Defense has been very good
Remember when there was concern the Thunder’s new “shell” defense might have problems defending 3-pointers after the Rockets and Spurs lit Oklahoma City up for a combined 25 3-pointers in back-to-back preseason games?
Three weeks into the season, the Thunder leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
In case you read over that too quickly, OKC leads the league.
Opponents are shooting 28.2 percent beyond the arc. Combined with being ranked among the league leaders in overall field goal percentage defense (43.7) and scoring defense (91.2), the Thunder’s new and improved defense has been drawing rave reviews from opposing coaches.
“You can tell right away (their defense is much improved),” said Miami coach Eric Spoelstra. “They’ve been playing well all season. Their athleticism is noticeable. They cover a lot of ground. They have a lot of length. They’re getting after it. They compete, are organized and are playing hard.”
Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy, Houston’s Rick Adelman, Lakers’ Phil Jackson and Spurs’ Gregg Popovich have made similar comments the past two weeks.
After Oklahoma City coasted to a 100-87 win Tuesday night over Miami, Spoelstra said the Thunder’s young, athletic, harrassing defense will pose problems for a lot of teams.
“We could never put it together for sustained, long moments of solid play,” Spoelstra said. “They put a heck of a defensive game on us. They played well. Give them credit.”
Led by Thabo Sefolosha, whose defensive reputation continues to grow, the Thunder is living up to coach Scott Brooks’ off-season mantra — improve defensively, share the ball on offense, play for each other and give good energy.
A good example of the defensive improvement was when the Heat went into hurry-up mode in the fourth quarter, trailing by as many as 17 points. On three or four fourth-quarter possessions Miami was trying to get a good shot quickly but settled for what was available when the shot-clock was about to expire.
“They’re a very athletic team, a young team that has improved on both ends of the floor,” said Heat guard Daequan Cook. “They’re a lot more aggressive on the defensive end. They’re getting a lot of stops.”
Sefolosha, assisted by teammates who were told to limit Dwyane Wade’s touches and provide help defense on the league’s reigning scoring champion, suffocated Wade into a 6-for-19 outing.
“Everybody did a very good job playing team defense,” Sefolosha said. “We closed down the paint. We had a whole lot of rebounds. That was the key tonight. You have to be excited going against guys like (Wade). The team did a tremendous job closing down his drives and taking away the easy stuff.”
Coaches bristle when their team is praised for good effort and good defense. Brooks is no excpetion.
“After last season, we felt one area we were going to need to improve was defensive basketball,” Brooks said after the game. “We needed to play with a toughness and we needed to have an identity of playing with defensive thoughts in our mind from the first practice. I thought the guys really bought in.
“They’re doing a great job. We’re not perfect. We’re still understanding what we need to do. But we’re trying to do a really good job of helping each other defend.”
Thunder plays big in crunch time to post big win
A young Thunder squad found ways to lose a ton of close games last season. While it’s only 18 days into the season, you can see a new level of maturity this season, the primary reason Oklahoma City is 5-4.
A 101-98 win over the veteran San Antonio Spurs Saturday night was more than just your normal win. A young team is showing signs of making the type of late-game plays that so many times make the difference in the NBA.
Bottom line it was the Thunder, the second youngest team in the league, that came up big in crunch time more often than the veteran Spurs who have won three NBA titles this decade.
After dominating the third quarter to take the lead, pushing it to 83-74 early in fourth quarter, the Spurs twice got to within one point but could never regain the lead.
The final two minutes had a lengthy list of critical plays.
* Nenad Krstic’s block of George Hill’s point-blank shot with just over two minutes left was huge, protecting a 93-90 lead.
* When the Thunder led 94-91 with 1:18 left, Kevin Durant missed what would have been a huge basket. OKC, though, maintained the possession when Krstic came up with an offensive rebound that several players had a shot at grabbing.
With an extra shot on the possesion, Russell Westbrook hit the game’s biggest basket — a running, scoop shot in the lane, the highlight on a night the second-year point guard from UCLA was sensational (19 points, 11 assists, 0 turnovers).
Westbrook’s basket gave the Thunder a 96-91 lead. On the Spurs next possession Tony Parker stepped on the base line, an uncommon mistake for the veteran.
