Head coach Mark Daigneault's shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder thinned down to 10 players in the second half of Monday's 126-104 win against the Cleveland Cavs. Thunder's Alex Caruso and Jaylin Williams exited the game with respective injuries, forcing Daigneault to go deep into his bench, which didn't disappoint. Oklahoma City entered the matchup without All-Star Jalen Williams and their starting center, Isaiah Hartenstein.
The Thunder's offense went off in the fourth quarter, tacking on a whopping 45 points in the final frame to outscore the Cavs by 20 en route to a 22-point victory. After the win, Daigneault reflected on his team's response to adversity.
“The thing that I love about this team is we have a group of guys that see those types of setbacks as a challenge,” Daigneault said. “And that became our challenge tonight with only Chet in the frontcourt. So, we played small [for] a lot of minutes. Kenrich did a great job, but the whole team did a great job. Even with Allen out there, we went small a lot in the first half, and the guys really scrapped and fought.
“Then, I thought, huge minutes out of Wiggins, Isaiah Joe; those guys were huge tonight. Not only with the shot making and the offense, but the way the moved the ball, and the way that they defended, and stuck their nose in the fight. It was a great overall team win,” Daigneault concluded.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 30 points led five Thunder players in double figures, including Chet Holmgren (28 points), Lu Dort (18 points), and Isaiah Joe, whose 16 points led the second unit. Oklahoma City shot 56% from the floor, including 23-of-47 (49%) from deep, while its defense converted 23 points off of 21 Cavs turnovers.
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Alex Caruso, Jaylin Williams exit Thunder's win vs. Cavs
Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) and guard Alex Caruso (9) celebrate after scoring against the Miami Heat during the second half at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
On the heels of Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault losing Jalen Williams for at least a few weeks amid a strained hamstring injury, Jaylin Williams, who started in place of Jalen, suffered a back injury against Cavs' Jarrett Allen. Jaylin took a nasty fall after attempting to dunk over Allen, who blocked the shot and sent Williams flying. Alex Caruso stepped on his teammate, Lu Dort's foot, leaving the veteran guard with a groin injury, as the team announced.
No update on Cauro and Williams' respective status ahead of facing the Bucks on Wednesday, as there's a good chance the Thunder will conclude its four-game road trip with a very shorthanded roster.