This might have been OKC’s biggest win of the season to date. Don’t get me wrong, this team isn’t winning a championship this season and might not even win the Northwest Division. But this was a huge game from my perspective to keep the Thunder pointed in a positive direction, you know, pointing forward and feeling positive about the future.
I thought it was a great game. One of those typical Oklahoma City-Memphis head knockers that has made this rivalry special over the years. It had everything you’d want—the best point guard in the game leading his team while the best center in the game, Marc Gasol, doing the same for his team. It was just one of those rare regular season games which reminds you how fun all this can be.
Oklahoma City won the game 114-102 amidst a rousing setting inside the Peake during a memorable fourth quarter in which Russell Westbrook issued a statement about the All-Star Game nonsense with him not starting. The statement being, Westbrook may not be an official starter, but he is the leading MVP candidate. Sorry James Harden–I still love you and all, but Russ is the MVP so far and this is why.
My case for Westbrook is fairly simple. Without Russell Westbrook this Thunder team would be dueling the Suns or Lakers for last place in the West. Period. Instead the team is 29-22 and would probably still be in the hunt for a fourth or fifth seed if Enes Kanter hadn’t broken his own arm. But even with that dynamic attached, OKC is still going to be very much in the hunt for a sixth or seventh seed in the West. Like I said, I love James Harden. I still wear his T-shirts. I’d buy him dinner and hope to be invited to a yacht party at some point (Bucket List), but Westbrook has been the MVP so far.
Here’s why. Westbrook notched his 25th triple double of the season last night. Blah, blah, blah…I know, but what else has he really done. What’s he’s done is lead this extremely young Thunder team to a viable season while having to mesh his game with their still insecure games at times.
Westbrook was simply brilliant on Friday night. 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists reads Triple Double No. 25. But here’s the thing, when it mattered most in that fourth period, Westbrook took center stage and never relinquished it.
Westbrook scored 19 of his 38 points in the fourth period. He scored fifteen points in the last 2:34 of the game. He scored Oklahoma City’s last fifteen points of the game, and oh, BTW—Westbrook outscored Memphis 15-zip at Winning Time. With all due respect to Steph Curry…do the right thing at All-Star weekend and graciously concede Westbrook should be starting the game. Seriously–do the right thing.
But it wasn’t just Westbrook on this special night for the Thunder. Other players were special in their own way.
Steven Adams had the task of hanging with Marc Gasol on a night when the Memphis big man scored 31 points, but Adams made plays as well and had a 16 point, 15 rebound night.
Joff Lauvergne had perhaps his best game as a member of the Thunder scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 boards. But most importantly—he made 3-4 shooting threes on a night when the Thunder as a team went 13-26.
Anthony Morrow had his best game in a while scoring 15 points in 19 minutes of play and made a huge three in the fourth period.
Nick Collison reminded us why he along with Westbrook is one of the two most revered players in Thunder history. It was a remembrance of what Collison has meant to this franchise and what he still means. Collison took a charge, baited Randolph into an elbowing foul, and for good measure dove for a loose ball cutting his eye open. Vintage Collison and while none of these plays turned the game, perhaps it did provide a spark to some of these young players as to what it constitutes to be a professional basketball player.
And for good measure…Andre Roberson and Cam Payne didn’t overtly suck. Both were functionally professional and did a few things when a few things needed to be done.
Alex Abrines missed his third consecutive game with something listed as back ‘spasms’. Oh, boy. Not a great week for Euros in Oklahoma City.
So the Thunder win a huge game they had to have while Westbrook makes another MVP statement. But it was fun more than anything else to feel Chesapeake Energy Arena rock like the days of old with just one week separating Durant’s return to the city which once adored him now openly salivating for the chance to boo him into oblivion for his slithering exit to Oakland.
Alex Abrines and Enes Kanter, please watch.