The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the best teams in the NBA. Their consistency has led them to secure a playoff spot well ahead of time. After qualifying, many expected their performance to drop. However, the opposite happened. Instead, they went on an impressive run of victories. Unfortunately, the Houston Rockets managed to break their streak. Following the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander analyzed his team’s defeat.
“They played harder, played better, more sense of urgency…That pretty much sums it up. We won the third quarter. We took steps in the right direction. It’s the second-best team in the West at home…It’s a little too late to take steps in the right direction in the third quarter, and that’s why we lost tonight. But nonetheless, we fought. We tried to give ourselves a chance. You can’t come into a really good team’s building and not get off to a good start,” stated Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder star did not hesitate to criticize his team, stating that the Rockets had more to gain from the game than they did. Despite the loss, the Thunder remain one of the most balanced teams in the league. Their young core, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, continues to mature with every game. Oklahoma City still hold one of the top spots in the NBA Western Conference and looks ready for a deep playoff run.
Although the loss came as a surprise, the franchise always finds a way to respond with resilience. Their last defeat was on March 10 against the Denver Nuggets. After that, they bounced back and built an impressive winning streak. With their playoff spot already locked in, the team needs to fine-tune their execution and prioritize getting healthy before the postseason begins.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates scoring a three-pointer
Jalen Williams downplays Thunder’s loss to Rockets: ‘That is the human nature part of it’
Jalen Williams stood out as one of the top performers for the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Houston Rockets. He played 34 minutes scoring 33 points, dishing out 4 assists, and grabbing 3 rebounds. His energy kept the Thunder in the game. However, despite his strong performance, Oklahoma City could not close it out. After the loss, Jalen Williams took the weight off this defeat.
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“I don’t want to blow this up super crazy. How many games did we just win in a row, 11? That’s hard to do in general. I don’t want to say we’ll have games like this, but that is the human nature part of it. We already clinched. We’re going to be in first place, like, we know,” added Williams.
Jalen even addressed the team’s ultimate goal for the remaining games. “I think it’s very easy to let yourself off the gas. We’re playing against ourselves. We’re trying to get ready and figure out what works and what doesn’t for the playoffs. So we’re trying to keep that in mind as we play,” explained Williams.
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