Mar 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles on Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Oklahoma City grinded out a win against one of the hottest teams in the league.
The Thunder won against the Detroit Pistons 113-107 at Little Caesar’s Arena on Saturday night. While the Thunder and Pistons had a back-and-forth battle, the Thunder prevailed in the closing moments.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to add to his MVP resume, dropping 48 points in the win. Gilgeous-Alexander took over for multiple timely stretches to help the Thunder improve to 55-12.
The game had plenty of drama, with Cade Cunningham getting ejected and a highly inspired fourth quarter in the aftermath. While the drama brought out the best of both teams, the Thunder lost one of their best, Lu Dort, to a leg injury in the second half, and he did not return. In any case, Saturday was a showcase for Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder left Detroit with a hard-earned victory.
Let’s dive into three lessons that can be learned from yesterday’s game.
Mar 15, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) is defended by Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Without Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren in Detroit, the Thunder had questions about who would step up to carry the load alongside Gilgeous-Alexander. With typical candidate Aaron Wiggins also out, Wallace quickly showed he could fill that role.
Wallace made an immediate impact, scoring nine of the Thunder’s first 16 points. He entered halftime with 13 points and also made an impact defensively by adding a couple of steals.
He finished his impressive night with 20 points and hit a timely triple in the final minutes, similar ot his shot-making to finish Oklahoma City’s win in Boston on Wednesday.
While the Thunder needed Wallace to step up without Williams, Holmgren and Wiggins in the lineup, most of the brunt fell on the Thunder’s superstar. His impact was evident early, hitting the 20-point mark by halftime.
When Gilgeous-Alexander re-entered the game late in the first half, the Thunder trailed by nine. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 11 over the final four minutes of the second quarter to help push the Thunder into the lead going into the locker room.
That stretch to end the half only propelled his second-half performance. He dropped 17 more in the third quarter as Oklahoma City began to build up a lead. As for his fourth quarter, timing is everything.
Gilgeous-Alexander had his fair share of struggles and frustrations in the final frame, but he continued to step up in big moments. When clutch time hit, the MVP favorite delivered with a few jumpers, a tough layup and some free throws to seal a win.
Looking at the final box score, Hartenstein doesn’t appear to have had a game that was all that notable. He finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, plus he had the game-sealing dunk with 23 seconds remaining.
Despite his numbers not necessarily being all that eye-catching in the usual areas, his two steals and three blocks helped the Thunder maintain their level of play defensively, including his late block on Ausar Thompson to keep the Thunder up four with under a minute left. Meanwhile, his offensive impact didn’t shine through the box score.
With the Thunder’s creation at a minimum without Williams, Holmgren and Wiggins, Hartenstein was a key part of many plays throughout the night. As a big body, Hartenstein consistently set screens to get guys space on drives, which often led to scores inside or kickouts for open jumpers. He won’t get the headlines for his performance in Detroit, but he was involved in seemingly every big moment for the Thunder.
The Thunder’s win in Detroit should go down as one of their most impressive of the season, given the circumstances. Of course, Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance will steal all of the headlines, and rightfully so, but his supporting cast stepped up on both ends to again show how dangerous this Thunder team can be.
The Thunder will get another chance to show their skills on Sunday. They will be in Milwaukee for an ESPN matchup against the Bucks to finish off this back-to-back before heading home
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