The game to watch on Sunday was the ABC game between the rebuilt LeBron Cavs and the Boston Celtics on a day when Paul Pierce’s jersey was retired in Boston. With the additions of George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance Jr. the Cavs destroyed the Celtics. Just literally killed them and let the world know this Cleveland team will once again more than likely representing the East in the NBA Finals yet again.
I start with this because OKC plays the Cavs on Tuesday night in OKC and this Cleveland team will be nothing like the team OKC saw on January 20th in a 148-124 cakewalk. This Cleveland team just got much better defensively, offensively, athletically, and in fact–much younger.
So I’ll start with that before I get to OKC’s win over a horrible Memphis team. So horrible in fact these Grizzlies could very well end up with the overall worst record in the NBA before all is said and done this season. These Grizzlies stink–that much is clear.
Putting all this aside, OKC without Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony for the second straight game, pasted the Grizzlies 110-92 in a wire to wire win. Paul George led the way with 33 points as the Thunder improved to 32-25 on the season and is still in fifth place heading into Tuesday night’s home game against the new Cavs. The Thunder are now 2-5 in games since Andre Roberson’s season ending knee injury with two games remaining until the All-Star break is upon us.
The Thunder clearly played better in this game than they did against the Lakers without Westbrook, but I wouldn’t read too much into in that since the Thunder were awful offensively in the second half and shot 65% from the free throw line on forty attempts. I’m not trying to be negative, but even though the Thunder hit 16 threes, the thing which sticks out to me most is the fact this Thunder team ranks last in the league at the free throw line and went 25-40 from the line in a game in which there was no pressure–as in the game was never close.
Alex Abrines had 16 points and clearly his best game of the season, but again, it was arguably against the worst team in the league which just lost its sixth straight game and has collected a brutal assortment of ‘NBA’ players alongside Marc Gasol. But to the credit of Alex Abrines–he has been playing better of late and I probably shouldn’t call him Sam Prestis’s Spanish singing folk singing anymore. Looks like he’s been the focal point of the coaching staff in some private sessions would be my guess.
Jerami Grant was again very good and the Thunder very much need to resign him this summer after they hopefully keep Paul George around for at least one more season.
Ray Felton and Patrick Patterson were both solid with 14 points apiece and looked worlds better than they did against the Lakers. Steven Adams was okay, but again, he was the only Thunder player playing against what I would call a top half NBA player depending on how you value Tyreke Evans currently.
Memphis is tanking and it made me sad because this at one time was the greatest rivalry in the OKC Thunder era.
So to give Billy Donovan some credit, his team did actually look like they practiced before this game without Westbrook and had some semblance of game planning in hand before taking the floor. See the glass half full, right? You learn that shit in overcoming dysfunction.
I would hope and assume Russell will be back for the Cavs game or else that could flat out be a long night for the Thunder and the fan base.
Anyway, a nice night for Paul George and Alex Abrines. But clearly–the thought moving forward is Russell Westbrook needs to be on the floor Tuesday night in Oklahoma City with LeBron showing off his new play toys.