Five takeaways from the Thunder’s blowout win against the Raptors
Raptors #Raptors
Eugene Omoruyi scored the Thunder’s last bucket of the night, a 3-pointer that capped a runaway 132-113 win against the Raptors.
Omoruyi’s key contributions as a two-way contract player was a reflection of how the Thunder played Friday night.
It was the kind of egalitarian offensive approach the Thunder aspires to. Drive-and-kicks, smart cuts and extra passes that led to open shots.
The Thunder shot 56% overall and 42% from 3-point range.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was efficient per usual, with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, but he didn’t need to be the heliocentric star. His teammates were making shots and
For the first time in Thunder history, eight players scored in double digits.
The scoring was well distributed, even early on. Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Omoruyi all had 11 points at halftime. Josh Giddey had 10 points. Aleksej Pokusevski and Aaron Wiggins had eight and seven respectively. Jalen Williams, Kenrich Williams and Tre Mann had four points.
To put it simply, all nine players the Thunder used in the first half scored between four and 11 points. The Thunder’s 70 first-half points was the team’s highest-scoring half of the season.
Eugene Omoruyi steps up
The Thunder needed muscle against the long and strong Raptors.
In stepped Eugene Omoruyi, the Thunder’s Toronto-raised two-way player.
Omoruyi not only stymied Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, he was also cash from 3-point range, shooting 5-of-6 from behind the arc and 8-of-10 overall.
SGA chatter
As long as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is hooping in Oklahoma City, there are going to be all sorts of rumors tying the Canadian star to Toronto — especially when the Raptors are in town and when the Thunder crosses the northern border.
There’s been zero indication that Gilgeous-Alexander is unsettled in OKC, and there’s no reason for the Thunder to even entertain offers for a 24-year-old who’s ascending from stardom to superstardom.
He’s also in Year 1 of a five-year, $172 million maximum contract.
Before the game, Raptors coach Nick Nurse was asked if he’d like the chance to “work with” Gilgeous-Alexander. As in, work with him in the NBA.
Nurse, who coached Gilgeous-Alexander this summer with Team Canada, was diplomatic in his answer.
“I think I’m fortunate enough to get to work with him with Canada,” Nurse said, “and you know how that goes, thou shall not talk about other teams’ players, right?
“When you watch him, I think that should give (Team Canada) confidence about how good this guy’s playing and how far that can raise the level of our entire team.”
Thunder tip-ins
• OKC’s starting five: Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Dort, Pokusevski, Wiggins
• The Raptors were missing All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam (right adductor strain), as well
• Raptors guard Fred VanVleet exited the game in the fourth quarter due to a non-COVID illness.
• The Thunder debuted its new charcoal and red dirt city edition uniform.
• Lu Dort was 3-of-4 from 3-point range. All three of his makes were from the corner, and his lone miss was an above-the-break three. Dort’s shot diet has started to change in the last two games.
Thunder vs. Raptors live updates
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Five takeaways from the Thunder’s blowout win against the Raptors