Very nice….as far as the death march tank goes.
This game had multiple elements attached as to why the Oklahoma City Thunder are the worst team in the NBA currently. It’s like watching something between the Bad News Bears and a really bad car crash on the interstate.
If ever a game illustrated the current plight of non-legitimate NBA basketball in Oklahoma City this was the game. This game showed why the Thunder may very well still be two-to three years away from being where the Memphis Grizzlies were two years ago.
To add salt to the wound, it was former Thunder youngster Domas Sabonis who tormented the childlike Thunder from start to finish in amassing a triple double and clearly showing himself to be the best player on the floor.
Not even close.
Sabonis tossed the frail OKC youngsters around like Alabama does when they play a Big 12 football team in a meaningful playoff game. I hope for Rick Carlisle’s sake Sabonis stays in Indiana because lest we forget it was Dirk who blossomed into a world brand with Rick Carlisle as his coach.
Those were the Thunder glory days post Kevin Durant weren’t they? When trade-aholic Sam Presti acquired Sabonis, Oladipo, and Ilyasova…with Ilyasova later being conveyed into Jeremy Grant. What could have been frontline-wise for the Thunder? I wonder if Matt Pinto would ever contemplate saying something like this on a Thunder telecast? Doubt it.
But not to fret Thunder fans, like Jack with the Beanstalk…Sam Presti conveyed that one really good trade he made into the all-time NBA record for protected first round picks and a litany of second round picks. Plus, the big fat guy without a shirt is still under the basket at one end of the court. The Thunder kept him…. but not Domas Sabonis.
As far as tanking excellence goes this might have been the greatest loss yet this season acquired by the pathetic Thunder as they not only blew a sixteen-point lead in regulation, but then went on to find a way to choke a six-point lead in the last two minutes of overtime.
It was painful to observe. Lu Dort had the ball stolen on one key possession and then on the game’s biggest play Darius Bazely declined a dunk and made a pass which led to a comedy of errors under the Pacer basket.
It was difficult to observe. As a human you wanted to walk out there on the court and put your arms around them and promise them this will all be over in thirty-four games and as a Little League parent you’ll never make them play in the open division ever again.
But still…the illusion of the tank keeps the Operation Bongo zombies aglow in Oklahoma City. That fervent hope that all of this will lead to the Thunder somehow landing Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero this summer in the NBA’s draft.
I wonder to myself how closely Sam Anderson follows all of what is happening with the Thunder nowadays? I wonder if there’s a sequel to Boomtown somewhere down the road?
It would have to be an extremely black comedy at this point…but you never know. Portland did take Greg Oden.
As far as the Thunder’s death march…the Thunder now stand at 14-34 just a hair out of last place in the West. If you go back to December 23rd the Thunder have now lost 15 out of their last 18 games and are now losers of seven straight games. The Thunder are 1-12 in January and Shai might very well be injured after turning his ankle in this loss to Indiana.
As far as the Thunder Tank Death March… it doesn’t get any better.
Next up the Portland Trailblazers.