Even if the Blazers are very weakened at the moment, winning a match by shooting with more than 60% shooting success (60.5%, 49/81) and more than 60% from 3-point range (61%, 22/36) is very rare. Basket-Reference lists only 234 occurrences, mainly at the time when outside shooting was very little used.
Focusing on games in which a team took more than 20 3-pointers (which is low given that the average this season is 35 outside attempts per game), we drop to 28.
And of these 28 teams, none had completed a game 100% on free throws, like the Thunder (14/14).
Playing principles that everyone adheres to
This shows the performance of Oklahoma City, yet back-to-back after an overtime victory against the Warriors. But Mark Daigneault’s troupe has a playing identity and principles that everyone adheres to.
“Everyone who came on the pitch played the right way for 48 minutes” congratulated the coach. “It’s hard to do with a score like that. But we respected our identity, regardless of the circumstances and who was on the field. This is the mark of our guys and those who don’t necessarily have a lot of minutes but who work. »
However, this group is young (23.5 years on average, only the Spurs and Pistons being younger)…
“Maturity is really the word” confirmed the coach. “We showed maturity and discipline from the start. Our implementation of the game plan early in the match set the tone for the match. »
Everyone contributed in this large victory (134-91) with another 5/6 from afar for Isaiah Joe, a 4/7 from Lindy Waters III or even a 2/3 from Olivier Sarr.
Crazy efficiency from afar
With this fifth consecutive victory, the Thunder (10-4) now occupies second place alone in the Western Conference, behind the Wolves (9-4) but ahead of the Nuggets (9-4) and the Kings (8-4).
Above all, while it was their weak point last season, the team continues to be on cloud nine behind the 3-point line, now with 41% success (1st), even if the Thunder is one of the teams that try their luck the least by far, with 31.4 outside attempts per game (24th).
With as a symbol of this success Lu Dort, who topped out at a very average 33% success during his first four seasons in the league, and who displays 45% success at the start of the campaign!
