Oklahoma City Thunder (59-16) beat New York Knicks (49-27) 111-100 at home on Sunday, March 29, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Thunder had the better start, winning the first 26-23 to lead by 3 after one. The Knicks cut into the deficit with a 29-27 second quarter, though the Thunder still led by 1 at halftime.
The Thunder won the third 31-26 to create some separation, taking a 6-point lead into the fourth. The Thunder took the fourth 27-22; the Thunder finished the job for a 111-100 regulation win.
What decided it
The Thunder made 41.3 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 15.9 for the Knicks. The Thunder took better care of the ball, turning it over on 14% of possessions compared with 19.5% for the Knicks. The points at the line gave them room for error elsewhere.
The Knicks did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 35.7% against 31.6%. The Thunder made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 93 possessions per team, the Thunder produced 119.9 points per 100 possessions to 108 for the Knicks.
The Thunder's reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 25-13.
Who made the difference
Jalen Brunson was the game's biggest individual force for NYK: 32 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast on 13-22 shooting. His Game Score of 21.2 led everyone. His team was -13 with him on the floor.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast on 8-18 shooting, good for a 19.7 Game Score.
Karl-Anthony Towns (15 pts, 18 reb, 2 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Thunder about a 72% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Oklahoma City Thunder lead 3-0.
The Thunder are now 59-16, and the Knicks are 49-27. The Thunder last five before this game: W-W-W-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.