• Calm down. It’s just one game. Forget for a second who it was against. It was only one game, and only one ‘L’ will go down in the loss column. Don’t lose sight of that.

• Having said that, it’s not good to get swept by the Wizards in the season series.

• One thing snapped the Thunder’s seven-game winning streak — apathy. A few tried to deny that fact. They should have instead done themselves a favor and admitted it. Frankly, the Thunder took the Wizards lightly. It was as simple as that. To deny it only opens the possibility of it happening again.

• Once the Thunder came out careless, it gave the Wizards a chance to keep it close. That gave Washington all the confidence it needed to continue to hang around and make things interesting. Bad, bad decision on the Thunder’s part. OKC should have approached this one like it did at least four others in the past: jump out to a big lead, keep the foot on the gas and rest up in the fourth quarter.

• I thought that’s what would happen tonight. I thought the Thunder would come out focused and ready to put a hurtin’ on the Wizards. Silly me. But I blame Kevin Durant. Not for the loss, of course, but for duping me into believing the Thunder would bring the right level intensity. It was at Tuesday’s practice that Durant was asked about how the best team in the league could get up for the worst team in the league. “We greedy,” Durant said. “We want to win every game we play.”

• The moment you knew the Thunder wasn’t all there tonight is when Kendrick Perkinsbacked down from Wizards forward Andray Blatche.As Perk was making an offensive move midway through the second quarter, his elbows made contact with Blatche twice, once in the chest and once in the face. Blatche had grown tired of it and got in Perkins’ face. Perk didn’t do a thing, which some might say is the smart thing to do. But we all know that’s not Perk. He’s the instigator, the bully, the enforcer. This time, he allowed Blatche to get in his face, chest to chest, and never responded. He actually waited for Blatche to finish and walk away.

• The battle between Perk and Blatche actually began on the previous possession. Durant was trying to inbound the ball to Perk (seemed backwards to me), and Blatche was bodying up on Perk to prevent a clean inbounds pass. Perk flashed a smirk, scrunching up his face to show the universal sign for disrespect when a player thinks he can’t be guarded. But Blatche stole the ball on the inbounds pass and it led to a one-man fast break that Blatche finished with a layup. Had this been playground ball, after the ensuing mix-up one could say that Blatche got into Perk’s head then stole his heart.

• If you’re griping about the last-second shot KD took and, more specifically, Thunder coach Scott Brooks’ play-calling, do yourself a favor and stop. It was the exact same play Brooks drew up that won the game against Dallas. Only difference is the Wizards played it tougher by fighting over the double screen, and KD missed the shot.

• Rebounding is a problem. It didn’t take all 15 of these games to realize that. But after tonight, it certainly looks like the Thunder is now in serious trouble. The Wizards, the 2-12 couldn’t beat a bowl of eggs Wizards, out-rebounded the Thunder 52-43 and 19-6 on the offensive end, tying an opponent high for offensive boards. The Thunder has now given up at least 10 offensive boards in each of its 15 games. Worse yet, the Thunder is yielding 13.3 offensive boards a night, the most in the league.

• All these opponent rebounds are killing the Thunder’s defense, which generally has been solid prior to the shots going up. They’re giving teams second chance scoring opportunities and putting them on the foul line additional times. They’re also hurting the Thunder’s offense, as teams prevent easy run-out opportunities which the Thunder destroys opponents with.

• Washington previously had out-rebounded only one opponent all season.

• Before the game, Wizards coach Flip Saunders called the Thunder’s four-man post rotation of Perk, Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed the best in the league. Then Saunders watched his duo of Blatche and McGee out-rebound the Thunder’s foursome 21-18. Blatche and McGee combined for more offensive rebounds (nine) than the Thunder did as a team (six).

• Shooting guard Daequan Cook got a team-leading two offensive boards. Enough said.

• The offense ain’t working either. Not in the sense of the entire season, but more so in the sense of stretches of every game and, at times, entire games. For the fifth time, the Thunder finished with more turnovers (21) than assists (15). And the imbalanced scoring is becoming more and more alarming. Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 68 percent of the Thunder scoring. Nothing good can come from that. Defenses that can design their game plan around stopping two guys have a relatively easy assignment. Slowing the Thunder’s two All-Stars is still a challenge. But if it’s essentially a game of 2-on-10, who you taking?

• Consider this. KD and Russ combined to score 69 points on 25-of-50 shooting. The remaining three starters scored eight points on 4-for-8 shooting. Something’s wrong with that picture, because 50-percent shooting is 50-percent shooting, no matter who’s an All-Star and who’s not.

• James Harden stunk it up again on the road. I pointed it out in my nuggets after the Boston game, and mentioned it in my notebook in Wednesday’s paper. It. Is. An Issue. Whatever Harden is doing on the road, he needs to stop. Whatever routine he has, he needs to change it. It sounds strange, but on most nights Harden is the most important Thunder player on the roster. When he scores and scores efficiently, the Thunder has a three-headed monster with him, Westbrook and Durant. When he doesn’t, well, the Thunder loses to the Wizards. Harden is now barely shooting 38 percent on the road.
  

• Westbrook was fantastic throughout much of this one. He flat out carried the Thunder offensively. Without Westbrook, the Thunder might have gotten blown out in the first half OKC was so bad tonight.

• It was pointed out to me after the game that in three games Westbrook has scored 89 points against Wizards guard John Wall. For you math geniuses, that’s a 30-point average.

• The Wizards shot 43 free throws! I don’t have to tell you that’s an opponent season high. The previous high was Portland’s 36 on Jan. 3, which happened to be the last time the Thunder loss. Washington attempted 20 free throws in the final 3 1/2 minutes. That’s incredible. I know most of them were taken because of intentional fouls by the Thunder as it tried to save a win. I don’t care. That many free throws in that little time is stunning.

