The Thunder will be giving thanks on Thursday.
OKC finally ended their six-game losing streak on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, as they played well in every aspect of the game to win their fourth game of the season.
Reggie Jackson led the Thunder with 22 points and eight assists, but the real deciding factor was the bench play. Jeremy Lamb scored 21 off the bench, and Anthony Morrow added 12 as a reserve as well. Oklahoma City beat Utah in bench points 44-3. The only bench player who scored for the Jazz was Dante Exum.
Another battle won by the Thunder was the rebounding battle and overall play inside, as OKC out-rebounded the Jazz, 45-38. Steven Adams grabbed 11 boards, and Serge Ibaka added 20 points, seven boards, and four blocks as well inside.
For the Jazz, Gordon Hayward dropped 24 and grabbed eight rebounds, but committed eight turnovers and missed half of his 14 costless throw attempts. The rest of Utah's starting five also reached double-digits, with Alec Burks and Enes Kanter scoring 16 each, Trey Burke scoring 12, and Derrick Favors dropping 11.
Oklahoma City finally capitalized on their strong defensive play and took advantage of a similarly inexperienced and noncompetitive Utah squad. OKC's young players showed off their skill and potential in what may have been their last game prior to the return of the Thunder's All-Star players, 2014 MVP Kevin Durant and explosive guard Russell Westbrook, who have been on the sidelines for the Thunder's 4-12 start to their 2014-2015 campaign.
The Jazz are now 5-11, one game better than the Thunder in the West. They must improve on their sloppy play if they want to compete with elite teams. The Western Conference is much stronger than the East, so there are no easy conference games in it as a result for Utah.
Hopefully, both teams can pull themselves together over the next few months of NBA basketball.