If you’re a passionate OKC Thunder fan it couldn’t have gone much better than it did on NBA’s Christmas Sunday.
In the early afternoon national marquee game, Kevin Durant’s Warriors blew a fourth period 14 point lead and clinched the choke with Kevin Durant falling down on what could have been the game winning buzzer beater if he’d gotten a shot off. Seen that, been there….. goodbye darkness, my old friend Game 6.
If you’re an eternally optimistic obsessive Thunder fan like me, then you realize that if Durant were still with the Thunder it would have been OKC-Cleveland in the marquee game today and we’d be emotionally down right now trying to figure out if Durant is ever going to discover his inner man and beat LeBron in a game which means anything. But’s that’s Jerry West’s issue now, so let’s move on to the best player in the NBA currently and his trending Thunder mates.
While Durant was stumbling and bumbling when it mattered, Russell Westbrook and Co. were quietly going about their business of winning their third straight game which turned out to be a surprisingly easy romp over the talented, yet still disappointing T Wolves by a 112-100 count. Vegas had this game pegged at OKC -4, so if you took the Thunder you cruised to winning your bet by a +8 margin. All things considered a great day of hoops in OKC, an epic Durant Super Team choke, the Thunder’s third straight win, and some extra cash if you took OKC -4 on Christmas Day.
I’m getting bored writing this, kind of, but Westbrook was just basically Westbrook. 31 points, 7 rebounds, 15 assists. Lots of smiling. Plenty of great plays, ect., ect.
For me the two keys were OKC’s bigs and their bench. OKC’s bigs just basically punished the young Wolves over and over and over. Steven Adams scored 22 points and added 6 rebounds. Enes Kanter was a highlight reel in and of himself scoring 20 points, grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing 4 assists. I thought it was Kanter’s best game of the year and I’m guessing he did as well. OKC scored 65 points in the paint and it was there anytime Kanter or Adams wanted to patiently back their man down. Another thing, the interior passing from Adams, Kanter, and Lauvergne continued to be impressive.
OKC’s bench was again excellent scoring 50 points and in reality making it a very easy night for Russell Westbrook. Jerami Grant scored 9 points and did his usual array of athletic things. Joffrey Lauvernge went 8 and 4 while continuing to make us wonder wtf Billy Donovan was doing with Kyle Singler on Monday night. Andre Roberson didn’t have to shoot a free throw by my count and Alex Abrines continued his upward trend with a ten point night.
OKC was once again without Oladipo and Payne, yet won easily and looked very mature in doing so. Give Billy Donovan some credit, after the Atlanta loss he’s changed some things, altered some nuance tweaks and the Thunder have found a way to play solid ball without Victor Oladipo.
In closing, I would ask what more could you ask for as a Thunder fan other than maybe Kawhi Leonard to come to play with Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City? Think about those two together, seriously.
Anyway, great win, great choke by the Oakland Super Team and we’re supposed to have some really nice weather in Oklahoma this week. Life is good. Enjoy the win streak. Kick back and enjoy the ride.
Thunder at the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. We could probably use beach drinking music on here to set the mood.