The 2009-10 season was supposed to be a homecoming of sorts for Etan Thomas.

It turned into something of a living hell.

Thomas, who the Thunder acquired from Minnesota along with two second-round picks last summer in exchange for Damien Wilkins and Chucky Atkins, quickly became buried on the bench in Oklahoma City. The 32-year-old center rarely spoke to media members during his time with the Thunder. But it was clear Thomas wasn’t experiencing the type of season he thought he’d enjoy when he joined a young Thunder franchise located some 90 miles West of where he starred at Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa.

Thomas, who recently signed with Atlanta, played in 23 games for OKC last season, averaging 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 14 minutes per game. He played in just six regular season games after Dec. 4 as Serge Ibaka blossomed into an impact rookie. Still, Thomas hasn’t harbored any ill will toward the Thunder. In fact, his feelings are the complete opposite. He shared them through his blog on hoopshype.com, writing about his time in Oklahoma City, the Thunder’s future, its star, Kevin Durant, the team’s core, GM Sam Presti and, of course, the fans. Here are a few snippets.

I wanted to write an article thanking the Oklahoma City Thunder and the entire state of Oklahoma. I had a great time there, and that organization really has something special. From top to bottom they are really a first-class organization. I have read a lot of articles since the end of the summer that questioned if what the Thunder organization accomplished last year was somewhat of a fluke or if they are the real deal.

Allow me to speak from first-hand experience, from someone who has actually seen what goes on behind closed doors and has been in the trenches with the team for an entire season… This was definitely no fluke…”

On Durant…

No disrespect to Steve Francis. I have the utmost admiration for everything he has accomplished, enjoyed watching him at Maryland and with the Rockets… But Kevin Durant is on his way to being one of the best players in the league – far surpassing the best from the (D.C., Maryland and Northern Virgina area) status. (Again no disrespect intended.)

Not only is he the youngest to ever lead the league in scoring, but he has a work ethic that will put him in the upper echelon of players for years to come. In fact, in three years he very well could be regarded as the best in the league. If he’s not better than Kobe, LeBron, Carmelo and D-Wade right now, he’s the closest one (excluding nobody).”

On the “big three” of Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook…

Kevin Durant, combined with Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, will form a Big Three that is just as good if not better than any Big Three in the league. Green, in my opinion, is underappreciated and is an integral part of the Thunder success. He doesn’t complain about shots, or touches, or lack of accolades or praise. He just goes out there and does his job. He is too quick for most power forwards and too strong for most small forwards…Westbrook, who was criticized for leaving UCLA early, has turned into one of the premier point guards in the league. He’s lightning quick, explosive, can pick up full court, works hard and also remains humble. He worked with assistant coach Maurice Cheeks every day, and took criticism very well. Coach Cheeks didn’t sugar coat anything with him. They all fall in line with Kevin Durant remaining humble and if they stay grounded (which I believe they will) sky’s the limit.”

On Presti…

I have been fortunate to have played with good organizations. Sure, the Wizards had things that they could’ve done better. They are a good organization overall, though. But the way that Sam Presti runs the Oklahoma City Thunder pays off in dividends. He is honest, straight-forward, holds everyone to a certain standard of discipline, and keeps his word. Any player can tell you that this isn’t always the case with GMs. After the season, Sam Presti told me that he appreciated how professionally I treated a tough situation and would speak highly of me to other GMs. Throughout this free agency period, GM after GM, coach after coach informed me that he did indeed give me a ringing endorsement. Honestly, when Presti told me he would do that for me, I took those words with a grain of salt.”

On the Thunder’s fans…

The fans are amazing. Like nothing, I have ever seen before. We had great fans in DC, don’t get me wrong. But the Oklahoma City fans gave the entire team a standing ovation for about 20 minutes after the playoff loss to the Lakers. I never heard anyone boo us no matter how bad we played. They were with us win lose or draw. In good times and bad times, it was really similar to a college atmosphere. I felt like I was back at Syracuse, although the Carrier Dome is one of a kind. The team fed off of that energy and it gave us a boost out there. The guys talked about it all the time and appreciated the support. I think a lot of times, the fans can make a bad situation worse by the way they react.”

Thomas also made mention of every player from last year’s roster, singling out each of them, from Thabo Sefolosha to Mustafa Shakur, for skills they brought, how hard they worked or just how great of a teammate they were.

Given his situation last season, if you told me Thomas would write a 2,000-word blog post on his time with the Thunder I would have told you to pop a bag of popcorn and dig in for a tell-all. Thomas could have easily gone in a much different direction than the one he chose. That Thomas didn’t speaks to his character above all.

But it also illustrates the type of culture the Thunder is building. It’s a testament to ownership, to Presti, to the coaching staff and the players. It confirms that the Thunder franchise is indeed doing things the right way.

-DM-

Thomas played in 23 games for Oklahoma City last season, averaging 3.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 14 minutes per game. His best performance came on Nov. 3 in a 101-98 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in which he scored nine points with 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in 35 minutes, all season-highs.

