For the Thunder, being that their playoff matchup with the Rockets was already set, Friday night’s contest against the Los Angeles Clippers didn’t count for much.
Hamidou Diallo, though, didn’t get the message.
“He played with a lot of energy and was really explosive,” Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said after his team lost its season finale to the Clippers by a final score of 107-103.
Diallo, though, was the bright spot.
The sophomore turned in a career night, scoring 27 points off the bench for Billy Donovan’s club on a fairly efficient 10-for-22 shooting performance from the field. He also grabbed 11 rebounds.
Like Darius Bazley, Dionte Burton and Andre Roberson, Diallo saw his minutes extended as a result of the Thunder’s playoff situation already being solidified. Oklahoma City will square off against James Harden and the Rockets on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Friday night’s 107-103 overtime loss to the Clippers didn’t impact that.
For Diallo, Friday night’s contest against the Clippers provided an opportunity to get some extended run and make a case for himself to get some rotation minutes during the playoffs.
Typically, head coaches shorten their rotations in the postseason, and with Schroder back, Lu Dort emerging as the starter and Roberson’s ability to make an impact on the defensive end, it’ll be interesting to see what Donovan does with Diallo from a minutes standpoint.
During the regular season, the swingman averaged 19 minutes per game. That did, however, increase to 22.4 minutes per game during the eight seeding games in Orlando.
It’s fair to say, as he looks ahead to being tasked with helping to slow down James Harden, that he made his case.
“It’s great,” Diallo said of the challenge, according to Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com.
“These are the types of things we work out for every day. No matter the opponent, I’m gonna come out with the energy and flare I bring to the game.”
Hamidou Diallo on playing the Rockets and guarding James Harden:
“It’s great. These are the types of things we work out for every day. No matter the opponent, I’m gonna come out with the energy and flare I bring to the game.”
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) August 15, 2020
He will now certainly have the opportunity to back it up.
