Author: Mike

OKC Thunder 110 — Phoenix Suns 106

I’m still in a college football state of mind, but actually did watch most of the Thunder game. Phoenix vs. OKC games are always funs games to watch. They don’t like each other, lots of small ball,  plus neither puts a premium on defense currently–so the games usually take on a playground feel. Fun games.

OKC outlasted Phoenix in a game which went down to the wire with Kevin Durant receiving an assist from Kyle Singler on a dunk which essentially sealed the game.

Durant scored 23 points on the night. Only one other Thunder player scored in double figures. As one would assume  it was Russell Westbrook. Typical Westbrook night–36 points, 12 assists, and 5 steals. Russell Westbrook is my No. 1 Star of the Game.

Phoenix had six players in double figures. The Suns shot 52.4% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc as OKC’s defense continued to struggle both in the paint and from beyond the perimeter.

Phoenix drops its seventh straight and stands at 12-23. With Eric Bledsoe out for the season and two assistant coaches dismissed this week–it wouldn’t be a shock if Jeff Hornacek does not make it thru the season.

Some bright spots for OKC were the play of Cam Payne, Kyle Singler, and Dion Waiters off a Thunder bench which scored 31 points on the night.

Payne once again took all the backup point guard minutes while DJ Augustin was DNP-Coach’s Decision. Payne finished with seven points and four assists while showing his natural playmaking ability during his time on the floor. Enjoyable player to watch.

Kyle Singler had his most productive game of the season playing important minutes as Donovan mixed and matched to find small lineups to defend the Suns. Singler had seven points, four rebounds, and two assists, including the game clinching assist to Durant. For the first time this season—Singler looked like the hustle/clutch player from Duke who was instrumental in winning Coach K one of his championships. If Singler could just produce ten quality minutes a game like this a game he could carve out an every game niche on this team.

Dion Waiters had a nice game after a sequence of games in LA and back home where he looked like the broken version of Dion Waiters from last season instead of the player who looked like he might turn his game around earlier this season. Waiters went 3-6 from the field, pared down his shot selection, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out  three assists. A nice solid overall game instead of jacking poor shots and making murky basketball decisions. This is the Dion Waiters who could help Oklahoma City become a better team, not the Nick Young version of Dion.

OKC won as they should have against a bad Phoenix team and improves to 23-10.

Mike Jackson

 

 

Clemson 37–Oklahoma 17,    Alabama 38–Michigan State 0

After week upon week wondering if the committee would penalize OU for belonging to the Big 12 Conference–OU let everyone involved down by getting shut out 21-zip in the second half before eventually losing 37-17 in the first national semi-final game of New Year’s Eve.

OU led 17-16 going into intermission, but it was all Clemson in the game’s final thirty minutes.

Clemson was clearly the superior team. Smarter, tougher, more resilient, better QB play, and more physical. Circle the lack of OU’s physicality on both sides of the ball. This was a simple game to break down. Clemson rushed for 312 yards, OU 67.

OU became one dimensional after their first drive of the game in which Perine had his only real success running the ball. Ironically, OU’s rebirth since the Texas loss had been attributed to running the ball with Perrine and Joe Mixon. Neither back finished the game.

But the players across the line of scrimmage from OU today weren’t wearing Kansas, Texas Tech, or O State jerseys. Clemson has a front seven who’ll hit someone in the mouth — which they did repeatedly to the Sooners.

Considering Baker Mayfield had little help–I thought he actually played decent only forcing the two picks when OU’s situation became more desperate as time began running out on OU’s dream of playing for an eighth national championship.

Deshaun Watson was excellent except for the late first half pick in the end zone by Zack Sanchez. Otherwise–he basically owned OU with his mind, feet, and arm in three equal parts. Plus, his offensive line gave him space and time throughout the game to exhibit his feel for the game. Not saying I think it’ll be the same for Watson against Alabama, but I was impressed. Nice player.

In all candor, this game reminded me of the Texas game where OU was blown away physically on both line of scrimmages and could never corral Hurd on the corner.

OU finishes 11-2 and did more than I thought they would after the loss to Texas in October. But still– after watching both national semi-final games–OU has a lot of work in front of them if they want to return to the highest level of national relevance by bringing that eighth national championship trophy back to Norman.

I’d go Alabama -8.5 in the national championship game. Hope it’s a good game, because both of the national semi-final games in a word …sucked and were close to unwatchable in the second halves. You can only smile at Larry the Dr. Pepper Guy ads so many times.

Mike Jackson

Seemed like a program turning point win, then the loss to a horrible Texas team. But in the end it was a season changing game because of what Baker Mayfield, Sterling Shepard, and the OU defense showed coming back from 17-3 in the fourth period. No Charles Walker today. But good teams always find a way to have someone else step up. Should be a very competitive game today. Two good teams. Two good QBs. Boomer Sooner!

Great video if you’ve never seen it.

 

Guys my age missed Bud Wilkinson and just caught the tail-end of his successor, Gomer Jones. But as a kid it then went for me in this order, the one season of Jim McKenzie, the Chuck Fairbanks era with the Game of the Century, then the incredible run of Barry Switzer at Oklahoma. An incredible era of college football which ran from 1973-1989. Whether you loved OU  football or hated them with a passion—it was an era of college football which always elicited passion one way or another.

OU playing Clemson tomorrow in one national semi-final. Michigan St. vs Alabama in the other. Never thought OU would be at this point after the horrific loss to the Texas Longhorns, but they hung in there and tomorrow’s game completely overshadows the Thunder-Phoenix Sun game. No Thunder Preview tomorrow. OU takes center stage on New Years Eve at okcthunderground.com for a day. THERE’S ONLY ONE OKLAHOMA.