Nick Gallo
@NickAGallo
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Sideline Reporter & Digital Editor for @okcthunder and @FanDuelSN. Formerly @nyjets and @titans. @VanderbiltU grad. Durham, NC raised.
OKC
Joined September 2009
Shai:. “I love Oklahoma City. I can't see a world where I'm not in Oklahoma City.”. “I love where I am. I'm comfortable where I am. I love the people in the organization, the people around me. Those are the things that matter. I go to work every day with a smile on my face.”.
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The best fans in the league. A huge thanks to all of you who bark loud and bleed Thunder blue for making this season so special.
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SGA on if he's complete:. "My decision making could be better. My physicality could be better. My focus off ball defensively could be better. My shot making could be better. My deep paint decisions could be better. I could play off the catch better. I'm really self-critical.".
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Isaiah Hartenstein on this play: . "I just knew Dub had me. So I just hoped and prayed he was gonna be there. He never lets me down.". (JDub is sitting right next to him at the podium, grinning widely).
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After trailing nearly all night, the resilient @okcthunder hung in long enough to turn Game 4 in the 4th quarter for a 100-96 win over Dallas, evening up the series 2-2. I talked to the guys after:
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Incredibly blessed to be starting season number 14 with the @okcthunder! . Looking forward to another fun year working alongside an amazing group of people! Let’s get started!
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Mark Daigneault ends his press conference saying: . "I want to make sure our fans know how much we appreciate them, and Happy Thanksgiving.".
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Powerful from Chet:. "It's definitely a driving force to not want to feel this feeling again. Nobody wins 12 straight championships, so the chances that I'm gonna feel this at some point again is definitely there, But I will do everything in my power to avoid this feeling again.".
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Mark Daigneault closes his presser with a message to the fans: . "On behalf of our team we want to wish everybody a happy holidays. We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of your lives and don't take that for granted. We don't take for granted the support our fans give us.".
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Mark Daigneault says that he brought Alex Caruso to the scorer's table in the 4th quarter, but when the five guys already on the floor started to get it going and make a run, Caruso said "why don't we roll with these guys?" . "(Caruso) is just all team," Daigneault said.
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Mark Daigneault on the NBA Cup in Las Vegas:. "We're in a non-NBA city. It's a circus. We just need to do a good job of handling it and focusing on our stuff.". "It's an event. It's a pageant. So we have to be able to cut through that and focus on the game.".
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You've seen the headline stat of the season for the @okcthunder: They're the youngest team ever to get the #1 seed in the NBA playoffs. Here's a thread of some other standout team and individual stats from the year:.
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Thunder allowed no points between the 5:45 mark and the 19.5 second mark of the 4th quarter. Golden State went 0/14 with 2 turnovers during the stretch.
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Isaiah Joe on the Thunder's Thanksgiving dinner last night:. "Things like that are nice for the team, especially when you're away from home.". "It's a brotherhood, from the staff to the players. We love one another, we treat each other like family. That goes a long way. (1/2).
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More from Shai, when asked about the difficult travel and back-to-back: . "We have the best jobs in the world. We play basketball two nights in a row and get paid to do so.". "We have an amazing opportunity. We're blessed to be in this position.".
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Great quote from Alex Caruso today about the Thunder organization: . "Everyone is treated the same and everyone is held to the same standard and accountability. With an atmosphere and culture like that it makes it really easy for basketball players to thrive.".
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Hartenstein on OKC's defense: . "It starts with Shai and Dub. When your top two players on your team are playing high-level defense, I think we all just buy in. And I mean, we have an All-Defensive player in Lu out there the whole time.".
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Today marks my 10-year anniversary with the @okcthunder! . It’s been an absolute privilege to be a part of the organization and to be given both the opportunity and trust to grow in my role. Looking forward to more to come in OKC! #ThunderUp
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After the @okcthunder became the youngest team ever to clinch a number 1 seed with a win over Dallas, @shaiglalex explained what’s gone into what he and his teammates have built to this point:
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Dallas' PJ Washington, who was 3/8 at the free throw line on the season, is 10/10 tonight. He's also 3/4 from three after going 7-of-32 from three to start the season.