But the game was far from over as the Thunder was far from flawless closing out the win.
Thabo Sefolosha hit only one of two free throws with :31.9 seconds left.
OKC also had a major blunder after the Spurs closed to within 97-94 on a Hill 3-pointer. The Spurs stole the inbounds pass in a one-possession game but the Thunder quickly reseized the momentum when Sefolosha swatted the ball away from Richard Jefferson, leading to Sefolosha’s fourth steal that all but sealed the win.
Durant his two free throws with 13.8 left but hit only one of two at 9.6 seconds after Parker scored.
Now leading 100-96, the Thunder was in good shape, but a tip-in gave the Spurs hope.
Westbrook hit only one of two free throws with 2.7 seconds left when two would have iced it.
Out of the timeouts, the Spurs had a shot at a miracle to force overtime. But Tony Parker’s 35-footer desperation shot didn’t fall as the Thunder flew back to Oklahoma City with a huge win.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich summed it up best.
“Oklahoma City had more people play better,” Popovich said. “As individuals, and as a team, they executed better than we did for more minutes. Thus they got the victory. And they deserved it.”
Popovich is right. The Thunder got solid performances from everyone who played and made more big plays down the stretch.
What was interesting in the Thunder locker room after the game was players’ reactions. They admitted it was a good win, beating a top-notch team on the road. But each player also stressed they have three more games the next four days and it was time to focus on what’s ahead, not the quality win they had just posted.
They may be the second youngest team in the league but the Thunder is showing signs of growing up.
Full strength Spurs will be a tough challenge
The Thunder has caught a lot of breaks this season with key players on opposing teams missing games because of injuries. That scenario flip-flops tonight in San Antonio. Coach Gregg Popovich said during pre-game that Tim Duncan and Tony Parker will both play after missing the previous two games with ankle injuries.
The intriguing backdrop to tonight’s game is Oklahoma City split its season series with the Spurs last season, including winning once at AT&T Center.
It was mindboggling that the Thunder fared so well against the veteran Spurs considering Tim Duncan and a strong perimeter game are the very things that constantly doomed Oklahoma City last season.
One explanation is three of the four games were late in the season when the Thunder finished with a 20-30 record and was playing much better basketball.
Another theory is the Spurs are one of those teams a young team could get up for.
The revamped Spurs were supposed to be one of the top contenders this season after adding Richard Jefferson and a few other veterans to a team that has won three NBA titles this decade.
But so far the Spurs have been as unpredicatable as any team.
San Antonio won a 131-124 shootout over Toronto earlier this week without Duncan and Parker. Two nights later is was a defensive slugfest when the Spurs, once again playing without Duncan and Parker, defeated Dallas 92-83.
Earlier in the season, with Duncan and Parker, the Spurs dominated New Orleans at home but then looked lethargic the next night in Chicago in a loss. They lost by double digits at Utah and Portland but romped past Sacramento at home.
Bottom line is the Spurs have been very good at home (4-0) and very bad on the road (0-3) which makes tonight’s challenge all the more difficult for the Thunder.
Chat with Mike Baldwin at 11 a.m.
Ugly but a win nonetheless
A day after failing to bring their A game in a loss at Sacramento, the Thunder once again played catch-up most of the night in Los Angeles but dominated the fourth quarter to post an ugly 83-79 win over the Clippers late Wednesday night at Staples Center.
If you didn’t stay up until midnight to watch Kevin Durant’s big shot in the final minute, it wasn’t pretty. Niether team shot well. The Thunder finished at 42.2 percent, the Clippers 35.9.
The bottom line is the Thunder found a way to win an ugly game.
The most revealing stat was the Clippers shot only 15.8 percent in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line, making only 3 of 19 shots.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks admitted the Clippers missed a few good looks. But the Thunder also turned up its defensive pressure.
After trailing by as many as nine points, the Thunder opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to take control. Jeff Green was big early in the run, hitting a 3-pointer to start the quarter and drained another big bucket to put the Thunder up 73-69.
