Thunder Secure the 6-Seed, Beat Bucks 127-116 in Regular Season Finale
The Oklahoma City Thunder (49-33) wrapped up the regular season with a win on Wednesday night in Milwaukee, beating the Bucks (60-22) by a final score of 127-116. Despite Paul George sitting due to shoulder soreness, the Thunder blitzed the Bucks (who were resting Giannis Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe, etc) from long range — hitting 23-of-54 (42.6%) from deep to cap the regular season with their fifth consecutive win.
Dennis Schroder led the way for OKC with 32 points, Jerami Grant added a career-high 28 points, and Russell Westbrook contributed 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 17 assists — his 34th triple-double of the season and the 138th of his career, tying him with Magic Johnson for second-most all-time. OKC handed out a season-high 40 assists in the victory, and had six players score in double-figures.
Notebook
3-Point Shooting: The Thunder lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down 23 three-pointers on a night they were without their best three-point shooter. Here’s how the shooting from long range turned out:
- Schroder: 8/15 (career-high)
- Grant: 4/8
- Felton: 4/8 (!!!)
- Ferguson: 3/9
- Morris: 2/4
- Westbrook: 1/3
- Nader: 1/6
The Schrodie: Schroder entered the starting lineup in place of George, and matched his season-high scoring effort with 32 points. He shot 10-of-21 from the field, knocked down a career-high 8-of-15 from long range, and finished as a game-high +14. Really solid effort for a guy the Thunder will need to perform once the postseason begins.
The Brodie: Another night, another triple-double for Russell Westbrook. Tonight’s 15-11-17 was his third triple-double in a row, 34th of the season, and 138th of his career — again, tying Magic Johnson (who’s now free to send a congratulatory text/tweet) for second-most all-time. Russ was an efficient 7-of-10 from the field, again focusing on distribution — which was very encouraging considering Paul George did not play. He wrapped up the regular season assist title with another solid night of sharing.
Update: According to ESPN, “Westbrook is the first player to lead the NBA in points in multiple seasons and assists in multiple seasons.”
JG3: A career-high 28 points for Grant — shooting 11-of-20 from the field, and 4-of-8 from three. He’s peaking at the absolute best time for the Thunder. They are going to need every bit of this production very soon.
The Bench: The Thunder bench outscored Milwaukee’s by a final tally of 37-23. Three players scored in double-figures off the bench for OKC — Felton (12), Morris (12), and Nader (11).
Adams: Steven Adams only saw 12 minutes of action in the win — leaving the contest briefly after a hard foul from Tim Frazier sent him to the locker room with shoulder soreness. He did return, which is good news, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
Now We Wait: Though the Thunder locked in the 6-seed with the victory, the first round opponent won’t be determined until later this evening. Timberwolves/Nuggets, Jazz/Clippers, and Blazers/Kings are all tipping off as this recap is being released. We’ll update as details become available.
