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San Antonio Spurs 93 — Oklahoma City Thunder 85

Again, I’m trying to be as kind and gentle in my recaps as possible. I thought long and hard about my headline after this game. Thought about going with Thunder Choke in San Antonio. Then thought about going with Thunder Shrink in Fourth Against Spurs. But when really thinking it through decided to go with Thunder Lose to Fourth Quarter Again being the most accurate because I believe the Thunder may have overtaken the tanking Sixers for the league lead in blowing fourth quarter leads.

So there’s this to begin with. But keep in mind I’m still in kinder, gentler mode because Donald Trump is enough of an asshole for all 330 million Americans combined. Sometimes filtered honesty is humane and believe me anyone covering this Thunder team needs a big dose of filtered honesty right now.

Actually–it was a decent game to watch. OKC’s defense was pretty good as the Thunder led 67-65 entering the fourth. The Spurs struggled mightily shooting threes and it appeared OKC could maybe be headed for a huge upset win over the Spurs.

But there it was. The clock showed 12:00 minutes remaining and everyone who has been watching this team knew in their hearts the Spurs were going to be okay and improve to 32-0 at home this season. Which is exactly what happened as the Spurs or the fourth quarter itself beat the Bad News Thunder 27-17 to propel the Thunder to 4-8 since the All-Star break.

It was a combination of everything. OKC didn’t make a field goal for almost the final four minutes of the game. Russell Westbrook made a boneheaded gamble on a steal which led to a wide open three by Danny Green. The Thunder repeatedly got outhustled on their defensive boards during Winning Time or in this case Losing Time. Like I said, it was a combination of things. Little things rolled into a clay ball which are making it impossible for this team to beat the fourth quarter regardless if it’s against the Timberwolves, Spurs, or Warriors.

Charles Barkley is calling our Thunder chokers. But I think it goes deeper than that. It’s the way these guys have been allowed to play for so long I believe that’s more the cause along with the fact Billy Donovan is learning right now coaching the Florida Gators and coaching a once elite NBA team with two mega millionaires isn’t exactly the same thing.

OKC is now 4-8 since the All-Star break which is completely unacceptable for a team with two completely healthy superstars. We never saw any stretch like this during the Scott Brooks era with a healthy Durant and Westbrook. The Thunder’s ability to win bounce back games after a loss was a team trademark.

But not with this team, and again as I wrote in my preview, there are no excuses. Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Kanter are all healthy. In the NBA when your four highest paid players are all healthy and you’re still losing something is wrong with your team.

Something is wrong with this team.

Mike Jackson

If you go back to my beginning posts on this blog this was my starting point. OKC advancing to the NBA Finals by defeating the Spurs in six games. This is the fourth season since OKC made the Finals and the subsequent trade of James Harden to the Rockets. This season was to be the judgement season if OKC could remain healthy. Westbrook and Durant have both been mostly healthy so injuries cannot be used as an excuse this season.

Quite frankly, I’m growing weary of some of the local OKC usual suspect homers always making excuses for the Thunder. The lame excuse which states this shouldn’t be a judgement season simply because Golden State and San Antonio are having historical seasons is nonsense. I say this because OKC has already been swept by the Chicago Bulls. Lost to the Raptors at home. Lost to the Celtics at home. Lost to the Sacramento Kings at home. And just last night lost to the T Wolves at home.

Here we are four seasons later and while Westbrook and Durant are pretty much agreed to both be in the top four players of the league along with LeBron and Steph Curry–the team has regressed in multiple areas of play. OKC is not an elite team yet having what no other team in the league has–namely two top four players on the same team.

I’ve written it on here countless times–the inability of Sam Presti to find a legitimate two way shooting guard is at the top of my list as to why OKC has yet to reach its full potential with Westbrook and Durant playing alongside one another.

OKC in San Antonio tonight where the Spurs are 31-0 this season and 55-10 overall. Throw out OKC’s opening night win against the Spurs when it was LaMarcus Aldridge’s first game a Spur and here’s what OKC is combined against Golden State, San Antonio, Cleveland, the LA Clippers, and Toronto……3-7. Simply circle the 3-7 against the caliber of teams OKC would be facing in the second round and you have an honest appraisal of where this OKC squad ranks.

Thought I’d put the Game 6 WCF clincher up just to remember the NBA Finals season with a touch of nostalgia.

 

 

From a historical standpoint, it is fascinating to see this Trump thing unfold. As far as Trump’s personal insecurity, paranoia, and complete lack of any regard for the constitution—he reminds me of Nixon. But from the persona he shows his cult followers he reminds me more of George Wallace in the manner in which he uses white supremacy and nationalistic fear to inspire his white followers under the guise of ‘making America great again’.

