Thunder steamroll Warriors to join rare 30–5 club in NBA history
It was a marquee night for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who improved to 30 wins in 35 games against a poor version of the Golden State Warriors.
The defending champions continue to roll everywhere they go, and on January 2 they added the Chase Center in San Francisco to the list, completely dismantling the Warriors. The necessary caveat, though, is that the team coached by Steve Kerr was severely depleted for this one, before, during and after the game. That made the win feel somewhat hollow for a Thunder side widely seen as the favorite to repeat once June arrives.
Blowout win for the Thunder
A 37-point blowout should not require any asterisks. The final score, 131–94, tells the story of the night well enough. Still, the context matters. It inevitably dulls the shine of Oklahoma City’s 30th win, even as the Thunder make history again on merit. Only three franchises have ever started a season 30–5: the Bulls did it twice, the Warriors three times, and now the Thunder join that list. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 30 points.
Easy for the Thunder
Oklahoma City is rolling again, winning four straight after being caught out twice in a row by the Spurs in late December. Their opponent Friday night also came in with momentum, having won five of six, until reality hit. This was a game where the reigning champions were allowed to roam freely, a reflection both of what Kerr had available and the lineup choices he made.
Key players out for the Warriors
Golden State was missing key pieces. Stephen Curry was sidelined with an ankle issue. Jimmy Butler was out with an illness, though that came with some raised eyebrows. Draymond Green simply rested, with no further explanation. None of the Warriors’ core trio was on the floor. And that was not all. Kerr had announced the return of Jonathan Kuminga, who had been in the doghouse for several games, only for him to be scratched late with what the team described as back discomfort.
The Warriors appeared to have written this game off before tipoff. They know where to spend their energy, and this was not one of those nights. Kerr followed a page from his mentor Gregg Popovich, recalling that infamous Spurs game in Miami when key players were rested in a near-unwinnable situation. The approach was the same here. When the climb is that steep, pragmatism takes over.
The Thunder cruising
After some complaints about how the officials handled Gilgeous-Alexander, a few bench adjustments, and the natural order asserting itself, the Thunder cruised. They shot 42 percent from three and went a perfect 19-for-19 at the free-throw line, while Golden State attempted more and made fewer. Oklahoma City’s progress was relentless. Kerr started a lineup of Podziemski, Santos, Moody, Richard, and Post, a clear signal. Al Horford, with 13 points in 16 minutes, was one of the few bright spots for the Warriors. Oklahoma City’s offense steamrolled yet another opponent, with no end in sight to this brand of basketball. The lone sour note was a right knee injury to Cason Wallace.
Other NBA results:
Pacers 113 - Spurs 123
Wizards 119 - Nets 99
Cavaliers 113 - Nuggets 108
Knicks 99 - Hawks 111
Bulls 121 - Magic 114
Bucks 122 - Hornets 121
Pelicans 109 - Blazers 122
Suns 129 - Kings 102
Lakers 128 - Grizzlies 121
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
|
4
Moses Moody
|
|
15
Gui Santos
|
|
21
Quinten Post
|
|
2
Brandin Podziemski
|
|
3
Will Richard
|
|
7
Buddy Hield
|
|
20
Al Horford
|
|
32
Trayce Jackson-Davis
|
|
0
Gary Payton II
|
|
61
Pat Spencer
|
| Min | Pts | TR | OR | DR | Ast | Los | Rec | Blk | S1 | S2 | S3 | RF | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
4
Moses Moody
|
27 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0/1 | 5/8 | 1/4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
15
Gui Santos
|
26 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4/6 | 1/1 | 1/3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
21
Quinten Post
|
22 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 3/4 | 1/6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
|
2
Brandin Podziemski
|
26 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/5 | 3/9 | 1/4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
3
Will Richard
|
27 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 3/9 | 2/6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
7
Buddy Hield
|
23 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 3/9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
20
Al Horford
|
15 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2/2 | 1/1 | 3/5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
32
Trayce Jackson-Davis
|
24 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5/6 | 1/6 | 0/0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
0
Gary Payton II
|
15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 0/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
61
Pat Spencer
|
31 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/4 | 1/4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
5
Luguentz Dort
|
|
8
Jalen Williams
|
|
7
Chet Holmgren
|
|
2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
|
|
22
Cason Wallace
|
|
15
Branden Carlson
|
|
9
Alex Caruso
|
|
11
Isaiah Joe
|
|
25
Ajay Mitchell
|
|
21
Aaron Wiggins
|
|
34
Kenrich Williams
|
|
3
Chris Youngblood
|
| Min | Pts | TR | OR | DR | Ast | Los | Rec | Blk | S1 | S2 | S3 | RF | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5
Luguentz Dort
|
26 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 3/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
8
Jalen Williams
|
20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/2 | 5/9 | 0/2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
|
7
Chet Holmgren
|
26 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4/4 | 4/5 | 1/3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
2
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
|
28 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7/7 | 7/15 | 3/5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
22
Cason Wallace
|
14 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/3 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
15
Branden Carlson
|
21 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2/2 | 5/7 | 1/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
9
Alex Caruso
|
10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 1/1 | 0/2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
11
Isaiah Joe
|
19 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 1/4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
25
Ajay Mitchell
|
25 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 4/6 | 1/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
21
Aaron Wiggins
|
27 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2/2 | 2/5 | 3/6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
34
Kenrich Williams
|
12 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
3
Chris Youngblood
|
8 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 3/7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Complete your personal details to comment