• How many shots rattled out on KD tonight? Seemed like 72.

• Wizards fans booed Blatche during pre-game intros. Then the crowd booed the team throughout the first quarter. The Wizards were down 12-5 and the home fans were booing the breaks off them. I could not believe it.

• Want to be in Durant’s upcoming movie? Here’s how.

• I’ve grown sick and tired of hearing about the Thunder’s culture. I might gag every time I hear it after three-plus seasons on this beat. But after just two days in D.C., I grew 25,000 times more respect for how the Thunder runs its organization. The Wizards are a mess. No direction. No leadership. No plan. No purpose. No structure. No organization. No class. No character. No principles. No commitment. No sacrifice. No pride. No discipline. Those who know me know how tough that is for me to have to write. There are good people in the organization, at most levels. Just nowhere near enough of them in the right places. Be grateful, Oklahoma City. What the Thunder has built goes above and beyond the status quo.

• Former Thunder forward Jeff Green attended tonight’s game. He sat courtside and seemed to be in good spirits after undergoing open heart surgery last week. He declined my interview request but said when I asked if he had anything to say to his fans in Oklahoma “Tell them I said hello.” Green was in the Thunder’s locker room after the game and it was clear that everyone missed him and was happy to see him.

• Speaking of surgery, Eric Maynor had successful knee surgery. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be back next season.

• The kid Chris Singleton out of Florida State started with some pretty darn good D on Durant. Saunders said before the game that he wanted the rookie to make KD “uncomfortable” and force him into turnovers. Mission accomplished. Saunders also said KD would score 30. Right again! Durant finished with 33. It was KD’s fifth 30-point game this season and his first since his four-game streak of 30 point games to start the season ended on New Year’s Eve. But it was without a doubt his toughest 30-point game this year. Singleton played only 13 minutes (why, I don’t know.) and crowded KD and used his length to be an annoyance. With his quick hands, Singleton was able to even recover once beat and slap the ball out of KD’s hands on drives, knocking the ball off Durant’s body to give the Wizards possession. A big part of Durant’s seven turnovers were a result of Singleton.

• Offensive fouls were a thing tonight, too, and led to some of KD’s giveaways. The Thunder committed seven offensive fouls, with five players committing at least one. Durant had two charges in the fourth quarter, and Ibaka was whistled for two offensive fouls as well.

• Up next. At New Jersey on Saturday.

-DM-

• Best part of this win? No Thunder player logged more than Kevin Durant’s 27 minutes, 55 seconds. James Harden was the only other Thunder player to play more than 25 minutes. And no starter played a single second in the final frame. That could be huge going into the next two games of this back-to-back-to-back.

• The Thunder was able to rest up because it took care of business early and, finally, didn’t mess around. OKC led by as many as 27 and never trailed after taking a 3-2 lead 1 1/2 minutes into the game.

• A 16-5 run in the first 4:32 of the second quarter put this one away. Once again, it was the bench that provided the spark. And, again, Harden led the charge. Harden scored or assisted on 11 points during the run, which put the Thunder ahead 46-25. The Rockets never got closer than 15.

• Could Harden be the Thunder’s best player at drawing free throws? I know that might sound a little far-fetched considering Durant averaged 10.2 attempts two years ago. But when you watch Harden, as soon as he starts his attack you almost know he’s going to either score or get fouled once at the rim.

• Harden finished with 23 points for the second time in as many games. But what I love most about it is the efficiency with which he scores. Harden was 8-for-11 tonight and made all five of his foul shots. He also had three assists against one turnover. Through seven games, Harden is now averaging 17.8 points on 48.7 percent shooting.

• Do you realize Harden is now second on the team in scoring? Could we again have the whole Batman and Robin thing twisted? First, we thought it was Durant and Jeff Green. Then we realized it was Durant and Russell Westbrook. Could we be wrong again? Is it Durant and Harden?

• Rockets point guard Kyle Lowry missed this one with an injured foot. Goran Dragic replaced him and was a non-factor. With Jonny Flynn moving up to serve as Dragic’s backup, the Rockets’ guards were no match for the Thunder.

• Dragic did do some damage, actually, finishing with 10 points and 11 assists without a single turnover. But, really, in the context of this blowout, how important was he? Nice player, though.

• Thabo Sefolosha returned to the lineup and his resumed his starting role. There are some who might want to blame the two-game skid on Thabo’s absence for a game and a half. I’m not in that camp. I consider it a coincidence that the Thunder won upon Sefolosha’s return. He didn’t have much of an impact tonight. The Thunder just played much better. Thabo told me after the game that he’s feeling much better.

• Nick Collison did say it was pretty important to get the rotation back. “With Thabo back, it allowed us to get our normal rotation back. It was a little bit off the last couple of games.”

• Durant bounced back from an 8-for-26 shooting performance with an extremely impressive 26 points on 10-for-16 shooting. In his previous three games, Durant shot just 37.9 percent.

• As much as it was good to see KD’s shot return, it was just as nice to see him rebounding again. After averaging seven rebounds in his first five games, Durant had pulled down a total of seven in his last two. Tonight, he had five boards in the first quarter and finished with seven.

• Thunder coach Scott Brooks called this one of KD’s “best all-around games on both ends of the court.” Durant finished with three assists and just one turnover and, in the second half, just began toying with the Rockets. He made some incredibly slick passes, several of them no-look, thread-the-needle dishes. But for as pretty as they were, they were the right pass as well.

