Thunder vs. Celtics Live Chat
Pierce questionable for tonight’s game
BOSTON — Celtics All-Star forward Paul Pierce is questionable for tonight’s game against the Thunder at TD Garden.
Pierce, averaging a team high 18.2 points, suffered a “stinger” Sunday night in a loss to San Antonio and reinjured his right shoulder Tuesday at practice.
“It’s a stinger, same exact reaction, looked worse,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers was quoted after Tuesday’s practice.
Rivers said doctors informed him Pierce will “be fine.” But after being hit on the left side by the Spurs Manu Ginobili in Sunday’s game, Pierce felt pain in his right shoulder and upper back but continued playing.
“He just got picked and went down,” Rivers was quoted. “You get concerned two days in a row, a game and a practice, and the exact same thing happens… It’s not a shoulder separation or anything. Probably worst case is he misses a game or two.”
The Celtics tonight will get back starting center Kendrick Perkins, who has missed two games with knee tendinitis. Perkins, who practiced Tuesday, said he’s been battling a sore knee the past two months.
Asked it the injury has affected his play, Perkins was quoted: “I think so. I can’t get up and really block shots like I want to, get up and rebound. But I’ve got to get the job done. Not trying to make excuses but it has (affected me).”
Boston won the first meeting 105-87 almost four months ago in the Ford Center, a game the Celtics dominated. Oklahoma City has gone 34-19 since that meeting while Boston is 24-21 since Christmas.
Tonight’s game will be the Thunder’s third game in four nights but most of their starters rested much of the fourth quarter in a 111-93 victory at Philadelphia.
Rivers on Tuesday raved about Durant’s impact.
“They’re young and good and their best player is (Durant),” Rivers said. “The young teams that have any type of success, historically, there’s no doubt who their best player is. The young teams where everybody’s good always have problems because everybody’s fighting to see who is the man. I don’t think there’s any question who the man is on Oklahoma’s team.”
The Thunder, 45-28, is on the brink of clinching a playoff berth. The earliest Oklahoma City can clinch is Friday night but more likely Saturday or Sunday.
Pierce questionable for tonight's game
BOSTON — Celtics All-Star forward Paul Pierce is questionable for tonight’s game against the Thunder at TD Garden.
Pierce, averaging a team high 18.2 points, suffered a “stinger” Sunday night in a loss to San Antonio and reinjured his right shoulder Tuesday at practice.
“It’s a stinger, same exact reaction, looked worse,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers was quoted after Tuesday’s practice.
Rivers said doctors informed him Pierce will “be fine.” But after being hit on the left side by the Spurs Manu Ginobili in Sunday’s game, Pierce felt pain in his right shoulder and upper back but continued playing.
“He just got picked and went down,” Rivers was quoted. “You get concerned two days in a row, a game and a practice, and the exact same thing happens… It’s not a shoulder separation or anything. Probably worst case is he misses a game or two.”
The Celtics tonight will get back starting center Kendrick Perkins, who has missed two games with knee tendinitis. Perkins, who practiced Tuesday, said he’s been battling a sore knee the past two months.
Asked it the injury has affected his play, Perkins was quoted: “I think so. I can’t get up and really block shots like I want to, get up and rebound. But I’ve got to get the job done. Not trying to make excuses but it has (affected me).”
Boston won the first meeting 105-87 almost four months ago in the Ford Center, a game the Celtics dominated. Oklahoma City has gone 34-19 since that meeting while Boston is 24-21 since Christmas.
Tonight’s game will be the Thunder’s third game in four nights but most of their starters rested much of the fourth quarter in a 111-93 victory at Philadelphia.
Rivers on Tuesday raved about Durant’s impact.
“They’re young and good and their best player is (Durant),” Rivers said. “The young teams that have any type of success, historically, there’s no doubt who their best player is. The young teams where everybody’s good always have problems because everybody’s fighting to see who is the man. I don’t think there’s any question who the man is on Oklahoma’s team.”
The Thunder, 45-28, is on the brink of clinching a playoff berth. The earliest Oklahoma City can clinch is Friday night but more likely Saturday or Sunday.
