The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by sharpshooting bench guard Isaiah Joe, walked away with a 104-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, led by his 16-point performance.

Atlanta junior guard Kobe Bufkin led the Hawks with 31 points on 12-for-26 shooting. Although it was a preseason game, this was Bufkin’s career highlight, but the performance was not enough to give the Hawks a win.

The Thunder got off to a hot start in the first quarter, taking a 19-9 lead with 5:40 to play. Big man Chet Holmgren scored a total of nine of those points, both scoring from the perimeter and getting to the free throw line. Holmgren settled down after his scoring surge and scored a total of 15 points in the first half.

Three-pointers from Atlanta guards Bufkin, Dyson Daniels and Garrison Matthews quickly reduced the score in the opening period. Even though Bufkin scored more and more points from distance as the game went on, the Hawks only managed four goals at the start. At the end of the quarter, Atlanta had taken the lead 28-27 thanks to a paint bucket from center Onyeka Okongwu.

OKC regained a seven-point lead with 8:30 left in the second period when forward Aaron Wiggins went 1-for-2 at the free throw line. About two minutes later, dynamic forward Jalen Williams landed awkwardly on his ankle, was taken out of the game and did not return.

Both teams traded points and at the end of the half Atlanta had a 51-49 lead. OKC’s star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander failed to get going in the first half. He scored just six points on 2-for-4 shooting and didn’t see the court again.

The Thunder released a number of multi-depth players early in the second half, including Wiggins, Cason Wallace, Joe, Dillon Jones and Ousmane Dieng. This lineup held its own in the quarter, with Dieng scoring six points in the first four minutes. Joe, one of OKC’s sharpshooters, also caught fire in the third quarter.

Joe scored 14 points in the quarter and kept the Thunder close. He also made four three-pointers in the third period, his second consecutive performance with four or more three-pointers and 14 or more points scored.

Joe’s performance in the third quarter kept the Thunder in control and trailed 79-77 at the end of the third quarter. It remained close throughout the fourth quarter and the fate of the game rested in the hands of OKC’s defense.

As the game came to a close, a triple from rookie Dillon Jones and a dunk from Dieng put the Thunder within five with 5:23 left. OKC played solid on-ball defense down the stretch and made life difficult for Atlanta’s offense. The Hawks relied on Bufkin’s multi-level scoring skills, but Jones and Thunder’s defense forced him into multiple shots. He still made some difficult hits and continued to keep the Hawks within winning distance.

A 1-2 free throw from Dieng with 35 seconds to play gave the Thunder a 100-94 lead. Bufkin and guard Kevon Harris took two shots with less than 30 seconds left to give the Hawks a reason to continue fouling, but they continued to send Dieng to the free throw line and he continued to make them. He finished with a total of 15 points, five of which came from the stripe.

After completing its preseason with a win, OKC begins its regular season with a test against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, October 24th at 9:00 p.m. (CDT) at Ball Arena. OKC defeated the Nuggets 124-94 in their fourth preseason game.

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