The Oklahoma City Thunder secured a defense-driven 133-106 win over the Utah Jazz to improve to 16-5 on the season.

OKC’s win had a direct impact on the 2024 NBA Cup. This victory put the team in position to win their group as long as the San Antonio Spurs lose to the Phoenix Suns. Another long list of circumstances would determine the Thunder’s chances of getting out of their group otherwise.

It was OKC’s swarming defense that pushed the point differential forward, especially in a chaotic first half on offense. The Thunder led 62:50 at halftime and shot just under 45% from the field and 33% from three. OKC’s shot wasn’t the headliner in the first half or the entire game.

The Thunder forced 19 turnovers in the first half and the ball defense was at full speed. They forced 29 turnovers throughout the game and had 18 steals.

Although the Thunder were able to convert turnovers overall, they got off to a slow start in the first quarter. Utah had shots on goal from every player on its team and led 25-22 with 2:28 to play. A triple from Lu Dort and a dunk from Isaiah Joe sparked a run that allowed OKC to take the lead and not allow another point in the half.

OKC took that lead and never looked back. The Thunder never trailed in the remaining 36 minutes of play thanks to their intense defense and all-around scoring performance from the bench unit. Jalen Williams led the scoring off the bench, scoring six points in the first four minutes of the quarter. At the end of the quarter, OKC had a 12-point lead.

Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have had a quiet first half, but he finished the night with 26 points. As usual, OKC’s leading scorer was just that, securing his spots at all three levels. He shot 11 of 19 on the night while grabbing six rebounds and seven assists.

The second half for the Thunder was a breeze. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams made it their mission to increase the score. The pair scored the first 18 points of the third quarter, giving OKC an 80-65 lead nearly halfway through the quarter. The lead only grew from there and the Thunder ended the period with a lead of 2:75.

Guard Aaron Wiggins went on a mini-run at the start of the fourth quarter, but the final period was a little quieter than the rest. Rookie forward Dillon Jones made a name for himself in this phase, scoring five points in the final moments. Recently signed center Branden Carlson scored two points, both from the free throw line, but missed all five of his field goal attempts. The Thunder’s bench strength had most of the run in the fourth quarter and managed to maintain the lead.

In just 28 minutes, Williams scored 28 points and went 12 of 18 from the field. Off the bench, OKC sharpshooter Isaiah Joe scored 19 points and made five 3-pointers on nine attempts.

The Thunder’s next game is on Thursday, December 5th, away at 6:30 p.m. EST against the Toronto Raptors.

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