The Golden State Warriors getting Stephen Curry back raised some hope. However, hope is only useful when the opposition gives them a window to win. The Oklahoma City Thunder have lost just one of their 12 games, tonight being their 11th win of the season. And this game was over from the very beginning.

The Warriors led just twice in this game, both by 2 points in the first quarter. From there on out, OKC surgically executed their hounding defense to disrupt everything. The Thunder forced 20 turnovers tonight, a little over their average of 17.6 turnovers forced per game. Against the relentless pressure of POA defenders like Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso, the Warriors’ high-ball movement offense fell short.

They only generated 23 assists. Seven of those came during the fourth quarter, when Stephen Curry and starters from both sides didn’t play a single minute. The Thunder’s tenacity and physicality were ultimately too hot to handle for the Warriors. However, they didn’t just create a 36-point lead because of their defensive activity.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trotted to another MVP-like performance. He scored 28 while dishing out 11 assists, killing the game before it ever began. Furthermore, Chet Holmgren recorded a 23-point and 11-rebound performance, not missing a single shot during the entire game. Before the fourth quarter, they were shooting at a 56% clip, against the Warriors’ 45.1%. Simply put, the Thunder dominantly struck the Bay. And the stats back up this assertion, too.

That’s been the theme for the Thunder this season. They have beaten opponents by a margin of almost 16 points in the eleven games they have won. The Warriors suffered a one-sided 24-point defeat, their second-heaviest this season. Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler combined for just 23 points. OKC truly left no stone unturned.

And this team isn’t even at its best yet. After undergoing surgery in the offseason, All-Star guard Jalen Williams has yet to make his debut. Still, the Thunder are recording the best defensive rating this season at 104.1. At this point, it’s hard to pick a weakness in this team.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to produce, leading the team with 32.8 points per game. However, the startling fact is he hasn’t played in half of the fourth quarters because the Thunder haven’t needed their talisman to close out games. They are settled well before that point on most occasions. Historically, the Warriors might hold an advantage over the Thunder in head-to-head contests. But they have won just 2 of the last seven regular-season games. That puts into perspective just how vicious this OKC team really is.

There haven’t been repeat champions since the Warriors in 2018. However, this Thunder team continues to show that they have just one intention going forward – that’s to win. So far, the reigning champs look deadlier than they did last season. And stopping them from winning the Larry O’Brien once again will be incredibly tough if they continue to ascend the way they are.