OKLAHOMA CITY –
The Oklahoma City Thunder keep finding answers.
Cason Wallace matched his career high with 27 points, and Isaiah Joe added 22 as Oklahoma City beat the Toronto Raptors 116-107 on Tuesday night, securing its fifth win in the last six games and improving to an NBA-best 21-7 on the road.
The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons saw their five-game winning streak snapped Monday in a 114-103 home loss to the surging Spurs. San Antonio’s defense bottled up All-Star guard Cade Cunningham, who finished with 16 points on just 5-of-26 shooting.
Latest Thunder injury report
Out:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — abdominal strainIsaiah Hartenstein — right soleus injury managementAjay Mitchell — abdominal strain/left ankle sprainJalen Williams — right hamstring strain
Doubtful:
Alex Caruso — left ankle sprainChet Holmgren — low back spasms
Gilgeous-Alexander has now missed nine straight games.
Wallace continues to rise
With stars sidelined, Wallace has stepped into a larger role and delivered.
The second-year guard followed up his recent 20-point, 10-assist performance against Cleveland with another standout night, adding six assists and eight rebounds versus Toronto.
“When we have guys out, we have guys playing different roles,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “You never want to have guys out, but this has been a great stretch for Cason… and he has risen to the occasion.” Wallace credited increased aggression after Toronto tied the game late.
“I feel like we were being more aggressive once they tied the game… it was time for us to flip that switch,” Wallace said. Down the stretch, Wallace scored four straight points and set up Joe for a key three-pointer to help Oklahoma City regain control.
Joe’s shooting changes defenses
Joe’s hot shooting continues to bend opposing game plans.
Wallace praised his teammate’s shot-making:
“He hits some tough shots… as a defender, you’re like, I hope this doesn’t go in — and it doesn’t touch the rim.”
Next up: Thunder vs. Pistons
Now Oklahoma City heads to Detroit for one of the more intriguing interconference matchups of the week.
Where and How to Watch
Matchup: Thunder at PistonsDate: Wednesday, Feb. 25Time: 6:30 p.m. CSTLocation: Little Caesars Arena, DetroitTV: ESPN, FanDuel Sports Network
The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons are coming off a loss to San Antonio and will look to avoid back-to-back defeats for the first time since December.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, is 5-3 without Gilgeous-Alexander and riding a three-game winning streak.
One thing is clear: even undermanned, OKC keeps stacking wins.