OKLAHOMA CITY — A daunting road trip against three of the NBA’s rising young teams over four nights promised to provide another challenge for the Knicks as 2023 comes to a close.
The first stop came against the Thunder, the third-place squad in the Western Conference, and their budding stars proved to be too much for the Knicks in a 129-120 loss Wednesday night at Paycom Center.
Julius Randle registered a team-high 25 points, Jalen Brunson scored 24 and Immanuel Quickley added 22 with four made 3-pointers for the Knicks, who fell to 17-13 ahead of visits to Orlando and Indiana on back-to-back nights beginning Friday.
One game after netting 21 points in a Christmas Day victory over the Bucks, RJ Barrett finished with 14 points on 5-for-14 shooting, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams fronted the Thunder (20-9) with 36 points apiece, and rookie center Chet Holmgren finished with 22 with four blocked shots.
Before the game, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau had noted that he’s been impressed with the inside-outside versatility of the 7-foot-1 Holmgren, who came in averaging 17.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks after missing all of last season with a foot injury.
“Very impressive, very skilled. Unique, great length,” Thibodeau said beforehand. “The shot blocking, ability to play away from the basket, put it on the floor, drive, clever inside. He’s really had a great impact on them, I think.
“When you look at their overall numbers, both on offense and defense I think he’s had a great impact.”
Gilgeous-Alexander nailed his first four shots for eight quick points and Williams added seven as the Thunder grabbed a 28-16 lead barely eight minutes into the game.
OKC stretched that cushion to as many as 15 late in the quarter, but two free throws by Josh Hart in the closing seconds brought the Knicks within 38-25 entering the second.
The Thunder connected on 64 percent of their field-goal attempts in the period, including one 3-pointer apiece off the bench from Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins and Davis Bertans.
Holmgren’s inside scoop extended helped build the lead to 17 early in the second, but Barrett and Quickley combined for 13 points in a 16-4 Knick run to close the deficit back to 50-45 midway through the quarter.
Long-distance buckets by Joe and Gilgeous-Alexander pushed the OKC lead back to 11, but two 3-pointers by Donte DiVincenzo helped the Knicks close within 69-60 at intermission.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s third-leading scorer at 31.0 points per game coming in, led all scorers with 19 at the half, along with five assists.
Randle and DiVincenzo posted 11 points apiece, and Quickley had 10 through two quarters.
Still, Randle poured in nine more in the first six minutes of the third.
His traditional three-point play and a drive through traffic by Hart drew the Knicks even, 81-81, with 5:28 left in the quarter.
But Joe sank a reverse layup in the final minute and Holmgren swatted away Brunson’s drive with six seconds to go to preserve a 93-89 Thunder lead entering the final period.
Quentin Grimes trimmed the deficit to one with a corner trey in the opening minute of the fourth, but Williams responded with his third 3-pointer and Holmgren got to the rim for two more for a 100-94 game.
Brunson’s floater with 4:37 to play pulled the Knicks within five.
But Holmgren rejected Randle inside, and Williams dropped in consecutive 3-pointers to extend the Thunder lead to 11 with barely three minutes remaining.