Thunder vs Suns, final score: Paul George leads shorthanded OKC over Phoenix, 110-100

box score | Bright Side of the Sun

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns on the road, 110-100. Shorthanded, the Thunder still had little trouble putting down the struggling Suns, pushing forward through 3 quarters and staving off Phoenix’s mini-runs that closed out the 4th. OKC was once again led by Paul George, who finished with 32 points on the night, which included 11-11 from the free throw line. He grabbed a team-best 11 boards on the night, powering OKC to a hefty 52-31 rebounding advantage, including 14 offensive. Steven Adams once again turned up aces against the smallish Suns front line, this time finishing with 26 points and 10 boards on the night.

With Russell Westbrook, Terrance Ferguson, and Alex Abrines all out for the game, OKC’s backcourt was mighty slim. Fortunately Dennis Schroder continued his steady play, and seldom-used “There are some who call me” Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot got his longest run in a Thunder jersey, scoring 12 points in 25 minutes.

This game was largely a “just win” kind of night, and the Thunder had what it took to deliver the game. As the 4th quarter wound down, any time Phoenix showed a hint of life, OKC quickly ground it out, such as this play:

OKC moves to 10-5 on the season, now tied for the lead in the Northwest division. Despite the early season struggles, they have now won 10 of their last 11 games and look to gain a measure of revenge this coming week, first with Sacramento and then with Golden State.

Next game: @ Sacramento Kings on Monday, Nov. 19 at 9PM CST