Grizzlies 86, Thunder 84
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Kevin Durant’s blank stare shot toward the feet of media members waiting in front of his locker in the visitor’s dressing room at FedEx Forum. It was the lasting image of Friday night’s 86-84 last-second loss at Memphis.
Who knows what the Thunder’s star was chewing on in his final private moment before fulfilling his obligation and addressing the horde huddled in front of him? The loss? The rebound Marc Gasol stripped from his hands? His missed 3-pointer that could have won the game? The answer likely is “D,” all the above.
This much is certain, though. The sight of Durant, sitting at his cubicle, robotically running through the finishing touches of his post-game routine, told the story of where this Thunder team is after 43 games.
Losses have become irritating. Close defeats are now intolerable.
The Thunder now expects to win, and more and more players are visibly PO’d when it doesn’t happen.
Might not sound like much. All teams should expect to win, right? After all these are professionals. But understand this is the same group of young guns who veteran Nick Collison had to publicly call out for monkeying around following a 25-point embarrassment at Philadelphia last year — a loss that was the Thunder’s seventh straight and dropped the team to 1-9. This, by and large, is the same cast that, after that seven-game skid stretched to a franchise-high tying 14 consecutive defeats following a similar last-second letdown against Minnesota, drew praise from its coach for how he liked that his squad still was “competing.”
Here’s how things have changed.
The Grizzlies gave Oklahoma City the blues in a bad way before the Thunder bid bye, bye to Beale Street. Thunder Coach Scott Brooks took even longer than normal to emerge for his post-game press conference. James Harden, presumably showered and undoubtedly fully dressed in the clothes he arrived to the arena wearing, slipped by the media while Brooks was still answering questions. Russell Westbrook wasn’t seen inside or leaving the locker room.
Which left us with Durant’s gaze, a look that spread throughout the remainder of the room on smaller scales. Similar frustration was evident in the eyes of Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic and Collison. Their thoughts might have been unclear. But the meaning of the overall mood was unmistakable.
“We’re just growing,” explained Green.
Collison put it another way.
“What’d we lose last year, 57 games?” Collison asked, short-changing the Thunder two losses. “So you just can’t take them as hard.
“But our season’s going a lot better. We expect to win games now, and when we don’t guys are upset. We’re disappointed. That’s the way it should be…We’re used to winning. And when we don’t it hurts.” (more…)
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Networks Say Not Yet, OKC
A telling e-mail landed in my inbox this afternoon.
It was from the NBA, which was announcing changes to the national television schedule. Unlike most of these announcements, which typically detail only one or two changes at most, this release contained three alterations. The changes begin on Feb. 3 and go out until April 7, essentially the end of the season.
The words ‘Oklahoma City’ and ‘Thunder’ are missing from the e-mail.
It’s a small but perhaps significant sign of where the Thunder still ranks in the minds of suits at national networks — despite all the recent publicity for how Kevin Durant and Co. are the team of the future. Oklahoma City’s surprising 24-18 mark and current seventh-seed position apparently means nothing to ESPN, the network that has shuffled its slate to get more appealing matchups on television.
Wednesday, Feb. 3
Miami at Boston, 7 p.m.
Phoenix at Denver, 9:30 p.m.
* The Suns-Nuggets game bumped Portland at Utah, which is no huge change and, really, quite understandable. The Suns and Nuggets could combine to score 14,251,237 points, and most fans love that kind of scoring. But Dwyane Wade and Kevin Garnett and Co.’s star power in the Miami-Boston game seemingly outweighed what is likely a better matchup between Oklahoma City and New Orleans on the same night. The NBA and ESPN kept the Heat-Celtics game as scheduled, but the Hornets-Thunder game, because both teams are fighting for their playoff lives, certainly will be more intriguing and competitive than the mediocre Heat potentially getting its head kicked in at Boston. The fact that the Hornets wouldn’t have had to change its start time should have made it a no-brainer. Chris Paul and Kevin Durant are just as, if not more, entertaining than Wade and Garnett. But selling marquee teams like Boston is much easier than small-market teams in Oklahoma City and New Orleans.
Friday, Feb. 26
Dallas at Atlanta, 6 p.m.
Orlando at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m.
The Magic-Hornets game bumped the Los Angeles Clippers-Phoenix game out of the second slot. And you have to applaud the league and ESPN for getting this one right. The Thunder has a home game against Minnesota on the same night. There is really no argument that can be made for putting the Wolves, the second worst team in basketball, on national television, no matter who they’re playing. Moving on.
