Oklahoma City Thunder (48-15) beat Chicago Bulls (25-37) 116-108 on the road on Tuesday, March 3.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Thunder had the better start, winning the first 26-22 to lead by 4 after one. The Bulls cut into the deficit with a 32-29 second quarter, though the Thunder still led by 1 at halftime.
The Thunder won the third 32-22 to create some separation, taking a 11-point lead into the fourth. The Bulls took the fourth 32-29; the Thunder held on for a 116-108 regulation win.
What decided it
The Thunder took better care of the ball, turning it over on 8.4% of possessions compared with 17.7% for the Bulls. The Thunder made 20.2 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 14.4 for the Bulls. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Bulls did win one battle, shooting: eFG% of 52.8% against 48.5%. The Thunder made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 107 possessions per team, the Thunder produced 108.5 points per 100 possessions to 101 for the Bulls.
Who made the difference
Jaylin Williams was the game's biggest individual force for OKC: 17 pts, 16 reb, 6 ast on 6-11 shooting. His Game Score of 21.1 led everyone. His team was +1 with him on the floor.
Guerschon Yabusele led the Bulls with 18 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast on 7-14 shooting, good for a 16.3 Game Score.
Guerschon Yabusele (18 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast), Nick Richards (12 pts, 13 reb, 0 ast), and Chet Holmgren (12 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Thunder about a 78% chance.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, Oklahoma City Thunder lead 2-0.
The Thunder are now 48-15, and the Bulls are 25-37. The Thunder last five before this game: W-W-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.