These two games versus the Spurs were fun and very well could be a first round matchup given where both teams are and should be at the conclusion of eighty-two games. A No. 4 vs No. 5 or No. 3 vs No. 6 matchup doesn’t seem out of the question between these two franchises who in both 2012 and 2014 met in the Western Conference Finals.
I wouldn’t expect the winner to go much further given the limitations of the Spurs’ roster and the inability of the Thunder to play to its potential, but seeing these two meet in the first round would be nostalgic if nothing else.
The Thunder snapped their three game funk Saturday night inside the Peake by a score of 122-112. The Thunder trailed 60-51 at the half, but in the second half turned things around primarily because Dennis Schroder got his game back in sync and did that thing where he leads the Thunder to a surge when he comes on the floor. Schroder had 19 points, but he got other help from his bench mates. My current favorite Thunder player Abdel Nader was perfect from the field scoring 15 points on six shots. Patrick Patterson was excellent as well adding 13 points. All told the Thunder bench contributed 48 points. By my view and that of Michael Cage…we both had our Three Stars completely in line… 1 Schroder, 2 Nader, and 3 Patterson. Bad Little Wild Thing (Diallo) seems to be in a slump of late, but still added a spectacular missed dunk which would have been the Play of the Game if had gone thru the net. But just for artistic verve-I felt the need to mention it and give it Play of the Game anyway.
In all seven Thunder players scored in double figures. It took Russell Westbrook 24 shots to get 24 points, but the glass half full take is only twice did he attempt three point shots. Erik Horne may see this as some sort of seismic swing in Westbrook… but I wouldn’t share that view as of yet. Because as I’ve learned Wild Thing will always piss on that take if you’re foolish enough to believe in it. That’s why I play the Joan Jett video instead. To remind myself not to fall in love with Westbrook’s game too much because in the end he always reverts to being a werewolf.
Having read Steven’s book and knowing of his fondness for Popovich…I paid attention to their meeting in the handshake line. In his book, Steven writes, “I’d like to tell this great man how much I think of him and hug him while smelling his hair.” Or something like that or close to it. Well, I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I do love Pop as well and he and Steven did exchange a warm handshake and smile. I thought it was very nice.
OKC’s Thunder improves to 26-16 and fortunately they don’t play tonight because I don’t plan on watching anything but the two NFL divisional games today. I thought both games yesterday were rather pedestrian. Think about the quarterback play yesterday…it wasn’t much. Wunderkind Mahomes did enough, Andrew Luck was abysmal, Goff did enough, and while Dak Prescott played okay is he really all that much more than we’d probably see from Jalen Hurts four years from now.
So today, I’m expecting a quarterback to be special…whether it be Tom Brady, Phillip Rivers, Drew Brees, or Nick Foles I do not know. But I’m guessing one if not three of these guys will be special today. It’s my favorite day of the NFL season. I think I’ll be a New Orleans Saint today and hope Nick Foles doesn’t break my heart.
Russell Westbrook theme music for the passionate Thunder fan: