With the game tied at 103 and just 25 seconds left on the clock between the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder Friday night, the Kings had an opportunity to win the game on the final possession. Kings guard De’Aaron Fox was dribbling down the clock, and with eight seconds left in the game, he tried to make a move on Thunder forward Luguentz Dort, only to be stripped in the middle of his crossover by the defensive stalwart. Dort pushed the ball up in transition and nailed what ended up being the game-winning layup with 1.7 seconds remaining on the clock.
Here’s how the play happened:
If you’ve watched Dort play at all in the three seasons he’s been in the league, then that clutch steal he came up with won’t surprise you one bit as he’s earned a reputation for his strong on-ball defense. That strip of Fox was the perfect example of it, and his ability to finish on the other end for the game-winning shot just shows how far along he’s come in his offensive game as well.
Dort actually scored the last four points for the Thunder to put them in a position to win that game, and his 22 points tied him with teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the game high Friday night. That’s now two 20-plus-point performances from Dort, who racked up 27 in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. He’s averaging 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and two assists this season.
With the win against the Kings, the young and hungry Thunder team is now on a four-game winning streak. It’s also the fourth game this season that OKC has overcome a deficit of 16 or more to win the game. Although this team may not be playoff bound this season, the Thunder have certainly shown a ton of fight in each game this year, which is exactly what you want out of of these young players.
