The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Dominance: A Modern-Day David vs. Goliath Tale That Exposes the Fragility of NBA Giants and Challenges the Status Quo of Power Dynamics in Professional Sports
In a zone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t hesitate for a single second. He pulled up from deep despite Bogdan Bogdanovic’s textbook contest. Didn’t matter as he swished in another outside look and talked smack with some of the front row fans as the reigning NBA champion pulled away.
The Oklahoma City Thunder turned a back-and-forth affair into a laugher. They blew out the LA Clippers in a 126-107 win. They crossed off another milestone as they broke the franchise record for best start of a regular season at 8-0.
Early on, you couldn’t have imagined the final moments playing out the way they did. As Kawhi Leonard was out, James Harden had a throwback start. He scored 12 points in the opening minutes to give LA the surprising 12-2 advantage. That forced the Thunder to call a quick timeout.
Could the Clippers spoil the Thunder’s perfect start? They hand-delivered OKC an NBA champion. Being a spoiler here could’ve been a decent consolation prize. The Thunder had a 33-23 deficit after the first quarter. It was the sloppiest they’ve looked all year.
But then things changed in the second frame. As Harden rested, the Clippers’ bench lineup melted away their lead. Nine quick points turned it into a four-point contest. The Thunder scored 33 points in the second quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander got into a groove and Isaiah Joe was hot from the jump. They entered halftime in a 57-56 deficit.
Brand new ballgame. The Thunder went back to playing their defensive style of forcing turnovers. Meanwhile, the Clippers cooled off from the outside. Aside from Harden and John Collins, nobody else in LA could score points. After the break, OKC continued to dictate the pace.
Another nine consecutive points put some distance on the scoreboard. What was once a tied game at 78 points apiece, the Thunder went unconscious from the outside. Gilgeous-Alexander and Joe took turns hitting on unreal shots from the outside that silenced LA’s artificial wall of fans.
The Thunder had 38 points in the third quarter. They exited with a 94-86 lead. While some decent cushion, nothing that could’ve foreseen how the opening minutes of the final frame would play out. As Gilgeous-Alexander rested, OKC’s second unit buried LA’s.
A 19-3 run put this away. Chet Holmgren demoralized the Clippers with a fadeaway jumper. Not even four minutes into the fourth quarter, the Thunder opened up a 107-89 lead. In the blink of an eye, this looked like a game that could come down to the final possessions, to a boring late-night blowout.
What the Thunder did was even impressive for Reggie Miller. The NBC broadcaster dared to compare the Thunder to the 1990s Chicago Bulls. He compared Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams as a Gen Z Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Just the highest of compliments you can get.
The run eventually avalanched to 29-6. The Clippers couldn’t buy a bucket. It finally found a flow with Brook Lopez’s outside heaves, but there was no structure or rhythm with what they ran. LA’s offense boiled down to asking Harden to do what he was only capable of a decade ago.
The Thunder scored 32 points in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t needed to get up out of his seat. They led by as many as 25 points. It was another ho-hum blowout that allowed the entire roster to get some decent minutes in.
The Thunder shot 52% from the field and went 18-of-38 (47.4%) from 3. They shot 18-of-22 on free throws. They had 28 assists on 45 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander had another 30 points in three quarters. Joe scored 22 points with six outside makes. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins each had 12 points. Holmgren finished with 11 points in his return. Isaiah Hartenstein tallied 10 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Clippers shot 41% from the field and went 18-of-43 (41.9%) from 3. They shot 23-of-27 on free throws. They had 26 assists on 33 baskets. Five Clippers players scored double-digit points.
Harden finished with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. Collins finished with 17 points and four rebounds. Derrick Jones Jr. had 16 points and four rebounds. Lopez scored 12 points. Bogdanovic scored 11 points.
