Chicago Bulls 105 — OKC Thunder 96
I could pretend to be a Fox-Thunder employee and write some bullshit about how Chicago rode Jimmy Butler’s earlier week comments to a season changing win in OKC earlier today. Or, I could write the truth and state it appeared OKC just wasn’t ready to play in a nationally televised game on ABC with the entire basketball world watching.
I don’t have the Brian Davis-Nick Gallo Thunder homer pedigree so I think I’ll do it this way.
OKC never appeared ready to begin either the first or second halves today and to me that is inexcusable for a team and an organization which wants to fancy itself as a serious title contender.
Golden State and LeBron all have rings, yet they fought to the death in a great playoff like game after the Thunder’s no show. Same deal with San Antonio and the Rockets in the fourth game of Christmas Day with a great defensive game which looked like a Western Conference Semi-Final round game.
But in Oklahoma City at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, a no show and not much overall passion and caring by the home team. It would be one thing if OKC were coming off a tough grind of a week, but they weren’t. OKC was coming off a week where they played the LA Lakers twice in three games. If anything, you would have thought OKC would have been jacked to play a real team, but they weren’t.
OKC’s starting unit was terrible to begin both halves. In the first half—OKC trailed 11-0 before Billy Donovan finally had no choice but to call a timeout. OKC stabilized and only trailed 54-52 at the half.
One would have thought OKC would come out of the gate to start the second half, but no go as Chicago went on an 8-0 run, then went on another run later in the third period to take an 86-68 lead into the fourth period.
OKC did ride a couple of Anthony Morrow threes in the fourth to draw within six at the 3:42 mark, but Chicago behind nice games by Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler, and Derrick Rose regrouped and completed a two game sweep of the Thunder this season. Chicago is now 16-11 overall, yet a revealing 9-3 against Western Conference teams. So much for Western Conference dominance.
Pau Gasol is my No. 1 Star of the Game with a 21 point, 13 rebound game. If Oklahoma City had more museums, theatre, and opera it’s quite possible Gasol would a member of the Thunder. But I can’t blame this one on the OKC Chamber of Commerce.
Every member of OKC’s starting five had a negative plus/minus rating today. Steven Adams was absolutely no factor in this game whatsoever in going -24 in thirteen minutes of completely forgettable play.
Three Thunder players scored in double figures. Durant with 29 points, Westbrook with 26 points, and Enes Kanter with 14 points. This means the rest of the Thunder roster scored 27 points combined. Or, perhaps even more damning, the rest of the Thunder roster made only 11 field goals on the afternoon.
To me at least… I see the NBA in four separate tiers currently. Golden State by themselves at the top. Cleveland just a bit below at No. 2. Then San Antonio just a bit below Lebron at No. 3. And finally… OKC as a longshot at No. 4 because they still haven’t figured out defense wins championships — and championship teams don’t take nights off on that end especially in a nationally televised Christmas Day game on ABC.
Mike Jackson