The Oklahoma City Thunder eagerly awaited all offseason for the special moment of receiving their 2024-25 championship rings and to see the banner lifted to the rafters to cement their legacy in NBA history – and what better way to bring it home than a win over the past OKC Thunder franchise player Kevin Durant and his Houston Rockets. It took two exciting overtimes to seal the deal, but a win is a win.
Let’s take a look at the player grades:
Shai Gilgeous Alexander – A
It took SGA some time to catch his footing in the game – finishing with only five points in the first half. SGA used a strong offensive surge and clutch late game heroics to lead the Thunder to the victory.
Such a storybook ending, when SGA called iso to be matched up against Durant with the game on the line – two faces of the franchise, past and present. SGA prevailed in the matchup as Durant fouled him, which in turn led to SGA putting the game on ice at the free throw line.
Final stat line: 35 pts., 5 reb., 5 ast., 2 blocks, and 2 steals
Chet Holmgren – A-
Chet could do no wrong in the first half – finishing with 18 points and 4 boards while shooting and impressive 7-9 from the field. The second half was not as impressive, but still solid nevertheless.
No defensive stats to show for a solid defensive outing, but his size and length altered shots.
Final stat line: 28 pts., 7 reb., and 2 ast. – 11/17 fg. and 2/5 3pt.
Cason Wallace – A+
Cason was given a starting spot in the lineup with Jalen Williams not being able to suit up and he did not disappoint.
Wallace played an all-around game but what he did on the defensive end was a masterclass. Showing active hands and jumping the passing lanes to start easy transition opportunities for OKC.
Wallace tallied four steals on the night and was a menace for anyone he happened to guard – the type of defensive performance where you show others and say, “this is how to play defense.”
Final stat line: 14 pts., 7 reb., 5 ast., and 4 steals
Luguentz Dort – C+
Dort had a difficult time on the offensive end – definitely a game he would like to forget. On the other side of the ball, he held one of the best scorers in NBA history to only 23 points. That is a small victory in itself.
Final stat line: 6 pts., 6 reb., 5 ast., and 1 steal.
Isaiah Hartenstein – B
Hartenstein did not light the world on fire, by any means, but contributed in all aspects of the game – doing things on both ends of the floor that made a difference in the victory.
Final stat line: 6 pts., 8 reb., 5 ast., and 2 steals
Bench player grades:
Ajay Mitchell – A+: Provided much needed offensive burst; spark plug.
Alex Caruso – B: Played well on the defensive end, per usual.
Jaylin Williams – C: Struggled offensively but did have a good close out on the final shot in the game.
Aaron Wiggins – B-: Solid offensively; had a huge slam late in the third quarter to swing the momentum back OKC’s direction.