But it’s the string of spot minutes and DNP-CDs (Did Not Play-Coach’s Decision) that he racked up shortly thereafter that will be remembered most by Thunder fans. Thomas played in just six regular season games after Dec. 4 as Serge Ibaka became an impact rookie with better tools than the aging Thomas, who turned 32 on April 1.

Thomas is now expected to add the same things to Atlanta that many thought he would bring to OKC. The tone of the Hawks’ press release reads the exact same as the Thunder’s read a year ago.

“We’re excited to add a player of Etan’s caliber to our roster,” said Hawks head coach Larry Drew. “He provides additional veteran leadership, physicality and toughness to our club, especially on the glass and the defensive side of the ball. We also add another versatile and multi-positional player to our frontcourt.”

With the Hawks already possessing a solid big man rotation of Josh Smith, Al Horford, Zaza Pachulia and recently added young gun Josh Powell, who has potential, Thomas might soon hear the same question in Atlanta that he heard in OKC. ‘Why aren’t you playing?’

We’ll soon find out how it turns out for Thomas. Either he puts together a decent season and we’ll again begin to hear questions about why Thunder Coach Scott Brooks didn’t play him. Or Thomas will ride the pine in Atlanta, and then maybe we’ll begin to understand more why Brooks made his decision.

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Current stars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose and Chris Paul received invitations. Former greats Magic Johnson and Bill Russell were on hand as well. Even role players like David West, Shane Battier and Etan Thomas were allowed past security.

Those who were able joined President Obama for an All-Star Game styled pickup game to honor military troops wounded in action. Durant told NBA Fanhouse he “didn’t even know” about the event until informed via Twitter, meaning the reigning scoring champ and First-Team All-NBA selection who grew up 30 minutes from the White House, was left out in the cold.

I was born and raised (in the Washington area). It would have been cool to go up there and play on the court and just to meet the president since I’ve been living there my whole life and never got a chance to do it … Especially him being the first African-American president (and) being a big basketball fan, it’d have been cool for me to see and a great experience.”

Durant went on to provide his customary comment about working to get better, saying: “I’ve got to continue to keep showing people that I can play a little bit. It’s all about me just working hard.”

• After Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups torched the Thunder, Scott Brooks started Thabo Sefolosha on Suns point guard Steve Nash from the start. But it wasn’t because Brooks wanted to keep Nash from getting hot early. If that was the case the wrinkle didn’t work. Nash had five points and seven assists in the first quarter. But Brooks said his goal was to have a bigger defender switching onto Amar’e Stoudemire when the Suns ran their pick-and-roll. And that strategic move worked well.
• While it’d be nice to see Westbrook consistently defend his position the entire game, moving him off the ball does have its benefits. Westbrook won’t get run ragged on pick-and-rolls and can maintain some energy to execute what’s required of him offensively.
• The Thunder turned the tide in the third quarter, when OKC held Phoenix to a season-low 12 points.
• The Suns made just 5-for-16 shots in the third period and had nine turnovers.
• Phoenix briefly threatened in the fourth with a 9-0 run, turning an 85-73 deficit into an 85-82 game.
• And when Nash responded to a Kevin Durant jumper with a finger roll with 1:23 left to keep it a three-point game, I thought the Thunder would be toast. Give credit to how the Thunder didn’t allow the Suns to storm back and steal the win after doing just that against the Nuggets.
• Nenad Krstic did not play Friday because of a right knee contusion. No one knew anything about the injury until about 35 minutes before tip-off. Nick Collison started in his place.
• The Thunder recalled D.J. White from Tulsa. He was active but did not play.
• I’ve been wanting to see what Serge Ibaka could offer in extended minutes. And with Krstic out, he got a real good chance to show what he can do with a few more minutes. Ibaka was all over the place, scoring from in low on his way to a career-high tying 15 points and rebounding like a mad man before finishing with nine.
• The most impressive thing Serge did in my eyes tonight was take Stoudemire out of the game. It happened on every trip to the free throw line. Ibaka would box out Stoudemire with a strong and physical jolt into the lane. After about the third trip, Stoudemire decided it best to not fight this battle.
• Brooks praised the play of Westbrook. The coach was talking about how well Westbrook and Sefolosha did defensively on the perimeter. Westbrook wasn’t bad offensively either. Until the fourth quarter. Westbrook had eight points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and only one turnover. But he was scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting in 12 minutes in the final period.
• Collison couldn’t stay out of foul trouble tonight. He had three fouls in five minutes. Frustrating night.
• The foul trouble forced Brooks to go with Etan Thomas checked in with 7:12 left in the second quarter. Thomas got an extremely loud ovation from the fans, many of them likely asking over the past few months why he hasn’t been playing. Compare Ibaka’s stat line to Thomas’ one blocked shot, two fouls and one turnover in seven minutes and there’s your answer.
• James Harden is in a big-time slump. He missed all four of his field goals tonight and even went 2-for-4 from the free throw line. Thunder heads better hope he figures it out before the playoffs.
• Surprise! With San Antonio and Portland losing tonight, the Thunder is back in the sixth seed. Goodbye, Lakers.
• After scoring 35 points tonight, Durant bumped his scoring averaging 30 points this season.

