OKC Thunder 111 — Utah Jazz 89
Kevin Durant made his return from a mild hamstring strain sustained against the Wizards almost two weeks ago. In between that beautiful first half against the Wizards, minus last night’s win over Dallas without Durant, there was some very ugly basketball played by the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Durant’s return it was a return to the type of basketball which had most NBA experts putting OKC in the mix with Golden State, San Antonio and Cleveland for an NBA championship this season.
Durant was Durant scoring 27 points on a 10-13 shooting night. This is Kevin Durant. Perhaps the most seamless, efficient scorer in the modern era or any era in the history of the league. It’s what he does and why OKC looks lost without him as far as closing and scoring at critical times in close games. He makes Russell Westbrook better and vice versa. Westbrook is a triple double machine for the ages, but Durant is the closer. Period.
Durant and the Thunder left nothing to the imagination in this one. They came out on the second night of a road back to back against a rested Utah squad and basically executed the Jazz in the first half with a 63-46 standing eight count. This game was over at halftime. For those keeping track this was OKC’s first win of the season on a road back to back or any back to back for that matter. This was a glimpse of the Thunder potential which has some thinking they could ‘maybe’ hang with the Golden State Warriors in a seven game series. But then again—this was a Utah squad starting a rookie named Raul Neto at point guard. So let’s not get carried away just yet.
OKC improves to 9-6 on the season and currently stands in fourth place in the West.
Other things:
- Oh, yeah….Kevin Durant is my OKCThundGround No. 1 Star of the Game. Almost forgot.
- I thought Dion Waiters was excellent in this game. His energy, his defense, and his overall play are things we’re starting to see on a regular basis. Must suck for the haters at Daily Thunder, you know…with Waiters playing good and all…sigh. But I didn’t use the word Trekkie…give me that. Call it personal growth on my part.
- Westbrook was just right integrating Durant, yet being Westbrook.
- Billy Donovan seems to have finally cemented the notion Anthony Morrow should be in the rotation and Kyle Singler shouldn’t. It only took a month. Can you imagine the outcry if Scott Brooks had done this?
- Steven Adams’ hair still sucks. I guess he didn’t read my suggestions from last night. I mean—for a nice looking kid…his hair really sucks.
- Five different players were in double figures for the Thunder tonight
- 22 assists to 16 turnovers.
- Raul Neto started at point guard for the Jazz tonight.
- OKC with ten blocked shots tonight.
- The Utah crowd has become annoying with the childish booing of Enes Kanter.
- Combined…Waiters and Morrow went 11-17 from the field, 4-6 from behind the arc and scored 27 very efficient points.
- Nick Collison has played some great basketball of late and has put to rest any notion of Mitch McGary becoming a rotation player this season. Nick answered the call.
Good win for the Thunder. Utah in all likelihood won’t be a playoff team, but still a nice road win.
Welcome back, Kevin Durant. Stay healthy.
Mike Jackson