Led by Kevin Durant’s double-double (30 points, 10 rebounds), the Thunder built the lead to 78-71 but failed to get baskets to put the game away.
From that point until Durant broke a 79-79 tie with his clutch 10-footer with 38.9 seconds left, the Thunder scored only one point — a Durant free throw — over a five-minute span.
Last season that would have doomed the Thunder to a sure loss. This time, quality defense, a couple of key steals and rebounds allowed OKC to escape to even its record at .500.
The two biggest developments were subjects we’ll explore in upcoming days in The Oklahoman and on newsok.com
< Rookie James Harden is a highly underrated passer. After Russell Westbrook left the game with a slightly sprained ankle late in the third quarter, Harden essentially played the rest of the game, sometimes as a psuedo point guard.
Brooks said Westbrook could have re-entered but he stuck with Harden, who dished out eight assists in 24 minuts, playing 30 miles from where he went to high school.
> Serge Ibaka has a long way to go. He fouled out in less than 16 minutes. But Ibaka’s energy off the bench gave the Thunder a huge lift after they trailed most of the game, including a 65-58 deficit late in the third quarter.
Ibaka is raw but he’s athletic and is a diligent worker. Right now, Ibaka seems too valuable as a potential spark off the bench to spend too much time in Tulsa when the D League starts later this month.
Thunder fails to seize opportunity
If you’re going to develop into a playoff contender these are the games you have to find a way to win.
In a road game the Thunder was actullay favored, a tough shooting night and the failure to box out on rebounds put them in a hole the entire game in a 101-98 loss to the Kings Tuesday night in Sacramento.
Yes, the Kings are 3-0 without their top player, Kevin Martin, sidelined two months following wrist surgery. But this is a team that probably will finish with one of the league’s worst records.
Now the road gets a lot tougher. Oklahoma City has three consecutive back-to-backs in a 10-day span. Five of the six games are on the road. Following tonight’s game against the Clippers in the Staples Center, the Thunder faces the Spurs Saturday night in San Antonio.
A rematch with the Clippers Sunday night is the only home game followed by a back-to-back next week at Miami (Dwyane Wade) and a more healthy, out-for-reveng Magic squad.
That’s why Tuesday’s game carried a little more importance. The Thunder’s defense was atrocious the first half (Sacramento shot 57.9) but improved dramatically in the second half (31.1 percent).
It still wasn’t enough on a night Oklahoma City shot 39.7 percent and was manhandled on the boards (51-35).
“We didn’t do a good job putting bodies on bodies,” said coach Scott Brooks. “We didn’t rebound the ball well. That’s the bottom line.”
That proved to be the difference.
The Thunder fell behind by 10 points but took its only second-half lead (69-68) late in the third quarter. They fell behind by nine in the fourth quarter, battled back to tie it at 86-86, only to have a 4-point Andres Nioconi play give the Kings the lead for good.
James Harden, who hit a half-court, buzzer-beater to end the first half — a play he’s sure to be remembered for his rookie season — said the one positive was the Thunder was in the game until the end despite some obvious shortcomings.
“We didn’t play as good as we wanted to but we still hung in there on the road,” Harden said. “If you stay in there until the fourth quarter you hope you can pull it out. It just didn’t go our way.”
Up next is the Clippers in the Thunder’s first back-to-back of the season.
“I love back-to-backs,” said Kevin Durant, who scored a season-high 37 points, including an 18-for-18 night at the line. “We can show the type of team we are. It’s a good test for us. It was a disappointing game but it’s good to know we have another one the next day. That’s the best thing about this league.”
The Clippers will be playing without Eric Gordon, their second leading scorer (18.9), sidelined by a groin injury. After getting battered on the boards by the Kings, the Thunder now faces the Clippers strong inside tandem of Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman, one of the few teams to start two centers.
“We have to keep working and put (the loss to the Kings) behind us,” Brooks said. “We’ll definitely learn from this, come back tomorrow and need to give good effort.”
QUICK OBSERVATIONS…
With Blake Griffin sidelined by a fractured knee cap, Kings guard Tyreke Evans probably is the favorite for Rookie of the Year. In the win over OKC, Evans scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out eight assists, not that far away from posting a triple double.