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Lowest FG% allowed by defenders in the NBA this year (min. 500 FGA defended): . Lu Dort - 43.0%.Kristaps Porzingis - 43.2%.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - 43.4%.Victor Wembanyama - 43.4%.
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After getting off to a great start, the @okcthunder slammed the door on the 76ers’ comeback attempt in the 4th quarter on the way to a 118-102 win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wrapped up the road trip with me:
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JDub on OKC's patience:. "There's a 95% rule. You have the ball individually like 5% of the time, so it's like, what else are you doing? We were able to kind of buckle down get some stops, rebounds. Shots started falling by playing the right way and just trusting each other.".
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Hartenstein on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:. "It's weird. It feels like he's not forcing it. That's the weird thing. It's like he's still doing it in a team way. He's not going out there thinking about himself, he's going out there trying to help the team, and he's still getting 40.".
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Bismack Biyombo has been cleared of any serious medical issue by the Blazers physicians but the Thunder will be conservative and hold him out the rest of the game for monitoring and further evaluation tomorrow.
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The @okcthunder defense was locked in all night and timely contributions throughout the lineup helped lock in a 117-95 win in Game 1 over Dallas. @ChetHolmgren stopped by to talk about the victory:
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Tonight was the first time Lu Dort's mom was able to watch him play live in Oklahoma City. What a moment for Lu - to make the steal and game-winning layup to complete an 18-point Thunder comeback win - with her in the building.
"I knew they had one more possession left, I just had to step up and get a stop and go up strong.". Lu Dort on-court after his game-winning steal and score! #ThunderUp
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Aaron Wiggins' family was in town this week for the homestand and his birthday yesterday, and he revealed that today is his mom's birthday. Quite a birthday present from him in the 4th quarter for mom.
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The @okcthunder became the youngest NBA team ever to win a playoff series, and they did it with defense and poise. I talked to @luthebeast after the 4-0 series win over the Pelicans:
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SGA said that he used to be a hot head as a kid, but he worked on his composure at a crucial juncture of his youth career. "You guys probably wouldn't guess that, but I used to be a quick trigger kid, temper wise.". "I worked on it. Trying to stay even-keeled and level headed.".
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Shai accounted for 51 points tonight between his own scoring and his 12 assists. Pretty dominant 27-11-12 performance, with only 1 turnover.
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One last Daigneault quote:. “It’s painful right now, but if you zoom out and look at our year over year progress, progress from the beginning of the season until now, from the beginning of the playoffs until now, we’re more seasoned, mature, connected, better, tougher, smarter.”.
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After practice on Saturday, SGA asked Tre Mann to rebound for him on a 200-shot, 20-minute choreographed workout. When Shai was done he said it was Tre’s turn to do the workout, and he rebounded for the rookie as Tre took touch shots at the rim, floaters and all types of 3’s.
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Shai: . "If you knew me 15 years ago and I told you I was gonna be who I am today you'd laugh at me. If I told somebody this time last year that we'd be the #1 team in the West this year they'd laugh at me. You can do whatever you want to do. You just have to put the work in.".
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Lindy Waters III gets into the scoring column, which means all 15 guys have scored for the Thunder today for the first time in OKC history.
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Isaiah Hartenstein postgame: . "Coming here, seeing how much the city loves the team has been great. Just coming in, playing for the city, I mean, even after my pregame shooting - the scene, so many people waiting just for autographs. It's been really cool to see.".
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Thank you @okcthunder for the opportunity and the trust to step into the play by play spot tonight! Had a great time being on the call with @Exhoopsmc and @ParisNLawson as the Thunder earned a clutch win in Portland!
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Lu Dort has made 2 threes tonight, extending his streak of at least one made three-pointer to 35-straight games. Duncan Robinson went 0-for-6 tonight, snapping his 69-game streak, giving Lu the 2nd longest active streak of games with a three-pointer behind Steph Curry's 145.