-DM-

• 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.

“I don’t feel pressure because I am 40 games into the NBA,” Ibaka said.

Something about the simplicity of his explanation summed up his maturity over four short months and potentially foreshadowed what’s in store for the 2008 24th overall pick.

Ibaka is developing faster than anyone with the Thunder could have projected. And anyone in the organization is more than willing to admit as much. The 6-foot-10 post player from Congo has blossomed into a bonafide post threat, one that rebounds, blocks shots and patrols the paint like no one this franchise has seen since Shawn Kemp more than a decade ago.

Coach Scott Brooks trusted Ibaka in the tightest of spots Wednesday night against an ailing but hungry Hornets team the Thunder needed to beat to maintain ground in the Western Conference race. But the big man has made it easy on his coach, showing Brooks since mid-December that if he supplies meaningful minutes he won’t let his coach or his teammates down.

Ibaka’s latest testament was a two-point, four-rebound, one-assist effort in the fourth quarter against the Hornets , a performance that proved one day Ibaka could become much more than a bit player whose name the PA announcer had to be reminded how to pronounce for the second time this season.

“He’s just calmer on the court,” said Thabo Sefolosha. “At first he just wanted to do a little bit of everything. Now he’s starting to figure out his game and understand the NBA game, the way it’s supposed to be played. He’s doing good things and I think he can improve so much.”

You’d be equally impressed if you heard Ibaka communicate his role through his improving but still choppy English. He speaks with an intelligence that bellies his youth and will bolster your belief in his basketball IQ.

“The last minute is very important for the team,” Ibaka said. “So it’s better for me to give more focus to my job, protect the paint, rebound, screens. That’s important.”

Ibaka was asked about his four big rebounds in the fourth quarter, when the Hornets made their run and any second-chance opportunity for them could have been the difference.

“I know my team needs the rebound,” Ibaka started. “It’s very important for my team because before we lost some games because of rebounds. So I know that is my job. That is my specialty, to help my teammates. I need to be very strong and go in and get rebounds.”

For now.

Ibaka finished with six points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in just 23 minutes Wednesday night. The belief is the blocked shots will increase over this season’s second half and progress even more into next season as he learns opponent’s tendencies. So too will his scoring, when he masters footwork and positioning in the post.

“That kid is improving,” Brooks said. “He’s really helping us win games. He’s just solid. Every game he brings solid effort and he’s picking things up. He still has communication issues with me in the heat of the moment when I’m talking a mile a minute and talking basketball talk. But he’s picking it up. He’s working and improving and it’s great to see.”

QUICK HITS

• With a game-high 30 points, Kevin Durant extended his streak of 25-point-plus games to 23 games. I’m beginning to wonder when a team, or even an individual defender, is going to get a hold of that stat and decide it stops with them.
• Russell Westbrook assembled another big-time performance with 26 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and only two turnovers.  The best thing about his performance tonight and any other like it is you never get the sense that Westbrook is dominating the ball when he puts up these eye-popping stats.
• David West, who New Orleans/Oklahoma City fans remember as being the most clutch player in the team’s two-year stay, didn’t play the entire fourth quarter. Coach/General manager Jeff Bower went with…..Darius Songaila down the stretch. Makes me believe a trade is in the works for Mr. West. The decision by Bower can’t be criticized, however, because the Hornets nearly won the game.
• West was absolutely destroying the Thunder in the first half, though.
• Peja Stojakovic hit a late 3-pointer over Jeff Green and all Green could do was shake his head. Peja’s been known to have that effect on defenders.
• The Thunder had 18 turnovers tonight. OKC had seven in the first quarter alone, just one night after finishing with a season-low seven for the game against Atlanta. New Orleans scored 25 points off those giveaways.
• Durant had a season-high tying eight turnovers. Not good.
• Maybe I missed something. But I can’t help but wonder what Thabo Sefolosha did well tonight. He went scoreless with zero rebounds, two steals, two assists and one block and Hornets rookie guard Marcus Thornton had a team-high 22 points and a career-high six assists.
• Overlooked stat of the game — 11 free throw attempts by the Hornets. The Thunder’s opponent season-low is eight (against the Bulls last Wednesday), but that indicates OKC was playing solid defense without fouling, always a good way to go. The Thunder’s 15 fouls were one shy of tying a season-low, set back on Dec. 29 at Washington.
• The 28 total fouls was a season-low for any Thunder game.
• Without injured guard Chris Paul, the Hornets had 30 assists against nine turnovers. Wow.
• Has James Harden hit the rookie wall or is he getting lost in the shuffle of Durant’s scoring outbursts?
• Nick Collison’s 10 rebounds were huge, helping the Thunder out-rebound the Hornets 43-37.
• Etan Thomas was back with the team tonight. Still no word on why he wasn’t in the arena Tuesday night.
• Make that two straight games in which Nenad Krstic has put together a nice second half.
• The Thunder is now a season-high seven games above .500 at 28-21.

