3 takeaways: Thunder lose to Kings but take 3rd-best lottery odds
It may not last long, but as the second-to-last weekend of the NBA season comes to a close, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the third-best odds in the draft lottery.
The Thunder lost to the Sacramento Kings 126-98 on Sunday night. That, coupled with a win by the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the evening, puts Oklahoma City in sole possession of a spot that gives them the same chances of landing the No. 1 pick as either of the two spots ahead of them.
Thunder forward Darius Bazley, Kings forward Maurice Harkless and Kings center Terence Davis all had 18 points, a game-high.
Here are three takeaways from the matchup:
Huge starting lineup
Introducing the Oklahoma City Thunder starting lineup:
Guard Theo Maledon, 6-foot-4 (with a 6-foot-9 wingspan)
Forward Aleksej Pokusevski, 7 feet tall
Forward/center Darius Bazley, 6-foot-8
Forward/center Isaiah Roby, 6-foot-8
Center Moses Brown, 7-foot-2
That's a group of four players who can play center, and the Thunder started the game 5-for-6 with a trio of 3-pointers and a layup. They committed four turnovers over the first 5:25 of the game, though, and when the first of the group was subbed out, the Thunder trailed 14-13. "I thought we got off to an OK start," said head coach Mark Daigneault. "The thing I mentioned about getting (going) earlier was certainly something that unit could have done a little better." The full group was on the court together again at the end of the first half and again held nearly equal to the Kings, being outscored 12-11 over the final 4:38. With that lineup in for the first 6:57 of the second half, Sacramento outscored the Thunder 15-9. Pokusevski typically plays the 3 or 4 and moved down a position, while Bazley is more of a 4 or 5 but does get occasional minutes at the 3. Isaiah Roby plays power forward and center. "It's something worth continuing to take a look at," Daigneault said.
Continued defensive struggles
"I thought the biggest issue tonight was our first-half defense," Daigneault said. It was certainly an issue. The Kings had 71 points at halftime, which helped them reach the century mark before the Thunder even got to 70 points. This was the second game in a row that this has happened. The Thunder defense has been struggling quite a bit recently, and in the last three games, they have allowed at least 30 points in 10 of the 12 total quarters. On Sunday, the Kings shot 52.9% from the field and 44.4% from 3. They outrebounded Oklahoma City 51-38. "We've gotta be tougher. They were stronger than us this game," Pokusevski said. "If you give them space and if you don't show them toughness from the jump, they're going to take the game."
Jaylen Hoard's night
Jaylen Hoard's minutes are still inconsistent, but in the last two games he has received real playing time, he has impressed. In the first game against the Kings, he had nine points, seven rebounds and two assists, and Daigneault noted how his presence helped the team switch on defense. On Sunday, he posted a career-best 16 points and even played some small-ball center. "On the defensive end, I'm able to switch onto guards, wings, and guard any position. ... Offense, a lot of times I may have a speed advantage on the big, so I can get to the rim," Hoard said. "It's been a little bit different but it's something that I'm comfortable with." Hoard is on a two-way deal, but games like this show why the Thunder like him. He has been showing some intriguing attributes that could help him earn a spot next season. "There's really nothing sexy about his game yet, but he competes every night," Daigneault said. "He executes what we're trying to do on both ends with a high level of reliability."
Extra: Passing
https://twitter.com/ThunderFilmRoom/status/1391608065686921216 Just for fun, here's one play with a very nice bounce pass from Pokusevski and a crazy over-the-head find from Gabriel Deck to Jaylen Hoard. That beautiful play was brought to you by Serbia, Argentina and France. The Thunder continue to find and insert players from overseas.
1
1