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Shai on OKC's ascent:. "As a team, I'm probably more excited about that feeling. As the leading scorer, leader of the team, I'm gonna get most of the praise, but the world is seeing- we call them cockroaches in our locker room, the cockroaches and hyenas that do the little work.".
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: . "If we play the worst team in the league or the best team in the league, I'm trying to take their head off. I am trying to be the best version of myself every night I step on the floor. That's why I've been able to grow the way I have. (1/2).
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Muscala on OKC fans:. "I've been playing 11 years and never experienced anything like this. It was amazing. The togetherness of the crowd, the rhythm they had.". "Shout out to the fans. They were amazing. Getting off that plane and seeing that is something I'll never forget.".
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on OKC's dominant win after the loss to Cleveland:. "We got better that night, and that's above the outcome for us. It's about getting better, it's about learning, it's about growing from experience.". "That growth, that progress, is what we're after.".
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Mark Daigneault postgame: . "They were better tonight, but that was a good experience for us - having to come in here in a hostile environment on the road against a really good team that's playing at a very high level. There's things we can learn from it and take away from it.".
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Jalen Williams on his All-Star case: . "I don't really worry about that. I want to do more to win games and wherever that falls is where it falls. I feel like once you get wrapped into that it starts to hinder team success.". "We have a bigger goal than me going to All-Star.".
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Daigneault: . "When you lose a game like tonight, it gives you wisdom. It gives you information on yourselves. As long as we're growing through all those experiences, then we'll gain momentum as the season goes on with a young team and a team that's growing through everything.".
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Jalen Williams' All-Star case: . "You don't have this record because of one good player. You have to have a second All Star to help. When I'm out of the game he's carrying the load. Averaging 20 a game on hyper efficiency and we're 1st in the West.".
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The @okcthunder defense was dominant once again, while a balanced offensive attack helped snag Game 3 on the road in New Orleans. I talked to @joshgiddey about it all afterward:
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the Paycom Center crowd being electric from before tip-off tonight: . "Not surprised one bit. Like I've said before - best fans in the world. They let us know it every night. We feel it, and they were a big part of tonight's win.".
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A nice one-liner from @jdubwttp on the surge we're seeing from Josh Giddey: . "Sometimes you gotta have a little rain to grow.".
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Today, one of the pillars of the Thunder retired from the NBA. Here’s my deep dive on Nick Collison’s career, and what his presence has meant to the organization and this city:
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: . “I play this game to win championships, and that journey is all I care about.”. “I can just be the best version of myself for my team to win a championship and have fun doing it every day. That's what really matters to me.”.
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Bismack Biyombo on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: . "He does not separate himself. He treats all the team, all these teammates equally. He laughs with all of them the same way." . "He's turning into a beast that we're gonna see for years, so enjoy the show.".
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The @okcthunder got what it was looking for, a sustained 48-minute effort. It just so happened that it came against the defending champs. Russ got downhill, Paul George was disruptive & the #okcthunder ran away with the win.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder are winners of 10-straight amid a stretch where they've played just 3 home games in 38 days. Thunder moves to 25-5 on the season even without Chet Holmgren for 20 of the 30 games so far.
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Kenrich on the crowd at the airport last night, and getting back to Paycom Center tomorrow night:. "Last night coming back and seeing all those people at the airport, it kind of makes you makes you ready for the game.". "It's gonna be electric. We've got to protect home court.".
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Lu Dort gets a three to go down, extending his streak of consecutive games with a make to 42, tying Paul George for the 4th longest streak in Thunder history.
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More from Daigneault:. "Our issue tonight was defensive. I thought we scored enough to win the game, but we just didn't get enough stops against the team that you have to try to slow down.".
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PJ Washington knocked down Lu Dort and then stood over him. Aaron Wiggins comes over and lets him know he isn't gonna allow that.
