Takeaways: Golden State Warriors hold off rally from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

In the first half Monday, it was hard to believe that only one game separated the Thunder and the Warriors in the standings.

Golden State looked clinical. Oklahoma City looked young.

But in the second half, the Thunder slugged its way back, trading haymaker after haymaker with the defending champs.

But the champs are the champs for a reason. They were the ones still standing at the end.

The Warriors beat the Thunder 128-120 on a thrilling night at Paycom Center.

The first 12 minutes had the makings of a rout, with the Warriors sprinting to a 38-20 lead, but the final 12 minutes were as tense as could be.

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“The first quarter was like the opposite of the game plan,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said.

After that, “we played them for three quarters pretty straight,” Thunder guard Josh Giddey said.

Rookie guard Jalen Williams hit a step-back 3-pointer to cut Golden State’s lead to two points with 8:22 left. Golden State had led by as many as 21 points.

The crowd erupted, but Klay Thompson hushed it with a 3-pointer.

The Thunder responded with a Giddey 3-pointer, courtesy of a back-tapped offensive rebound from rookie center Jaylin Williams.

Then Jordan Poole countered with another Warriors 3-pointer.

That’s how much of the fourth quarter played out.

“We dug ourselves a 20-point hole that we fought out of,” Giddey said, “but it was too deep in the end to come back from.”

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Differing shot diets for Thunder

OKC (46%) shot a better percentage from 3-point range than did Golden State (43%), but the Warriors almost doubled the Thunder in volume — 47 3-point attempts to 24.

Thompson was 6-of-14 from three and Splash Brother Stephen Curry was 8-of-14 from three — 12-of-20 overall — in his marvelous 38-point, 12-assist, eight rebound night.

The Thunder attempted a season-low 18 3-pointers Friday against Cleveland, and just 24 against Golden State.

Sometimes basketball is a math problem.

The Warriors were pioneers in figuring that out, and they still lead the league in 3-point attempts (43.3 per game).

“I think that’s where we got caught up in the first quarter,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said of Golden State’s 3-point shooting. “We were too worried about it.”

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Jaylin Williams sparks Thunder

Jaylin Williams yells “boom!” every time he makes a 3-pointer. It’s a habit he picked up from a G League teammate.

The rookie center from Arkansas got to say it twice against the Warriors.

“It’s kind of become a thing where it’s just fun to do,” Williams said.

He shot 2-of-3 from 3-point range in his 12-point, eight-rebound night.

Williams is starting to look more comfortable in his minutes.

“He brings great energy to the game, clearly,” Daigneault said.

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Thunder guards get going too late

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 3-of-10 in the first half. Everything was a touch off for the Thunder star.

But SGA rallied with 21 points in the second half to finish with a team-high 31. He also had seven assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander got going in the third quarter when he caught Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga reaching on a jumper.

Kuminga shrugged and didn’t even turn to look as the ball went through the basket for an and-one.

Gilgeous-Alexander sighed in relief.

Josh Giddey, who had 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Jalen Williams combined for 23 points in the fourth quarter.

J-Dub shot 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter to cap his 19-point night.

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Thunder tip-ins

● Lu Dort (right hamstring strain) was out Monday. It was his second straight missed game. The Thunder certainly missed him against Curry.

● Thunder center Jeremiah Robinson-Earl has been out since Dec. 14 with a right ankle sprain. “It’s been long mainly because of how the ankle has behaved over that time,” Daigneault said. “Everybody’s body is different, but he’s close.”

● Daigneault said Robinson-Earl will go on a G League rehab assignment before rejoining the Thunder.

● The Aaron Wiggins streak is over. Before Monday night, the Thunder was 8-0 when Wiggins started. Wiggins started and was a minus-eight in his 23 minutes.

● Aaron wasn’t the only A. Wiggins in the starting lineup. Andrew Wiggins (no relation) started for the Warriors.

● The Warriors have a seven-game winning streak against the Thunder. OKC’s last win in the series was Nov. 25, 2019.

● Andre Iguodala (right hip strain) was the only Warrior out.

● Former Sooner Clifford Ray, who played center for the Warriors from 1974-81, was in the arena repping the Warriors. Ray played at OU from 1968-71. He lives in Norman.

● Warriors TV analyst Kelenna Azubuike went to high school at Victory Christian in Tulsa.

● Daigneault used his challenge 50 seconds before halftime, with hopes of reversing an Isaiah Joe shooting foul against Stephen Curry. The challenge was unsuccessful.

● Daigneault kept Gilgeous-Alexander in the game for the first two minutes of the fourth quarter — a break from SGA’s typical rotation. He usually sits the first six minutes of the fourth quarter.

● Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain for the most career field goals in Warriors history.

● Stephen Curry drained a 3-pointer with five seconds left in the third quarter. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander raced the ball back down the floor and found Mike Muscala, who splashed a 3-pointer to match Curry and beat the buzzer. The Thunder won the third quarter 37-31.

● Ty Jerome, who played in 81 games for the Thunder from 2020-22, was inactive for the Warriors. Jerome is shooting a career-high 50% from the floor, including 42% from 3-point range.

● It was an Arkansas Razorback reunion with the Thunder’s Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams and the Warriors’ Moses Moody. Joe and J-Will played against Moody in high school. J-Will and Moody were teammates in college.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Steph Curry leads Golden State Warriors to win vs. OKC Thunder