On December 22, Beijing time, the Thunder defeated the Clippers 134-115 at home, ending the opponent's nine-game winning streak. The Clippers missed the game by the rest of the game, which became the main reason for the team's defeat in this game. George had 22 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, Harden had 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, and Willis had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.
For the Thunder, Alexander had 31 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, Holmgren had 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and Jalen Williams had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. The Thunder Three Youths continued to exert their might. After winning this game, the Thunder continued to rank second in the West with an 18-8 record.
In this game, the Thunder's offensive efficiency was very high, and the whole team blossomed at multiple points, shooting 58.6% from the field, 47.1% from three-point range, and 88.9% from the free throw line. The Thunder went 35-29 in the first quarter, 29-30 in the second, 45-33 in the third quarter, and held on to the advantage 25-23 in the final quarter.
Alexander was the leader of the team, and he showed his versatility against his former club, the Clippers, scoring a game-high score on the offensive end and making four steals and two blocks on the defensive end. Alexander's defense has evolved dramatically this season, and he is currently the league's steal leader, now averaging 2.85 steals per game to rank first in the league and lead the break.
With Alexander's excellent performance on the defensive end, he has the potential to make the defensive team (first or second team) this season. Alexander has made steals in every game this season, which shows how consistent he is on the defensive end.
The Clippers sent Alexander to the Thunder as one of the chips in order to get George, and now Alexander has grown into an All-Star and is one of the MVP candidates this season. Alexander is now better than George.
Holmgren also continued to be efficient, shooting 9-of-11 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range. Holmgren is now averaging 17.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from three-point range and 87.8 percent from the free throw line. It's rare for Holmgren to play so efficiently.
Jalen Williams has been another big surprise for the Thunder this season, and he has continued his consistent performance this game. Williams is averaging 17.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this season while shooting 49.2 percent from the field.
The Thunder have become an important factor in the team's transformation and creation of good results this season. The Thunder proved their ability to play tough battles by taking down the ferocious Clippers.