• The Thunder came into this one looking to control the boards better. For a quarter, things weren’t working out so well. The Rockets had five offensive boards in the first quarter but finished with 11 for the game. In the middle two quarters, the Rockets had just two offensive rebounds. And the boards that Houston did get weren’t much of an issue since Houston had trouble converting its second chances, finishing 4-for-7 on second-chance opportunities for 11 put-back points.

• Luis Scola’s footwork is unbelievably good. In the first quarter alone, Scola hit Serge Ibaka with a spin move for a score and followed that up by getting free with a pump fake. Then, on his most impressive move of the night, Scola broke out a spin, a pump fake, an up-and-under and a drop step ALL ON THE SAME TOUCH! In the second quarter, Scola scored on a driving layup, something he should never be able to do against the infinitely more athletic Ibaka. But it was a byproduct of how much Scola had Ibaka off balance. It just wasn’t fair.

• Aside from the matchup that just isn’t fair thanks to Scola’s footwork, Ibaka brought his A-game tonight. He was energized and made an impact from the start, running the floor and blocking shots. He finished with 11 points, nine boards and three blocks in just 22 minutes. It was the type of performance we were accustomed to seeing from Serge last season.
  

• Ibaka’s second assist of the night, his sixth of the season, was a beauty. Believe it or not, it was a drive and dish. He dumped it off to Kendrick Perkins at the last second for a layup. Perk when I asked about Ibaka’s playmaking: “We been working on it. We gon get better. Give me and Serge about another two weeks, watch, we’re gonna be the best big man combo in the league.”

• Might be time for Daequan Cook to lose the goggles. He’s 1-for-6 from 3-point range since breaking out the specs. He was shooting 57.1 percent from deep before the goggles.

• The Rockets accidentally did something at the end of the first quarter that might need to be added to somebody’s playbook. With just a few seconds remaining on the game clock, Flynn raced it up and fired a shot from about halfcourt. Chandler Parsons caught the errant attempt and dunked it in just after the buzzer. My question is why can’t some coach draw it up that way? Seems like the perfect bit of misdirection.

• Midway through the third. KD split Chase Budinger and Scola with a spin move for a scooping layup. Wow!

• What’s up with KD at the free throw line? He missed three tonight, one of them not being counted because of a lane violation on the Rockets so officially he was 6-for-8. It’s past the point of shocking. I’m now wondering if it’s a tad mental at times.

• Hasheem Thabeet. Yeah, remember him? He was over on the Rockets bench in warm-ups tonight. I’m embarrassed to admit I once thought he’d be a good fit for the Thunder.

• The Thunder shot 63.2 percent in the opening quarter. The Rockets were at 36 percent.

• Anybody else cringe at the Frisbee-catching halftime dogs? When the one does the back flip while catching it, I always feel like the little thing is gonna break its neck.

• Up next: Houston again on Saturday.

-DM-

Former Thunder forward Jeff Green will miss the 2011-12 season after an examination detected an aortic aneurysm.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks spoke briefly about Green following the team’s practice Saturday morning.

I heard the news before practice. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jeff and his family. That’s a tough situation. But knowing Jeff, he will handle it very well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him.”

-DM-

Could Oklahoma City get a Christmas game?

Before we explore that question, allow me to ask another. Do you even want a Christmas game?

If so, would you prefer it to be at home, where you can attend it, or on the road so you can watch from the comfort of your couch with your family?

Last season, the Thunder played its first ever Christmas game and everything worked out quite well. OKC beat Denver 114-106, Kevin Durant scored a game-high 44 points and a sold out crowd of 18,203 showed up and enjoyed a great night.

It’s possible that we could be in for a repeat performance.

The NBA will expand its Christmas lineup from three games to five, and the Thunder could be one of the four teams added to the slate. The league is expected to announce the Christmas schedule Friday and release the entire 66-game 2011-12 schedule next week.

But the scuttlebutt is the Thunder will host the Grizzlies at 7 p.m. inside The Peake. It would be the fourth game in the lineup, following Boston at New York, Miami at Dallas and Chicago at the L.A. Lakers. A fifth game would be played at 9:30 p.m. central time.

So who are the best possibilities for the Thunder?

I’ve got to admit, I’m not feeling a potential Thunder-Grizzlies game on Christmas all that much. The second round playoff series from last season was a dandy, and Memphis certainly has some talent. But I’m still not sold on the Grizzlies being able to sustain their success. They’ve got too many question marks: Rudy Gay meshing again, Marc Gasol being a restricted free agent, Shane Battier being unrestricted, the future of O.J. Mayo and whether Zach Randolph wants to continue to be on his best behavior. Besides, there simply are better options.

Let’s rank them in order of likability.

1) L.A. Clippers
Pros: Well, Blake Griffin, of course. Some have argued the former OU star is now the most exciting player in the league. Christmas, from a sports standpoint, can’t get much better around here if you’re talking about spending it as a part of Griffin’s homecoming. Add to that, the Clippers were surprisingly competitive against the Thunder last year. They split the four-game series, with each team winning on its home court. The last two games were decided by six and four points, respectively.
Cons: They’re still the Clippers. They’ve won 61 games in the last two seasons, or six more than the Thunder’s win total from a year ago. There’s no guarantee that a Christmas Day game wouldn’t be a complete dud. When these two teams met for the first time in OKC last year, the Thunder crushed the Clippers by 23.

2) Orlando
Pros: It would guarantee OKC a chance to see Dwight Howard this season. With the shortened season wiping out six out-of-conference games for each team, every team from the opposing conference will not be scheduled to make at least one appearance in every building this season. It’d be absolutely awful if Thunder fans miss out on Howard. If you don’t believe me, think back to last year’s matchup with the Magic inside the Ford Center. The Thunder won a 125-124 thriller, Howard had 39 points and 18 rebounds and Russell Westbrook shined with his fourth career triple double with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Oh, and how ’bout a matchup between Howard and Kendrick Perkins to start the season? There’s no love lost there, dating to Perk’s playoff days in Boston.
Cons: It could be an extremely losable game for the Thunder. Nobody in OKC wants that. Not on Christmas. The Magic just manhandled the Thunder in Orlando last year, obliterating OKC by 23. Granted, that was against a short-handed Thunder team that had just traded Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic, and had yet to welcome Perk and Nazr Mohammed. But when the Magic are clicking, they can be a tough, tough out.

