Instant Analysis: Warriors Stun Thunder With Comeback Win Despite Shai's 52-Point Night

The Golden State Warriors' stretch of disappointing performances came to an end tonight against the OKC Thunder at home in the Chase Center with a 116-109 win. OKC's record stands at 37-9 after this loss, ceding the best record in the league to the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Warriors improve to 24-23 in a tie for the No. 10 seed with the Sacramento Kings.

The Warriors were led by a vintage Andrew Wiggins performance, dropping 27 points (10-17 FG) while Stephen Curry shook off a rough first half to dominate in the second, ending the night with 21 points (6-15 FG). Kevon Looney had an incredible stint off the bench with 18 points (4-5 FG) while Gary Payton II had a solid 15 points (5-7 FG) with nine rebounds. Brandin Podziemski put up 11 points (4-6 FG).

The Thunder saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up his second 50-point game of the season (and career) with 52 points (16-29 FG). Jalen Williams did his best with 26 points (12-26 FG), seven rebounds, two steals, and a block. Isaiah Joe was the only other Thunder in double-figures, scoring 17 points (6-11 FG). Isaiah Hartenstein struggled to score but was an imposing presence on the glass with four points (2-10 FG), 18 rebounds, and six assists.

Let's analyze the major takeaways from this clash.

A Cold Offense Loses To An Average Offense

Most of this game came down to shotmaking from both franchises. The Thunder ran out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter because their shots were falling and Shai scored 21 of his 54 points in that quarter alone. However, the story of the game tells a pretty bad story for how cold OKC's offense was in this loss.

They shot 40-99 (40.4 FG%) from the field and 9-39 (23.1 3P%) from three. The Warriors in comparison went 40-81 (49.4 FG%), making the same amount of shots on 18 fewer attempts. They were better from three, going 13-38 (34.2 3P%), which would be below the team's three-point shooting percentage as a whole this season (36.5 3P%).

OKC won the rebounding battle 50-42 and forced 15 turnovers while committing just 11 themselves. They were winning the game on almost every margin but a major shotmaking deficit and lack of offensive creativity outside two players ensured the Thunder would wink in this clash despite coming close to sealing it for themselves. 

Major Flaw In OKC's Offense Exposed

The reason OKC struggled the way they did all game despite Shai having a phenomenal scoring night highlights an inherent flaw in their offense. This has existed since the 2024 Playoffs, but Shai's individual progression as a scorer and the mostly positive impact of Jalen Williams have helped them this season. However, the Warriors pressed up on one of their major weaknesses and excelled.

The Thunder struggle to generate any offense outside of Shai. The guard has to go off for over 30 points to make their wins as seamless as possible, while others continue having bright spots throughout games in the season to keep their winning magic alive. Playoff basketball is an almost entirely different style, with the Warriors adjusting their style specifically to contain OKC's success.

OKC had 21 assists as a team compared to the Warriors' 30, showing that isolation possessions end up being a major offensive crutch for OKC with a talent like Shai.

With the lack of non-Shai creation, the Warriors clearly enabled the star to score at will while their defenders ensured nobody could emerge as a valid co-star. That's reflected in the team's overall numbers and exposed Shai's only offensive weakness, which is playmaking. 

He can pass at a high level but he lacks the imagination to save possessions by spotting weaknesses in opposing defenses with passes, as he does with his scoring. That was their undoing and could be something the team looks to address before the trade deadline.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP Case Is Still Strong

This game has made Shai's MVP case even stronger. One of the major takeaways of this clash has to be about the excellence of Shai and his vast offensive impact on the Thunder. They struggled as a unit to generate consistent points, something Gilgeous-Alexander made a complete afterthought with his effortless ability to keep stacking points.

This wasn't a good game by the OKC Thunder as a whole, but this was a true star-led performance by Shai. He's starting the All-Star game alongside Stephen Curry, but Curry was multiple rungs below Shai in terms of production tonight. With OKC having the best record in the NBA and Shai averaging 32.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists for the season, this loss shouldn't take away from his MVP-caliber season.

Nikola Jokic's statistics are absolutely mind-boggling, but the MVP isn't about numbers purely. We saw Jokic falter majorly in a loss to the Knicks tonight, but Shai dragged his team through the mud to another win. Considering the Thunder haven't had Chet Holmgren for most of the season, their accomplishments become even more impressive.

This MVP race might be wrapped up already, especially if Shai can keep up this pace and lead the squad to potentially 60+ wins this season even though tonight was a disappointment.