THEY SAID IT

• Scott Brooks on the win: “I thought our guys at the start of the game came out with good energy. It was a back-to-back game but we didn’t use that as an excuse, which we never do. But I liked it. We played a tough, hard fought defensive game. They made a run. They hit some shots. It was kind of like last night. We didn’t fall apart. We stuck together.”
• Brooks on the Thunder’s frontcourt play: “Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison and Nenad did a tremendous job of battling their bigs. Their bigs are good and they did a great job of rebounding. Nick had 10. Serge had eight and Nenad was 7-for-8 from the field. We had good frontcourt play tonight.”
• Brooks on Russell Westbrook’s game-clinching shot: “That was a great decision on his part. They were worried about KD and he stepped up and hit a 12-foot shot. That’s a shot that he can make.”
• Brooks on the team’s turnovers: “Kevin had the turnovers tonight. Other than that we were fine. We had 18 and KD had eight of them. A lot of KD’s were from driving hard, trying to pick the ball up and make the pass to his teammates. And they did a good job of stripping down. KD, he’s gotten away from turning it over. Hopefully this is just a one game thing.”
• Kevin Durant on his 30-point game: “My teammates did a great job of finding me, so I just try to do my best to finish for them. I’ve got a long ways to go to become the player I want to be, so I’ve got to continue to work hand get better.”
• Durant on beating the Hornets: “I’ve never beaten the Hornets. They’ve been playing well as of late, so it feels good to come into a hostile environment and get the win.”
• Hornets coach Jeff Bower on the game: “I think the story of the game was our inability to get them under control, particularly Westbrook early on in the game.”

BY THE NUMBERS
1: Biggest lead by the Hornets.
2: Games the Thunder is now above the Hornets in the West standings.
7: Games above .500 for the Thunder, a season-high.
8: Turnovers for Kevin Durant, tying a season-high.
12: Biggest lead by the Thunder.
57.5: Percent shooting for OKC.
12,884: Announced attendance inside the New Orleans Arena.

-DM-

But this time Kevin Durant was ready for it.

When the referees swallowed their whistles and Joe Johnson tightened up his defense, Durant did something he hasn’t done much this season. He pushed back. The Thunder’s frail forward didn’t get frustrated. He got even. And with 2:48 remaining, after Durant and Johnson spent too many seconds bumping and battling for position, the refs finally rewarded Durant with a personal foul call on Johnson.

The sequence summed up what Durant seemingly must do from here out to not get knocked off his spot.

“That’s a part of being a superstar in this league,” said Russell Westbrook. “You’re going to have to work for it every time you get the ball. But we’re patient. We don’t mind letting him work to get open, let him fight a little bit. He’s tough so he’ll be all right.”

Problem was, to this point Durant wasn’t being tough enough. Too many times in the past he’d throw up his hands, literally and figuratively, and give up on the play. The defense would win. Opponents pestered him enough to take him out of the possession. Durant doesn’t deny it.

“I wasn’t being as aggressive as I should have been,” Durant said. “I didn’t want to get offensive fouls. I didn’t know if I was being too aggressive.”

Clearly, his mentality has changed, evolving to the point where he no longer will allow players to disrupt the Thunder’s entire offense or prevent him from getting his touches. Johnson used every bit of his 6-feet-7 inches and 240 pounds to harass Durant. But finally, against one of the league’s strongest wing players, Durant employed a much more effective counter than simply running out to halfcourt to free himself.

“Be physical with them,” Durant said with a sense of pride. “I know I’m not as strong as those guys but just continue to be physical with them. If the ref sees it then I’ll get a foul. If not, I’ll get the ball.”

Coach Scott Brooks talked about how Durant needs to be smart in those situations. It’s a fine line between battling and being baited. On Tuesday night, Durant was savvy. He used his body instead of shoving with his arms. He tried to dupe the defense with change-of-pace tactics when curling off pin-downs rather than supplying the same steady dose of speed.

“You just have to be a smart offensive player and Kevin is becoming that,” Brooks said.

