'He's not bashful': How Svi Mykhailiuk lifted Thunder past reeling Raptors

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'He's not bashful': How Svi Mykhailiuk lifted Thunder past reeling Raptors

Sat, 04/03/2021 - 15:24
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Apr. 1—Opportunities in the Thunder's revolving rotation have led to a few surprise performances, and Wednesday night was Svi Mykhailiuk's turn.

Mykhailiuk drained back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter to lead the Thunder to a 113- 103 win against the Raptors at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Mykhailiuk scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The newly-acquired forward was 4-of-8 from 3-point range.

"The thing that's probably stood out the most to me about his game is his fearlessness on offense," teammate Isaiah Roby said. "He's not bashful."

Mykhailiuk wasn't the only Thunder player on fire from deep.

OKC shot 14-of-33 (42%) from 3-point range as a team, and a clutch 4-of-8 in the fourth quarter.

The win snapped the Thunder's three-game losing streak. The Raptors have lost 13 of their last 14 games.

The Thunder only had nine players available Wednesday, and seven of them scored in double figures led by Mykhailiuk.

Moses Brown had 20 points, Roby had 17 and Justin Jackson scored 12 off the bench.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right foot plantar fasciitis) will be reevaluated in mid-April, coach Mark Daigneault announced before the game.

"That'll be our next touch-point with him," Daigneault said. "He's progressing and doing his thing and we'll have more in the middle of the month."

Gilgeous-Alexander, averaging a team-high 23.7 points and 5.9 assists, has missed the last four games.

Aleksej Pokusevski (health and safety protocols) and Ty Jerome (right ankle sprain) were new additions to the injury report Wednesday.

Luguentz Dort (concussion), Darius Bazley (left shoulder contusion) and Mike Muscala (right ankle sprain) remained out.

Al Horford won't appear on the injury reports. He's healthy but will be listed as inactive through the end of the season.