OKLAHOMA CITY — For parts of a big Friday night in Knicks land, Tom Thibodeau’s squad was more than hanging with the red-hot Thunder.
It was, especially in the second quarter, shredding the top-ranked defense.
But when it came down to brass tacks — when the clock hit winning time in the fourth quarter — the Thunder flexed their superior depth with their MVP candidate and the Knicks couldn’t keep up in a 117-107 defeat.
A pair of Jalen Brunson turnovers proved pivotal in the final three-plus minutes, as Shai-Gilgeous Alexander took over to cap his 33-point, seven-assist performance.
Off the bench, OKC’s Aaron Wiggins outscored New York’s reserves by himself, 19-5.
The Knicks are thin and it showed Friday.
The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Knicks (24-11), who were gunning for their first double-digit streak since 2013.
The Thunder (29-5), a juggernaut in the West, won their 14th consecutive.
And in the end, the Knicks did well but ultimately failed their big test.