3) Portland
Pros: Northwest Division rival that offers great matchups across the board. Great test right off the bat to see where the Thunder is physically and mentally. Enough talent, if not star power, to keep everyone interested. If the Blazers bring a (somewhat) healthy Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby to town in addition to LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, Wes Matthews and Nicolas Batum, this one could feel like a big-time game. One that’s played in May, not December. Keep in mind, last year’s four-game series was separated by only 19 points, with the largest margin of victory being nine.
Cons: Brandon Roy is a shell of his former self. And according to reports, he might not even be with the team come Dec. 25 if the Blazers decide to cut ties with him via the league’s amnesty savior. Center Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in Kevin Durant’s draft, also is on the shelf while rehabbing his latest injury, so that storyline gets squashed, too.

4) San Antonio
Pros: Say what you will about the Spurs being boring. But San Antonio still plays some of the best ball in the league. And if you’re a purist, it’s a thing of beauty. From ball movement, to defense to the cliched one-for-all and all-for-one approach. Like it or not, the Thunder is striving to get to where the Spurs are as a fundamental team that plays on one accord. And if it’s star power you want, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker have it. Just think: Parker v Westbrook, Duncan v Serge Ibaka, Ginobili v James Harden and Richard Jefferson v Kevin Durant. Scrumptious!
Cons: OK, so even the purist in me will be ticked if we are subject to an 88-83 result. Not to say that every low-scoring game is a shame. I’d much rather watch a competitive defensive battle than a defenseless shootout. But at least give me something in the 90s. The problem with the Spurs is you just never know. Thankfully, they turned up the tempo last season and averaged 103.7 points, their highest since the 1994-95 season under Bob Hill.

5) Atlanta
Pros: With Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford, the Hawks can put on a show on any given night. Johnson, though he’s definitely paid like it, quietly remains one of the league’s most talented players. Two years ago in OKC, Johnson torched the Thunder for 37 in a losing effort. Plus, there’s still that stat-padding incident from New Year’s Eve by Westbrook and Ibaka that drew the ire of the Hawks. If you don’t remember, Westbrook fired a pass to Ibaka for a dunk with six seconds remaining despite the game being in hand. The assist gave Westbrook a triple-double. The dunk gave Ibaka a double-double. Smith, especially, didn’t take to kindly to that. Ibaka and Smith were jawing all game prior to that anyway, so it could be a nice little matchup.
Cons: Nobody really wants to go see the Hawks. Despite their talented trio, and the emerging Jeff Teague, the Hawks are kind of just there. Good, but not good enough to make you get off your couch. You’ve got to be a special fan to say, ‘I want to see Al Horford play live!’ That’s just not happening. The good thing for Oklahoma City is the Thunder fan base is so good that it rarely matters if the opponent is Miami or Minnesota. We know Thunder heads would have The Peake rocking on Christmas Day.

-DM-

Under league rules, there is no way a reported trade offer that would have had Rusell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo swap uniforms would have even legally been permitted.

Everyone seems to love a good trade rumor.

They can all be so enticing that many of us tend to ignore whether the rumors are even possible, let alone factual.

Such was the case Tuesday night, when ESPN’s Chris Broussard via Twitter reported that Boston recently offered Jeff Green and Rajon Rondo to the Thunder for Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins.

Boston offered Rondo & Jeff Green to OKC for Westbrook & KPerkins after last season’s playoffs. OKC was not interested, sources say.”

Sounds like a juicy one, right?

Two of the leagues elite teams. Two top five point guards (arguably). The game’s best low-post man defender (arguably). And, well, Jeff Green, who many Thunder fans still love and hope will someday return.

Here’s the problem.

Under league rules, this trade scenario is utterly impossible. It couldn’t happen, not even if the Thunder had interest in essentially erasing perhaps the best trade in the franchise’s short time in OKC.

Here’s why.

League rule prohibit teams from reacquiring a player they traded away during that season unless the player has been waived. The duration of a season is July 1 to June 30. For Boston to have made its pitch to OKC after the playoffs, the call would have had to have been made prior to July 1.Teams could not discuss players, trades or contract negotiations from July 1 until today. If the pitch was made prior to July 1, the trade couldn’t have gone through.

There’s more.

Because Green was set to be a restricted free agent on July 1, Boston could not have traded him without his consent. Had Green agreed, he would have lost his Bird rights and essentially forfeited millions by going back to a team that just shipped him out because it didn’t deem him worthy of the millions he wanted to begin with.

Interesting, eh?

With all that said, it doesn’t mean the trade wasn’t indeed offered. It very well could have been.

There was just no way it would have ever been granted approval.

-DM-

Kevin Durant (left) drives past former Thunder teammate Jeff Green during a pro-am pickup game.

When Kevin Durant made an impromptu trip to New York and took the court at Rucker Park, it suddenly became cool for NBA players to search for a game by any means necessary.

That was Aug. 1.

Two months later, the trend already has lost its luster — at least to Durant it has.

The two-time scoring champ on Tuesday briefly shared his thoughts via Twitter on the stream of streetball games that have swept the country and quickly become the biggest fad in this NBA lockout. It all started when Milwaukee point guard Brandon Jennings asked Durant if he was ready for a rematch between the D.C.-based Goodman League and the Los Angeles-based Drew League. Durant fired back a candid response.

yea I am, but on da real..all these game starting to get played out..but I’m ready for the rematch”

Jennings immediately agreed, responding “you ain’t never lie.”

