Oklahoma City Thunder made the Clippers surrender with an impressive 134-115. Clipping the wings of the Clippers to cut short the brilliant 9-match victory streak, Chet Holmgren and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander paired well. Thunders were ahead at halftime with a narrow margin. But the Australian Oklahoma City Thunder player Josh Giddey had a painful time in the match.

Thunder, with a 17-8 record, faced the Los Angeles Clippers, riding high on the wave of confidence they generated after a stunning winning streak. While the rookie Chet Holmgren tried to take the banner forward for the Thunder with 13 points till the half time, N Powell added the same number for the Clippers for whom James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard have been at the forefront of offense in the season.

Josh Giddey’s injury against the Clippers

Meanwhile, Josh Giddey slipped as he attempted to dribble away the ball, looking upwards. He slipped and fell with a dull thud, and his reaction showed that the star was in excruciating pain. He seems to have twisted his ankle.

Giddey left for the locker room, limping. The injury was not clear initially, but later it came out that he suffered a left ankle sprain. He got injured in the final moments of the second quarter. He left the court and didn’t return for the rest of the match.

Giddey scored 11 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Also, he hit all the three-pointers he attempted in the game. Giddey averages 11.8 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in the 25 games and his injury may affect the Thunders. But with the Holmgren and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander phenomena, Thunder is manning the conference at the top. The exit of Giddey had emboldened the Clippers, but the Thunders roared back strongly.

Thunders after the Giddey exit

After Giddey went away, the Clippers tried to close in but Thunder didn’t let them. The third quarter proved decisive for the game as Thunders got a decent lead. They reaped the benefits later in the fourth round. Chet Holmgren scored 23 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. Shai Gilgeous Alexander added 31 points, 4 assists, and 8 rebounds.

For the Clippers, Paul George added 22 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds. And James Harden scored 23 points, 6 assists, and 9 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard was not in the ranks of the Los Angeles Clippers due to hip issues.