The shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Detroit Pistons tonight in a showdown between the two top seeds in each conference. However, things kept getting worse for the Thunder, who lost guard Isaiah Joe midway through the game, compounding their injury issues. Here’s what happened to him.

Why Did Isaiah Joe Leave the Game? What Injury Did He Suffer?

Isaiah Joe, who started for the Thunder tonight due to their injury situation, seemed fine in the first half, logging solid minutes, but things went sideways at halftime. After the game resumed following the half-time break, Joe was nowhere to be seen, with trade deadline acquisition Jared McCain starting instead of him.

Later, during the third quarter, the team announced that the guard was being ruled out for the rest of the game with a left glute contusion.

This is a tough blow for the Thunder, who are already missing several key players, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell. The Thunder are down to nine players who are available to check into the game.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

How Did Isaiah Joe Perform Before Leaving?

Isaiah Joe struggled tonight before leaving with his injury. In just under 14 minutes on the floor, he logged just three points, connecting on just one of his five shot attempts, along with two rebounds, an assist, and a steal. This is an especially down night for someone who is considered one of the best offensive role-players in the league.

On the season, Joe is averaging 11 points per game on an astounding 42.7% from three on six attempts per game, adding on 1.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds. He has emerged as a solid rotation piece for the Thunder since his arrival to the team in the 2022-23 season, and his production has steadily increased every year.

How Did the Oklahoma City Thunder Adjust Without Joe?

The Thunder faced more than one challenge today. Apart from losing Isaiah Joe, the team also faced the absence of rookie Branden Carlson, who was ruled out at the same time as Joe with lower back soreness. On the floor, Joe was replaced by Jared McCain, who has also struggled with his shot tonight, but at the time of writing, has hit three beyond-the-arc shots after starting 0-4 from that range.

Most of the scoring burden, however, has been taken by usually defensive-minded guard Cason Wallace, who has served as the primary ball-handler tonight. Wallace has been lethal all game, logging 21 points, connecting on nine of his 16 shots while also dishing out four dimes and hitting three triples.

Unfortunately for the Thunder, the game has largely been dictated by the Pistons, who are operating with most of their key players. The All-Star duo of Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham has completely dismantled the Thunder defense, and most of the team’s rotation is having a solid offensive night against them.

The game is still recoverable for the Thunder, who, at the time of writing, are down by 11 in the fourth, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.