On January 20th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, with the Thunder, the top team in the West, playing against the Nets at home. In the previous game, Alexander's absence led to a loss for the team, but this time he returned with a fiery performance, directly exploding against the Nets and taking a 20-point lead in the first quarter. The Thunder maintained their lead throughout the game, with the Nets unable to close the gap. Ultimately, the Thunder secured a 127-101 victory over the Nets, returning to their winning ways.
The previous loss was mainly due to Alexander not playing, but this time he made his return. The Thunder immediately demonstrated their dominance as the top team in the West, overwhelming the short-handed Nets who had no ability to resist. They scored a 39-19 lead in a single quarter, setting the tone for the game. The Thunder firmly controlled the initiative on the court, not giving the Nets any chance to fight back. The game quickly lost its suspense, with the fourth quarter becoming garbage time. The Thunder ultimately achieved a 26-point victory.
This time, Alexander returned after resting for one game, and he came back in hot form. He played only 29 minutes, shooting 8 of 14 from the field and making all 10 free throws, scoring a game-high 27 points, along with 10 assists and 4 steals, with a plus-minus of +27, the highest on the team. This time, Jalen Williams rested and did not play, and the Thunder have also started to rest in rotation to avoid injuries, as they have been facing tough battles recently.
With Jalen Williams not playing, shooter Joe exploded, finally finding his touch and hitting 8 of 10 three-pointers for 24 points, with a plus-minus of +25. On the court, Joe focused solely on three-point shooting, with all 10 attempts coming from beyond the arc, providing strong firepower support for Alexander. In addition, starting player Jalen Williams contributed 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Wiggins and Giong off the bench both scored 12 points each.
Facing the powerful offensive firepower of the top team in the West, the Nets were powerless to resist, with their players completely suppressed on the court. Only three players on the team scored in double figures. Among them, Johnson returned and scored 15 points, Claxton scored 11 points, and Russell failed to continue his excellent form against the Lakers, playing 23 minutes and scoring only 9 points with 7 assists, shooting 2 of 6.