The Oklahoma City Thunder traveled to the Kaseya Center on Friday to face the Eastern Conference heavyweights, Miami Heat. Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 58 points to help the OKC extend their winning streak to seven games in the 2024-25 NBA regular season. On the other hand, the Miami Heat lost their second straight game as the Thunder won 97-104.
Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler played just seven minutes in the game against the Thunder. He turned his right ankle in the first quarter and left the game. However, moments later, he was ruled out of the game before the beginning of the second quarter due to illness.
Status alert: Jimmy Butler (illness) won't return Friday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) December 21, 2024
In Butler’s absence, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo registered a double-double each. While Herro scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out five assists, Adebayo registered 17 points and 10 rebounds. Dru Smith and Duncan Robinson scored 13 points each in the loss against the Thunder.
Oklahoma City Thunder Dominate Miami Heat To Clinch Seventh Straight Win
Despite Herro and Adebayo’s efforts, the Thunder kept control of the game and clinched victory on the road. Jalen Williams gave an outstanding performance with 33 points, including 4-off-7 three-point shots. He also recorded six rebounds, four assists, and a block. OKC star guard SGA registered 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Apart from these two, OKC center Isaiah Hartenstein secured a double-double with 13 points and 18 rebounds. On the other hand, forward Luguentz Dort scored 14 points on 71.4% shooting from the field and 80% from beyond the arc. After losing the NBA Cup final against the Milwaukee Bucks, OKC won their last two games.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
With this win, the Thunder continued their reign at the top of the Western Conference standings. OKC improved to a 22-5 record and moved 3.5 games ahead of the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies. On the flip side, Miami continued to stay in the sixth spot in the East despite the loss. the Heat have a 13-12 record and will travel to the Kia Center to face the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
Also Read: Chet Holmgren Injury Update: How Long Will Oklahoma City Thunder Star Remain Out Of Action?
