In what turned out to be a very good basketball game on Friday night inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Los Angeles Clippers held on at the buzzer as a Russell Westbrook 25 footer was a little strong. Not the best shot given the situation, but we’ve seen far worse over the years. Plus, keep in mind, Andre Roberson botched two previous late possessions by not handling Westbrook passes cutting to the basket. So I don’t think anybody should be railing on Westbrook for the shot.
OKC has now dropped its last two at home is coming back down to earth as what we thought they’d probably be. That being, a fun entertaining team, but not a serious contender as currently constructed. Westbrook needs another offensive option he can lean on night in and night out.
Westbrook almost tripled doubled going 29-14-9. Domas Sabonis had an excellent game with a double/double and four made threes.
On a whole, OKC set a team mark by going 16-28 from three point land. So while the loss was discouraging, there were some nice things to cling onto from this game from a team standpoint.
Young guards Victor Oladipo, Andre Roberson, Semaj Christon all had some good moments in the game. Enes Kanter had a double/double of his own. Jerami Grant continues to show flashes. The only real negative in this game was Steven Adams only had five shots and six points.
But the real bright spot was obviously Sabonis as he’s getting better and obviously more comfortable with NBA play every time he steps on the floor.
But again, if OKC wants to jump into that tier of West teams which includes the Warriors, Spurs, and Clippers–Russell Westbrook is going to need another offensive piece whether it be Rudy Gay or someone we’re not thinking of presently. Cam Payne simply coming back from injury doesn’t propel OKC into that grouping of teams.
Admittedly, I’m having trouble completely focusing on the games right now as our country is going thru a truly historic transition, but in the wrong way. Like in the Richard Nixon getting on the heliocopter and going back to California way in 1973. Think eight years back and the thought the United States had just elected the first black man to the presidency. Think back to Obama’s acceptance speech on a crystal still November night in Chicago. Think back to an inauguration with so much hope and possibilities attached for future generations of young Americans. Now back to the future where white America just elected a canidate who was endorsed by David Duke, the KKK, and Vladamir Putin. While young protestors in Amercian cities of every color know they just witnessed a really bad episode of Jerry Springer Live.
Consider this, several years ago, NBA commish Adams Silver and his league governors banned Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling from the league for life for racist comments, and rightly so. That’s why you see Steve Ballmer sitting courtside now. In direct contrast, white America just elected an openly racist canidate to not only the highest office in the land, but in the world. White Republican America just got it’s country back, I guess. But at what cost, rolling back history a hundred and fifty years?
I haven’t to date read any comments on who Thunder owner Clay Bennett voted for on Tuesday. He’s a Republican obviously, and was an early supporter of Jeb Bush which isn’t a bad thing because Jeb Bush is a decent man. But I’d be curious to know if he voted for Trump or left that slot on his ballot blank. I’d be curious to know how all thirty NBA owners voted given the fact the league is predominantly a black league. Might be an interesting piece to read in the NY Times or Washington Post.