Wednesday, April 7
Utah at Houston, 7 p.m.
San Antonio at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m.
Utah-Houston bumped Washington at Orlando, which, again, is the right call…Sort of. The Jazz and the Rockets are identical to the Thunder-Hornets matchup mentioned above. Both teams still figure to be in the playoff race at this point and that makes for an entertaining and competitive game. But the Thunder-Nuggets game could be even more enticing. The Thunder currently sits in third place in the Northwest Division, four games behind the Nuggets. The game could have remained in the same time slot. And Kevin Durant averaged 31.7 points against the Nuggets last season, second most against any team behind Sacramento. Enough said.
-DM-
Thunder vs. Timberwolves Live Chat
Notes on Durant & the D-League
Kevin Durant’s No. 35 Thunder jersey is in the top 15 in league-wide sales for the first time since his rookie, the league announced today. Durant’s jersey is 15th behind Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s No. 24 jersey is the league’s top seller, followed by Cleveland’s LeBron James’ No. 23 and Orlando’s Dwight Howard’s No. 12. The entire top 15:
1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
4. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
6. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
7. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
8. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
9. Shaquille O’Neal, Cleveland Cavaliers
10. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
11. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
12. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
13. David Lee, New York Knicks
14. Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers
15. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder.
(Let me just say that I can’t believe David Lee jerseys have been sold better than Kevin Durant’s.)
Also, NBATV tonight will air some behind-the-scenes footage of the NBA D-League Showcase that took place in Boise from Jan. 4-7. The show features interviews with players, including Tulsa 66ers forward Latavious Williams, who became the first high school player to go straight to the D-League. 66ers coach Nate Tibbetts also was wired during one of the games.
The show airs at 6:30 p.m. and re-airs tonight at 10:30.
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Collison out, Love questionable
Forward Nick Collison, who suffered a concussion Saturday night against Miami when Heat forward Jamaal Magloire’s forearm struck him on the bridge of his nose in the fourth quarter, will sit out for the second consecutive game tonight at Minnesota.
“He’s definitely not playing tonight,” said coach Scott Brooks. “He’s feeling better. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow (Thursday).”
With Collison out, Nenad Krstic played a season-high 38 minutes Monday at Atlanta. Rookie center Byron Mullens played six minutes in the first half. Rookie Serge Ibaka played 24 minutes, grabbing 10 rebounds.
Minnesota forward Kevin Love, who would be second in the league in rebounds (12.3) if he had enough games to qualify, is listed as a game-time decision for the Timberwolves.
Love, battling strep throat, missed the Timberwolves’ overtime win Monday against Philadelphia and practice Tuesday. It was reported Love might be sidelined a week but he attended the Wednesday morning shootaround and might play. Love is averaging 15.2 points, second highest on Minnesota’s roster.
Durant Profile in Sports Illustrated
In this week’s editions of Sports Illustrated, Chris Ballard profiles Kevin Durant and how the Thunder’s star has evolved into more than a gunner while leading OKC on the brink of the playoffs.
The piece offers some really good insight into Durant, his work ethic and his personality. Really worth 20 minutes of your time. You’ll learn that Durant once, after a terrible game, watched Dennis the Menace and felt better and ready to return to the gym. You’ll also find it interesting that Durant claims his defensive improvement has been aided by the addition of Ron Adams but, “Ron doesn’t teach me schemes or how to guard people. He just gets on me and makes me feel bad.”
The issue hits newsstands Wednesday.
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Now Playing: The Play Of The Year
Enough said.
-DM-
Collison to sit Atlanta game
Veteran Thunder forward Nick Collison will not play today against the Atlanta Hawks after suffering a concussion in the fourth quarter Saturday night against Miami.
Collison said Jamaal Magloire’s forearm struck him on the bridge of the nose during “a tie-up” when they were battling for a loose ball. Collison was a llittle woozy but finished the game. After discovering Collison suffered concussion symptoms, a Thunder employee had to drive Collison home Saturday night.
Collison is with the team which begins a week-long, four-game road trip at 1 p.m. against Atlanta. Collison said he’s feeling better Monday and hopes to play Wednesday at Minnesota but doctors will have to see how he progresses the next two days before reaching a decision on Wednesday’s game.
Collison is averaging 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds but has played better the past six weeks after overcoming early-season ankle and sprained knee injuries. Collison has even played pivotal minutes late in games.
Coach Scott Brooks said he will weigh all his options during the game before deciding how to divide Collison’s customary 20 minutes a game.
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