Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball next to Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesClemente Almanza, OKC Thunder WireWed, December 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM UTC·11 min readFor OKC fans who stayed up on a weeknight to catch this contest, they'd hope they'd be able to doze off to sleep in the second half as the reigning NBA champion ran away on the scoreboard from a depleted squad. Instead, stress levels were at an all-time high as the clock passed midnight.
The Oklahoma City Thunder avoided an epic meltdown in their 124-112 win over the Golden State Warriors. Leading by as many as 22 points, they were down a couple of times in the final moments before they eventually pulled away.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEarly on, it felt like the Thunder would make this a snoozer. Jalen Williams went right back at Draymond Green for the opening score. He hit his signature one-legged baseline jumper. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't take long to get going. Chet Holmgren was busy early on. They had a 32-26 lead after the first quarter.
Missing Stephen Curry, the Warriors' offense fell apart. The Thunder buried them on the scoreboard in the second frame. They dropped 31 points. The only thing you could truly complain about was Gilgeous-Alexander's bad free-throw luck as he missed on a wedgie. They entered halftime with a 63-44 lead.
After Jimmy Butler was ruled out, it felt like the Warriors would wave the white flag. Without your two best players, you've got no chance against this team. Gilgeous-Alexander pushed OKC's lead to 69-47 in the opening minutes of the second half. It felt like we were on the cusp of a blowout.
And then the Warriors' B squad slowly chipped away. An extended 20-6 run put them right back into this game. A funky zone defense had the Thunder puzzled. They couldn't crack the code. Meanwhile, unlikely heroes like Brandin Podziemski and Pat Spencer got hot and hit unreal shots on the other end.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMomentum was on Golden State's side. The San Francisco crowd was back into it after contemplating leaving early. Jonathan Kuminga's second-chance dunk had the place rocking and the Thunder shaking. After three quarters, OKC's lead was cut to 91-88. They were outscored 44-28 in a pivotal frame that completely flipped the script of this game story.
Looking like Gilgeous-Alexander would get to rest in the fourth quarter, they needed more heroics from him. It didn't take long for the Warriors to tie it up. Seth Curry mimicked his brother as a demoralizing outside jumper swished in to tie it up at 95 points apiece with a little over nine minutes left. Game on.
Spencer carved up OKC's league-best defense with unreal jumpers. Draymond Green knocked down an outside bucket. The Thunder were suddenly in a 103-99 deficit with seven minutes left. It felt like they were staring down another 22-point meltdown for their second loss of the season.
And then Gilgeous-Alexander checked in. Both teams went back and forth. On one end, Gilgeous-Alexander made unreal shots. On the other end, it was Spencer. Just like we all thought would happen. It was all a matter of who'd blink first between these squads.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTurns out, having an NBA superstar on your side helps you win that intense staring contest. Down 107-106, Gilgeous-Alexander got a big-time bucket on an elbow jumper. Isaiah Joe then swished in an outside corner make. The reigning MVP joined in on the fun with a pull-up 3-pointer.
Just like that, the Thunder rattled off eight straight points. They were up 114-107 with three minutes left. That gave them enough breathing room for the rest of the way. The Warriors' hot hand eventually cooled off. None of their bench players could go on a supernova run. The Thunder scored 34 points in the final frame to avoid another frustrating loss.
The Thunder shot 58% from the field and went 15-of-32 (46.9%) from 3. They shot 17-of-23 on free throws. They had 24 assists on 46 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with an efficient 38 points and four assists. Williams had an efficient 22 points and six assists in his best game yet. Holmgren had 21 points and eight rebounds. Ajay Mitchell tallied 10 points and four rebounds. Aaron Wiggins scored 11 points off the bench.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMeanwhile, the Warriors shot 45% from the field and went 18-of-42 (42.9%) from 3. They shot 8-of-10 on free throws. They had 30 assists on 43 baskets. Six Warriors players scored double-digit points in a group effort.
Podziemski and Spencer each had 17 points. Curry scored 14 points in his Golden State debut. Buddy Hield and Gary Payton II each had 13 points. Green finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Well, that was more stressful than necessary. The Thunder had the Warriors on the cusp of throwing in the towel. Instead, they let the short-handed squad hang around before they went on a run and built confidence that they could pull off the David-esque upset on Goliath. You hear the cliche that it's a tale of two halves, when this was really the tale of three quarters and one ugly quarter.
