Despite getting off to a bad start in this meeting, the Thunder finished very strong to turn around a Knicks team which was holding its game well. OKC still seems invincible: 14 wins in a row!
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The Knicks and the Thunder, two teams in full swing who go blow for blow
This match is undoubtedly the shock of the night and rightly so: two teams who are successful, series of 13 victories on one side, 9 on the other, someone will inevitably be disappointed when they wake up. The Thunder is counting on its iron defense to snatch victory again. Lu Dort and Cason Wallace are keeping a close eye on Jalen Brunson. On the Knicks side, it was Mikal Bridges who was assigned to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander but the Canadian had nothing to do with it in the first quarter.
Too fast, too acrobatic, too smooth, SGA is in its bubble. He catches Josh Hart to finish the first quarter with 14 points already.
Shai made Josh Hart dance pic.twitter.com/3NtZJJauMS
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) https://twitter.com/TrashTalk_fr/status/1875354006698258818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Knicks respond with their size, scoring near the circle against an OKC team that lacks inches in the absence of Chet Holmgren. We held our match at a very high level, as hoped!
New York takes matters into its own hands, the Thunder in tough
The first turning point of the match takes place in the second quarter. The Thunder attack suffers from the absence of SGA, resting on the bench. The Knicks take advantage of this to gain momentum with Towns coming out of his box, Anunoby shooting from afar and the return of Brunson. A 15-6 later, New York takes the lead! Mark Daigneault reacted immediately with a time-out and the return of Shai to save the homeland.
Insufficient, NY had a strong end to the half. Access to the circle is closed for SGA and in attack everything fits with a ball that spins magnificently and well distributed scoring. The gap swells, the solid Thunder defense cannot make any stops. SGA even gets tarred twice in a row. The public is stoned, +12 Knicks at the break!
Returning from the locker room, the awakening of Jalen Williams and a shock defense from the Thunder reignites the suspense! An 8-0 in 3 minutes brings OKC closer but KAT remains a problem, with a lot of work in the racket (17 points, 22 rebounds). After taking the storm, the Knicks are back on track with Jalen Brunson who treats his friends to spectacular passes without scoring. In the tough, the Thunder manage to stay at a distance as best they can. SGA struggles but NY manages to keep a small lead. +8 before money time. Everything is still playable.
Aaron Wiggins King of the Fourth, OKC est invincible !
We know, OKC fans too, Jalen Williams is often the man we expect in the last act and he is quick to restart the match with penetration into the racket. Hartenstein uses his hustle to wake up the room, Wiggins and Joe duck from afar. OKC drops a big run without SGA to pick it up! Brunson’s return does a lot of good in New York but OKC doesn’t give up, what a match!
This thriller needs a providential man and OKC will find him in Aaron Wiggins. The guard unleashed a masterclass in money time, scoring 15 of his 19 points over the period. Big shot from the parking lot, and one to put his team back in the lead, and then a new 3-point missile to give OKC +7 on a new caviar from SGA. The X factor of the day.
Aaron Wiggins HUGE THREE ????#CenterCourt pic.twitter.com/SHQeprpiOK
— NBA TV (@NBATV) https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1875381079978266841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33 points) finishes the job while the valiant soldier Hartenstein, who reunited with his former teammates this evening, symbolically plants the dagger which destroys all suspense. OKC goes to 14 wins in a row before meeting the Boston Celtics in the next match for another XXL shock.
