Three Takeaways From OKC Thunder Close Loss to Heat

1. Gilgeous-Alexander Leads the Charge

Gilgeous-Alexander resumed his bid for a back-to-back Most Valuable Player nomination with a phenomenal performance in Miami. Despite the loss, the Canadian guard was phenomenal.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points and added four rebounds, three assists and a steal on 12-of-19 shooting.

He was on fire throughout the night, knocking down shots at all three levels, getting to the rim at will. Gilgeous-Alexander hit two triples on four attempts in the game.

Gilgeous-Alexander found Caruso on a clean look for the win, but the shot rimmed out.

2. Jalen Williams has an Early Exit

Midway through the second quarter, Thunder star Jalen Williams exited the game with an apparent right leg injury. He would later be ruled out for the rest of the game with "right thigh soreness," ending his night with eight points, three rebounds and three assists in 14 minutes.

Williams' status could be in question for Oklahoma City's next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a rough team to miss one of its best players against.

Unfortunately for Williams, this injury occurred at a time when he was starting to play his best basketball of the season, stringing together multiple 20-point games throughout January. The Thunder have dealt with injuries throughout the season and now have another key one to deal with.

3. Heavy Bench Production

In order to overcome a key player going down early, OKC's bench needed to step up in his place. The Thunder bench did just that throughout the night.

Aaron Wiggins led the way with 18 points and six rebounds, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor and 4-7 from three-point range. He succeeded on both ends of the floor during every part of the game.

Ajay Mitchell continued his breakout season with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists, shooting 6-of-13 from the floor, hitting a triple. On top of scoring efficiently, Mitchell grabbed two big rebounds in the clutch.

Isaiah Joe knocked down two triples on three attempts, adding two free throws to his totals too, bringing great and consistent spacing in his 19 minutes of run. Fellow Arkansas native Jaylin Williams assisted on four made shots as well.

If Williams has to miss extended periods of time due to his injury, bench production is critical for the Thunder to string together victories.

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