QUICK HITS

• With 33 points Tuesday night, Kevin Durant tied Denver’s Carmelo Anthony for the scoring lead at 29.7 points per game. Said Russell Westbrook, “I won’t be surprised at all if he passes him.”
• Call me silly, but I’m more impressed with Durant’s 11 rebounds. The guy averaged 4.3 boards as a rookie and is up to more than 7.5 now. Durant has now pulled down 10 or more rebounds in eight of his past 13 games.
• Ever since I wrote an article asking the question, ‘What’s wrong with Jeff Green,” dude has been terrific. Not saying it had anything to do with my article. (He probably didn’t even read it). But in these four games since, he’s averaged 18 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 48.2 percent shooting. Scott Brooks called it.
• What does it say about Russell Westbrook when, in one of his less impressive outings, he puts up 12 points, nine rebounds and nine assists with only one turnover? Answer: he’s pretty good.
• Largely because of Westbrook, the Thunder turned the ball over just seven times tonight, a season-low.
• It helped that Durant had only two.
• The Thunder had as many blocks as turnovers. Wonder how often that happens to a team in the NBA?
• Serge Ibaka was huge early. He got two early blocks and drilled a 17-footer that was smooth. He was active around the rim and kept a lot of possessions alive with his length and timing tipping the ball even though the stat sheet says he got only four rebounds.
• The Thunder out-rebounded Atlanta 45-35 and held the Hawks, active forwards to just nine offensive rebounds.
• Even though the Thunder won this game, here’s the difference between a maturing team and a playoff team: the Hawks converted those nine offensive boards into 21 second-chance points. The Thunder had 17 offensive boards and scored just 16 second-chance points. That, and points off turnovers (even though Atlanta didn’t do a great job in the second area), are two categories that helps turns good teams into great teams.
• The Hawks became the fourth team OKC has swept this season, joining Detroit, Miami and Washington. The Thunder didn’t sweep anyone last year.
• Ibaka and Marvin Williams got into it a little bit in the first half. Williams was very heated. It’s the second time Ibaka has rattled a player inside the Ford Center. Stephen Jackson had a few words for the rookie when Charlotte came to town on Dec. 26.
• Got to give it up to Nenad Krstic, who has been awful lately but bounced back in the second half tonight when his team needed him. After going scoreless with three rebounds and a steal in the first half, Krstic scored eight points with four rebounds and a blocked shot in the second half. I thought his energy to start the third quarter was a big factor that will go overlooked. All eight of his points came in the first five minutes, as the Thunder opened a 63-57 lead in the third period.
• Joe Johnson is one of about six players I’d pay to watch if I knew the game was going to be close. He was clutch again tonight, sinking basket after basket to bring the Hawks back. He had 23 points on 9 of 12 shooting in the second half.
• Brooks almost blew it by leaving James Harden in rather than putting Thabo Sefolosha in earlier. Fortunately, Brooks brought the starters back with 5:47 left to play and Johnson had only two more points (on free throws) and one assist the rest of the way.
• Etan Thomas was not in the arena tonight. The official word was he was not with the team for personal reasons. Let the trade rumors begin…..now.
• Be honest, did you really think the Thunder would be 27-21 after 48 games?

THEY SAID IT

• Scott Brooks on Russell Westbrook: “Russell is just improving right in front of our eyes…I thought his execution in the fourth quarter was as good as it gets.”
• Brooks on the season-low turnovers: “It was huge. Going into the game, that was one of our keys…We know this team does not turn over the ball. They’re the league leader in the least amount of turnovers and they had eight tonight so that was below their average. We didn’t want to have a big turnover game.”
• Westbrook on the win: “It shows the maturity of our team and how good we’re getting. This was a great game for us…This just shows the progression of the team. I think we did a great job of closing down the stretch, rebounding and doing whatever it takes to win.”
• Atlanta coach Mike Woodson on Kevin Durant: “I look at him now, he is playing like an MVP candidate in this league. I think he is having a hell of a year. He is a smooth player. He scores very, very easy. That is hard to do in this league. Only the great ones can do that. He’s pretty good.”

BY THE NUMBERS
3: Game wining streak for the Thunder, tied for the second longest this season.
7: Turnovers for the Thunder, a season-low.
14: Free throws attempted and made for Kevin Durant.
17: Ties.
37: Points for Joe Johnson, a game-high.
106: Points scored by the Thunder, which is now 19-2 when scoring 100 or more.
17,360: Announced attendance at the Ford Center.

-DM-

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.”

