So…I guess losing and pissing away games against inferior teams finally got old. Let’s be clear, OKC still didn’t play 48 minutes up to their full potential, but this is a start and something to build upon. I didn’t like the five minutes in the fourth period when Russell took his last shift of the game, but otherwise it was around 43 minutes of enough good basketball to make the Golden State Warriors look anything close to a lock to win the NBA championship.
OKC led from wire to wire and fed a frenzied Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd like this was Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals in a lopsided 108-91 standing eight count TKO in which Steve Kerr waved the flag and benched his starters early.
Note to Kevin Durant: it’s okay to tell everyone you were texting Draymond Green this morning— he’s on your team now. Maybe this will be a game changer for you and you’ll be texting Paul George now and see if you can be on his team next season. Just so you know…that’s how fucking weak you looked in going from the Thunder to the Warriors after blowing the 3-1 series lead.
Where to start?
How about with the league’s reigning MVP who was brilliant, simply brilliant. In 36 minutes of play Russell Westbrook in essence triple doubled with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and was a +17. Westbrook set the tone, established the flow, and worked the crowd into a frenzy. MVPs rained down from all points in the arena as Westbrook took center stage and delivered the goods to rout the Warriors for the Thunder’s first win against the Durant version of Golden State.
As was the case last season when the Warriors swept the Thunder all four games by double digits—there was some wolfing between Westbrook and Durant. The difference tonight was on this night Westbrook didn’t have a rookie scale team surrounding him. Instead, he had two other future Hall of Famers in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony who stepped up with 20 and 22 points respectively. Collectively, the Big Three scored 76 points, but more importantly, for the first time this season all played well at the same time.
Steven Adams was easily the best big on the court in this game and double doubled with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Adams could have had an even bigger night if he’d finished on two dunks, but it’s not like I should be bitching on a night when the Thunder made Draymond Green and Klay Thompson look like the Cupcake Twins…or Lollipop Twins, or whatever. Weakest game I’ve ever seen Klay Thompson play in the Peake, but again…OKC’s perimeter defense was stellar.
I thought OKC’s defense was excellent tonight. This is an OKC team with enormous defensive potential with guys like Paul George, Andre Roberson, and Jerami Grant. Name another team with three wing defenders like this. I challenge you, name another team. You might say Golden State with Thompson, Green and Durant, but the Thunder showed tonight what they can do defensively when they want to show up.
My key stat of the game was OKC scoring 34 points on 15 steals and getting their transition going early and keeping it going throughout the game. Another key stat was OKC pounded the Warriors 50-39 on the boards. And if you want another key stat…the Warriors didn’t live on the free throw line.
Random Observation: Draymond Green didn’t kick Steven Adams in the crotch tonight. Is that a trend to victory for the Thunder?
Not all that much from the bench tonight, Ray Felton was solid and his minutes gave Westbrook a chance to get some air while the lead was kept intact. Jerami Grant provided some key defensive energy early, but never got going offensively.
Abrines, Patterson, and Huestis played, but didn’t do much except absorb some minutes to rest the starters.
So… is this that fork in the road game we’ve been waiting for? Is this that moment Westbrook, George and Anthony huddled up and said enough of this bullshit…we’re so much better than this?
I don’t know, but what we all know after seeing OKC seriously outplay Boston and Golden State for six out of eight periods is that this team has the potential to be as good as they want to be if they show up to play.
For the first time this season, I’m heading out to the back porch in Deer Creek to smoke a victory cigar, so for me at least–I feel like a bridge was crossed tonight.
Here’s Cox sideline reporter Leslie M in her black S&M outfit interviewing Paul George postgame. Brian Davis needs to buy her a whip. I’m liking the look. It’s much more provocative than Jenni Carlson on Thunder Buddies.
Happy Thanksgiving to us all, Mike!