But of course, both Nixon and Wallace held previous governmental positions and were more qualified than Trump to seek the presidency. Trump has never held any office whatsoever and never even served in the military, yet his myopic cult followers cling to the image of their cult hero as he’s morphed his candidacy voice from his television reality show Celebrity Apprentice.

One part Celebrity Apprentice, one part George Wallace, one part Richard Nixon.

If you’re a political junkie allow me to recommend a book I’m almost certain you’ll enjoy. The book is Losers written by Michael Lewis of Moneyball, The Blind Side, and The Big Short fame.

It’s a fascinating story of the 1996 GOP Presidential race which goes from Iowa all the way through the convention. Truthful, hilarious, and sad at times, but always page turning readable if you follow American politics.

For those who don’t remember–the 1996 GOP race started with Bob Dole, Pat Buchanan, Lamar Alexander, John McCain, Alan Keyes, and Steve Forbes. Yet, Lewis tells this story primarily through the lense of a businessman turned candidate named Morry Taylor. An absolute great read if you might want to know more of how the GOP has moved from 1996 to the dumpster fire freak show we’re witnessing currently.

 

I can’t remember seeing something which has depressed me as much as an American as what we all witnessed from the Donald Trump rally in Chicago on Friday night.  I was a kid when both Kennedys were assassinated. Still in high school when Nixon was forced to resign. But tonight depresses to an even deeper point because it perfectly illustrated what Lawrence O’ Donnell wrote about earlier in the week, namely how far we’ve regressed as a culture in the past thirty years.

These scenes from Chicago were just appalling and it shouldn’t matter what party you belong to or ideals you embrace. This was pathetic. America has and can be so much better.

But let’s be honest here–there were 22 presidential canidates from both parties combined when this process began this summer. These scenes only take place at the rallies of one candidate…repeatedly. Only tonight it went even further and made anyone who witnessed it want to vomit.

Some words of advice to Donald Trump. Watch the video and learn some things. Learn how to be gracious. Be inclusive. Show some grace and elegance. Take the time to thank John McCain for serving his country instead of ridiculing him. Realize this all just isn’t about feeding your massive insatiable ego. Understand the premise of public service versus pretending to be a king. Please watch the video and learn something.

Lawrence O’ Donnell doesn’t work Friday nights so I’m filling in for him tonight.

Hard to believe this came from the same city which gave us the dumpster fire freak show tonight.

 

Minnesota Timberwolves 99 —  Oklahoma City Thunder 96

It’s a good thing I adopted my kinder, gentler mantra earlier this week in regards because in all candor when you lose at home to the young Timberwolves there’s so much which could be written, but won’t be right now. Like I wrote earlier this week, I’ve fully come to terms what this team isn’t and the limitations of Billy Donovan as an NBA coach this year.

But I’m keeping to my word and won’t dwell on Serge Ibaka going scoreless in twenty minutes before fouling out. Nor will I mention the turnovers, especially by Kevin Durant. Add to the homer fest I won’t chart that Andre Roberson, Anthony Morrow, and Randy Foye went a combined 4-19 from the field at the shooting guard position.

Cam Payne didn’t play again.

Dion Waiters didn’t play because of his family situation and I ‘m sure a plethora of the tweakers at Daily Thunder are wondering how it can be OKC can still suck at the shooting guard position without Dion even playing. Word of advice to the DT tweakers…grow up. You should be further along at this point in figuring things out.

OKC drops to 44-21 overall. But more revealing is the fact OKC is 4-6 since the All-Star break.

I mean, it is what it is. If I were doing a Power Poll tomorrow morning I’d have  OKC at probably No. 7 or so.

I don’t know what else to write about these guys. They just lost at home to the No. 13 seed in the West on a night when they were a Vegas 12 point home favorite.

Thunder head to San Antonio tomorrow night to play the Spurs who are 31-0 at home this season. Good — luck — with — that.

Mike Jackson

Simply amazing. Maybe they’ve reached an accord for Carson to be the Surgeon General in lieu of the endorsement. Only back in Iowa, not that long ago it was Trump saying these things about Carson. Lawrence O’Donnell may be going too strong with the Hitler comparison, but imagine Richard Nixon with the entertainment skills and maybe that’s more of a fair historical comparison. One thing for certain, there’s never a dull day in the presidential candidacy of Donald Trump. I wonder if at least fifty percent of his followers know who Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew were or are familiar with Watergate.

 

 

 

Obviously–someone in the Trump campaign staff pulled the candidate aside sometime before the debate this evening and said something like, ” We have this thing won if you just don’t go out there and act like an idiot tonight.”

And…it appears Canidate Trump got the message as he actually ‘almost’ appeared semi-presidential several times during a debate where he and Marco Rubio didn’t compare penis size or other things Kardashian viewers turned Trump supporters usually need from one of these debates to feel whole.

