It was a warm pre-spring night in Oklahoma City. It felt like late April as the weather fueled new hope that maybe OKC vs. San Antonio ‘can’ be a Western Conference semi-final matchup. The Thunder gave their fans perhaps their biggest win of the season coupled along with the win over Cleveland in early February, and the big win over the Utah Jazz two weeks ago.
This was a big one because it snapped a four game losing streak while changing the feel entirely heading into another big game showdown with Utah at home this Saturday.
OKC led by seven at the half, led by as many as eighteen points in the second half, and then finally won by a score of 102-92.
Russell Westbrook became the first NBA player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967-68 to notch thirty-one triple doubles in a season. Keep this in mind as you think about the whole Westbrook-Harden MVP race dilemma. In the games in which Westbrook has triple-doubled the Thunder are 25-6, in games in which he hasn’t tripled doubled the Thunder are 11-23. So as Westbrook’s internet lawyer on why he should win the MVP–I’ll enter that as Exhibit A in making my case for Westbrook.
Westbrook’s line was 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists. He took 21 shots compared to the 39 shots he took against Portland on Tuesday night. This is a better Westbrook for the Thunder, but it’s not like Russell Westbrook has had any control over the circumstances of this season. Victor Oladipo has suffered two different injuries this season, Steven Adams has struggled with an injured hand, and Enes Kanter broke his own friggin arm on a chair.
Westbrook has had no control over any of that, but instead he’s busted his ass and done what he’s had to do to keep this team afloat and now sitting as the No. 6 seed in the West with five weeks remaining in the regular season. This would be Exhibit B as without Westbrook this team would be battling the Brooklyn Nets, the LA Lakers, and the Phoenix Suns for lottery rights in the summer draft.
Instead, Westbrook has not only given this team a chance to be good, but he’s given a city hope which is coming off a gut punch of a year in which Aubrey McClendon died in a car crash, the price of oil cratered, and Kevin Durant slivered off to Oakland on July 4th. Amidst all this, Westbrook is not only the league’s MVP, but he’s been this state’s MVP as well. Exhibit C. Your Honor, I rest my case.
Victor Oladipo, Enes Kanter, and Steven Adams all played well in this game as they should in every game considering how well each of them are being compensated. Let’s be clear here, it’s time for these three players to step up and be this team’s second, third, and fourth best players on most nights from this point moving to the playoffs.
Taj Gibson finally got a start and I would think this will be the way it goes for the remainder of this basketball season. Domas Sabonis will be a solid NBA player, but it’s time to start getting ready to play the nine or ten best players once we get to the goal achieving slice of the season.
In closing, a very good win for the Thunder which could be made even sweeter with another playoff game situation win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night at the Peake.
OKC improves to 35-29 and is now in sixth place in the West.
A win over the Jazz would wipe the bad taste away from the four game skid and get this team pointed in the right direction.
Winning is fun.
In honor of Wilt. This is great.