Thunder Fall in Orlando Following Historic Outing

Less than 24 hours after scoring a franchise record 150 points in a huge victory against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City was defeated by the Orlando Magic 126-115 in Florida on Wednesday evening. The loss drops the Thunder’s season record to 16-22.

After missing last night’s matchup against the Celtics, superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 33 points, four assists, three rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block, going 17-for-18 from the free throw line in his return to action. For the Magic, who last played on December 30, rookie star Paolo Banchero scored 25 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out seven assists. 

Oklahoma City and Orlando went back and forth for the majority of the first quarter, trading leads until an 11-0 run by the Magic gave Orlando a 24-17 lead with two minutes left in the first. In the waning seconds of the opening quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander floated through the air and finished an impressive layup while drawing the foul. 

The Thunder star would knock down the ensuing free throw, bringing the first frame to a close with the Magic leading 31-28. SGA finished the quarter with 11 points and one block, going 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. 

Orlando opened the second period on a 7-0 run, setting the tone for the remainder of the quarter. With just over three minutes left in the half, OKC trailed the Magic by 17.

Eight triples in the first half helped the Thunder cut Orlando's lead to 63-53 behind a 9-2 run late in the second quarter. Orlando went on a 7-0 run to close out the half, heading into the break with a 17 point advantage over OKC. 

At halftime, Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey were the only Oklahoma City players in double figures, with SGA scoring 13 and the 19-year-old Australian pitching in 10 points. 

Already without big men Aleksej Pokusevski and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, rookie center Jaylin Williams left the game early in the third quarter after stepping on the foot of a defender while barrelling down the lane. This left the already shorthanded Thunder with only Mike Muscala to play in the frontcourt.

Without Williams on the court, OKC continued to fall behind, trailing the Magic by 22 points just five minutes into the second half. Oklahoma City clawed back behind 11 third quarter points from Isaiah Joe, cutting the Magic lead to 95-88 heading into the final frame.

Midway through the fourth quarter, a transition 3-pointer from Orlando big man Mo Bamba gave the Magic a double-digit lead. With less than five minutes left in the game, the Thunder trailed 113-98. 

OKC fought until the final whistle, but was unable to muster a comeback,  ultimately falling 126-115.

The Thunder take the court again on Friday, January 6 against the Washington Wizards at 7 P.M. CT in Oklahoma City.