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The 2nd youngest team in the NBA just absorbed a 30-0 4th quarter run and with 4.5 minutes to go and no timeouts left, outscored Dallas 15-3 to close the game. Massive guts on the road.
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Dort on being presented with OKC's NW Division trophy:. "I looked back a couple years ago where we didn't win a lot of games here and we were on the bench with masks on and no fans. It was different last night, holding the trophy, looking at the crowd. It was a good moment.".
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As the first round of the NBA Playoffs begins, here's a primer on the Thunder-Blazers series and the key areas where the @okcthunder will have to focus:
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Pelicans HC Willie Green on Presti/OKC:. “Sam’s great, always has been. One of the first people I called when I wanted to get into coaching. Had an opportunity to spend some time with him in Oklahoma and he was so open to allowing me to come in, sit with the coaches… (1/2).
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Great to see @gabriel_deck in there with his new teammates, getting creativity into the game with that behind the back pass and playing with physicality. Mark Daigneault on Deck: "He's highly competitive and a team guy. He's grown up around the game in high-level environments.".
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A sensational run in a raucous Paycom Center. The Thunder trailed 97-92 with 6:10 to go and have ripped off a 16-4 run to lead 108-101 with 2:21 to go.
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The Thunder led by as many as 42 and beats the Cavs 134-114 to move to 34-6 on the year. OKC shot 51% from the field, hits 18 threes and forced 21 Cleveland TOs that led to 30 points. Shai goes for 40, Lu Dort adds 22 on 8/11 FG and JDub hits 19-6-5. No one played over 30 min.
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Hartenstein:. "We have an MVP player playing great defense night in, night out. He leads the league in blocks from a guard. He makes the hustle plays. He's a team guy." . "We have an All-Star in Dub, who is to me probably one of the most underrated defenders in the league.".
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Jalen Williams on Shai's late 3:. "Big time players make big plays. I don't really think the outside world understands how much confidence that takes to shoot a shot that you're still trying to get comfortable with, and to be able to shoot it during that time. It's impressive.".
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That's the 2nd time Isaiah Joe has gotten elbowed in the face and the foul has been called on him.
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Incredibly valuable playoff run for the Thunder - the youngest team to ever earn a #1 seed and the youngest team ever to win a playoff series. OKC has an incredibly bright future and a ton to look forward to, and a bunch of experiences now to grow from together.
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Jalen Williams on why the Thunder is so tight-knit: . "The guys we drafted has been a big part of that. That's one of those luck of the draw blessings that we have with the team. We have a real good group of genuine guys.".
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams paused their postgame press conference when Aaron Wiggins walked into the back of the room. They slow clapped and said "Aaron Wiggins saved basketball everybody".
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Dismissing any potential excuses on an unprecedented road trip, the @okcthunder finished strong on the 3rd game in 4 nights in Miami. Jalen Williams made crucial plays on both ends throughout, and chatted with me about the 48 minute team effort:
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Shai on the Thunder's chemistry:. "A part of it is the front office and the group of guys they bring in. They do a really good job of picking people to be a part of the organization, not just players.".
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Starters for the Thunder in Denver: . Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.Lu Dort.Jalen Williams.Chet Holmgren.Isaiah Hartenstein.
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Kenrich Williams, while grinning a wry smile, on this shot from Shai: . "I wasn't ready for that shot, for him to shoot that. Anybody else, I would have said something, but for Shai I'm cool with that.".
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More from Shai:. “Tomorrow we need to wake up and do the same thing we would have if we lost. That's our mentality. Nothing's complete, especially this early in the season. We're not where we want to be. We want to be a better team by the end of season than we are today.”.
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Jalen Williams on Thunder fans: . "Any chance we all get to interact with them is always special. In general you never know what people are going through. Anytime you can kind of put a smile on somebody's face or give somebody 30 seconds of your time, it's always a blessing.".