It’s the third straight game he’s scored 20 or more points, the first Kings rookie to do that since Walt Williams 16 years ago.
Like any rookie, Evans will experience ups and downs (he also had five turnovers). Evans is an average shooter but has tremendous quickness and athleticism. Brooks finally decided to leave Thabo Sefolosha on Evans exclusively late in the game, the ultimate compliment…
Speaking of Blake Griffin, I’m hoping to have an interview with the former OU All-American before tonight’s game and write an update on his progress…
Sefolosha, by far, is Oklahoma City’s best defender. Sefolosha recorded three steals and grabbed six rebounds, the majority when the Thunder was trying to rally for a win.
His shooting was off (1-of-7, including 0-of-3 on 3-pointers) for the first time all season, but he’s developing into a solid all-around player. Signing Sefolosha to a four-year deal for “only” $15 million should prove to be a bargain…
Harden’s defense is sorely lacking but he’s living up to the billing of having a high basketball IQ. Harden is a good shooter and should develop into a solid player and be a key part of the foundation for the future. All nine of his points came in the first half but he’s gaining more confidence.
“I’m getting more comfortable,” Harden said. “My teammates want me to shoot the ball a bit more. My coaches want me to shoot the ball a little bit more. The more comfortable I feel on the court, the more opportunities I will get. Now it’s just a matter of playing.”
In the believe-it-or-not category, the Kings, 4-4, now have a better record than the Thunder, 3-4.
By season’s end, Oklahoma City should finish with 10 to 20 more wins than the Kings. But Sacramento’s three-game winning streak, including an improbable win at Utah, is a reminder that if you play fundamentally sound basketball, with balanced scoring, you can win.
Sacramento lacks enough overall talent to realistically stay anywhere close to .500 over an 82-game grind. But Evans and Jason Thompson should at least keep the Kings from dropping off the map without Martin.
Thunder preview: Kings no gimme
Sacramento was the team most analysts chose to finish with the league’s record. When Kevin Martin, the Kings’ only player even worthy of All-Star consideration, suffered a wrist injury last week it was a given they would struggle, right?
Not so fast.
The Kings have won three of their last four. They’re 2-0 and defeated the Jazz in Salt Lake City since Martin suffered the injury which required surgery and will keep him sidelined two months.
So how are the Kings doing it?
Rookie Tyreke Evans scored a career-high 32 against the Jazz, getting to the line 19 times, sinking 16. Evans followed with a team-high 23 points and eight rebounds in a win over Golden State. The combined 55 points is the most by a Kings’ rookie in back-to-back games since Walt Williams also scored 55 back in 1993.
Evans and sharp-shooting guard Beno Udrih are averagiong a combined 35.7 points. They’ve been an even more effective guard combo since Martin’s injury.
Throw in second-year forward Jason Thompson, a threat for a double-double every game, and the Kings are no gimme. Thompson is averaging 12.3 poings and 9.4 rebounds.
Oklahoma City is a rare road favorite. But the Thunder is only a 2-point favorite. Coming off an impressive win over Orlando Sunday night, OKC should win this game. But it might be more difficult than you think.
Perimeter defense — not giving Udrih open looks and preventing Evans from penetrating — will be key if the Thunder is to improve to 4-3 overall, 2-1 on the road. If not, OKC could be on the south side of .500 on both counts, 3-4 overall, 1-2 on the road.
Thunder faces shorthanded Magic
Orlando is the defending Eastern Conference champions. They’re off to a 5-1 start. But the Magic will have only nine healthy players, possibly as few as eight, when they face the Thunder tonight in the Ford Center.
Shooting guard Vince Carter and power forward Ryan Anderson are out with ankle injuries. Power forward Rashard Lewis is out the first 10 games, serving a suspension for taking a drug that can mask steroids use. Center Adonal Foyle underwent knee surgery.
The Magic has only nine because they have only have 13 roster players. At least, point guard Anthony Johnson has rejoined the team after attending his father-in-law’s funeral.
“He got into town but he got in late,” coach Stan Van Gundy said after the Magic’s Sunday morning shootaround. “He’s had a tough couple of days. He’ll be our ninth guy. Matt (Barnes) is sick but he’ll give it a go.”
