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Player grades: Thunder pull away late in 116-108 win over Bulls

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Receiving Aaron Wiggins' kick-out pass, Jaylin Williams calmly knocked down the outside catch-and-shoot look. Boom. That was enough for Chicago to wave the white flag as it cleared its bench. Even without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and others, OKC has figured out a formula to taste success.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a 116-108 win over the Chicago Bulls. It was a game where the reigning NBA champions had most of the control. The latter is filled with career journeymen trying to find their next paychecks.

To start, both teams struggled to get anything going. The Thunder eventually found a rhythm with their second-unit lineup. Williams had eight points. Jared McCain quickly put up six points. They had a 26-22 lead after the first quarter.

The Bulls kept it within a possession. Guerschon Yabusele bullied his way to the rim. He also swished in a few outside jumpers. Isaiah Joe exchanged buckets with him. Welcome to NBA March basketball. The Thunder scored 29 points in the second frame. But they entered halftime with just a 55-54 lead over Chicago.

After the break, the Bulls eventually retook the lead. Josh Giddey swished an outside jumper. Matas Buzelis went to the free-throw line. Brand-new ballgame for OKC. That's where Chet Holmgren took over — on the defensive end, at least. Chicago's offense couldn't get anything going. It was out of synch. The rim-protector ensured that.

The Thunder went on a 14-4 run to create some separation again. They scored 32 points in the third frame. The Bulls saw their world fall apart. On one possession, Giddey had a gnarly ankle roll. A few possessions later, Buzelis also injured his knee. Both of Chicago's prized prospects fell. Only the former returned to the game.

Holding onto an 87-76 lead, the Thunder didn't need long to add more. They kept their distance on the scoreboard. Cason Wallace's steal-and-score pushed their advantage to 110-91 with a little under five minutes to go. That was enough to zap away all interest from this game — or most of it.

The Bulls went on an interesting 17-4 run that had the Thunder call a couple of timeouts to close this out with their end-of-bench guys. The outside shooting suddenly couldn't miss for Chicago in a half-empty gym still relying on nostalgia to sell tickets.

All that did was make the final score a little more respectable. The Thunder scored 29 points in the final frame. It never felt like they were actually on the verge of losing to one of the league's worst teams whose front office punted on the season at the trade deadline.

The Thunder shot 43% from the field and went 10-of-42 (23.8%) from 3. They shot 20-of-24 on free throws. They had 23 assists on 43 baskets. Six Thunder players scored double-digit points.

Holmgren had 12 points and 11 rebounds. McCain scored 20 points off the bench. Joe had 19 points. Wiggins tallied 18 points and seven rebounds. Williams finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds and six assists. Wallace had 17 points and five assists.

Meanwhile, the Bulls shot 43% from the field and went 17-of-49 (34.7%) from 3. They shot 13-of-19 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 39 baskets. Six Bulls players scored double-digit points.

Giddey finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Sexton scored 20 points off the bench. Yabusele had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Nick Richards tallied 12 points and 13 rebounds. Tre Jones scored 15 points. Buzelis had 11 points and five rebounds.

Another business-first win. Over the last month, the Thunder have learned to win without Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Never want to be without the reigning MVP and an All-NBA player, but OKC has passed several gut-check tests. Credit to OKC's system for making the most of the talent available on any night.

The Thunder depended on their league-best defense to shut down the Bulls — who only got lucky with outside shooting variance. Both teams are heading in opposite directions. OKC has some of the best team chemistry in the league. Meanwhile, Chicago plays like a bunch of dudes who met for the first time before the game. The contrasting playstyles were loud.

Let's look at Thunder player grades:

Chet Holmgren: B

Running down the floor with Yabusele, Holmgren quickly made up for lost ground. The Chicago role player tried to rush in a transition layup. Instead, the NBA All-Star player yelled in his ear as he jumped off the floor with him. His wingspan helped him swat away his attempt. Just a special defender.

Holmgren finished with 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds and two assists. He shot 0-of-2 from 3 and went 4-of-6 on free throws. He also had two blocks.

Affecting the scoreboard in his way, Holmgren helped ice the Bulls. They struggled to attack the rim when he was on the floor. A bunch of Chicago role players didn't want to be on the wrong side of a refusal. That helped the Thunder overcome some ice-cold shooting splits as they manufactured points.

On the other end, Holmgren continued to be an efficient play-finisher. He sliced through Chicago's defense. Playing without a table-setter, the seven-footer showed he could go out and get his own buckets. He only needed a handful of dribbles to get to the cup and finish through contact.

Awesome game for Holmgren. He played within the flow of the offense. But also showed an ability to create off the dribble. Something he's rarely allowed to do when Gilgeous-Alexander is suited up. The defense speaks for itself. The seven-footer completely took over in the third quarter on that end as OKC pulled away with a double-digit lead.

Jared McCain: A

Running some floppy action, McCain received Williams' dribble handoff. He took one dribble before he settled for a deep left-wing outside jumper that rattled in. Playing inside the historic NBA venue, the 22-year-old showed off some of his deep shot-making.

McCain finished with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, three rebounds and one assist. He shot 4-of-9 from 3. He also had two steals.

The rich keep getting richer. There were a lot of loud reactions involved when the Thunder acquired McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers. How could it happen? Why were the reigning NBA champions gifted a premier prospect? I felt like some of it was overblown. But oh my, can't say that right now, a month in.