Thunder 111, Sixers 93
News, notes and observations from Tuesday’s 111-93 win over Philadelphia…
- You could tell the Thunder’s defense came to play from the opening possession. Thunder players packed the paint, swarmed as the ball swung from side to side and collapsed on the ball when it was dumped down low. Russell Westbrook blocked Elton Brand on the opening possession and the Thunder forced Brand into a miss after the Sixers recovered the loose ball. The sequence set the tone for the entire night.
- On the Sixers’ second possession, Westbrook played the passing lane and stole a pass intended for Jrue Holiday.
- The early defense led to an early 21-12 lead, and from there the Sixers never came close to threatening. OKC was ahead between seven and 11 for much of the game and led by as many as 25 points.
- Westbrook, and Nenad Krstic didn’t even play in the fourth quarter, which could be a big boost going into Boston on Wednesday night.
- Really not sure why Scott Brooks insists on playing starters’ late in blowouts. Kevin Durant didn’t come out until the halfway point in the fourth quarter despite the Thunder being up 20. And when he exited, Thabo Sefolosha and Jeff Green checked in. James Harden played until the final buzzer. One of the rotation guys obviously is going to have to play. But if I’m Brooks, I make it a point to make my garbage time lineup Eric Maynor, Kevin Ollie, Kyle Weaver, Serge Ibaka and Etan Thomas. You could reason that Harden’s a rookie and could benefit from the experience. But Harden is fifth on the team in average minutes. Doesn’t seem like that logic will wash. Harden nearly sustained a serious shoulder injury while flying in for a dunk against the Lakers the other night. I wouldn’t risk an injury to Durant, Green, Sefolosha or Harden. No way. No how.
- With Westbrook leading the way, the Thunder had just 10 turnovers on the night.
- Westbrook didn’t have his shot going, shooting just 3-for-12 from the field. But he had 14 assists and only one turnover. He had five assists in the first quarter and six in the third, carrying the offense effectively as he’s done so many times this season.
- Durant got it going offensively early on and had one of his easiest scoring nights this season. The thing that stood out most was his growing ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. He did it on the Thunder’s opening possession, blowing by his man from the left baseline and drawing a foul at the rim. He then went coast-to-coast a few trips later. And his drive to the cup at the end of the first quarter, although the officials overturned the foul call and whistled him for a charge, was impressive because it illustrated how he no longer settles nearly as much as he once did.
- In fact, the entire team didn’t settle tonight. After shooting just 3-for-15 from long distance against Portland, and 2-for-18 against the Lakers, the Thunder utilized much better shot selection tonight and worked inside, out. The Thunder made 6-of-12 shots from 3-point range and was 3-for-4 in the first quarter, but those looks were wide open attempts off drive-and-kicks or the result of players coming off screens.
- The best example of the improved shot selection came when Durant had Marreese Speights isolated at the top of the key but took two dribbles in and pulled up from the free-throw line extended rather than the 3-point line. That never would have happened last season and might not have happened earlier this year.
- While the Thunder deserves credit for much better shot selection, you couldn’t have faulted the players if they decided to jack up 3s all night tonight. You could clearly see why the Sixers are last in the league in opponent 3-point percentage. They don’t rotate well, close out on shooters effectively or fight hard through screens. Philly’s perimeter defense is what makes jump shooters lick their chops.
- Sefolosha had nine points tonight and had some nice offensive plays early.
- Weaver got in the game early in the second quarter. And I don’t know why.
- Andre Iguodala had the prettiest play of the night when he faked a behind-the-back pass with 4:25 left in the third quarter and finished with a one-handed dunk. And in what quite possibly explains why the Sixers stink, Philadelphia allowed Green to knock down a momentum-killing 3-pointer at the other end. to go back ahead 77-65.
- Ibaka’s offensive game is coming along nicely. He had a very impressive up-and-under move in the lane late in the game. And when he missed one of his early jumpers, leaving it short, he made it a point to shoot with more arc on the next attempt. He swished it. He is really a fast learner.
- The Thunder out-rebounded the Sixers 47-36.
- The Thunder now has 45 wins with nine left to play. Tonight’s win moved OKC back into sixth place. If the playoffs started today, the Thunder would play, surprise, surprise, Utah. Not the seeding many might have expected, but it’s the matchup Thunder heads sound like they prefer.
