Thunder squander late 19-point lead to lose to Bulls 105-103

Playing on a brand new floor inside the Chesapeake Energy, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked to avenge their Thursday loss against the Chicago Bulls.

Unfortunately, they were unable to do that, losing in a close game 105-103.

Through three-quarters, everything was going the Thunder’s way. Al Horford led the Thunder early with 11 first-quarter points.

The Thunder could close out the first half with a 15-point lead, leading 64-49 at halftime.

The Thunder came out swinging in the third quarter, entering the fourth quarter up by 19.

But as they entered the fourth, Chicago scored 34 points, solidifying their comeback win.

Biggest Takeaways

• Fourth Quarter Collapse:

Through three quarters, the Thunder played great team defense on the Bulls. Oklahoma City didn’t allow the Bulls to score over 30 points in any quarter until the fourth quarter. Overall, the Thunder finished the game with seven steals and seven blocks.

Chicago went on to score 31, compared to OKC’s 11, to take a 102-101 lead with just under two minutes remaining. This also happened to be Chicago’s first lead of the game since the second quarter.

After falling behind late, Oklahoma City could not make late plays down the stretch to win the game. Frank Jackson had a chance to win the game with a 3-point shot, but it rattled out.

OKC’s Overall Performance

Despite the loss, the Thunder had a good performance in their final preseason game.

Oklahoma City had six players who scored in double figures.

Horford led the Thunder in scoring with 17 points in just 20 minutes.

Darius Bazley played impressively well, finishing the night with a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Not to mention, an ESPN Top 10 play with this dunk.

Also, first-round draft pick Aleksej Pokuševski had his first career double-double in this game.

Unfortunately, Oklahoma City finishes the preseason with a 1-2 record but has a chance to get back to its winning ways when the season starts.

The Thunder will begin their start of the regular season in Houston to face the Rockets.