Atlanta Hawks 106 — OKC Thunder 100
With 2:21 left in the 4th period, Russell Westbrook made a two-point jumper to give the Thunder a 96-92 lead. With the bucket, Westbrook was standing on seventeen points points in the period. It appeared OKC was on its way to a nice road win over a pesky Atlanta Hawks squad. Westbrook would not score again.
During the remaining 2:21 of play, Jeff Teague and Paul Milsap led a 14-4 closing run as the Hawks made all the winning plays. Teague made two buckets inside the game’s final seventy seconds to clinch the game. Simply put…Atlanta made the plays at the end, OKC didn’t.
Kevin Durant scored two baskets in the last half minute of the game for his only points in the fourth period.
I’ll go with Jeff Teague as my OKCThunderGround No. 1 Star of the Game. Teague had 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists on the night, and it was Teague who made the plays which closed the door on the Thunder’s modest four game winning streak.
Minus the final 2:21 of play, Westbrook was three assists away from another triple double. On the night, Westbrook had 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Kevin Durant’s line went 25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 blocked shots. But in the fourth during closing time–he didn’t see much of the ball until the game had been decided.
Serge Ibaka added 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. On the night, OKC’s Big Three went for a combined 76 points, which means the rest of OKC’s roster scored 24 points on the night.
Dion Waiters, Anthony Morrow, and DJ Augustin went 3-21 from the field scoring 11 points between them. This simply cannot happen if OKC is to beat good teams on the road and be an elite team.
Paul Milsap and Al Horford both had double doubles on the night for Atlanta. Milsap had 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Horford went for 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Kyle Korver was the fourth Hawk player in double figures with 11 points.
Here’s something I can’t ignore…OKC’s Big Three went for a combined 76 points, while Atlanta’s Big Three went for 74 points. But here’s the thing about winning against good teams on the road…the best closer in the NBA–namely Kevin Durant, didn’t get the ball until it was too late to matter coming down the stretch.
How can that happen?
This game is a microcosm of why it’s hard to imagine the Thunder beating the Warriors or the Cavs when it matters most come May and/or June.
OKC drops to 11-7 with the loss.
On the road again on Thursday against the Miami Heat.
Mike Jackson