Another game against the dumpster fire Lakers tomorrow night then we can move on to the Chicago game and what I hope is a glorious Christmas for all concerned. I refuse to write a single word on the Laker preview, so I’m going into Christmas music mode. Think I’ll start with Luther Vandross and My Favorite Things. Merry Christmas!
OKC Thunder 100 — LA Clippers 99
It wasn’t pretty, but sometimes it’s just about making plays and finding a way to win at the end. Which is what Kevin Durant did by making a two pointer with 5.8 seconds left to give the Thunder a one point lead. Then clinching the game by blocking a Chris Paul shot to preserve a road victory over the Clippers.
Important ending for both teams because OKC now has a 3.5 game lead over the Clippers in the standings which could loom big as far as first and second round matchups and such later in the season.
It was a sloppy game, but still it might qualify as the biggest Thunder road win of the season to date for the previously stated reasons.
For the late game heroics Kevin Durant is my No. 1 Star of the Game, but Russell Westbrook is right there as well with a 33 point evening and five points of his own in the last minute of the game. Serge Ibaka had 17 points and was the only other Thunder player in double figures.
OKC’s Big Three scored 74 points combined on the night which means the rest of the roster scored 26 points. OKC’s bench only produced 18 points and yet OKC found a way to win on the road against what is probably the West’s fourth best team.
Steven Adams led the Thunder with 11 rebounds, while as a team — OKC had 21 assists to 10 turnovers.
Chris Paul was excellent scoring 32 points on the night in what turned out to be a point guard dual between the two best point guards in the West or in the entire league for that matter.
Tough night for Blake Griffin who went 7-21 from the field scoring only 15 points.
As far as revealing anything about the Thunder—it revealed what we already knew in that Durant and Westbrook are exceptionally talented players and did what your stars need to do at the end of games to be an elite team.
So in the end, an exciting road win over a team which most experts predicted as the fifth best overall team in the league before the start of the season.
Mike Jackson
Should be an interesting game tonight at the Staples Center with OKC taking on the Clippers. LA is 16-12 and the current No. 4 seed in the West. Clippers come in with a two game losing streak having lost their last two games against the Spurs and Rockets.
Clippers are much like the Thunder in that they really haven’t clicked and met the expectations some were predicting from them before the start of the season as far as overall level of play.
Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce, Wesley Johnson and Luc M’boh a Moute have been added to a rotation which was already solid. The Clipper core of Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, JJ Reddick, Jamal Crawford, Deandre Jordan, and Austin Rivers remains intact.
Clippers much like the Thunder in that they are a franchise which for various reasons has yet to reach its potential the past three seasons and get to an NBA Finals. Clippers eliminated the Spurs in the first round last spring, then blew a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets in the conference semi-finals.
The Clipper roster additions are supposed to make the team a more hardened, tougher group. To date–still a work in progress.
Same could be said for the Thunder as well with first year coach Billy Donovan and his team.
Thunder enter at 18-9 as the No. 3 seed and pretty much a team still looking for answers as far to elevating their play to be mentioned with Golden State, Cleveland, and San Antonio as legitimate championship contenders.
Two teams which hate one another with the Ibaka-Blake Griffin rivalry always seeming to get heated in these games.
Should be a good game which indicates whether the Thunder are primed to begin an elevation of their play or fall back into the mix with LA, Houston, Dallas and Memphis in the West.
An epic moment in NBA history. Magic moves to center in Game 6 with Kareem out due to injury. Catch Bill Russell’s pregame comments on the matchup. He understood the implications of small ball even back then.
I know many young people in this modern age of hoops might have trouble remembering when the Philly Sixers and the Lakers were actually forces in the NBA each season—so today is my way of remembering better days for both franchises who are currently the two biggest piece of shit team dumpster fires in their respective conferences as they tank for the hope they get the No. 1 pick in the lottery.
OKC Thunder 118 — LA Lakers 78
If Russell Westbrook is headed for the LA Lakers after his 2016 season in Oklahoma City—then he better make sure at least one of his Kevin buddies, as in Durant and/or Love, head West with him for the rebuild of the Lakers.
There will be no pretense of a recap for this piece of shit dumpster fire NBA game which took place at Chesapeake Energy Arena this afternoon.. No stats, no Vegas like insights, nothing, because it would be a complete waste of time. Nothing except pity for what two once proud NBA franchises have become…namely– the two piece of shit dumpster fires which have the audacity to charge fans to see them play.
While some wonder how many games it will take to decide the Cleveland vs. Golden State or San Antonio NBA Finals this spring–I actually spend time wondering what would happen if the Lakers played the 76’ers in a seven game series to decide which team can claim they are indeed the biggest dumpster fire in the NBA circa 2015-16.
