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Thunder vs Hornets takeaways: Aaron Wiggins helps OKC snap three-game skid in road finale
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- Thunder vs Hornets takeaways: Aaron Wiggins helps OKC snap three-game skid in road finale
As a buzzer-beating heave by Brandon Miller bounced off the rim on Sunday, Aaron Wiggins secured the rebound.
OKC had just secured a 121-118 road win over Charlotte , but the third-year guard didn't celebrate. He just stood on the floor of Spectrum Center for a brief moment, clutching the ball with both hands.
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Wiggins didn't want to let go, just like OKC refused to let a much-needed win slip away from it.
On a day when the Thunder was without its two leading scorers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (quad) and Jalen Williams (ankle), it found a way to outlast the Hornets and snap a season-long losing streak of three games.
"I mean, it wasn't a masterpiece of execution," head coach Mark Daigneault said with a smirk. "These games this week were really valuable for us. … I think there's some stuff that we can carry forward with us, and then there's some stuff that we can leave here on the road.
"But either way, I thought there was a lot of learning this week from our (staff's) standpoint and from the players' standpoint."
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Wiggins played a large role in the win. He scored a season-high 26 points and racked up a career-high six steals in 36 minutes.
It was a successful homecoming for Wiggins, who's from Greensboro, North Carolina.
"He was great," Daigneault said. "I thought he was a beneficiary of how we were playing tonight, and he also had some really good creation plays with the ball in his hand. He's improved that part of his game."
The Thunder snapped its three-game skid, and it also ended its five-game road trip.
OKC will conclude its regular season with a four-game homestand. It'll host Sacramento at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
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Here are three takeaways from the win:
More: Mark Daigneault was a UConn manager in 2004. He should be NBA Coach of the Year in 2024.
Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) cuts back away from Hornets forward Aleksej Pokusevski (17) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center on Sunday.
Josh Giddey , OKC takes advantage of Charlotte's undersized frontcourt
Josh Giddey is used to having a height advantage over fellow guards.
The third-year pro is 6 foot 8, which is tall enough to cause problems for any defender at his position. But as Giddey attacked the rim early in the first quarter, he found that even the Hornets' frontcourt struggled to measure up.
Giddey used his speed to blow past the 6-6 Grant Williams , who served as Charlotte's small-ball center. He then finished a layup over the 6-7 Miles Bridges , who's a power forward.
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It's not an ideal frontcourt pairing for the Hornets, who were without starting center Mark Williams due to a back injury. And the Thunder took advantage.
OKC scored 50 points in the paint and snagged 10 offensive rebounds. Giddey also recorded his second triple double in the last five games with a stat line of 20 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.
The oversized guard enforced his will throughout the contest. He attacked the paint. He feasted on the boards. He punished the Hornets for their lack of rim protectors.
"Being in (the paint), you're gonna get hit a bit more," Giddey said. "I love those types of plays. ... I'm trying to bring a level of physicality that's contagious and that other guys can kind of follow."
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More: How OKC Thunder coach Mark Daigneault is trying to 'find opportunity' with stars injured
Lindy Waters III shows ability to attack the rim
Lindy Waters III can often be found hovering around the 3-point line, waiting for the ball to swing his way.
It's common practice for the former Norman North and Oklahoma State guard, who has carved out a role with OKC as a 3-point specialist.
But when Waters caught a pass behind the arc midway through the second quarter, he changed his routine. The third-year pro put the ball on the floor, absorbed the contact and finished a layup over the outstretched hands of Davis Bertans .
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Waters provided a scoring boost off the bench for OKC. Despite entering the day with a season average of 2.9 points per game, he scored 10 points in 15 minutes.
Waters is averaging 11 points in OKC's last two games, and he has shown a willingness to attack the rim. The sharpshooter has gone 6 for 6 from inside the arc during that stretch.
Prior to that, Waters had only attempted 12 shots from 2-point range all season.
"I think there are individual players who gained a lot of confidence from this, from the experience of more minutes and bigger roles," Daigneault said of the road trip. "When we insert Shai and Jalen back in, hopefully they can maintain that confidence in the roles that they normally play for us."
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More: Josh Giddey's Magical Month of March. Examining the OKC Thunder guard by the numbers
Apr 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lindy Waters III (12) defends the drive from Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (23) during the fourth quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-USA TODAY Sports
Isaiah Joe gets redemption
Isaiah Joe had the chance to be a hero on Tuesday.
The fourth-year guard attempted a pair of game-tying 3-pointers down the stretch of OKC's road game against Philadelphia . But neither shot dropped, and the Thunder suffered a 109-105 loss.
It was an uncharacteristic sequence by Joe, who's connecting on a career-high 42% of his 3-pointers this season. But when given a shot at redemption on Sunday, Joe didn't miss.
OKC trailed 113-112 with 1:28 left in the game when Giddey found Joe in transition. Joe calmly knocked it down from deep, and he got another clean look on OKC's next possession.
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This time Chet Holmgren fed the ball to Joe, who drilled another 3-pointer and pushed the Thunder's lead to four points. The clutch buckets proved to be the dagger.
"My teammates, fortunately, they were able to find me on those looks," Joe said. "My job is to knock them down when they come to me, so that's happened."
Joe wasn't the only one who caught fire on Sunday.
OKC shot an abysmal 28% from deep during its three-game losing streak. But it went 18 for 36 (50%) against Charlotte.
Still, it's only fitting that the biggest shots down the stretch came from Joe.
"Isaiah, big shots," Daigneault said. "I'm happy for him because he had those looks in Philly earlier in this trip in the last minute of that game. He got clean looks and missed them, and no one takes more pride in delivering on those plays as he does.
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"For him to step in and make those two shots tonight was huge. I was really happy for him."
Playoff picture update for the OKC Thunder
With its win on Sunday, OKC is third in the Western Conference standings.
OKC is one game behind Denver for the top seed and a half-game behind Minnesota for the second seed. The Thunder has four games left on its regular-season schedule.
As it stands, OKC would face Phoenix in the first round. The Suns are in sixth place thanks to a series tiebreaker against New Orleans .
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder beats Charlotte Hornets, snaps three-game losing streak