Among the octet of wins, this has gotta be up there as one of the more impressive ones for OKC. This isn’t college, so resumes don’t matter, but add this performance to the long list for why everybody and their grandma has picked the Thunder to repeat this year. They’re back to being a winning machine. Any combination of players will do. Doesn’t matter as long as Gilgeous-Alexander is on the floor.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Dribbling the ball up, Gilgeous-Alexander found his favorite spot from beyond the perimeter. Huffing for air, the Clippers made the mistake of letting the reigning MVP walk with an extra pep to his step. A trio of outside buckets from the left-wing spot buried LA’s aspirations of an upset.
On his way back to play other-worldly defense, Gilgeous-Alexander let a few folks sitting front row hear about it. The usually robotic 30-point scorer lets his game do the talking. But he wanted to twist the knife extra hard against his former franchise and longtime friend Chris Paul.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 12 assists and four rebounds. He shot 4-of-5 from 3 and went 8-of-9 on free throws. He also had three blocks. Oh, and by the way — he only needed three quarters to do all that.
The Clippers were clueless in stopping Gilgeous-Alexander. It was their turn among the 29 other teams to deal with that unsolvable problem. He had a little bit of a slow start, but turned it up in the third quarter to put this one away as the Thunder destroyed LA.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 18 points and five assists in the third quarter alone. Yep, you read that right. What would usually qualify as a career night for most of the NBA was just 12 minutes for the reigning MVP. Struggling from deep to start the season, this was his best night from beyond the perimeter.
When Gilgeous-Alexander has that level rolling, good luck. He can slice through your defense or dribble his way to an automatic mid-range jumper. Pick your poison. And if you throw the book at him, he has no problem passing it out to open teammates for good looks. The assist numbers show that.
Sitting out a third consecutive fourth quarter, the Thunder are back to business. Blowing teams out left and right. It took a little bit to get going, but they’re playing like a team that’s picked up right where they left off from a historic 68-14 regular-season last year.
Isaiah Joe: A-plus
Catching the ball 27 feet away, Joe calmly drilled an outside shot in the final seconds of the first quarter. His feet were closer to the AT&T baseline logo than the 3-point line itself. Didn’t matter. He helped give the Thunder a little juice after a brutal opening frame.
Joe finished with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting and three rebounds. He shot 6-of-10 from and went 2-of-2 on free throws.
Man, have the Thunder missed Joe’s outside shooting. Don’t think it’s a coincidence their best two outside shooting games of the season have involved him since he returned from a knee contusion. He’s picked up right where he left off in a career campaign last year.
With Jalen Williams still out, it was Joe’s turn to step up as OKC’s second-leading scorer. He did it from deep, per usual. Alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, a couple of daunting outside buckets put this one away before the Clippers could get truly excited at the thought of an upset.
It’s been a committee approach with Williams out. Any of the role players could go off to make up for the All-NBA player’s scoring production. Joe continues to be the perfect complementary piece to OKC’s two drive-heavy scorers. Defenses have to stay honest with him.
Chet Holmgren: B-minus
Chilling at the dunker’s spot, Holmgren’s baseline cut resulted in his easiest bucket. Hartenstein rolled to the basket and floated the ball up for the seven-footer to finish the big-on-big alley-oop. Just what the Thunder needed to put this one away.
Holmgren finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had three blocks and one steal.
After missing the last three games with back soreness, the Thunder eased Holmgren back into the groove of things. They didn’t need him to be a dynamic scorer, but his defense remains consistent. There’s a reason why Zubac was barely noticeable on the court.
The Thunder continue to dominate when Holmgren is on the floor. He’s a plus-minus darling for a reason. While they might need his scoring talents for other opponents, that wasn’t the case against LA. He does a good job at reading the game.
Isaiah Hartenstein: B-plus
Receiving Holmgren’s inbound pass, Hartenstein’s dribble handoff had everything going in motion. He quickly rolled to the basket and caught the alley-oop. It was another big-to-big lob between OKC’s starting frontcourt. The Clippers couldn’t stop that action.
Hartenstein finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had four steals.