All of us hoops junkies would pay extra cable fees to see who is the most feeble NBA team if these two ‘teams’ would play a best of seven games series to decide absolute basketball futility under the reign of NBA commish Adam Silver.
Clearly–my darkest day so far as a Thunder blogger on OkcThunderGround.com in having to even attempt to write a recap on this pathetic fiasco of a game.
The end.
Mike Jackson.
Unusual late Saturday afternoon game against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers today in Oklahoma City. Lakers are horrible and come in with a record 4-22. I guess this is a game which falls into the Kobe Farewell Tour. I’ve loved watching Kobe play, but not like he is now in the present tense.
Lakers have some nice young players in Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and D’Angelo Russell who might make this watchable and keep my interest.
Not much I feel compelled to write about this game otherwise other than Kobe has had a great career which probably went two years longer than it should have ultimately. Seems like two lifetimes ago we got all jacked about the Lakers coming to town and writing Beat LA. Very sad when you think about it.
Cleveland Cavs 104 — OKC Thunder 100
Billy Donovan rolled the dice to start the fourth period with an all bench lineup which did not include the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook or Serge Ibaka. I wrote the score down in my mind…OKC 78 — Cleveland 74. It was a lineup comprised of Enes Kanter, Kyle Singler, Nick Collison, DJ Augustin and Dion Waiters.
Not long after–Donovan had to call a timeout in the midst of a 9-0 Cavs run to open the fourth. From that point forward it was uphill for the Thunder who trailed 98-89 with about three minutes left. To the Thunders’ credit they did have two chances in the last ten seconds to send the game into overtime trailing 103-100, but both Durant and Westbrook misfired on three pointers.
Several things. It didn’t surprise me in the least Cleveland won without three of their top four guards in Kyrie, Iman Shumpert, and Mo Williams. Fact is–I kind of expected it, as did Vegas.
LeBron James is my No.1 Star of the Game with 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. Even without the three guards—at least with me, the ending was inevitable as OKC failed to take advantage of the situation.
Five other Cavs scored in double figures. Tristan Thompson was a hoss with 12 points and 15 boards. He would be my No. 2 Star of the Game. JR Smith, Matthew D, Kevin Love, and Richard Jefferson all weren’t spectacular, but all finished in double figures.
Cleveland outrebounded OKC 42-36, and grabbed 16 offensive boards on the night.
Take away the interesting lineup by Billy Donovan to open the fourth, and the recipe for OKC’s defeat was simple. Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka didn’t get much help from the rest of the roster. OKC’s Big Three scored a combined 75 points.
OKC’s bench scored 16 total points in this game. OKC’s other two starters, Steven Adams and Andre Roberson scored four and five points. Tough to win on the road against a quality team with that type of production. Not the Thunder team we’ve seen of late in the six game win streak against lesser competition.
Westbrook led OKC with 27 points, while Durant added 25 points of which only eleven came in the last three periods combined. It was not a night of closing for Kevin Durant.
OKC led at half 47-46. Then led 78-74 to begin the fourth period. But in the money frame it was Cleveland 30-22 and Lebron doing what he does pretty well…making players around him better.
I’d say it was revealing game, but it really wasn’t when you think about it. Durant, Westbrook, Donovan, and Presti have a nice ball team. Maybe even the fourth best in the NBA currently. But not the team which will be holding the cup as presently constructed come June.
Hope Jason Day’s wife is okay
Mike Jackson
National game on TNT from Cleveland. It’s already been announced no Kyrie Irving or Iman Shumpert, and possibly no Mo Williams. But still, Cleveland will have LeBron, Kevin Love, JR Smith, Matthew Dellavedova, Timothy Mozgov, Tristan Thompson, Richard Jefferson, James Jones, and some others.
Cleveland is 16-7 and winners of three straight. Shumpert had just come back from wrist surgery and the Cavs’ defense was getting its house in order. Without Shumpert tonight it’s a big blow defensively for Cleveland. Plus, the loss of Kyrie on the point. But still, as we saw last summer against the Warriors in the Finals, LeBron has a way of elevating those around him in big game settings on the national stage.
Obviously–not the dream matchup with Cleveland not at full strength, but it should still be a great test for OKC just trying to get over the LeBron mental hump and all.
Kevin Love has been more important of late in the overall scheme of Cleveland’s offense so it’ll probably mean just more of Love, JR Smith, and Dellavedova in the way of getting shots and LeBron spending more time on Kevin Durant defensively.
It’s still LeBron James. LeBron has been Kevin Durant’s primary last hurdle as far as where Durant wants to ultimately go with his basketball legacy.
So still–a completely compelling and intriguing matchup if for no other reason than the LeBron-Durant matchup.
Heading into this game—I’d go 1 LeBron, 2 Steph, 3 KD. But I thought it might be fun to take a look back on a 2014 First Take conversation on this very topic.