QUICK HITS

• Kevin Durant didn’t sink it, but you have to give credit to the Thunder for at least getting him the ball for a potential game-winning 3-pointer. That’s more than you can say OKC did in about five other games this season.
• I’m coming around on the Zach Randolph All-Star campaign. Dude scores, rebounds and passes and rarely does something dumb out of selfishness. He looks to really be trying to help his team win. That’s the most impressive thing to me.
• Thabo Sefolosha shut down O.J. Mayo, holding the Grizzlies’ guard to a season-low two points on 1-for-12 shooting. Mayo entered the game averaging 18.4 points and had scored 20 or more points in five out of 10 games this month. Add Mayo to the growing list of  players Sefolosha has shut down.
• The Thunder dug itself a big hole (14 points) because it couldn’t keep Memphis off the glass or prevent the Grizzlies from converting second-chance opportunities. In the first quarter, which ended 28-20 in favor of Memphis, the Grizzlies out-rebounded the Thunder 15-9 and had outscored OKC 9-2 in second-chance points.
• The Thunder was able to climb back in it only because it flipped the script on the Grizzlies in the final three quarters. OKC out-rebounded Memphis 37-27 in quarters two, three and four to win the rebounding battle 46-42. But the first 1 1/2 quarters showed how significant rebounding is to the Thunder’s success.
• Durant struggled with his shot early, starting the game 2-for-8. Rudy Gay’s length clearly was a factor, even though Gay isn’t regarded as a defender. But Durant made a slight adjustment to start the second quarter that helped him get it going. Durant began releasing the ball quicker on his pull-ups. For most players, an in-game tweak like that can throw off rhythm and timing. And Durant’s first few attempts even looked to be ill-advised shots because he was off balance out of rhythm. But he soon started sinking them, and the adjustment spoke to just how deadly he is on the offensive end.
• Frontlines like Memphis’, with long, athletic players like Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Hasheem Thabeet, are the types that expose Nenad Krstic. His two rebounds in 25 minutes tonight were costly. Gasol had a game-high 13.
• Krstic sprained his right thumb Wednesday at Minnesota and played with it heavily wrapped. He removed most of the wrap during the game and played the last half of the game with the thumb exposed.
• Tonight’s game is the game in which Eric Maynor officially arrived as a safety net for coach Scott Brooks. With Russell Westbrook struggling in the first quarter (three turnovers), Brooks sat down the second-year point guard the entire second quarter and went with the rookie. Maynor responded with two points, four assists and two rebounds in the period.
• Westbrook’s eight points will turn into $8,000 for Haiti victims, $1,000 for every point he scored. In one breath I say it’s too bad he had an off night. In the next, I remind myself that’s more money than I can give. Hats off to Russell.
• Etan Thomas, who is represented by the same agency as Westbrook but did not play Friday, told me he gave $20,000 to the Haiti relief efforts.
• Hasheem Thabeet is the truth as a shot-blocker. He’s as good as advertised and has the ability to contest or reject everything that comes his way. He had four blocks tonight. It’s easy for Thunder fans to thank the heavens for Memphis drafting Thabeet so OKC could land James Harden one pick later. And while I have no doubt that Harden will have the better career, I am really anticipating seeing what Thabeet blossoms into four, five, six years down the line. If healthy, I think he has the tools to be a interior presence for many, many years.

THEY SAID IT

• Scott Brooks on the game: “We gave a chance to win with our defense, and that’s what we are building our team on.”
• Brooks on the bench play: “I thought James (Harden) and Eric (Maynor) did a good job of really getting us back into the game. James hit a big 3 when we were down seven. I thought that gave us the (energy) to rally and come back. They played well. That is what they have been doing all year. I have a lot of confidence in them.”
• Memphis coach Lionel Hollins: “I was just incredible intensity between two young teams trying to prove to each other who has a step ahead of the other.”
• Hollins on his team’s resiliency: “They showed a lot of grit tonight because nothing was going and the referees let us play. It was just like playoff basketball.”
• Hollins on Hasheem Thabeet: “He was on. he was focused. He was aware. He saw opportunities to go and challenge shots and he did it…He should have had six or seven blocked shots in the game. He was a big difference in us winning that game. He made an impact. As they like to say on some of the sports shows, ‘He was an impact player tonight.’”
• Rudy Gay on his game-winner: “It felt good. I got to the spot where I wanted to be on the court and I elevated. It’s something I work on every day so it was just like another day.”
• Jeff Green on Eric Maynor: “He played great. He came in and gave us great minutes. He played great defense and made some tough shots for us when we needed them. He’s stepping up big for is.”

BY THE NUMBERS
10: Straight home wins by Memphis, a franchise record.
11: Lead changes.
14: Biggest lead by the Grizzlies.
17: Consecutive games of 25 points or more by Kevin Durant, an NBA record for a player under 22.
19: Point differential in bench scoring, in favor of OKC.
23: Second-chance points for Memphis, 16 more than the Thunder.
84: Points by OKC, the fewest since Nov. 11.
12,948: Announced attendance inside FedEx Forum.

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While some Thunder heads have free-agent-to-be Chris Bosh on their wish lists this summer, Art Garcia, writing on NBA.com, says why wait? Bosh, Garcia reasons, could be dealt to the Thunder before the Feb. 18 trading deadline.

If the Raptors felt compelled to move Bosh, and there are plenty of rumors out there to support such a notion, Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti could make a serious play for the lefty power forward. Not only is OKC comfortably under the salary cap, but the franchise has another two first-round draft choices this June and nice pieces to export across the border.

Would a deal of, say, ever-improving third-year forward Jeff Green, a pair of No. 1s and another youngster with potential, Serge Ibaka or D.J. White, interest Toronto? If Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo was certain Bosh was walking this summer, does such a package from OKC make sense?”

First off, let me assure you that the piece, while scintillating, is purely speculative. Last week, I laid out why the Thunder isn’t likely to make a blockbuster deal before the deadline. The organization’s long-term motives have not changed, although Bosh certainly would fit the bill of a player that makes sense both now and in the future.

The problem is, trading for Bosh now doesn’t guarantee he’ll be around in the future. Acquiring Bosh would be a big-time risk that could blow up in July if he decides to bolt for, say, the beaches of Miami or Broadway in New York. The Thunder will have then traded valuable assets for nothing. It’s that risk that partially explains why Phoenix was unable to move Amar’e Stoudemire last season after all the fuss and trade rumors regarding where he’d land.