It’s important to note here that Durant hasn’t let his feelings stop him from taking the court in these exhibitions. After all, basketball never stops. Durant’s scheduled to appear in Chris Paul’s charity game on Saturday on the campus of Winston Salem State University. Durant (as well as teammate Russell Westbrook) also is scheduled to play in a charity game in Miami hosted by the Heat’s All-Star trio on Oct. 8. Durant originally was scheduled to take part in the “Battle for I-95″ between Philadelphia and Baltimore, as well as the Goodman versus Knox Indy Pro Am in Indianapolis, but had to back out of both because of a previous commitment with filming his movie “Switch” in Baton Rouge, La.

But is it true? Have these pickup games — which started in earnest on July 23 with a showcase in the Philippines — become trite?

The competitiveness of these exhibitions has always been in question. No one, not even for a second, believed these barnstorming games could ever come close to replacing NBA action. But for the player who helped pioneer the movement to deem it “played out” after 60 days is a bit of an eye-opener.

So why would Durant deem it so?

The answer is authenticity.

At some point over the last three months, some games stopped being played for genuine reasons. It stopped being about the love and started being about the money. Somewhere along the line, a few savvy promoters saw a means to make a buck. As a result, some exhibitions stopped focusing as much on fans and charities and instead sought to fatten a few pockets.

That’s one reason attendance has tapered off in various cities. A game two Saturdays ago at Coolidge High in D.C., for example, drew a meager crowd despite players like Durant, John Wall, Michael Beasley, Jeff Green and DeMarcus Cousins serving as headliners.

Durant started randomly showing up to parks and gyms this summer for two reasons: he loves to play and he loves giving fans who otherwise couldn’t afford to see him a glimpse of his skills. Now that it’s no longer completely about that, Durant’s not with it. He’s lost his desire. Better yet, he never had that desire.

Should this lockout linger, Durant will look to host a charity game in the Oklahoma City area. He’ll do it for the right reasons. For the fans. He wants to invite stars from other teams. And he knows it’ll be packed.

And nothing about that is played out.

-DM-

• With this win, the Thunder’s magic number for home court advantage is now one. That means a win Wednesday night against the Clippers will clinch it. Or, a loss by Denver on Wednesday at Dallas will suffice. I’d rather see the Thunder control its own destiny.

• The Thunder’s victory also snapped a 10-game Nuggets home winning streak, the last nine of their victories coming without Carmelo Anthony. It also was the franchise’s first win at Denver since March 2007, a streak of seven losses. The franchise lost those seven games by an average of 19.2 points.

• I really liked what Brooks said about the franchise’s recent history inside the Pepsi Center. “The way I look at, we lost to them in the first game here by five and we played a good game. Carmelo was on fire,” Brooks said. “Who cares what we did two year ago, three years ago and in Seattle? We’re focused on what we’re doing now.”

• Give Eric Maynor the game ball. He was the player of the game tonight. In a nine-minute stretch from the end of the third quarter until late in the fourth, he saved the Thunder from another second-half letdown. His decision-making, poise and control turned a three-point deficit into an nine-point lead by the time he sat. Maynor had seven points and three assists in that stretch. Brooks said he thought Maynor was “flawless” during that stretch. That is of course an overstatement, but Maynor wasn’t far from it.

• The most encouraging aspect of tonight’s game has to be how the Thunder controlled the pace. OKC didn’t let Denver turn this into a track meet and it didn’t get have to win a shootout. If the Thunder can do this in the playoffs, advantage Thunder.

• Denver had just eight fast break points. The Nuggets are capable of getting that many in a quarter. One thing that helped the Thunder was that it didn’t have a lot of bad turnovers that led to run out opportunities.

• Another thing the Thunder deserves credit for is controlling the glass. OKC out-rebounded Denver 50-41. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins combined for 25 boards. Ahem, did Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic ever do that? Did they ever come close?

• For the third straight game, Kevin Durant was on fire in the first quarter. And for the third straight game, Durant couldn’t stop chipping paint in the second half. With five games left, it might be important to erase that trend before postseason play begins.

• Tempers flared twice tonight and definitely got things geared up for this potential first-round series. Perk and Nene went toe-to-toe in the second quarter. Then, in the final 14 seconds, Durant shoved Danilo Gallinari after Gallinari walked up on him for some reason. Everyone in the Thunder locker room essentially downplayed the tension, but Brooks said tonight was a good test in terms of match the Nuggets physical play and he thought his team did a good job.

• Would you be surprised if the Nuggets didn’t give the Thunder any credit for this win?

1. “I think we beat ourselves.” — Nuggets guard Ty Lawson.
2. “We probably struggled tonight more than we have in a while.” — Nuggets coach George Karl.
3. “We have to play more consistent during the 48 minutes.” — Nuggets forward Gallinari.

• With that being said, the Nuggets did miss nine free throws while the Thunder made more (27) than Denver attempted (26).

• Denver clearly wanted to give Durant a different dose of defenders early. The Nuggets had five defenders on KD in the first quarter alone — Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Al Harrington, Nene and Kenyon Martin. The strategy might help wear down Durant. But all five of them combined won’t have the same effect Ron Artest had on Durant in the playoffs last year.

