Detroit Pistons vs OKC Thunder Player Stats and Box Score for April 2 | 2024-25 NBA Season
The OKC Thunder extended their winning streak to 11 games after beating the Detroit Pistons 119-103 on Wednesday at Paycom Center. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder as usual, finishing with 33 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
Jalen Williams added 23 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Chet Holmgren contributed a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds plus five blocks. Cason Wallace had 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Tim Hardaway Jr. put up a solid 23 points for the Pistons. Dennis Schroder provided 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists, while Jalen Duren had a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Ausar Thompson continued his stellar season with 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.
The Thunder improved to 64-12 for the season, while the Pistons are now 42-34. Oklahoma City remained atop the West, earning the No. 1 seed with six games left in the regular season. Detroit, on the other hand, has six games remaining to try and catch the Indiana Pacers, or at least hold on to the fifth spot in the East.
Detroit Pistons vs. OKC Thunder Player Stats and Box Score
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Detroit Pistons vs. OKC Thunder Game Summary
The OKC Thunder have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but didn't take it easy against the Cade Cunningham-less Detroit Pistons. The Thunder coaching staff didn't rest their starters in a no-bearing game at the Paycom Center on Wednesday.
Coach Mark Daigneault used a starting five consisting of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, Lu Dort and Chet Holmgren. With less than two weeks before the playoffs, the Thunder preferred staying sharp for their first-round matchup.
Meanwhile, the Pistons continued to miss Cunningham, who is dealing with a calf injury. He's not set to miss the playoffs, with Detroit just being cautious with their superstar guard. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff fetched a starting lineup featuring Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr., Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren.
The OKC Thunder quickly took control of the game in the first quarter, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 15 points. However, the Detroit Pistons have a different mentality this season and were able to turn a 14-point deficit into a close game at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Thunder regained control after "SGA" decided to take over the game and make things easy for his teammates. They carried a 16-point lead into the final period, but the Pistons just won't go away easily. The visitors trimmed the advantage to just four points midway through the quarter.
However, the Thunder were just too much in the end as they closed the game out with a 12-0 run, holding the Pistons scoreless in the final 3:55.