OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort entered Monday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies shooting 29.8% from deep, while averaging 6.3 points in December, but coach Mark Daigneault wasn't concerned. While some wondered whether Cason Wallace should be permanently starting over Dort, Daigneault dismissed that notion without elaborating after a 119-103 Thunder win over the Grizzlies.
In a bounce-back performance for a shorthanded Thunder team, Dort supplied 13 points on 5-of-9 attempts, including 3-for-6 from deep, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. After the win, Daigneault addressed Dort's impressive turnaround game when a reporter asked if he'd spoken to Lu beforehand.
“I haven't had any conversations with Lu. I have such a belief in Lu — his competitiveness — I've seen him go through so many ups and downs over the last six years, and how he responds to that,” Daigneault said. “He's so consistent as a competitor. He always puts the work in, and he has unbelievable self-belief. So, he maintains a high level of self-confidence through all circumstances. I've got a lot of faith in betting on that. So, I haven't talked to him.”
Without Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren — both ruled out — against the Grizzlies, Branden Carlson earned his first career start, while Dort and Wallace both got the nod in Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault's starting five. Still, when Oklahoma City returns to full strength, it's safe to say Dort will continue his role as the Thunder's starting guard in the backcourt, alongside All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stunned Thunder's Lu Dort
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took Lu Dort's breath away in the fourth quarter of Monday's win against the Grizzlies. Gilgeous-Alexander's off-the-backboard pass to himself for an assist to Branden Carlson for a corner-3 was the Thunder's fourth-quarter dagger before a 16-point victory, which is the Thunder's 26th win of the season.
After the game, a reporter asked Dort if he had ever seen Gilgeous-Alexander pull off such a move before.
“That was the first time I’ve seen him do that. I was actually shocked, “Dort said. “I didn’t expect that. In my head, I wondered what was going to be next because I knew he wasn’t going to go and dunk it. But it was a great pass, and BC [Branden Carlson] made a big shot.”
The Thunder improved its home record to 14-0 and will face the Spurs on the second night of a back-to-back on Tuesday.
