A tough night for the Thunder. It all started well with Steven Adams dominating inside during a first period which eventually saw OKC win 32-31. But from that point forward the wheels came off as Adams got in some early foul problems as the tone of the game completely got away from the Thunder.
Golden State got Kevin Durant going early and it was vintage KD as he finished with 39 points going 7-11 from three point range. It was clear Steve Kerr and the Warriors were going to make this night special for Durant against his old teammates.
The final read 122-96, but beyond the first period when Adams was dominating Pachulia at will, OKC could never sustain anything on either end of the floor.
Clearly, Golden State was determined to make it a difficult night for Russell Westbrook as the lane was usually clogged with two or three defenders. Andre Roberson did nothing to alleviate this as he was basically non-existent from an offensive standpoint.
Westbrook had to work for any space he could muster against what was essentially a zone setup to take the lane away from him. No triple double on this night. Westbrook’s line was 20-6-10 with 6 turnovers attached.
A difficult situation for OKC playing this game on the second night of a road back to back after a tough grinding win the night before against the Clippers.
This in no way is an excuse being offered because the Warriors are clearly at a different level than the Thunder with Durant’s flip flop of franchises. You don’t lose the third best player in the world to the team you were just about even to last season and not fall behind. Simply put, OKC’s realistic high end expectations are to maybe finish fourth in the West and get into the second round. Golden’s State’s expectations are to win the West and then beat LeBron in the Finals.
The obvious take from this game is Russell Westbrook will need Sam Presti to add another significant offensive piece if the Thunder aspire to become a contender again.
Some silver linings from the game were Adams’ interior dominance in the first period. Victor Oladipo did some positive things and scored 21 points. Joffery Lauvergne showed he could compete at this level and could very well be the Thunder’s second or third best overall big at this juncture. He competes on both ends which is what the Thunder needs. Sabonis had a rough start, but as the game wore on showed he can do a few things. He just needs time. Jerami Grant had some good and bad moments, but his pure athleticism can’t be ignored.
On the flip side, Enes Kanter played only three minutes and was horrific in those three minutes as he didn’t even appear to be playable against the Warriors. Roberson was non-existent offensively and this in no way helped Russell Westbrook get near the rim let alone to it. Anthony Morrow got some minutes and didn’t make a basket. Singler didn’t play until the second half so you can’t blame him because the game was over at halftime. Abrines got first half minutes and looked like a first year European player playing against a team of NBA All-Stars. Christon struggled as well.
For OKC to be competitive against these Warriors these guys can’t just stink it up as they basically did on Thursday night. But to the point, second tier role players usually play better at home so the Thunder can only hope when the Warriors travel to the Peake in February and March these guys play much better.
When you have a young team and have a road back to back against the Clippers and Warriors a split is a good thing. That shouldn’t be lost big picture as the season moves forward. But overall–OKC isn’t in Golden State’s league. But really who is other than LeBron and maybe the Spurs.
The realistic goal for OKC’s extremely young team is to get better and for Sam Presti to add another offensive piece to help Russell Westbrook.
Minnesota tomorrow night in Oklahoma City.