It was by far the most civil GOP debate so far–and for good reason. If Trump just doesn’t go out and do something incredibly stupid such as possibly naming Dennis Rodman as his running mate he’s probably going to be the GOP nominee.

But just so were clear on this–Trump wasn’t fooling me a bit with this good boy behavior. Lest we forget Trump the Fool from not that long ago.

Sigh.

 

 

Oklahoma City Thunder 120 — LA Clippers 108

Behind Russell Westbrook’s monstrous triple double of 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 20 assists–OKC’s Thunder got a much, much needed win over the LA Clippers at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday night. With the win OKC improves to 44-20 and increases its lead for the No. 3 seed to two and a half games over the Clippers.

It was night for reflection on Wednesday night as Clay Bennett sat next to an empty chair where Aubrey McClendon always sat at Thunder home games. There was a pregame moment of silence for Dion Waiter’s younger brother who was killed earlier this week in Philadelphia. For me at least, there were multiple things running through my mind which still made it entirely difficult to focus in on just the basketball aspect of Wednesday night. Yet, the Thunder behind Westbrook and Durant took care of business in a game they needed badly.

Does this change anything about the Thunder? I don’t think so. Golden State, San Antonio, and Cleveland still appear to be better, smarter ball clubs more tooled for serious runs at the O’Brien Trophy. While OKC looks to be in a grouping of teams with the Raptors, Clippers and maybe one other team from the East who have nice parts, but still not enough to win a championship.

But still, it was a night which somewhat calmed all the tragedy which has beset this franchise since the All-Star break. It was a night to be human and fully understanding of the fact basketball players are indeed humans with feelings and hurts just like the rest of us.

That won’t play big with the metrics crowd, but at the end of the day what’s in a player’s head and heart always out trumps there current real +/- or PER. Always.

Durant had 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists and was almost as outstanding as Westbrook. Ibaka continued to score in double figures and had 15 points. Adams was functional. And of all things—Andre Roberson was pretty darn good going an unthinkable 6-7 from the field.

Kanter scored 14 points in 17 minutes. Kyle Singler continued his solid play. Cam Payne did get in the game, but looked extremely rusty. Both Morrow and Foye played, but both continued to struggle from the field with their shot.

In all seriousness, from this point forward, I’m wanting to be kindler and gentler in my recaps. I won’t lie, this is personal for me thinking this could possibly be the last of Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City. It goes beyond just basketball. It goes to the core of I live in Oklahoma City and I fully know what Kevin Durant has meant to this city and this state as a whole. I understand what Aubrey McClendon meant to this city and that empty chair next to Clay Bennett left an indelible impression on me which only a person who lives in Oklahoma City can fully understand.

Don’t get me wrong, I could never live with myself being a sappy homer like some in this market, but however this goes, I just want to make sure I take in the human side of what’s left of this basketball season and enjoy it to the utmost.

Thunder host Minnesota on Friday night.

Now–onto that GOP debate in Florida tonight.

Mike Jackson

One last thing today on the GOP race, then I guess at some point I have to write something on here related to the Thunder-Clippers game tonight.

Very prescient interview back on June 18, 2015 between GOP operative/consultant Steven Schmidt and Joe Scarborough. This needs to be on here as we watch this unfold.  btw… Schmidt ran the McCain-Palin GOP presidential race in 2008. Very interesting guy.

 

 

 

Donald Trump won Michigan over both Ted Cruz and John Kasich who had a very tight battle for second place. Marco Rubio was of no consequence in Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho, or Hawaii. In a word, Bubble Boy is done and in reality has been ‘done’ since Chris Christie and Trump decided to put him away. I would assume Rubio will go through March 15th as a favorite son candidate in Florida and then suspend his candidacy unless he pulls off a miracle in the Sunshine State which had close to a million voters taking advantage of the early voting procedure.

Kasich finished with 25% of the GOP votes in Michigan, but has already stated if he doesn’t win in Ohio on March 15th he will be done as well. So much for being qualified, smart, well mannered, and inclusive. Maybe it would have been different for Kasich if he’d named one of the Kardashians as his running mate. Don’t laugh.

So in essence, this would leave Trump and Ted Cruz as the only remaining canidates still battling to reach the magic number of 1,237 delegates at the GOP Convention in Cleveland.

There has been some talk of the GOP establishment trying to broker the convention so as they don’t have a spoiled, petulant brat as their candidate, but from my thinking in doing this they  would severely damage their own party even if it would be a noble gesture for the country and humanity.

I just don’t see this happening. But here’s the way it’s done if at some point Trump’s behavior between and now and the convention becomes irrational to the point the same people who created Sarah Palin decide it’s time to pull the plug on Donald Trump. But of course we know that won’t happen. But still.