OKC Thunder 125 — Memphis Grizzlies 88
OKC’s Thunder finally put the game together its fan base has been craving. Showed why Vegas and Charles Barkley had them mentioned in the same breath with Golden State, Cleveland , and San Antonio back in October. Proved why Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook belong together on a basketball court as one as they displayed a level of basketball almost Jonathon Livingston Seagull–esque. It was simply beautiful to watch. A state of basketball perfection.
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are my OKCThunderGround No. 1 Stars of the Game. It was a flash photo of how Westbrook can win an NBA championship with Kevin Durant. Westbrook’s line… 13 points on 5-7 from the field. Sixteen assists. Two steals, and +26. The ball moved effortlessly. It never stuck. It found the hands of open, willing Thunder teammates. It was perfection. Russell Westbrook was perfection on this Tuesday night in Memphis.
If Westbrook was Jonathon Livingston Seagull in this one, then his buddy Kevin Durant was Father Gull. If you haven’t read the book–then you’re out of luck on this recap and you need to be reading more good books about the state of perfection on various planes of existence. Kevin Durant was beautiful in basketball flight as well. Every nuance, every movement, every gliding maneuver, almost every play was perfection in accord within the basketball universe. Durant’s line… 32 points on 11-16 from the field, 10 rebounds, 6 assists. Perfection in flight. Basketball perfection in flight.
Serge Ibaka went for 17 points and excelled on rolling to the basket off the pick and roll.
OKC…31 assist to 12 turnovers.
Dion Waiters was superb in the second quarter and helped blow the game open. DJ Augustin and Anthony Morrow scored the ball.
Billy Donovan coached his pants off and went small ball making Dave Joerger and his team look helpless.
Mike Conley didn’t score a point. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph went a combined 7-19 from the field.
It was 59-47 at halftime….98-63 at the end of the third period. It was a game where OKC’s Thunder showed a glimpse of what they could possibly become.
It was clearly Oklahoma City’s best game of the season.
It was beautiful.