• Look, I’m not trying to be hard on Russell Westbrook. But something is seriously up with him and it probably needs to be addressed in the offseason. Here’s the thing: 77 games into his third season, I can’t say that his decision-making has gotten that much better. It’s grown tremendously from his rookie season to this season. You can’t take that away from him. But his third-year development has left more to be desired. Westbrook can be an incredibly useful scorer thanks to his explosiveness. But it’s nights like tonight, when Russ doesn’t have his shot falling, that would be the perfect time for him to downshift and set up plays for his teammates. But he rarely, if ever, does that. Maybe he doesn’t know how yet. Either way, I think we know what measure of improvement to be on the look out for from Westbrook next season.

• After saying all that, the 20-footer that Westbrook drilled that pushed the Thunder’s lead to seven with 36.4 seconds left was cold-blooded. It takes guts for a player to struggle as much as Westbrook did tonight but rise to the occasion and knock down that shot.

• If this is indeed the first-round matchup, a very intriguing game within the game will be the reserve guards, James Harden and J.R. Smith. Both can be a difference-maker. Smith is the ultimate X-factor, and he appeared to be one early tonight. He scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in his first eight minutes. The Thunder didn’t have an answer for him. Harden and Daequan Cook are no match for Smith’s offensive abilities. Smith even blew by Thabo Sefolosha with the greatest of easy once. But for whatever reason, Karl subbed out Smith and really didn’t allow him to continue his hot start. The Thunder should be glad Karl didn’t.

• There might not be a team in the NBA that needs a new scoreboard worse than the Nuggets. Sacramento is up there, but the Kings have bigger fish to fry.

• The surprise of the night came with 2 1/2 minutes left when Nuggets fans stormed up the aisles. The Thunder was up just 91-80. This game was far from over. But you couldn’t tell Nuggets fans that. They were flying up the steps like a fire was inside the Pepsi Center. I couldn’t believe it. For all the talk about the Nuggets’ great home court advantage, their fans bailed on them with 2 1/2 minutes to go in a game that could have helped the home team stay in the race for fourth place and home court advantage. I hope I never see that in OKC. What made it so bad was the Nuggets only have about 35,000 3-point shooters sitting on their bench. They easily could have cut into that lead. And sure enough, they did, cutting it to four three times inside the final 30.5 seconds. Shame on the Nuggets faithful, I say.

-DM-

It's plays like this one by Russell Westbrook, surrounded by four Raptors defenders, that have fans calling him a ball hog.

Good Monday, Thunder heads.

Much has happened since our last mailbag. Kendrick Perkins made his Thunder debut. The Thunder went on a season-long six-game winning streak…then saw it snapped by Toronto, which swept the season series. And James Harden has become a player.

In this week’s mailbag, we discuss ball-hogs, buried assets and Byron Mullens’ future.

And as always, join the conversation if you’d like. Our mailbag is always open.

Enjoy!

How do you think the Rockets are finishing up the season? – Myron M.

Resiliently. After all they’ve been through they’re still in the hunt for a playoff spot. And they might actually make it! Five of their final 11 games are against teams below .500. And six of their final 11 come at home. Of their remaining road games – Miami, New Jersey, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Minnesota – only the Heat game looks like a guaranteed loss. The Rockets are only a game and a half behind Memphis for the eighth seed and the Grizzlies have a tougher home stretch with road games at Boston, Chicago, Portland and home dates with Utah, San Antonio and New Orleans remaining. I suspect it will come down to the wire between the Rockets and Grizzlies, maybe even the final day of the regular season.

Hey Darnell. Not to be overly critical because RW is clearly awesome and a work in progress. But clearly someone has not told this guy that he is incredible when he gets his teammates involved. I understand the need for him to be aggressive, but it seems like he can get his whenever and he doesn’t really need to “look for his offense.” Anyway, hopefully he can figure it out because I don’t think it bodes well for the playoffs for Russ to ball hog (a la Kobe) down the stretch. What do you think? – Marc.

We give players so much attention and adoration for scoring that few want to do anything else. Westbrook has proven he can be a great playmaker. But it always seems like there is a moment in every game when he’s just like, ‘Forget this. I’m scoring.’ You’re right, he’s awesome. But he’d be great if he was a threat to both score as well as make his teammates better at all times. It’d keep the defense off balance and improve everyone’s efficiency. Finding the right balance and consistently being able to play with it should be Westbrook’s focus this summer. His takeover-ability, however, actually should help the Thunder in the playoffs. It did last year. And if things get bogged down this postseason, it’s great to have an option that can create something in a hurry.

Hey Darnell. I’m a huge Thunder fan. Watched every game the past two years. Regarding this year’s draft, if Kawhi Leonard is still there when the Thunder picks, which is 50/50, we need to take him. He’s very athletic. A great rebounder and ball-handler. Solid defender, passer and shooter. He was a double-double machine all year. Please tell Presti or Scotty or anyone really about this kid. – Jeff S.

Sorry, Jeff. I highly doubt he’ll be around. I haven’t watched a second of San Diego State this season so I’m honestly not familiar with his game. I’ll have to take your word for it. But the Thunder is on pace to pick in the mid-20s. Leonard is projected to be a lottery pick. With Presti running the show, there’s always a chance of the Thunder trading on draft night, perhaps even trying to move up to get him or someone else. But if Leonard is as good as the scouts and so-called draft experts say he is, it’d be hard for the Thunder to get its hands on him.

Do you see Ivey and B.J. Mullens in the future plan of the Thunder? Oh yeah, KD’s scoring is down since All-Star, but four player’s scoring is up. Balance scoring and more assists = more wins. – John P.

I can’t see the organization giving up on Mullens this soon. He’s had two seasons but has played just 25 games. Mullens has simply been in an unfortunate situation where he’s had better and more experienced players (Nenad Krstic, Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka, Jeff Green, Kendrick Perkins, Nazr Mohammed and even Cole Aldrich) in front of him. But Mullens has shown improvement since he was drafted and could turn out to be a solid center. He’s still only 22. I think we all forget how young he is sometimes. There might be a lot of talent in that body. I would think the Thunder would want to try to pull it out. I can’t see Mohammed returning next year so that should help Mullens move into the third center spot. As for Ivey, he’s partially guaranteed for next year and I’d be shocked at this point if the front office doesn’t try to keep him in the mix to be a positive influence on these young bucks.

