It’s been talked about before. But Monday night’s comeback win over the Houston Rockets was just another example of how the Oklahoma City Thunder is the most clutch team in the NBA.
Though the margin was 16 at the start of the fourth, the Thunder trailed by as many as 17 in the third. And yet, it’s only (only!) their fourth-largest comeback this season.
Chris Paul has been praised for his performance in late-game situations. In fact, he’s the best in the NBA. Not super surprising, though, for a veteran guard that has had a Hall of Fame career.
But of Paul’s 28 points on Monday night, 27 came in the first half, leaving the task of leading a comeback to his teammates.
And, as Nick Crain of Forbes points out, it’s not just Paul that’s been coming through in the clutch.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is tied for sixth in the league with 72 points. To put that into perspective, he is tied with guys like James Harden and Devin Booker. Danilo Gallinari is tied for 29th in the NBA with 55 clutch points. While that may not seem like much, that ties him with Anthony Davis.
But coming through in the clutch depends on so much more than scoring points. As noted by Crain, Oklahoma City’s defense is also clamping down when the game is on the line.
Another reason the Thunder have won so many games down the stretch is due to their suffocating defense that leads the league in steals and points off turnovers. They’ve also taken care of business on the glass.
Per Crain, in the clutch, Oklahoma City is first in rebounds (104), steals (22), and points off of turnovers (55), as well as sixth in defensive rating (97.7).
It’s fitting that with those numbers, the 6-0 run that the Thunder used to take the lead late in the fourth quarter was sparked by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stealing the ball from James Harden, taking the length of the floor for a dunk.