McCain has been a perfect fit in OKC. Almost too perfect. After riding the bench to start the season, he's completely taken advantage of his fresh start. The Thunder needed a scorer with the number of guys out. He's gladly claimed plenty of possessions for himself.

The Thunder ran their second-unit offense through McCain. He was fed plenty of looks from the outside. One thing we've learned over his first month in OKC is that he's not afraid to let it fly. Once he got into a rhythm with his jumper, the buckets came in a flurry. He had nine points in the first half. He had the same amount in the third quarter alone.

In a game where plenty of players helped out, McCain was OKC's sole 20-point scorer. The Thunder badly needed the spark plug off the bench. He helped put them ahead by double-digit points. What an arrival by their big mid-season acquisition. For comparison, their last major trade deadline addition — Gordon Hayward — is about to get surpassed for points in their respective OKC stints.

Jaylin Williams: A

Navigating McCain to cut to the basket, Williams went with the daring behind-the-back bounce pass as Richards was on his grill. The colorful pass resulted in an easy layup. Asked to take on more on his plate, the 23-year-old flirted with a triple-double.

Williams finished with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 16 rebounds and six assists. He shot 3-of-7 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had one steal.

It was an inside-outside scoring game for Williams. He had a few layups for a nonexistent defense. He also showed off his outside jumper. He helped close this out with nine points in the final frame. That included the dagger outside bucket that forced the Bulls to clear their bench.

The Thunder increased their lead thanks to their second unit. Williams was part of that. Scoring aside, he helped on the boards with one of his best nights ever in that department. The Bulls' erratic offense helped him gobble up misses on the boards. That helped OKC out in a big way, considering Isaiah Hartenstein was sidelined.

Stitching together a halfcourt offense, the Thunder relied on Williams' playmaking. He served as an offensive hub surrounded by several of their best off-ball cutters. He connected with his teammates on looks around the rim. The 23-year-old fit the ball into tiny windows as he flexed his passing skills.

Another game with the hospital version of OKC, another game where Williams easily scaled up. That might be his best skill. The third-string center has shown over the years that he can do whatever they need out of him. Some nights, it's playing a minimal role. Other nights, it's him having the ball in his hands as a way to create offense without an NBA superstar scorer.

Isaiah Joe: B

Catching all five Bulls players asleep, Joe hard-cut to the basket before his teammates even crossed halfcourt. He went up for the alley-oop as Williams threw up a pass from the midcourt logo. Despite the distance, it was one of OKC's easiest buckets.

Joe finished with 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting and two rebounds. He shot 2-of-10 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had one steal.

The outside jumper didn't fall, but Joe has graduated past just being a one-dimensional player. He found other ways to score as he was gifted a few easy looks around the rim. He even knocked down a couple of mid-range jumpers. He had 13 points in the second frame alone to keep the Thunder ahead.

It's been quite a month for Joe. He's turned into a consistent scorer. While it's been awesome to see him ride sizzling outside shooting to become that, the next step in his development was how he'd help out when the jumper didn't fall. You saw that firsthand here.

The Thunder need everybody to help out in these scenarios. It's the only way to overcome Gilgeous-Alexander's absence. No one will truly be a one-for-one replacement. Joe was part of a group effort once again. Even if his hot scoring only lasted one quarter.

Aaron Wiggins: B

Crossing over Yabusele, Wiggins lowered his shoulders before he drove to the basket. Losing his balance, he flung up the ball. The circus shot attempt kissed off the backboard as the 27-year-old was laid out on the ground. Finally, his finesse returned.

Wiggins finished with 18 points on 8-of-17 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists. He shot 0-of-5 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had two steals and one block.

Throughout a tough month, the Thunder have stuck with Wiggins. One bad month suddenly doesn't erase years of work. The 27-year-old has struggled to put the ball through the hoop. He's had the same dribble moves to create separation. But just hasn't had the same efficiency as before.

Receiving the start, Wiggins finally rewarded their patience. He had 14 points in the second half. He flexed his tough shot-making on driving layups that increased in difficulty. Even at awkward angles, he somehow came up with buckets. It was a vintage stretch that has helped him become a main staple in OKC's rotation over the years.

Great way to finish the game. Wiggins helped the Thunder put this one away. Let's see if the momentum can snowball to other games. The 27-year-old is due for a hot streak. He's too good a self-creating scorer to suddenly forget to shoot the ball.

Cason Wallace: B

Stealing the ball away from Yabusele, Wallace had an easy lane to the basket. He went with the double-pump transition dunk. The Thunder were about to cross the finish line as they amped it up on the defensive end in the final moments of the game.

Wallace finished with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting, five assists and one rebound. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had two steals.

Considering who was out, Wallace returned to being the traditional point guard. He helped run the offense. Things were too easy for him when he drove to the basket. He also cashed in on a couple of jumpers. Over the last month, he's turned more into a downhill driver.

On defense, Wallace completely shut down Giddey. He was mostly irrelevant — despite a pretty box score. The Bulls had zero synergy together. Think everybody understands that this is just a weird group of veterans and projects who won't stick together beyond this season.

Wallace scored 12 points in the second half. A couple of those buckets came off turnovers. The Thunder had a group effort tonight. Hence why I included an ultra-rare sixth player grade. Too hard to decipher who among the six double-digit scorers needed a special shoutout. So went with all six.

Highlights:

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder pull away late in 116-108 win over Bulls

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