Minutes before he attempted to fit his 7-foot-1 frame into a padded folding chair here at Madison Square Garden, his team escaped with a 103-100 win Wednesday, March 4, over the Knicks that wasn’t without drama.
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New York cut an eight-point deficit in the final three minutes and finally got a pair of clean looks in the final six seconds with a chance to tie the game. The first shot was long; the second, short.
And just like that, the Thunder survived New York in another reminder that, for Oklahoma City, things won’t be easy.
“We made enough plays down the stretch on both ends to close out the game,” Holmgren told reporters. “They made some plays too, they just couldn’t convert. If they do, it’ll be a different game.”
This Thunder team is not as dominant as the one that won the championship last season. On the one hand, Oklahoma City already has more losses (15) than last year (14), when there are still 18 games left. On the other hand, points are more difficult to get; This season’s Thunder rank seventh in offensive rating, scoring 116.9 points per 100 possessions, after ranking third in the league (119.2) last year.
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Ultimately, it may not matter. The Thunder (49-15) are still the best team in the NBA and are a legitimate threat to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the Warriors did so in 2018. This is only magnified when you consider that they have done all of this despite having had injury issues since training camp.
Jalen Williams, an All-Star last season, has played in just 26 games and is currently out with a right hamstring strain. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just returned from a nine-game absence. Center Isaiah Hartenstein has played in just 35 games and left the Knicks’ game Wednesday midway through the third quarter with tightness in his left calf. Alex Caruso (left hip contusion) was also knocked out.
But as they have all season, role players replaced him.
“We’re a pretty deep team,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “With the injuries we’ve been through this year, for us to still be in contention for first place in the league and in the West is pretty impressive.”
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Against the Knicks, third-year guard Cason Wallace started his 51st game of the season. He was the primary defender for Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson and had four steals that night. Senior forward Kenrich Williams played just 6:13 in the game, all in the fourth quarter, and hit a big 3-pointer early in the period that calmed New York’s run.
“It just speaks to the guys that have had to step up, like Isaiah Joe, Cason, the last few weeks they’ve transformed their game and shown what they can be as basketball players in important roles,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Guys like me come back and diminish their role and it’s a little unfair. I take my hat off to those guys for literally doing what the team asks them to do. If the team asks them to do more, they do more. If the team asks them to do less, they do less.
“To win a championship, no matter how good your best players are, you need to have those guys on your team. We know that and we’re grateful for them, for sure.”
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes to the basket against New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) during the first half at Madison Square Garden on March 4, 2026.
Before Wednesday night’s game, Williams went through a lengthy shooting session in which he moved with ease and didn’t seem hampered at all. He was loose, he joked with Gilgeous-Alexander and made shot after shot.
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If he can stay on the court, he will provide a big boost to the Thunder on both ends, especially late in games. Williams earned second-team All-Defensive honors last season and his shot creation in the NBA Finals helped the Thunder shut out the Pacers.
However, the final 18 games of the regular season will test this team more than any stretch since winning the title. According to Tankathon.com, the Thunder have the third-toughest remaining schedule in the NBA (.535), and Oklahoma City only has a 3½-game lead over the Spurs for first place in the West.
And if the Thunder are going to retain the number one spot, it’s going to be because of games like these (games against big teams, away games at iconic venues) games where the Thunder are shorthanded, so they can lay the groundwork to get there.
“I don’t have any fairy dust,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “They’re those guys. They’re the ones who execute. They have the competitive maturity right now to understand how to win. That doesn’t mean we’ll win every game, but they understand the path we have to go.”
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“Their ability to click the way they did tonight is a necessary skill. And it’s great for us to have experiences like this and be successful in those experiences. That’s how you build your muscles throughout the regular season to become as mentally strong as possible.”
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: The Thunder don’t dominate the NBA standings… but they’re still a team to beat