Dennis Schröder and Isaiah Hartenstein were the focus of attention in the clash between the Sacramento Kings and the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the end, the reigning champions prevailed, led by an outstanding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder continued their strong early form in Oklahoma City and prevailed against the Kings with another commanding performance. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and set the tone offensively, while Chet Holmgren contributed 21 points. Isaiah Hartenstein delivered a solid performance in the paint: the center had four points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, stabilizing the defending champions’ defense as they celebrated their seventh consecutive victory and extended their record to 15-1. Dennis Schröder kept Sacramento in the game for long stretches and took on a lot of responsibility in the backcourt. The German guard scored 21 points (Kings’ top scorer), DeMar DeRozan added 17 points, but without the injured Domantas Sabonis, the Kings lacked presence under the baskets. OKC pulled away in the third quarter in particular, when Gilgeous-Alexander extended the lead with several and-ones and the Thunder went into the final quarter with a double-digit cushion.
In the final quarter, the home team sealed the deal: Lu Dort scored 11 of his 14 points in the final quarter and prevented any serious comeback by the visitors. Sacramento thus remained in its losing streak, suffering its seventh defeat in a row, while Oklahoma City recorded another clear victory in a series of recent convincing wins.