- Can somebody explain to me why Jason Kapono wears No. 72?
- Holiday is going to be a good point guard in this league for many years. He’s crafty, smart, slippery and has a nice change of pace to his game. Think Baron Davis in terms of pace. Holiday is the youngest player in the league and still doesn’t appear to be rattled or rushed. He’s got a nice handle and what looks to be solid shooting mechanics. He got where he wanted on the court fairly easily tonight, and when he matures as a player and gets more experienced he could be dangerous. It’s worth keeping an eye on his development.
- Ollie got a nice ovation from the Philly fans (those who stayed throughout) when he checked into the game for the first time with 4:37 left to play and the Thunder ahead 103-81. Ollie had three stints in Philly and was on the 2000-01 team that lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals.
- According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Thunder will sign Mustafa Shakur for the rest of the season.
Thunder vs. 76ers Live Chat
Thunder 91, Lakers 75
News notes and observations from Friday’s 91-75 win over the Los Angeles Lakers…
- I’ve never worked at any other place that is as big on predictions as this market. I don’t know why it’s like that here and I probably never will understand it. But this game is the best example of why I generally don’t like to make predictions on a game-to-game basis. Go back and look at the video recap I shot with Mike Baldwin after the Houston win and pay attention to my answer when Baldwin asked me about the Lakers game at the end. It took everything in my power to keep from saying the Thunder had no shot. And as I came out of the tunnel on my way to the press table tonight, an usher asked me who I had my money on. All I could tell the man was, ‘You don’t want to know.’ But what do I know?
- The Thunder outplayed the Lakers from start to finish, holding the defending champs to a season-low 75 points and a paltry 39 percent shooting. OKC never trailed and led by as many as 33 points.
- Someone asked me via Twitter if this one had the feel of a playoff game. I responded that the crowd was getting there. It was a buzz in the Ford Center the entire night, and Thunder players rode that wave of energy to a blowout. My only reservation in considering it a playoff atmosphere was that the fans again left early. I’m nitpicking, of course, because OKC was ahead by 28 with 4 1/2 left to play. But if this is a playoff game and not a regular season matchup, do fans still leave in the same scenario? I honestly don’t know the answer, but I don’t think they do. Maybe we’ll get the chance to see find out in three weeks.
- Thabo Sefolosha is the obvious MVP of the game. His defense on Kobe Bryant was the best I’ve seen him play all season. And Thabo obviously has had more than his share of good games defensively. Bryant had just 11 points on 4-for-11 shooting and never could find his rhythm offensively. He admitted after the game that Thabo frustrated him. Give the Thunder’s second wave a hand, too. Even though I thought it was a bad idea every time Scott Brooks subbed James Harden for Thabo, Harden performed admirably as well and the help defense was on point all night when it needed to be.
- As an aside, I have debates all the time about who’s the best player in the game today, Kobe or LeBron James. I always say Kobe. In short, tonight’s game partially explains why. Even though the Thunder had a 19-point halftime lead, the game still seemed in doubt. At least I had the feeling that Kobe could heat up at any moment and take over like he’s done on so many occasions. Even midway through the third quarter, when the Thunder had a 21 point lead I still had the same feeling. That’s the Kobe Bryant effect. LeBron James doesn’t give me that same reaction. Not yet.
- A co-MVP tonight could very easily be Nenad Krstic. He was huge on the glass early and had every bit as much of an impact as Sefolosha and Russell Westbrook in getting the Thunder off to a good start. Nenad had nine rebounds in the first quarter. He finished with 10, but that’s not the point.
- Very impressive bounce-back performance by Westbrook. He controlled the game with his playmaking, had 23 points on 10 of 13 shooting to go with six assists and two turnovers. If the Thunder does somehow fall to the eighth seed (which I don’t see happening), Westbrook will be the biggest advantage OKC would have on the champs.
- Scary moment came when Westbrook rolled his left ankle midway through the second quarter. He shook it off faster than any person I’ve ever seen. On the playground, in high school, college or the pros. He came out of the game, went to the back for a brief moment, then reappeared on the bench seconds later looking ready to go like it was tip-off. He checked back in about two minutes later and looked like himself.