But set aside the risk for a second (which a man in Presti’s shoes can’t afford to do), swapping Green and filler (Thomas, Harpring, Ibaka/White and both first-rounders) for Bosh (and Rasho Nesterovic’s expiring contract) could be taken into consideration because the deal wouldn’t kill the Thunder’s salary cap situation. Maintaining a sound financial future is the most important goal for the Thunder, more than holding onto current assets. And as Garcia points out, one of the team’s young stars, in this case Green, future extension essentially would be replaced by Bosh heading into the Thunder’s “use-it-or-lose-it” summer of spending.

Whether it’s all worth it, only Presti can determine. But just look at Presti’s track record, which the article effectively runs down: deals for Thabo Sefolosha, Eric Maynor and the signing of Nenad Krstic were all low-risk, high reward moves. The Ray Allen-Green swap was a bold trade but a necessary maneuver needed to clear cap space and court time.

Bartering for Bosh now has its benefits. It just seems too risky a plan for Presti.

-DM-

I know because I asked him following Wednesday night’s 109-108 overtime loss to San Antonio. I asked because too many times now I’ve seen the Thunder walk off the court, heads humbly hung, following a defeat that played out like much like this one did inside the Ford Center.

Durant is the franchise, the team’s star player, its go-to guy. But once again the Thunder searched and scrambled for a secondary last-second option when its money man was bottled up. And more and more, it’s becoming evident that much of Oklahoma City’s late-game execution troubles stem from the team’s failure to tinker with a Plan B. It’s a tremendously tight spot for coach Scott Brooks to be in.

On one hand, Brooks’ role, like every coach’s, is to win games. On the other, Brooks is in charge of player development. He’s the caretaker for these young careers, the porter employed to pick up their production. For as dominant as Durant can be at times, he has yet to arrive as a truly elite player.  He has one game-winning buzzer-beater under his belt in 2 1/2 seasons, and before he earns his closer label he must continue to be placed in positions to win games.

But Durant’s youthful flaws have foiled countless crunch-time possessions. The third-year forward is too frail to post up, too tall with too high a dribble to cleanly beat his man to the bucket. And his turnover trouble down the stretch at times somewhat tarnishes his terrific talents. But these are all blemishes that someday soon will become a distant memory. For now, Durant is working his way through the growing pains and learning how to come through even when defenses are doubling him down the stretch.

In the meantime, when does Brooks begin molding and developing a consistent counter? And who might that alternate be? Jeff Green hit a game-winning buzzer-beater at Golden State last year. Russell Westbrook is the team’s most athletic playmaker and has shown he won’t shy away from a big shot. James Harden is proving to be as accurate as advertised from beyond the arc.

“Kevin’s our guy,” Green insisted, and rightfully so. “We’re going to try to get him the ball. And if it doesn’t happen we got guys who can step up.”

Brooks drew up the Thunder’s final possession for Durant because his star had the hot hand. Durant had scored 14 points on 7 of 12 shooting in the fourth quarter and overtime. As Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “He almost beat us single-handedly.” But the Spurs’ smothering defense on Durant with 4.7 seconds remaining nearly removed the potential for every sound out-of-bounds set the Thunder could run. Thabo Sefolosha appeared dead set on delivering Durant the ball, even after Durant retreated to halfcourt to escape the pressure. Fortunately, Westbrook improvised and came calling for the ball, turning a busted play into a brilliant possibility. Only his 19-footer bounced off the back-iron.

But the airtight attention being paid to Durant lately brings up the question of whether Brooks should deploy him as a decoy? It’s a question that has nothing to do with Durant’s ability and the need to develop this roster and everything to do with one wrinkle that possibly could win this team more ballgames.

“I think that’s what happened in the fourth quarter to go to overtime. And Russ made a big shot,” Durant said.

“I’m just trying to make the winning basketball play like we always preach here.”

