OKC Thunder’s Bench Catches Fire in Blowout Win

Oklahoma City’s team as a whole has been responsible for the 39-9 record to start the season. Obviously, the team has been powered by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an MVP candidate and another All-Star in Jalen Williams. But it has been an entire team effort — it’s hard to coast to the No. 1 seed without a loaded roster top to bottom.

The Thunder’s bench, while inconsistent at times, can be a huge boost to the Thunder. When that unit is firing on all cylinders, Oklahoma City is almost impossible to defend. The Thunder have so many options to pull off the bench that it’s nearly impossible to plan for.

Against Milwaukee, Oklahoma City was missing Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Ajay Mitchell. For the Thunder, though, it was a simple case of next man up.

Oklahoma City had three players from its makeshift bench score in double figures, helping carry the Thunder to a 125-96 route of the Bucks.

Ousmane Dieng produced one of the best games of his young NBA career leading the charge with 21 points, eight rebounds, and five assists on 9-of-13 from the floor. Jaylin Williams was also able to shine in reserve minutes, chipping in 13 points in 26 minutes on 5-of-9 shooting.

The wildcard in Oklahoma City’s lineup always feels like Isaiah Joe, and recently he has been on fire. He rotates with the starting lineup and the bench, but on Monday he continued his hot stretch with the second unit. Joe poured in 18 points in 22 minutes, draining five triples.

When on, the Thunder’s bench has been a game changer this year. Knocking down open looks, defending at a high level, and ultimately playing OKC’s brand of basketball is what makes this team great. When the bench unit struggles, it’s no secret that the team struggles as a whole.

Monday night was the perfect reminder of just how big of a lift the Thunder’s bench can provide when performing well. Three players in double figures is exactly what Oklahoma City will need in the playoffs — scoring from everywhere will be critical.