The Oklahoma City Thunder entered Toronto in search of a bounce-back win after their unexpected loss against the Indiana Pacers. The matchup turned into a cagey showdown against two of the league’s top defenses. The game swung back and forth, but a 23-point performance by Immanuel Quickley led to an Oklahoma City Thunder loss.
The score-line showed a 103-101 defeat for the Thunder, but this does not tell the entire story. In many ways, even shorthanded with injuries, the loss to the Raptors was a frustrating result because of how winnable the game was. On another given day, OKC escapes with a win. They consistently disrupted the Raptors’ offensive flow and held them to 43% shooting from the field. OKC’s offense, however, could not sustain the defensive momentum. The game turned into a rock fight, and Oklahoma City could not climb out of it. They consistently got open looks, but just were not able to convert them.
OKC’s Offensive Struggles Lead To A Two-Game Skid
Toronto’s Defensive Scheme Exposed Offensive Limitations
The Raptors’ game plan was built around making someone outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander beat them. It was clear from the start. The Raptors consistently sent hard hedges, traps, and extra gap help to force SGA to delegate to others. This led to a brutal outside shooting night. OKC shot an uninspiring 11-of-43 from beyond the arc. It’s tough to beat any team with an outside performance of that quality. This approach Toronto used was similar to the one we have seen teams like the Spurs employ against the Thunder, and it could be their Achilles heel.
Forcing the ball out of SGA’s hand and living with the shooting of the supporting cast seems to be the opposing team’s best bet for stopping the league leader. While Oklahoma City continues to deal with injuries to key contributors, it grows increasingly clear that shooting will be the swing skill in determining whether this group can chase a second championship. A four-game stretch of bad shooting is all it takes for an early departure from the playoffs. Until proven otherwise, teams will continue to live and die by Oklahoma City’s poor shooting nights.
A Chance To Reset Before The All-Star Break
OKC will not have much time to dwell on this game as their road trip switches gears from the East to the West. On Jan. 27, OKC is slated to face the Western Conference’s last-place New Orleans Pelicans. On paper, this is the kind of matchup that can get the Thunder back on track and rebuild momentum heading into the All-Star break, with multiple Thunder players likely to be a part of the festivities.
The game against the Pelicans is more than just an opportunity to get another win; the offense needs a bounce-back night. Going into All-Star weekend on a good note is key. The break can not come any sooner for the Thunder. It’ll allow injured players more time to heal. Along with this, it also gives the coaching staff time to adapt the offense to new coverages and allows the team time to decompress and gain energy going into the second half of the season and playoffs.
Featured Image: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
