Thunder explode on offense, disintegrate Knicks on defense

OKC 126 NYK 101

Shooting helps. Isaiah Joe emphatically ended his slump, exploding with a barrage of threes for 23 of his 31 points in the first half. That offensive lift for the Oklahoma City Thunder (31-6) combined with their patented defense to put the New York Knicks (25-14) in a 70-43 crater at halftime. And then Shai (39 filthy points on 15-21 FGA) ended the game in the third quarter. As the Knicks pecked the lead down to 22, SGA noped their chances by scoring 11 in the frame's last three minutes, swatting Jalen Brunson and laying in a buzzer beater for good measure over that span.

The Thunder haven't needed Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso to maintain a consistently dominant defense for huge chunks of the season. When Shai gets some extra help on offense, the team becomes unstoppable. So whether you think Chet's return or a trade are the final ingredients for OKC's title hopes, good things are on the horizon.

Next up: OKC travels to Washington on Sunday before another slate of tough games next week.