Barnes has moved into the starting lineup because of injuries.
“He doesn’t have a fever. We’re pretty convinced it’s not the flu, but he’s not feeling well,” Van Gundy said. “When I got that message last night, I said, “OK.’ We’ll have at least eight, maybe nine. We’re good at point guard.”
Van Gundy was referring to three of the nine healthy players being Jameer Nelson, Jason Williams and Johnson.
Brandon Bass, signed as a free agent after playing with Dallas last season, will start at power forward along with Barnes, J.J. Redick at shooting guard, Nelson at point guard and Dwight Howard at center.
In addition to the other two point guards (Williams and Johnson), the Magic’s bench will feature backup center Marcion Gortat and shooting forward Mickael Pietrus.
“We’re a little thin up front,” Van Gundy said. “(Gortat) will have to play some four. Matt might have to play some four. We’re pretty deep at the point but everywhere else we’re struggling a little bit.”
Asked about the Thunder’s young roster, Van Gundy praised Scott Brooks for Oklahoma City’s improved defense.
“It’s obvious watching them on film that he’s really put a lot of time in and a lot of emphasis on the defensive end,” Van Gundy said. “That’s where I really see improvement in their team. They’re defending with a lot higher level of commitment and purpose than they were a year ago. It’s hard with young guys. He’s done a helluva job.
“Obviously with (Russell) Westbrook, (Kevin) Durant and (Jeff) Green they’ve got a real solid core. And I love (James) Harden. They’ve got hard-working big guys with (Nenad) Krstic, Etan Thomas and (Nick) Collison. (Thabo) Sefolosha is good. They’ve done a nice job putting their team together.”
Will Brooks change rotation?
Shaun Livingston and D.J. White made their 2009-10 debuts Friday night at Houston but that doesn’t mean coach Scott Brooks is ready to make changes in his rotation.
Asked if White or Livingston might play Sunday night against Orlando, Brooks indicated he’ll probably stick with the nine-man rotation he’s used the first two weeks.
“I can’t predict that,” Brooks said. “It’s game to game. But I like going with (only) nine guys right now.
“Sometimes the game will tell you differently. Some guy gets into foul trouble. Some guy is playing extremely bad, not given great effort, you have to change it up. But I like nine guys (in my rotation). But it’s not like that it’s (permanent).”
Kevin Ollie, a seasoned veteran, opened the season as the backup point guard. Livingston has more upside but still has much to prove after being sideined more than two years following a major knee injury.
White didn’t crack the four-man interior rotation, all the minutes going to Nenad Krstic, Jeff Green, Nick Collison and Etan Thomas.
“We have 12 guys that can play,” Brooks said. “Any of the 12 have to be ready. They all know that. I’ve talked to all of them. I always tell them to be ready. You don’t know what’s going to happen.
“All it takes is foul trouble, an injury or bad effort. Then you get an opportunity and have to make the most of it. I thought D.J. and Shaun did a good job, not having played in four games. They gave us good minutes.”
What it takes for Thunder to upset Rockets
The Houston Rockets were supposed to fall flat on their face.
No Yao Ming, out for the season with an injury. No Tracy McGrady, once again hampered by injuries. No Ron Artest, now playing for the Lakers.
No problem.
The Rockets have played well their first five games, highlighted by a road win at Utah.
Houston’s secret? No stars but a solid group. Most likely the smallest team in the league with the 6-foot-6 Chuck Hayes playing center, the Rockets are gritty. They’re also more up tempo this season.
For the Thunder to post an upset the biggest key is to not get buried by 3-pointers like they did in a lopsided preseason loss.
Houston is averaging 22 3-point attempts a game, making 9.20 treys a game, the fourth highest total in the league.
Similar to the Thunder’s first two games — both wins — Oklahoma City actually has a size edge inside, which sometimes can be a problem (see Portland, Lakers).
Continue to play good defense, limit the Rockets’ 3-pointers, and finally have a breakout offensive game, and the Thunder can go back above .500 with a win. Get buried by 3-pointers and Oklahoma City will lose its third straight game and fall below .500.
