* **Wire-to-wire.** Whew. After two-straight double OT games, Oklahoma City never trailed and led by as many as 24. There were zero lead changes. It was nice not sweating this one in the fourth quarter (and overtime).
* **Chet set the tone early.** After a quiet night against the Pacers, Chet Holmgren came out with a vengeance, dropping 14 in the first quarter on 4-of-4 from three and finished with 31 points (8-12 FG, 6-8 3PT, 9-10 FT), 12 rebounds, 3 steals, and a block in just 27 minutes. Seeing this level of confidence and aggression in Chet has me salivating, tbh.
* **Shai pressed the gas in Q3.** I'm going to have to assume SGA wanted the fourth quarter off, because Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 17 in the third quarter, shooting 6-of-7 from the field as OKC broke the game open. He finished with 30 points (12-17 FG, 4-4 FT), 5 assists, and got some much needed rest in the fourth quarter.
* **Second-chance surge.** OKC crushed Atlanta 30-9 in second-chance points, thanks to 15 offensive rebounds. Holmgren and Hartenstein combined for 6 offensive rebounds, and Aaron Wiggins (yes, you read that right) had 4 offensive rebounds.
* **Hartenstein’s blue-collar night.** Hart has been (quietly) solid so far this season. The veteran center posted 14 points and 10 rebounds (7-13 FG), and was excellent in the pick and roll.
* **Ajay an early 6MOY candidate.** Seriously. Ajay has been a contributor in every single game, scoring in double digits in all 3 contests so far this season. Last night, Mitchell scored 14 points and a team-high 7 assists, serving as a catalyst for minutes without SGA.
* **Cason’s quiet impact.** Cason Wallace remains a box score +/- savant. Wallace was a game-best +21 with 3 steals and 3 assists, while only scoring 3 points. Wallace just does all the little things that contribute to winning basketball, and maybe more importantly for Cason, he schooled his brother on how to win the minutes even without scoring.
* **Free Throws.** After taking a combined 76 free throws in the first two games, the Thunder took only 19 against the Hawks. SGA, already getting lit up on social media for his ability to draw contact, had just 4 free throws after averaging 20 per game in the first two of the season. Just for context, the Houston Rockets took 79 free throws in their first two games, and the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies also average more FTAs/game than OKC.
**1\. This looked like last year’s Thunder.**
Look, the Thunder has been seriously shorthanded to start the season, most notably without Jalen Williams who is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery. The injury report is longer than a CVS receipt, and in the first two games, OKC had to will itself to wins.
But last night against the Hawks? The team used a familiar recipe to run away with a win against an overmatched opponent.
Dominating third quarter? Check. A 39-25 advantage in the third frame.
Turnovers leading to offensive? Check. Seventeen forced turnovers leading to 29 points (+14 in the points off turnovers category).
Attacking the paint? Check. The Thunder owned the paint, outscoring the Hawks 50-34, which not only led to the 50 points but opened up shooters on the perimeter.
Check, check, check. Thunder wins.