What a start to Hartenstein’s season. After a career campaign last year where he was a double-double machine, he’s one-upped himself. He helped limit Zubac. And on the offensive side, he did a little bit of everything. From some secondary playmaking to always being a paint threat.
You couldn’t draw up a better pick-and-roll partner for Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of OKC’s ball-handlers. His size makes his screening a legitimate weapon. Whenever the halfcourt offense is in a funk, that’s something that can make delicious lemonade out of sour lemons.
Cason Wallace: A
Lazily throwing an attempted pass to Bogdanovic, Dunn slammed his hands in frustration. He knew he had made the inexcusable mistake of throwing the ball near Wallace’s vicinity. It was an easy pick-six as he had an easy fastbreak jam to add to his steal lead.
Wallace finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, three rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-4 from 3. He also had one steal.
Everything is coming together for Wallace. The defense and elite hands have always been there, but now the offense is starting to catch up after a slow start. The outside shot has normalized a bit. He continues to be a scoring threat in transition with his underrated athleticism.
Dealing with foul trouble and eventually a shoulder contusion, Lu Dort had a forgettable game. Harden had the best of him in this latest duel. So Wallace took on the future Hall-of-Famer. Let’s just say the results weren’t as loud. He was quiet for most of the second half.
We’re reaching a point where starting Wallace is becoming a non-negotiable. The 21-year-old has contributed to winning in any role he’s been asked to do. But now, the Thunder have looked simply dominant when he’s on the floor. Which could force some interesting conversation on who loses minutes for him. But that’s for another day.
In a zone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t hesitate for a single second. He pulled up from deep despite Bogdan Bogdanovic’s textbook contest. Didn’t matter as he swished in another outside look and talked smack with some of the front row fans as the reigning NBA champion pulled away.
The Oklahoma City Thunder turned a back-and-forth affair into a laugher. They blew out the LA Clippers in a 126-107 win. They crossed off another milestone as they broke the franchise record for best start of a regular season at 8-0.
Early on, you couldn’t have imagined the final moments playing out the way they did. As Kawhi Leonard was out, James Harden had a throwback start. He scored 12 points in the opening minutes to give LA the surprising 12-2 advantage. That forced the Thunder to call a quick timeout.
Could the Clippers spoil the Thunder’s perfect start? They hand-delivered OKC an NBA champion. Being a spoiler here could’ve been a decent consolation prize. The Thunder had a 33-23 deficit after the first quarter. It was the sloppiest they’ve looked all year.
But then things changed in the second frame. As Harden rested, the Clippers’ bench lineup melted away their lead. Nine quick points turned it into a four-point contest. The Thunder scored 33 points in the second quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander got into a groove and Isaiah Joe was hot from the jump. They entered halftime in a 57-56 deficit.
Brand new ballgame. The Thunder went back to playing their defensive style of forcing turnovers. Meanwhile, the Clippers cooled off from the outside. Aside from Harden and John Collins, nobody else in LA could score points. After the break, OKC continued to dictate the pace.
Another nine consecutive points put some distance on the scoreboard. What was once a tied game at 78 points apiece, the Thunder went unconscious from the outside. Gilgeous-Alexander and Joe took turns hitting on unreal shots from the outside that silenced LA’s artificial wall of fans.
The Thunder had 38 points in the third quarter. They exited with a 94-86 lead. While some decent cushion, nothing that could’ve foreseen how the opening minutes of the final frame would play out. As Gilgeous-Alexander rested, OKC’s second unit buried LA’s.
A 19-3 run put this away. Chet Holmgren demoralized the Clippers with a fadeaway jumper. Not even four minutes into the fourth quarter, the Thunder opened up a 107-89 lead. In the blink of an eye, this looked like a game that could come down to the final possessions, to a boring late-night blowout.
What the Thunder did was even impressive for Reggie Miller. The NBC broadcaster dared to compare the Thunder to the 1990s Chicago Bulls. He compared Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams as a Gen Z Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Just the highest of compliments you can get.
