played, Tuesday's close was almost as predictable as each Pacers' fastbreak.
"They played their style of basketball for their full 48 minutes, and we kind of frayed and shifted from ours," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said.
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Pacers find just enough defense
If anything pointed to Tuesday's game at least being a shootout instead of a convincing Pacers win, it was the teams' difference in defense.
The Thunder has been one of the best two-way teams in the league this season. The Pacers have developed an identity with an offense and defense that sit on opposite sides of the spectrum. But Tuesday was different.
Indiana loaded up as confidently as any team has against the Thunder, throwing a couple defenders SGA's way to force the ball out of his hands or packing the paint when Holmgren hoped to muster something near the rim.
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OKC undoubtedly missed some looks it would typically make — Gilgeous-Alexander especially. Without Williams, a powerful creator who might've helped part the Pacers like Moses and the Red Sea, Indiana's length also grew overwhelming at some point.
The first and last quarters were the ugliest — before OKC found rhythm, and when it hoped for it most. It shot 26.9% from the field in the first. It shot 34.5% from the field in the fourth, going 2 for 9 from deep.
Still, OKC was within a few possessions for the duration of the game. It only needed another run. It never came.
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Shai's bittersweet, record-breaking night
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts during a timeout against the Pacers during the second half of a 121-111 loss Tuesday night at Paycom Center.
With nine seconds left to play on Tuesday, Gilgeous-Alexander checked off the highly anticipated box.
One final layup, his 29th and 30th points, meant history; It was his 48th game this season of 30 or more points, a single-season Thunder record, which surpassed Kevin Durant .
It was bittersweet. On one hand, SGA cemented how great of a season he's had with quite a bit remaining. On the other, he earned it on one of the rougher nights of his season, with this 30-point game being more forgettable than most.
Gilgeous-Alexander went 12 for 27 from the floor, 1 for 7 from deep, and committed four turnovers. It was a wildly uncharacteristic night — both for him and the Pacer defense.
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In the first quarter, a period he usually sleepwalks during on his way to 10 points, he went 3 for 10.
"I was just off, I felt like," said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as blunt as ever.
His fingers typically roll off the ball like Marvin Gaye notes, a gifted touch that could only belong to a smooth hooper or a harp player. Gilgeous-Alexander's touch just happened to be a bit stronger than usual on possessions the Thunder could've used his lift.
But alas, as is the script, Gilgeous-Alexander got his 30 points. He likely won't feel as good about it Tuesday night as he might down the line when he reviews his historic season.
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Thunder vs. Mavericks
TIPOFF:9 p.m. Thursday at Paycom Center (TNT)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder offense struggles without Jalen Williams in loss to Pacers
