Tonight Aleksej Pokuševski planted his first career triple-double, and the guy still waited to play against the best team in the League this season to do it. Excuse us. The Thunder picked up the Suns at the Paycom Center and won 117-96 (yes yes), even if Phoenix had still shown up a bit with their hands in their pockets? But we still take huh.
Take 50 kilos from Nikola Jokić and you get Aleksej Pokuševski (within 7 kg). The Oklahoma City sophomore can do anything with a basketball, and tonight he therefore feasted against the Suns by finishing the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 caviars. He thus becomes the twelfth youngest player in history to pose the TD in the NBA, at 20 years and 86 days. Poku was present in the racket but he especially entertained in the playmaking. In the lead during several possessions, the Serb turned squarely into Luka Dončić. Blind passes, creation of space, shooting from the parking lot at the head of the racquet on the way out of the dribble, the Thunder freak showed a very wide technical palette and once again revealed great potential. Opposite, the Suns landed in Oklahoma without Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton or Jae Crowder, left to rest, it makes things a little easier for OKC but the performance is still more than remarkable.
That was FILTHY, Poku ????@okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/VgptKPpLRv
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) April 4, 2022
She is young and (sometimes) beautiful this Oklahoma team. The average age of the starting five of the Thunder did not pass the bar of 22 years old this night, and the Suns therefore failed to calm the energy of the OKC kids. And while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey won’t play again this season, basketball isn’t dead in Oklahoma. Pokuševski one day, Isaiah Roby another, when it’s not Théo Malédon or Aaron Wiggins, everyone takes advantage of their minutes to show their talents to Mark Daigneault. And this night? Olivier Sarr seized his opportunity by planting 24 pawns in the band of Chris Paul, well let’s see.
All this to tell you that the regular season still has great things to show us, especially in Oklahoma. Yes it’s tanking hard, but still the little ones know how to play basketball.
