Wiggins' surprise performance, Thunder's winning design
Wiggins' surprise performance, Thunder's winning design
Blog Article
Oklahoma City once again proved the power of the Debs.
With superstar Shai Gilzer-Alexander taking the center stage, the performance of six-man Aaron Wiggins and other bench members was crucial to making the series balance.먹튀검증
Anthony Slater, a reporter for The Athletic, said on the 9th (Korea Standard Time), "The Thunder should maximize the power of the Debs with Gilgers-Alexander," and analyzed that the contributions of several non-mainstream players, including Wiggins, were crucial to winning the second round of the final.
After playing for only nine minutes in the first game of the series, Wiggins played for 21 minutes in the second game, scoring 18 points including five three-point shots. While playing for the Thunder, Wiggins recorded a whopping +24.
Coach Mark Deignalt put in Wiggins with 15.2 seconds left before the end of the first quarter, and Wiggins scored right at the start of the second quarter, changing the mood. Since then, he has displayed good performance in offense including a three-point shot at stepback, while Gilzer and Alexander took a five-minute break. Rather, the Thunder have widened the gap by nine points.
Wiggins' playing time changes from game to game, but Gilzer-Alexander acknowledged his contribution, saying, "He is a player who always finds a way to contribute to winning the game, even if his playing time varies."
That was not the only notable change in the game. The Thunder launched their first two-big lineup of Chet Hommegren and Isaiah Hartenstein from the second half of the first quarter, which proved to be effective by immediately posting +6 gains. Dignalt hinted at using Tuberculosis if Indiana uses Miles Turner for the rest of the series.
Holmgren and Hartenstein also produced some of the most spectacular scenes in the game. At the end of the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander drew two defenders and passed to Hartenstein, who immediately connected it to a lap pass. Holmgren then finished it off with a nice Tomahawk dunk.
Having shown poor performance in the first leg, Hommelgren rebounded quickly in this match. He scored the first nine points and recorded 15 points with his overall good field-play rate (6/11). "It is important to feel disappointed when your performance is not good. I always try to be better in the next match," he said.
Gilgers-Alexander needed 30 shots to score 38 points in the first game, but he scored 34 points on 21 field throws and made 11 of 12 free throws in the second game. He dominated the game with eight assists and four steals.
However, the more notable part of the game is that the Thunder did not miss the flow even when Gilzer-Alexander was on the bench. While he was resting, the Thunder rather widened the gap by 11 points, and scored +5 in the 36th minute when Gilzer-Alexander played.
Notably, the quintet - Alex Caruso (20 points), Jaylen Williams, Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Hartenstein - worked in a very strong combination.
"We used this combination often in this season's playoffs, and we always showed good results. Our lineup alternates defense with opposing guards, and our defense capabilities of Dube (Jaelan Williams) and Wiggins' activities come to life," Caruso said.
The Thunder are set to hold two consecutive away games in Indiana, Thursday and Saturday. For the Thunder, the two away games are an important watershed for them to regain their lead in the situation where they lost the first game.
"One superstar alone cannot be a champion," Shai Gilzer-Alexander said, reiterating the need for the strength of the entire team.