Three Takeaways from the OKC Thunder's Spoiling Victory in Orlando

The Oklahoma City Thunder was able to manage a 127-113 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night, improving its record to 37-17 and sitting just a game back from first place in the Western Conference.

This marked the final contest for Oklahoma City before the NBA All-Star break. 

Through a monstrous effort between Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder edged out the Magic on a commemorative night in Orlando as Shaquille O'Neal made an appearance to have his jersey retired on the nationally televised broadcast.

This was no slight to the Magic, though, as many tough shots had to be made by Oklahoma City to foil their efforts. 

Here are a few takeaways from Tuesday night's game:

OKC Tandem Erupts for 65

It was Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander who came to help fully separate the score in the third and fourth quarters.

Following a game of primarily single-digit leads in the first half – along with an uncharacteristic first two quarters for Gilgeous-Alexander, who shot just 3-of-11 for eight points through the first two quarters – Oklahoma City began to really extend its lead in the back half. 

A third quarter clinic from SGA saw him perform to his usual heights. And of course, this led to another clinic in the fourth quarter from Williams, as he took over in the scoring department and ended with a team-high 33 on the night. 

This marks the first time in his career to notch back-to-back 30-plus point performances, as he and Gilgeous-Alexander combined for 65 in the win.

Thunder Rumbling in Transition

Head coach Mark Daigneault has discussed his desire for his young, energetic team to continually look for opportunities on the fast break, and his players have been doing a solid job of that lately. 

In Oklahoma City's win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, the team put up 14 fast break points and 30 total points off turnovers, ultimately amounting to a lot as the Thunder eclipsed the Kings by 14 points.

On Tuesday night, that same point of attack was relevant on the defensive end, as 17 total stocks were able to help Oklahoma City leak out in transition, where the team found 15 points on the break and 16 points off 16 takeaways.

Holmgren Inching Closer to Franchise Record for Blocks by a Rookie

As of the end of Tuesday night's contest, Chet Holmgren is now just 10 blocks away from becoming the leading rookie in blocks in franchise history – since the Thunder's inception in 2008 and throughout the Seattle Supersonics notable history.

Tom Burleson is the lone Sonic who leads him.

The 7-foot-1 freshman swatted away five shots against the Magic, and was immense as an interior defensive presence in the win.

Giving him his rest over the break, a generous prediction might be him achieving the record in the next two games.

At 143 blocks on the season now, he could close that gap very quickly if he gets his hands dirty like he did Tuesday night.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.