The Thunder dug deep on both ends of the floor to rise above Detroit and win its fourth straight game. High-level ball movement resulted in five players with 16 or more points and a gritty defensive effort kept the Thunder ahead against a scrappy Detroit squad.
The tone of Friday’s game varied from the usual cadence of Thunder contests. Instead of a high-energy, fast-paced playing style, OKC was forced to grind through long possessions offensively and defensively throughout four quarters. Thunder fouls and offensive rebounds kept the ball in Detroit’s hands for a longer amount of time which allowed them to stay in the game despite the Thunder’s scoring runs.