Alas, you take the win. It's the NBA after all. Even though they've been better against it this season, one of OKC's weaknesses is dealing with a zone defense. Too many times did they cough it up or generate a rushed look. Especially when Gilgeous-Alexander was off the floor. It almost cost them in the W-L column, but a strong finish avoided that embarrassment.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLet's look at Thunder player grades:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus
Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots over Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) in the third quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesMatching up against Hield, Gilgeous-Alexander smelled blood in the water. A couple of dribble moves were all he needed before he pulled up on the stepback 3-pointer that swished in. He didn't say any words, but his death glare spoke enough for him. The outside bucket squashed any fears of an upset.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 38 points on 13-of-21 shooting, four assists and three rebounds. He shot 5-of-6 from 3 and went 7-of-10 on free throws. He also had a steal.
At this point, this is just what Gilgeous-Alexander does — he either blows you out and puts up 30 points in three quarters or he pulls your heart out with ice-cold clutch jumpers. The Warriors decided to go with the latter and go through slow-motion pain.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGilgeous-Alexander had it going early on. The jumper was money at all three levels. He snaked his way through the paint to his on his mid-range jumpers. And his outside shot has suddenly become automatic. Only a few free-throw hiccups are the only thing you can be bewildered by with his 18 points in the first half.
Even when the Warriors made their run, Gilgeous-Alexander made sure it didn't escalate any further. By the time he checked in for another crunch time situation, he looked at it as an opportunity to pad his lead for clutch buckets and strengthen his MVP case. A couple of mid-range jumpers and an outside bucket were all OKC needed to extinguish Golden State.
Add this to Gilgeous-Alexander's growing argument for MVP. The Thunder may have the deepest roster, but they're not the clear-cut best team without him. All of OKC's historic dominance starts and stops with him. You can ask Curry about that, as he was in his shoes a decade ago.
Jalen Williams: A
Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jalen Williams (8) dribbles past Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesMatching up with Hield, it was Williams' turn to go into isolation. Driving to the basket, he created enough separation to go with his signature stepback elbow jumper. That was a neat way to tie a bow on this dramatic win and for his best game yet since he returned from wrist surgery.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWilliams finished with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, six assists and three rebounds. He shot 0-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had a steal and a block.
Welcome back, Williams. This was easily the best his jumper has looked. Going at Green for a fadeaway jumper on the opening possession got him into a groove. Once one fell in, several more followed. He dissected Golden State's defense with driving floaters and jumpers that require the finesse he's yearned for.
In a high-leverage situation, Williams calmly held it down with the bench lineup to start the fourth quarter. He went at Green once again for the patented floater. Later on, he picked up his dribble as he drove past Podziemski for the fancy bank layup that kissed the glass.
This is what the Thunder missed for the first month of the season. Sure, they had the NBA's best record. But it was a group committee in terms of scorers following Gilgeous-Alexander. With Williams, you have somebody else who you trust to drive to the basket and figure out a way to lay it in. That's big time.
Chet Holmgren: A
Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) drives past Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard (3) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesGetting the ball in the post, Holmgren made Will Richard pay. The rookie tried to rip the ball out of his possession. Instead, the gamble blew up. The seven-footer elbowed his way on a turnaround move to finish through contact on the driving layup.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHolmgren finished with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-3 from 3 and went 3-of-3 on free throws. He also had a block.
The start and finish are all that mattered for Holmgren. He helped the Thunder get up by double-digit points. And when that lead evaporated, he scored nine points in the final frame to ensure they wouldn't endure another blown lead loss.
Holmgren was another efficient 20-plus point scorer for OKC. The Warriors didn't have the size to contest his looks deep inside the paint. A couple of outside makes also forced Golden State to defend him honestly as he stretched the floor. These are the matchups he always gets up for, so it shouldn't be a shocker.
For the first time this season, OKC's star trio led them to a win. Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren combined for 81 points. It feels nice being able to see that happen for the first time since the NBA playoffs. That type of superstar power is often too much to overcome.
Ajay Mitchell: B
Dec 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) makes a shot over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesUtilizing Jaylin Williams' screen, Mitchell navigated to the point in a one-point contest with five minutes left. He went straight at Green and had the difficult floater to score the much-needed bucket to keep up with the Warriors. Talk about guts to go at a former Defensive Player of the Year winner like that.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMitchell finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-3 from 3.
With Lu Dort out with an adductor strain, Mitchell received the start. He's been in and out of the starting lineup all season as OKC juggles through injuries. While his role has fluctuated, one thing remains consistent — he's the perfect backcourt partner for Gilgeous-Alexander.
Mitchell has shown he can attack the basket. He has a more muscle-through style of driving to the basket, but his floater has a nice feel to it. He's also turned into a legitimate catch-and-shoot option. He can seamlessly run your second unit or play off-ball.
It's an embarrassment of riches for the Thunder. If Dort and Alex Caruso are out, Mitchell can easily absorb their minutes and usage. And OKC doesn't miss a beat. He's had the best developmental story so far this season as a real contributor to the NBA's best team.
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This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder avoid meltdown in 124-112 win over Warriors
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