The run eventually avalanched to 29-6. The Clippers couldn’t buy a bucket. It finally found a flow with Brook Lopez’s outside heaves, but there was no structure or rhythm with what they ran. LA’s offense boiled down to asking Harden to do what he was only capable of a decade ago.
The Thunder scored 32 points in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t needed to get up out of his seat. They led by as many as 25 points. It was another ho-hum blowout that allowed the entire roster to get some decent minutes in.
The Thunder shot 52% from the field and went 18-of-38 (47.4%) from 3. They shot 18-of-22 on free throws. They had 28 assists on 45 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander had another 30 points in three quarters. Joe scored 22 points with six outside makes. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins each had 12 points. Holmgren finished with 11 points in his return. Isaiah Hartenstein tallied 10 points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Clippers shot 41% from the field and went 18-of-43 (41.9%) from 3. They shot 23-of-27 on free throws. They had 26 assists on 33 baskets. Five Clippers players scored double-digit points.
Harden finished with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. Collins finished with 17 points and four rebounds. Derrick Jones Jr. had 16 points and four rebounds. Lopez scored 12 points. Bogdanovic scored 11 points.
Among the octet of wins, this has gotta be up there as one of the more impressive ones for OKC. This isn’t college, so resumes don’t matter, but add this performance to the long list for why everybody and their grandma has picked the Thunder to repeat this year. They’re back to being a winning machine. Any combination of players will do. Doesn’t matter as long as Gilgeous-Alexander is on the floor.
Let’s look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Dribbling the ball up, Gilgeous-Alexander found his favorite spot from beyond the perimeter. Huffing for air, the Clippers made the mistake of letting the reigning MVP walk with an extra pep to his step. A trio of outside buckets from the left-wing spot buried LA’s aspirations of an upset.
On his way back to play other-worldly defense, Gilgeous-Alexander let a few folks sitting front row hear about it. The usually robotic 30-point scorer lets his game do the talking. But he wanted to twist the knife extra hard against his former franchise and longtime friend Chris Paul.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points on 9-of-14 shooting, 12 assists and four rebounds. He shot 4-of-5 from 3 and went 8-of-9 on free throws. He also had three blocks. Oh, and by the way — he only needed three quarters to do all that.
The Clippers were clueless in stopping Gilgeous-Alexander. It was their turn among the 29 other teams to deal with that unsolvable problem. He had a little bit of a slow start, but turned it up in the third quarter to put this one away as the Thunder destroyed LA.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 18 points and five assists in the third quarter alone. Yep, you read that right. What would usually qualify as a career night for most of the NBA was just 12 minutes for the reigning MVP. Struggling from deep to start the season, this was his best night from beyond the perimeter.
When Gilgeous-Alexander has that level rolling, good luck. He can slice through your defense or dribble his way to an automatic mid-range jumper. Pick your poison. And if you throw the book at him, he has no problem passing it out to open teammates for good looks. The assist numbers show that.
Sitting out a third consecutive fourth quarter, the Thunder are back to business. Blowing teams out left and right. It took a little bit to get going, but they’re playing like a team that’s picked up right where they left off from a historic 68-14 regular-season last year.
Splash 💦 pic.twitter.com/q5OBw34oAl
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
From downtown👌 pic.twitter.com/o804KU2wKM
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Isaiah Joe: A-plus
Catching the ball 27 feet away, Joe calmly drilled an outside shot in the final seconds of the first quarter. His feet were closer to the AT&T baseline logo than the 3-point line itself. Didn’t matter. He helped give the Thunder a little juice after a brutal opening frame.
Joe finished with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting and three rebounds. He shot 6-of-10 from and went 2-of-2 on free throws.
Man, have the Thunder missed Joe’s outside shooting. Don’t think it’s a coincidence their best two outside shooting games of the season have involved him since he returned from a knee contusion. He’s picked up right where he left off in a career campaign last year.