QUICK HITS

• It’s been said. It’s clichéd. I don’t care. DeJuan Blair is a beast. If anyone listened to the game on The Sports Animal, you might have heard Craig Humphreys mention that I said to him as I sat down to start the game that the Thunder had no answer for Blair. I didn’t know Blair would erupt for 28 points, 21 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 31 minutes. Halfway through the first quarter, Blair was on pace to score 20 points with 12 rebounds in the period alone. Judging by that, I guess you can say the Thunder did a decent job on him.
• A lot of Thunder fans don’t understand why the Thunder didn’t draft him. The knee issues seem like non-issues now. But ask yourselves what Blair’s ceiling is? How much better is Blair going to become? On a championship-minded team like the Spurs, that question doesn’t matter. He’s cheap production off the bench for now. On a building team like the Thunder, you have to wonder where he’s going to be in five years. I’m not saying the Thunder made the right call in passing up Blair. Only time will tell. But looking at it from a long-term point of view, I can certainly see why OKC might have took a pass.
• I hope no one takes the above analysis as a knock on Kevin Durant. It’s not. I point out his flaws only to make a point about a larger issue. Besides, Durant’s current flaws are issues all young players deal with. He’ll get over them. Unfortunately, at this level it hardly matters what you do if you don’t win the game. Remember Durant’s two shots in the fourth quarter last week? Well, he was incredible late against the Spurs and tried his best to take over. His efforts likely will be an afterthought because of the outcome. They shouldn’t be.
• Russell Westbrook took another step tonight, and in case you haven’t noticed Westbrook is blossoming into something special. Westbrook had 25 points, 13 assists, six rebounds and only three turnovers. When the Thunder went down 35-18 in the first period, Westbrook tried to take over the game in the second quarter. The most encouraging thing was that he didn’t get carried away in his attempt.
• For as good as Westbrook was offensively, this game did nothing to calm my concerns about his defense. Tony Parker ate Westbrook up in the first half, scoring 22 points with six assists and only one turnover. The Thunder didn’t put a lid on Parker until Thabo Sefolosha switched onto him to start the second half. From there, Parker scored six points with two assists and three turnovers. Parker went 2-for-10 in the second half and overtime.
• George Hill reminds me of a more athletic Eric Maynor.
• Manu Ginobili’s late play was not a travel. And it was not out of bounds. It was a great hustle play that won the game for the Spurs. Scott Brooks walked over to the scorer’s table to ask Grant Long whether it was out of bounds. Long even said no. The replays show the ball bouncing in bounds and before that taking a different path than the direction in which Ginobili threw it, indicating it hit Antonio McDyess. Good work by the officials.
• Dean Blevins, Mike Baldwin and I were talking about 15 minutes before tip-off, debating whether this would be a bad loss if the Thunder dropped the game. I said yes, figuring the Spurs were without Tim Duncan, Michael Finley and Matt Bonner, and they were coming in on the second night of a back-to-back. Upon further review, these are the Spurs. They’re hitting their stride. And it’s no shame in losing to this bunch.
• A question I have brewing for coach Scott Brooks: at what point do you make a team play your style instead of matching up with what they do? I’m wondering what this game would have looked like had Brooks played Nenad Krstic and Serge Ibaka more. What would the Spurs have done? Would either team have been able to defend the other? All questions that I don’t have the answers to.
• Brooks bent so much that he started Collison for the second half instead of Krstic.
• There was some post-game chatter among a few media members about whether Brooks should have played Etan Thomas to help control Blair. I said it wouldn’t have mattered. And that has everything to do with Blair and nothing to do with Thomas.
• Make that 0-3 in overtime games. Imagine this. The Thunder would be 24-14 if it won those three. Crazy, right?
• Unsung storyline in this ballgame: the Thunder’s defense does it again. OKC limited San Antonio to 35.9 percent shooting in the second half after surrendering 55.1 percent in the first half. The Spurs had just 46 points in the second half and overtime, 11 more than they scored in the first quarter.

THEY SAID IT

• Spurs coach Gregg Popovich: “It was a great game. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the basketball gods for allowing us to win.”
• Popovich on DeJuan Blair: “He has a good future ahead of him just as long as we don’t screw him up and teach him some moves. Then he won’t do any of the stuff you saw tonight. He’ll be trying to do stupid moves that we taught him.”
• Popovich on Kevin Durant: “Kevin Durant put the whole team on his shoulders down the stretch in overtime. He was brilliant. We couldn’t stop him…He almost beat us single-handedly. He is a great player.”
• Thunder coach Scott Brooks on Blair: “I don’t even know if (Tim) Duncan could have done this tonight…He’s a player. The kid is a player. He’s won. He was a winner at Pittsburgh and he’s a winner with the Spurs.”
• Blair on his rookie year: “Nobody has given me anything in this world or in this game. I am just trying to earn my respect on the team and also on the court.”
• Jeff Green: “That’s one of those NBA games where you don’t want to see a winner. It’s two great teams battling.”
• Green on what the Thunder learned: “We got to get stops and we got to rebound. That was the biggest thing that stood out in this game. Offensive rebounds, they got like three in the last three minutes of that fourth quarter. And then we got to finish the play off. We almost had it when Ginobili almost turned it over but he made a great hustle play. So we just got to learn how to finish our games.”
• Popovich on the rebounding: “They were tough bounces. It is not like they didn’t block out and they didn’t have effort. Both teams really busted their noodles out there tonight. The ball bounced our way down the stretch, honestly. It just did. It bounced our way and we made a shot.”
• Russell Westbrook on his missed game-winner: “I worked on that shot every day in the summertime and I still work on now. And that’s become a shot that I’ve been working on and been using. When the game is close, that’s what I go to, what I’ve been working on.”
• Brooks on Manu Ginobili’s save: “He was 0-for-10 and he made the biggest play of the game. He basically won the game for them because that ball was basically out of bounds. And his effort and determination to get the ball and save it to his team, that’s winning. That’s huge.”

BY THE NUMBERS
0: Wins by the Thunder in three overtime games.
5: Ties and five lead changes in the fourth quarter and overtime.
19: Biggest lead by the Spurs.
21: Rebounds by DeJuan Blair, a career-high.
28: Points by Blair, a career-high.
31: Field-goal attempts by Kevin Durant, a career-high.
35: Spurs points in the first period, tying an opponent season-high for the Thunder.
17,886: Announced attendance at the Ford Center.

-DM-