Thunder Roll Raptors for 6th Straight, 124-107

Last year, Serge Ibaka made his initial Chesapeake Energy Arena homecoming as a member of another NBA team. He ended up being the story with a career night and the game winner. Last night, his Toronto Raptors appeared in Oklahoma City rumored to be one of the best teams in the East. In case you weren’t paying attention, Serge was on the floor for 26:31. I actually never noticed him….because he didn’t do anything. In fact, the only human possibly more invisible on the floor was the Thunder’s own Alex Abrines who went for 0 points and a stunning negative 19 in 6:33 of playing time in the first half… which I would hope Billy Donovan seriously regrets ever occurred.

My points?

What Serge discovered last night was this Thunder team and that Thunder team from a year ago are worlds apart. What I hope Billy Donovan either learned or will eventually learn is that there’s no reason whatsoever for Alex Abrines to see the floor unless OKC is in a desperate situation. To Donovan’s or an assistant coach’s credit, Abrines did not see the floor in the second half.

I thought I would get my rant out of the way so that the remainder of this recap would contain nothing but gush for how the Thunder played otherwise.

At this point—we almost have to admit a corner has been turned. The Thunder are the hottest team in the NBA right now and playing the best ball. There I said it. Winners of six straight, the Thunder toyed with the Raptors on Wednesday night in a 124-107 romp which never would have been that close if Alex Abrines had stayed glued to the bench with the Thunder in front 32-23 when Russell Westbrook took his first breather.

This is the kind of shit Billy Donovan cannot do once we get to April. There was no need for Abrines to see the floor. The Thunder were rolling, the offense was humming…I play better defense than fucking Alex Abrines and it makes no sense whatsoever to put him on the floor for six minutes when he doesn’t even attempt a shot. I’m sorry, but c’mon. This isn’t the SEC, this is the NBA.

I didn’t actually plan that second rant, but I’m very passionate about how coaches manage a game.

Where was I? Okay…Russell Westbrook was once again magnificent. He’s been magnificent ever since that abortion of basketball reality which occurred in the final six minutes of regulation in Philly. I don’t know if he read my blog, or if Mo Cheeks pulled him aside, or if his father called him after that game…but make this clear…Russell Westbrook has been the best basketball player in the world since those six minutes of hell. Period.

But it’s not just Russell. Paul George and Carmelo are playing their roles to perfection in this run of games which once again has me saying…putting aside the Bad News Bears start—this Thunder roster is either the second or third best roster in the NBA.

Steven Adams. How much do you want to see me gush? I wouldn’t trade him for any center in the West. I just wouldn’t. This is probably what we would have seen from Steven last year, but we didn’t because Durant took off to Oakland to marry Draymond Green and seek human growth as a man…. and Steven’s coming out party was delayed a year after we saw it coming in the 2016 Western Conference Playoff run.

Andre Roberson does so many good things for this team you can’t give up on him. You just hope one of the assistant coaches in right there in Billy Donovan’s ear when April rolls around as far as situational subbing.

You know how I feel about Jerami Grant and Ray Felton. So…it shouldn’t take some sort of Come to Jesus realization these are the Thunder’s best seven players and in the order which I listed them. I actually agree with Billy Donovan as far as Josh Huestis and his growing minutes. I’m fine with how Pat Patterson has been used. From my point of view—Terrance Ferguson should be in the G League…so I’m not advocating him playing makes any difference. And of course…I love Nick Collison whether he plays or not.

So…here the Thunder sit at 20-15 and 12-3 in the month of December. Winners of six straight and somewhat back in the Western Conference standings in a position of relevance. This is who we thought they would be. This is those guys.

When you live in a small market and your team is streaking it’s actually charming how the whole city gets a little bounce in their collective step and vicariously feeds off the team. Our Thunder are on a roll and West Texas Crude closed almost at $60 a barrel yesterday. Not a bad month for Oklahoma City so far.

But here’s the thing, and these guys know it…they can’t take their foot off the gas pedal just because they’ve won six straight. They know this. They know it would be a felony if they don’t become the team in reality they are on paper. Sam Presti knows this. Clay Bennett knows this. And I’m pretty certain Billy Donovan knows this.

Lombardi said winning isn’t a sometime thing. It’s an everyday thing. It’s how you practice. How you think. How you conduct yourself as a man. It’s the whole package wrapped into one.

That’s the next bridge for this basketball team.

Milwaukee Bucks in Oklahoma City on Friday night.

Winning is fun.

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