Comments on: Rapid reaction: Utah stops Oklahoma City’s streak with 109-94 stomping

By: Bill

Bill — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:03:45 +0000

As a Jazz fan, I gotta wonder why all the OKC fans are so upset. You have an awesome team–all the pieces it seems to go far in the playoffs. The Jazz had to play one of the best if not THE best games of the season, and I was worried down till the last few minutes that they would wilt and give up the big lead like they have done many times this year.
Its easy to criticize and want perfection from your team. We did the same with Stockton, Malone and Horny, when we really should have just enjoyed the ride with the great talent we had. If your team stops playing team ball and not giving full effort, then let em have it. Otherwise try to enjoy what you have.

By: Trent

Trent — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:55:54 +0000

Haha. Fans like these have are ruining Thunder Basketball just like OU football is ALWAYS a letdown. I’m on the OU BBall train til the playoffs when the games actually start to matter.

By: Big D

Big D — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:46:10 +0000

Giving up offensive boards is a legit issue.Bench scoring punch/cohesiveness is a legit issue.Turnovers are a focus thing.Our team is built for defense.That will correct itself with a little pep talk and some motivation.Forget this game,lets get ready for the champs.

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:30:23 +0000

Al Jefferson scored 23 points, Paul Millsap had 18 and the Utah Jazz beat Oklahoma City 109-94 Tuesday night to break the Thunder’s four-game winning streak.

Utah’s bench outscored Oklahoma City’s 49-25, and the Jazz bigs dominated the boards, holding a 16-7 edge on offensive rebounds.

The Thunder also committed 20 turnovers.

The game was scrappy from the start, with Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Durant both called for flagrant fouls, and Perkins whistled for a technical. It was the first flagrant foul of Durant’s career.

The Jazz led by seven entering the fourth but quickly put the game away, opening on a 6-0 run.

The Thunder were already down 17 when Durant bumped a driving Alec Burks out of bounds, then exchanged words with DeMarre Carroll after drawing the flagrant.

Durant finished with 33 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and Russell Westbrook added 22 points.

Overall it was the type of feisty game expected Thursday when Oklahoma City heads home for an NBA Finals rematch with Miami, which has beaten the Thunder five straight times going back to June’s title series.

Perhaps the Thunder was looking ahead to that game, though they insisted they weren’t.

Or perhaps they were thinking back on the past four, which they had won by an average margin of 25.3 points.

A fifth straight win by 20 or more would have broken a franchise record.

Instead they suffered their first loss since Feb. 2 at Cleveland.

While Utah’s bigs made a big difference, Jefferson outscoring Perkins 23-4 and Millsap outscoring Serge Ibaka 18-10, Utah got the boost from its bench it needed.

Derrick Favors added 15 points, Burks and Carroll had 13 apiece and Earl Watson finished with six.

After being embarrassed early on by Westbrook, who opened 5 of 5 from the field, Jazz point guard Jamaal Tinsley put Utah up 75-63 with a pair of 3-pointers.

A steal by Tinsley then set up Millsap at the other end, giving Utah an 80-67 lead with 2:57 left in the third.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Durant and a floater by Perkins helped get Oklahoma City within 86-79 going into the fourth.

Jefferson then scored two baskets and Burks another for a 92-79 Utah lead.

Perkins was called for a technical foul with 4:09 left in the quarter after jawing with Watson, then earned a flagrant foul with an elbow across Jefferson’s neck less than two minutes later.

Utah took a 58-52 lead into the break despite shooting just 43.8 percent. The Jazz dominated the offensive boards, holding an 11-4 advantage at halftime. They had a 13-0 edge on second-chance points.

The win gave the Jazz 20 victories at home this season, and evened the season series with the Thunder after they lost by 12 on Nov. 30. They head to Minnesota before the All-Star break.

You be the judge if the Thunder was playing great basketball.

By LYNN DeBRUIN-NBA sports news

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:22:44 +0000

#6 was going to be someone saying they don’t play like a team. But no matter. I won’t brag about winning the bet because the reactions are incredibly predictable.

Maybe the guys should have listened when I said not to overlook Utah. Since, you know, they come here and read the comments and all, to figure out what they should do.

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:16:44 +0000

Let’s see how long it takes for:

1. Someone to say OKC needs to trade Westbrook.

2. Some idiot…I mean someone…to say OKC needs to FireBrooks.

3. Someone to compare the Heat or Spurs with the Thunder to point out a problem they have with the Thunder.

4. Someone to take Anthony to task for saying there won’t be much energy at the Peake on Thursday. Because they won’t realize he was kidding.

I’d put the over/under at two comments, and take the under.

By: Shep

Shep — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:16:34 +0000

Its time for a trade or two and probably a coaching change will stir up the lazy players of this Thunder team!

Brooks, you rely only on Durant and Westbrook to score, what about the other 3 players, are they for props only? Are the bench players only to complete the NBA regulation of 12-14 players only? Have you exhausted all your skills and energy, that’s it for you to present to the OKC public?

By: Trace

Trace — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 05:05:18 +0000

The Thunder was outrebounded by the Jazz 26-38 and outassisted by 15-25, Jazz had 6 double digit scorers as the Thunder had only 2 double digit scorer and guess who, Westbrook and Durant. That’s again is what the Thunder stands for, 2 man offense, before the All-Stars weekend.

This Thunder group does not play like a team. Weak rebounding, low assists, limited playing time for the 2nd unit, weak rebounding and scoring by their center and power forward. The shooting guard is not really shooting, but only a defensive stopper and will be dared to shoot, just as the coach wants him to do.

I really don’t believe the Thunder will win the championship this year, if they are beaten by lower seed teams. I just lost interest with the players, coach and Presti. I think that’s all what this team can show before they are traded away for being too much for the luxury NBA tax.

If the Thunder cannot beat the 7th seed team, how I expect them to beat the 1st and 2nd seed teams?

What can the Thunder protectors say about being beaten and going down the win-loss column? Nothing is wrong with the team as they always say. That’s pathetic on them.