‘A lot of fun’: Giddey’s new weapon as ‘Aussie assassin’ crushes Warriors — NBA Wrap
Oklahoma City dealt shorthanded Golden State a fifth straight NBA defeat Thursday, the Warriors unable to comprise the explosive younger Thunder facet within the absence of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 factors to guide the Thunder and Isaiah Joe added 23 off the bench as six Thunder gamers scored in double figures in a convincing 128-109 victory.
That included Aussie Josh Giddey, who discovered his capturing vary from deep to hit 3/3 triples – and even had a commentator label him the “Aussie assassin”.
Giddey will not be identified for his three-point capturing, having made none of his six makes an attempt within the final 5 video games and simply 4 of 21 for the season (19 per cent) earlier than as we speak.
He completed with 19 factors, six rebounds, an help and two steals.
Giddey mentioned: “We’ve got a lot of guys can do a lot of things and when we’re playing the way we did tonight, it’s a lot of fun. Everyone’s involved … That’s the best way to play.”
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The Warriors had seven gamers rating in double figures, with Jonathan Kuminga main the best way with 21 factors and 6 rebounds.
But sharpshooter Klay Thompson made simply one in all his 11 photographs from the ground on the best way to 5 factors.
Warriors star Curry was once more sidelined with a hard knee whereas Green was serving the primary sport of his five-game suspension for grabbing Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert across the neck throughout a loss to the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr informed reporters earlier than the sport that Green, who was ejected after throwing an arm round Gobert’s neck and dragging him throughout the courtroom, “definitely took it too far.”
Kerr mentioned he had no objection to Green reacting to Gobert’s contact with Golden State’s Thompson — after Thompson tangled with Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels — however he mentioned Green crossed a line.
“He hung on for six, seven seconds. It was a terrible visual for the league, for Draymond, for everybody,” Kerr mentioned. “Draymond was wrong, he knows that, it’s a bad look. The five games is deserved. We move forward.”
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But with out Green the Warriors defence was clearly missing towards a younger, hungry Thunder workforce.
Joe related on seven of seven makes an attempt from three-point vary on the best way to his season excessive in scoring.
Josh Giddey added 19 factors, rookie Chet Holmgren chipped in 13 factors and 10 rebounds in his fourth profession double-double and the Thunder notched their fifth win in six video games.
Oklahoma City led by as many as 15 factors within the first quarter. Golden State trailed by 9 coming into the fourth, when the Thunder outscored them 34-24 to roll to victory.
Butler brings seventh straight Heat win | 00:52
‘WHATEVER IT TAKES’: BUTLER GOES OFF
In the day’s solely different sport, Jimmy Butler scored 36 factors to assist the Miami Heat shake off a gradual begin and beat the Brooklyn Nets 122-115, pushing their profitable streak to seven video games.
The Heat, with Tyler Herro nonetheless sidelined by damage, missed 10 of their first 11 photographs, however the Nets couldn’t construct a lead of greater than six factors within the first quarter.
By halftime the Heat have been up 60-52, and Butler scored 18 within the third quarter as Miami pushed their result in double digits, by no means trailing within the second half.
Butler related on 12 of 19 photographs from the sector and added 5 rebounds with three assists and three blocked photographs.
“Whatever it takes to win,” Butler mentioned. “I believe we did job within the second half of guarding. I used to be very, very, very pleased with us for that.
“I don’t assume we rebounded as effectively within the fourth quarter, however total we performed some nice basketball.
Duncan Robinson scored 26 factors for Miami and Bam Adebayo chipped in 20. Mikal Bridges and Lonnie Walker IV scored 23 factors apiece for the Nets, whose November 1 victory over final yr’s Eastern Conference champions had pushed the Heat to 1-4.
Miami haven’t dropped a sport since and have climbed to 3rd place within the East, 1.5 video games behind leaders Boston.
