THUNDER TIP-OFF
Gilgeous-Alexander scores 26, but Thunder loses opener
Oklahoma City's season started Wednesday with a road test against Utah
The Thunder's season opener against the Jazz on Wednesday didn't follow conventional wisdom.
OKC's eventual 1 00- 95 loss to Utah was on paper a matchup between a contender (the Jazz) and a team fallen from grace (the Thunder). But it was a close game for three quarters. Tensions weren't supposed to be high, but Jazz fans started the night by booing Thunder point guard Chris Paul and continued to jeer at him periodically.
Thunder guard Sh ai Gilgeous-Alexander, on a team still trying to figure out how to play together, certainly wasn't supposed to score a career-high 26 points in the first game of his second season in the NBA. But that's what happened.
About seven hours before Wednesday night's game began, Gilgeous-Alexander stood in front of a huddle of reporters
on the baseline of the Vivint Smart Home Arena court and told them he didn't listen to the outside noise.
It was just after shoot around, and a reporter had just asked him about being projected to finish outside the top eight teams in the Western Conference.
But, Gilgeous-Alexander's team in his rookie season had similarly low external expectations. Conventional wisdom said last year's Clippers should have forgotten about the playoffs and shot for a lottery spot instead. But the Clippers not only clinched a playoff berth but pushed their first-round playoff series against the Warriors to six games.
Wednesday's game began poorly for the Thunder. The Jazz
had nearly double the Thunder's points by the end of the first quarter. OKC was still ironing things out. Gilgeous-Alexander and point guard Dennis Schroder used a stoppage in play after a scrambled defensive possession to have a hand-gesture filled conversation.
Then in the second quarter, thunder coach Billy Donovan started a small-ball lineup, which pulled the Thunder back into the game.
The Thunder trailed 28-20 when Gilgeous- Alexander replaced Chris Paul about four minutes into the second quarter. Danilo Gallinari and Gilgeous-Alexander drained back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Thunder within one score. But the Thunder failed to grab a lead. That is, until GilgeousAlexander' s scoring spree at the end of the quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander went on a 7-0 run of his own to give the Thunder a 44-40 lead with 2:17 left in the first half.
Gilgeous- Alexander and the Thunder had found their rhythm on offense. The young point guard varied his scoring— drives to the basket, step-back jump shots, 3-pointers – and the Thunder kept the game close.
But the magic had to fade at some point.
With seconds falling off the clock, Gilgeous- Alexander made a last-ditch effort to claim a win. Despite a series of defensive breakdowns down the stretch, the Thunder trailed by just four points as he dribbled the length of the court, stumbling into Jazz center Rudy Gobert under t he basket. Gilgeous-Alexander drew the foul.
Less than three seconds remained on the clock. He missed the first. Made the second. That wasn't going to be enough.