Darnell, can you give us a rundown of players whose rights are owned by OKC but who aren’t currently on the roster? Guys like Pleiss for example. What are they doing this year, and is there any chance they may help OKC in the future? – James K.

The Thunder has lots of them in addition to Tibor Pleiss, who is playing in Germany this season. Latvious Williams is the most intriguing. He was selected 48th overall by Miami last year but immediately traded to the Thunder. He’s a nice combo forward who can slash for scores, rebound and block shots. Robert Vaden is a shooting guard taken 54th overall in 2009 by Charlotte but immediately traded to the Thunder. He’s a shooter who can get hot from 3-point range. The Thunder also owns the draft rights to two power forwards, Ryan Reid, taken 57th overall last year by Indiana by immediately traded to OKC, and DeVon Hardin, who the franchise drafted 50th overall in 2008. Both are bruising, defensive-minded 4s. Hardin is a tremendous athlete. Williams, Vaden and Reid are all playing on the Tulsa 66ers Hardin is competing in Israel. There might be other more obscure players stashed away. But those are the main guys. And at this point, of those five guys, Pleiss and Williams are probably the only two I’d hold my breath for while waiting to see them in a Thunder uniform.

Can you ask Westbrook and Durant why they are such ball hogs and don’t pass to me? This is getting to be ridiculous. – James H.

It’s their team, James. Stay in your lane. You just got some slack on that leash of yours and now you want to start complaining? Pipe down, son! You’ve done a great job lately of getting in where you fit in. Keep it up.

I think having Perkins sit for two weeks did more good than if he was in right away. Sounds crazy, I know. But James Harden and Serge Ibaka have gone through the fire to get to where they are now. They are better players and the team chemistry is solid, deeper, more defined. It was tough to lose Jeff, but it was a necessary step to become what they are. And now…Perkins is back!!! – Kevin S.

Couldn’t agree more. Sorry I misunderstood you the first time. Ibaka had nine games to get acclimated in the first unit without all the attention being on Perkins or having Perkins throw the kitchen sink on defense at him. And James’ confidence sky-rocketed the moment Jeff Green didn’t get on the bus in San Antonio as the team headed to Orlando. He needed those games to show what he could do without the threat, albeit slight, of Perkins getting in the way. As a whole, the Thunder had to play a little bit with that us-against-the-world mentality. Mohammed was available. But I think the players, in the back of their heads, knew they were down “two” starters and had to account for it in some way. After a rocky two-game start against two of the league’s best teams, we saw inspired play and teamwork and execution. Things just clicked. Who knows if that attitude would have been there with Perkins?

-DM-

• Kevin Durant sustained a shoulder injury late in this one when he ran into teammate James Harden. Durant said he’s OK. The team is calling it a shoulder bruise. “It was a quick stinger,” Durant said. “I could have stayed in the game, but I just wanted to be cautious about it. I’ll be all right by tomorrow.”

• As for the game, it was pretty open and shut. The Thunder let the Bobcats hang around a little longer than they probably should have. But in the end, OKC had one of its most impressive stretches of D that we’ve seen all season. It just won’t raise many eyebrows because it came against the Bobcats. Still, the Thunder closed out Charlotte by holding it to empty possessions on 13 of its final 15 possessions. The Bobcats had five turnovers in that eight-minute stretch. Those are really impressive figures, and only now is it becoming commonplace to see the Thunder on the right end of them.

• Serge Ibaka played his tail off doing what he does best — being an energy guy — from start to finish. He had three blocks in the first eight minutes and was an animal on the boards (game-high 13). He added 12 points to secure his ninth double-double of the year. Ibaka finished with five blocks, giving him 23 in his last four games.

• I guess I have to say Ibaka’s man defense on Boris Diaw was awful. Ibaka single-handedly allowed Diaw to join the list of players who’d be All-Stars if they played the Thunder every night. To my knowledge, it includes Tony Allen, Trevor Booker and Matt Bonner. Am I missing anyone?

• On a serious note, I had visions of Jeff Green being out there as I watched Diaw light up Ibaka. Green could have defended Diaw much better on the perimeter and perhaps not have gotten beat off the dribble as easily as Ibaka. Granted, Diaw could have made Green his…in the painted area. Still. Green is gone and it’s all water under the bridge, I know. But that little game within the game illustrated the benefits of having a 4-man as versatile as Green was. It’s not all gravy having Ibaka in that spot.

• Thabo Sefolosha came to play tonight. His defense on Stephen Jackson helped limit the Bobcats guard to 1-for-8 shooting in the first half, and his timing and pressure on the ball and in the passing lanes led to steals and a nice block on Gerald Henderson.

• Kendrick Perkins made his home debut tonight and Thunder heads got a real treat if they watched him closely. Tonight was as intense as he’s been in any of his three games so far. Throughout much of this one, Perkins was absolutely pissed. At himself. At his teammates. And at the officials.

• One play sequence stands out most. When Russell Westbrook allowed D.J. Augustin to blow right by him midway through the third quarter, Perkins stared down Westbrook and unleashed a series of choice words. I couldn’t believe it. I haven’t seen anyone talk to Westbrook, or anyone else for that matter, like that. Ever! Not Scott Brooks. Not Kevin Durant. Not Nick Collison. Not Ibaka. No one. I could make the argument that there’s nothing this team needs more.

