Player grades: Thunder help Jazz with lottery odds thanks to 145-111 win

Apr 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) shoots the ball past Utah Jazz guard Johnny Juzang (33) during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

When the calendar flips to April, all 30 NBA teams can fit into two contrasting categories. Either the final two weeks are a fast race to the finish line or their foot lifts off the gas pedal to relax before the playoffs. OKC and Utah both fit in the latter category for polar opposite reasons.

As both teams had lengthy injury reports with their best players out, the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Utah Jazz in a 145-111 win. Several franchise and individual records were set in this glorified scrimmage. OKC got out of it with more rest ahead of the playoffs and Utah got out of it with the NBA’s worst record with a game left.

Even though this was a game between both teams’ second-string and third-string players, the Thunder quickly showed why they have the best depth in the league compared to the Jazz as they journey through a rebuild.

The Thunder led wire-to-wire. They built a 46-34 lead after the first quarter. Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe quickly took advantage of the vacuum of scoring looks. Both crossed double-digit points after the first frame. That’d be enough for them on most nights.

Entering the second quarter, the Thunder continued to control the game. Ajay Mitchell returned after a three-month absence and they scored 27 points in the frame. OKC entered halftime with a commanding 73-58 advantage after Joe drilled in a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer.

If the Jazz wanted to get back into it, they needed to score points quickly. To their credit, they did that out of the halftime break with a hot stretch from the outside. A 20-5 run got them to just an 11-point deficit with two minutes left in the third frame as Svi Mykhailiuk mimicked a microwave scorer.

Alas, that proved the closest Utah would get to the scoreboard the rest of the way. The Thunder finished with 34 points in the third quarter and held a 107-89 lead. The only drama left is if Jaylin Williams would record his third triple-double of the season.

Once he did, OKC would’ve likely cleared its bench if it had one to clear. It only had nine available players. The Thunder scored 38 points in the fourth quarter and led by as many as 38 points. The helpless Jazz continued to rack up losses to help their lottery odds.

The Thunder shot 56% from the field and went 24-of-53 (45.3%) from 3. They shot 9-of-13 on free throws. They had 41 assists on 56 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Wiggins finished with an efficient 35 points. Joe scored 32 points and made a career-best 10 3-pointers. Williams recorded a 15-point triple-double. Kenrich Williams had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Adam Flagler scored 17 points off the bench.

Meanwhile, the Jazz shot 38% from the field and went 17-of-63 (27%) from 3. They shot 16-of-20 on free throws. They had 23 assists on 39 baskets. Six Jazz players scored double-digit points.

Mykhailiuk led the way with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting off the bench. Brice Sensabaugh had 25 points on 7-of-17 shooting, six assists and five rebounds. Kyle Filipowski had a 15-point and 13-rebound double-double. Keyonte George finished with 12 points and eight assists. Johnny Juzang scored 16 points and Oscar Tshiebwe scored 10 points.

Both teams got what they wanted out of this mandatory game. The Thunder rested their top-seven rotation guys and let their role players gain some confidence ahead of the playoffs. The Jazz helped their lottery odds and continue to be in a fight with the Washington Wizards for the NBA’s worst record.

Let’s look at Thunder player grades:

Apr 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins (21) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

As soon as the ball reached Wiggins’ hands, expect a shot to go up. Whether he drove to the basket or let off a catch-and-shoot look, he took advantage of the greenest light possible. The 26-year-old enjoyed his temporary promotion from a role player to the top scorer.

Wiggins finished with 35 points on 14-of-24 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists. He shot 4-of-10 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had two steals.

Like other games under similar circumstances, Wiggins had no problem eating up shot attempts left vacated by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. He was a drive-heavy scorer who sliced through Utah’s non-existent defense. It didn’t take long for him to put up buckets as he had 22 points in the first half.

With the game already over, one of the only storylines left was if Wiggins would cross 40 points for the second time this season. A quiet second half prevented that as he had to settle finishing five points shy of the career accomplishment. Ah well.

This was the best Wiggins has looked since he returned from Achilles tendinitis. He got into a flow early on and wasn’t afraid to seek the ball as their top scorer. Not sure how much of this is translatable to the playoffs but entering the first round with this much momentum is only a positive.

Apr 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) tries to get past Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) and to the basket during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Only needing a second, Joe drilled in a deep 3-pointer to send the game into halftime. It was that type of night for the Thunder’s B squad as the buzzer-beater was the ultimate heat check that went in for the 25-year-old.

Joe finished with 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting, nine assists and five rebounds. He shot 10-of-14 from 3. He also had two steals.

It was a career night for Joe as he stepped up in his co-star role alongside Wiggins. Both Thunder role players led them to one of the best offensive outings in franchise history. That’ll be a fun trivia question down the road and also exemplifies peak April basketball.

The Jazz couldn’t slow down Joe from the outside. He made a career-best 10 attempts that tied a franchise record with Paul George. He also had a career-best nine assists as everybody got involved for OKC. Everything said about momentum with Wiggins can be said about Joe here too.

If Joe can get a hot scoring stretch like this in the playoffs, he can single-handedly give the Thunder an unlikely win. That’s the luxury of microwave scorers who get their buckets from the outside. He’s another role player heading into the postseason playing his best stretch of basketball.

Apr 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) is fouled by Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) while shooting the ball during the first quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Throwing the ball off the backcourt, Williams’ self-lob was the biggest highlight in a night filled with them. His teammates reacted in surprise on social media as the 22-year-old flexed his hops when he isn’t known for his athleticism.

Make it three-for-three for Williams. When the Thunder sit out their best players, he turns into the smiling version of Nikola Jokic by being a triple-double machine. He finished with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He shot 3-of-5 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block and a steal.

Because of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, Williams doesn’t get many chances to be a mini-offensive hub. He’s more of a spot-up guy when the Thunder play everybody. That said, he’s taken advantage of the extra reps in these similar situations.

It’s always funny to see fans equate wins to triple-doubles. You saw it all the time with Russell Westbrook. You’ve seen it this year with Jokic when he still had a chance at MVP. Now Thunder fans can flex that they’re undefeated when Williams tallies one up and win by an average of 28 points.

Apr 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) shoots the ball over Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

After a three-month absence, any butterflies Mitchell had pitted in his stomach vanished. His signature floater being his first bucket back from toe surgery likely felt like a thousand pounds lifted off his shoulders.

Mitchell finished with nine points on 4-of-8 shooting and five assists. He shot 0-of-2 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. He also had a steal and only logged 18 minutes off the bench.

Everybody started to wonder if Mitchell would come back this season. His initial 10-to-12-week re-evaluation timeline had him razor-thin at the regular season finale. The 22-year-old just made the deadline before the clock hit midnight.

It was nice to see Mitchell back as he gets two more games in before the season ends. That was the last loose thread left in the Thunder’s picture-perfect regular season. He likely won’t see much action in the playoffs but it’s nice to have him in their back pockets if the second unit runs into trouble.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder help Jazz with lottery odds with 145-111 win

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Player grades: Thunder help Jazz with lottery odds thanks to 145-111 win

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