With Jalen Williams still out, it was Joe’s turn to step up as OKC’s second-leading scorer. He did it from deep, per usual. Alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, a couple of daunting outside buckets put this one away before the Clippers could get truly excited at the thought of an upset.
It’s been a committee approach with Williams out. Any of the role players could go off to make up for the All-NBA player’s scoring production. Joe continues to be the perfect complementary piece to OKC’s two drive-heavy scorers. Defenses have to stay honest with him.
Zai from deep 👌 pic.twitter.com/rZzRXI9gNG
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Slick work on both ends 🤌 pic.twitter.com/aF7gQwP0fk
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Chet Holmgren: B-minus
Chilling at the dunker’s spot, Holmgren’s baseline cut resulted in his easiest bucket. Hartenstein rolled to the basket and floated the ball up for the seven-footer to finish the big-on-big alley-oop. Just what the Thunder needed to put this one away.
Holmgren finished with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had three blocks and one steal.
After missing the last three games with back soreness, the Thunder eased Holmgren back into the groove of things. They didn’t need him to be a dynamic scorer, but his defense remains consistent. There’s a reason why Zubac was barely noticeable on the court.
The Thunder continue to dominate when Holmgren is on the floor. He’s a plus-minus darling for a reason. While they might need his scoring talents for other opponents, that wasn’t the case against LA. He does a good job at reading the game.
We know this @ChetHolmgren fadeaway hit you like 3 espressos ☕️ pic.twitter.com/ztIxLqkYTB
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
They make it look too easy 🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/eQo4k6xf1o
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Isaiah Hartenstein: B-plus
Receiving Holmgren’s inbound pass, Hartenstein’s dribble handoff had everything going in motion. He quickly rolled to the basket and caught the alley-oop. It was another big-to-big lob between OKC’s starting frontcourt. The Clippers couldn’t stop that action.
Hartenstein finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had four steals.
What a start to Hartenstein’s season. After a career campaign last year where he was a double-double machine, he’s one-upped himself. He helped limit Zubac. And on the offensive side, he did a little bit of everything. From some secondary playmaking to always being a paint threat.
You couldn’t draw up a better pick-and-roll partner for Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of OKC’s ball-handlers. His size makes his screening a legitimate weapon. Whenever the halfcourt offense is in a funk, that’s something that can make delicious lemonade out of sour lemons.
Run that 6-0 run back 🎥 pic.twitter.com/jkW4vGSta1
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
That IHart dime 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/SvD3L3BnNu
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Cason Wallace: A
Lazily throwing an attempted pass to Bogdanovic, Dunn slammed his hands in frustration. He knew he had made the inexcusable mistake of throwing the ball near Wallace’s vicinity. It was an easy pick-six as he had an easy fastbreak jam to add to his steal lead.
Wallace finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, three rebounds and one assist. He shot 2-of-4 from 3. He also had one steal.
Everything is coming together for Wallace. The defense and elite hands have always been there, but now the offense is starting to catch up after a slow start. The outside shot has normalized a bit. He continues to be a scoring threat in transition with his underrated athleticism.
Dealing with foul trouble and eventually a shoulder contusion, Lu Dort had a forgettable game. Harden had the best of him in this latest duel. So Wallace took on the future Hall-of-Famer. Let’s just say the results weren’t as loud. He was quiet for most of the second half.
We’re reaching a point where starting Wallace is becoming a non-negotiable. The 21-year-old has contributed to winning in any role he’s been asked to do. But now, the Thunder have looked simply dominant when he’s on the floor. Which could force some interesting conversation on who loses minutes for him. But that’s for another day.
Nothing but open real estate for @wallace_cason 😌 pic.twitter.com/yvCRUBq4hX
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Right to the rack 💨 pic.twitter.com/qQ8ELahjwA
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Pocket picked 🤲 pic.twitter.com/2ZXek0JLiV
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 5, 2025
Highlights:
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder make OKC history in 126-107 win over Clippers