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For 7 of the Thunder's 11 rotation players tonight, this was their first ever playoff game. Incredible grit to fight through the noise (literally and figuratively) and the adversity and take Game 1 from a tough opponent. Thunder leads 1-0 over New Orleans. Game 2 Wednesday.
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Lu Dort's consecutive games with a 3-pointer streak continues to 46-straight.
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Thunder guard Josh Giddey becomes the youngest rookie ever to record a triple-double at 19 years and 84 days. 14 points, 10 rebounds, 14 assists in 30 minutes. He also has 4 steals and just 2 turnovers.
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Mike Muscala is 3rd in the NBA this season in 3-point percentage at 46.7%.
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Saw a stat that blew me away about the contrast in experience between the two teams with the top net-ratings in the NBA this season. Net Rating: .Boston: +11.7 (1st).OKC: +7.1 (2nd). Total points scored by rookies this year: .OKC: 1,878 (2nd).Boston: 9 (30th).
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Mark Daigneault on OKC's dramatic 100-96 Game 4 win: . "That’s where the trust comes in and has an uncommon ability to stay together. It did not go our way for the majority of the game. The ability to endure when the wind is in your face was incredible maturity.".
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Daigneault on Shai:. "He's got an unbelievable temperament for an NBA season. an unbelievable steadiness to him that has a contagious effect on our team." . "His poise tonight, and the team's poise tonight, in the ups and downs of what was a difficult game, was impressive.".
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Théo Maledon finishes the night with a career-high 33 points, 1 shy of a Thunder rookie record - 10/18 shooting (5/7 on 3's, 8/10 FTs). Mark Daigneault says Maledon has been hitting the gas more and that playing aggressively on offense is helping him take strides forward.
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Only 4 NBA players since 1973 have averaged 30 points, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in a season. If Shai maintains his averages this year, here's the list: . Michael Jordan.LeBron James.Dwayne Wade.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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As he wished everyone a happy New Year, Mark Daigneault took a moment at the end of his postgame press conference to acknowledge the crowd and how impactful the environment was tonight.
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Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault has won the NBA's Coach of the Year Award, according to Ernie Johnson on TNT.
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Josh Giddey is on the precipice of a triple-double, but he also has 16 rebounds - the most by a rookie this season and the most by a rookie in Thunder history.
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23-year-old Jalen Williams on being doubled and blitzed: . "Just take it as a learning opportunity. It's a privilege to be able to go out there - not everybody in the NBA gets doubled and blitzed and all that. So definitely it's a good thing. Just feel like I got better tonight.".
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The typically thoughtful Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with some more wisdom:. "Basketball is a lot like life. What you give to the game, the game will give back to you, and you can't cheat it, just like life." (1/2).
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As I mentioned earlier on our @FanDuelSN broadcast, the Thunder will have traveled 12,500 miles for the 11 games since Nov. 20. The average NBA team travels 41,000 miles during the season, meaning that OKC has traveled nearly 1/3 of a normal 82-game schedule in just 11 games.
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The Thunder shot 17-of-19 (89.5%) from the field in the fourth quarter tonight, including 15-straight makes. Outscored Detroit 42-22 to erase an 18-point deficit for a 114-103 win.
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Daigneault on Isaiah Joe's 31-point night and career-high 8 threes:. "He's just continued to shoot the right ones. Hasn't pressed or gotten timid at all, and he continues to play a great floor game." . "I was happy for him tonight. That was an unbelievable performance.".
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All year the Thunder has talked about understanding the length of these games and just trying to stack good possessions to claw back from deficits. Did exactly that tonight in a game they had to have. 2-2, headed back to OKC.
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The Thunder's 6-foot tall, 10-day guard Zavier Simpson aka "Captain Hook" just hit one of his patented hook shots as Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, who practically invented the shot, sits courtside here in LA. It's Kareem's 75th birthday and he was celebrated at center court at halftime.
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Play-by-play data is only available back to 1996-97. SGA is the only player since then to hit a 3 to tie or take the lead in the final 3 seconds of a game in back-to-back games.
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