- Serge Ibaka also gave fans a scare when he landed hard on his backside with 9:57 left in the second quarter. He rolled around a bit on the floor as the Thunder tried to inbound the ball. He got up holding the back of his head and his left elbow. Brooks called for a 20 second timeout, and Ibaka and head athletic trainer Joe Sharpe got into an animated exchange about whether Ibaka was fine. It looked like a boxing referee checking on a fighter after getting knocked down. Ibaka gave only a slight nod of the head, and that wasn’t good enough for Sharpe. Ibaka tried to give the two thumbs up and a more assertive, “I’m OK.” But the rookie lost that argument. He ended up sitting.
- Ron Artest was a non-factor tonight. You would think he’d be one of only a handful of players who could give Kevin Durant a tough time with his defense. But Durant had a game-high 26 points on 9 of 19 shooting. Half of that point total came in the first 24 minutes, before the game got way out of hand.
- I’m also surprised Pau Gasol didn’t have a better game. That goes back to Nenad and his work in keeping Gasol off the boards early. This long, lanky Lakers team has bullied the Thunder on the before and it’s not pretty when that happens.
- Lost in the first half runaway was a surprisingly slow start for Jeff Green. Green went scoreless on 0-for-6 in the first half. He finished the game 5-of-15 for 10 points, his lowest scoring output since March 10.
-DM-
Thunder vs. Lakers Live Chat
Chat Recap: Darnell Mayberry
Thunder 122, Rockets 104
News, notes and observations from Wednesday’s 122-104 win over Houston…
- You knew it’d be a great offensive night when Thabo Sefolosha came out and drilledhis first two shots, long 2-pointers at that, after missing the potential game-winner against the Spurs on Monday night.
- The Thunder scored 101 points in the first three quarters, shot 58.8 percent for the game and tied a season-high with 30 assists. Everyone but Russell Westbrook had a great night offensively.
- The Thunder shot 70.7 percent in the first half. That was better than the Rockets’ free throw percentage in the first 24 minutes (66.7 percent).
- James Harden is back. And apparently better than ever. The rookie had 23 points off the bench on 6-for-10 shooting after missing the past six games with a hammy injury. He checked in for the first time with 3:08 left in the first quarter and got a very warm ovation from the Ford Center crowd. You could tell the fans missed him and knew the impact his absence had on the team. Harden made his first 3-pointer with 11:35 left in the second quarter. Then he made his second with 11:03 left in the period. Then he took it hard to the rack and drew a foul on Luis Scola with 10:39 left. the offense just flows so much better with Harden on the floor.
- But just in case Harden didn’t return tonight, he told me he has plenty of bow ties in his wardrobe and wasn’t close to running out.
- Honestly, this is a game that should never have been close. Sure, the Thunder franchise hasn’t won against the Rockets since 2006. And, yes, the Rockets beat the Thunder the last time in the Ford Center essentially without Scola. But tonight, the Rockets were missing Shane Battier, David Andersen, Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries. OK, so those last three might not have made much of a difference, but they’re bodies at least. And Battier might have frustrated Durant defensively.
- This was the 22nd sellout of the season. Gives yourselves a round of applause.
- Serge Ibaka was huge tonight. On the glass and rebounding the ball. His four blocked shots helped the Thunder tally 12 for the game. He had two on one possession late in the game that gave glimpses into him becoming the paint protector that the Thunder sorely needs as a last line of defense whenever they don’t bring it on that end.
- The Thunder led by as many as 25 points and never trailed.
- With the win, and the Hornets’ loss, the Thunder assured itself it will finish ahead of the Hornets in the standings. And with a seven-game lead on the Rockets with both teams having 12 games remaining, Houston is essentially a lock to finish behind the Thunder in the standings as well. And with Memphis losing at Golden State on Wednesday, the Grizzlies fell six games back of the Thunder. Mike Baldwin says the fat lady is singing on these other teams. I say she’s not on stage yet, but she’s definitely in the dressing room warming up.
-DM-
Thunder vs. Rockets Live Chat