• It would have been better had Perk not allowed Kwame Brown to blow by him two possessions later and convert a reverse layup.

• Brooks talked about Perk holding players accountable. “It’s important that all good teams are policed by one another,” Brooks said. “We have a standard that we set in place and you don’t want it to go below that. If it does, it has to be addressed. It’s always good to have players do that also. It can’t always be from me, but I’m willing to do it when necessary.”

• Westbrook was not good at all offensively tonight. He missed a lot of layups. He played in a crowd. He left his patience at home. And he forced things entirely too much.

• That being said, ahem, that reverse dunk midway through the fourth….very nice!

• When Perk caught an entry pass from Westbrook midway through the first quarter, he cleared out everyone just so he could catch his breath. It took him a full two seconds to breath before he even thought about what kind of move he’d make. Perk was gassed.

• After Perk finally made his move, he scored on a nice turnaround jumper. Looked like he knew exactly what he was doing. I said it before, I’ll say it again. The Thunder should go to him more in the post. Develop him down there. That jumper was his only shot of the night. Now, it’s unwise to try to incorporate a post game into Perkins’ repertoire and the Thunder’s system this late into the season. But I’ll be disappointed if we don’t see the coaching staff try to pull it out of him next year.

• The refs missed about 12 traveling violations…In the first quarter.

• Eric Maynor made me blurt out, ‘nice pass!,’ about three times tonight.

• Didn’t like the inconsistency by the game-ops crew in handling D.J. White’s return. When White started the second quarter, he wasn’t announced immediately. A minute in, the P.A. guy finally announced White had entered the game. And when he did, he said, ‘Also in the game, please welcome back to Oklahoma City, No. 8 D.J. White!” Huh??? White can get a special intro, but Blake Griffin can’t? That’s ridiculous. I was told all opposing players are treated the same. Apparently not.

• Every now and then, you hear a story that hits you and makes you realize NBA players don’t always have it easy. White shared one of those stories before the game. When play-by-play man Brian Davis asked if he hung out with his old teammates any while in town, White said no. Then he explained how he had to go back to his home and handle certain business. Uh, like getting clothes and packing them up to take to his new home with him. White, remember, was traded when the team was in San Antonio. He had to go straight to Charlotte. Imagine you’re on vacation and an airline loses your bags. Say you’re stuck with just your carry-on for three weeks. How would you feel? White said he also had to check the mail, pay bills and take care of some business with his vehicle, you know things most of us don’t have to pencil in every three weeks.

• Shaun Livingston looked good. He’s a feel-good story that you just have to root for. And he’s one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. I wish him the best going forward.

• During a break in the second quarter, two guys shot foul shots to determine which would attempt the halfcourt shot. Both were black. One dude was about 6-7. He air-balled five out of his nine attempts. Just goes to show all tall black guys can’t play ball.

• I had no idea until midway through the second quarter. But our old friend Tom Werme is the sideline reporter for the Bobcats. Longtime Thunder heads (as in those who paid attention last season) remember Werme as the co-sideline reporter here in OKC.

• Durant made the best play at the end of a quarter that I’ve ever seen him make. With the clock winding down at the end of the third quarter, Durant drove past Jackson and dumped off a beautiful pass to Nazr Mohammed for an uncontested layup. It’s the type of play I think we all would like to see him make consistently in those situations. I asked Durant about that drive and dish will post his thoughts tomorrow.

• This was the Thunder’s sixth straight victory, the longest winning streak this season. OKC also moved to 22-6 against the East and 21-3 against sub. 500 teams. In its past seven games against sub.-500 teams, the Thunder has won by 21.6 points per game. In other words, they’re beating the crap out of bad teams.

• With 14 games left, playoff seeding is in mind. “We got to take one game at a time but also know in the back of our minds we still got an opportunity to be in third place,” said Daequan Cook. “It’s important for us to get the wins we need to get to continue the win streak.”

-DM-

How will Kendrick Perkins change the Oklahoma City Thunder's rotation?

It’s that time again.

Our Monday morning mailbag is back.

Kendrick Perkins has yet to play a game for the Thunder after his trade from Boston. But questions about how his presence might impact the rotation are already prevalent. We also get a little history lesson on the dunk contest and some surprise talk of vuvuzelas.

Let’s get to it. And as always, feel free to join the discussion next week if you like.

Hey Darnell- With M. Daniels out indefinitely and P. Pierce getting an MRI for his foot injury today, rookie L. Harangody is the only thing resembling a SF left on the Celtics roster. Don’t the Cs NEED somebody like Jeff Green now? His salary is almost exact match with Perkins’, they have 2 O’Neals and Semih Erden under contract thru 2012, and Big Baby can play the 5 in need be.  Am I crazy, or would this be a perfect trade for both squads? – Steve H.

Major props to you Steve. You sent this e-mail on Feb. 14. And you absolutely nailed it! Remind me to get you on speed dial next February.

Has a rookie ever won the dunk contest, and if so what year and who won it if you know? —- Jamie C.

Yes. Blake Griffin became the 11th rookie to win the dunk contest. Spud Webb won it as a rookie with Atlanta in 1986. Dee Brown won it as a rookie with the Celtics in 1991. Harold Miner won it as a rookie with Miami in 1993. Isaiah Rider won it as a rookie with Minnesota in 1994. Brent Barry won it as a rookie with the L.A. Clippers in 1996. Kobe Bryant won it as a rookie with the L.A. Lakers in 1997. Desmond Mason won it as a rookie with Seattle in 2001. Jason Richardson won it as a rookie with Golden State in 2002. Josh Smith won it as a rookie with Atlanta in 2005. Nate Robinson won it as a rookie with New York in 2006.

After the Boston trade went down there were some quotes from Rivers about how he and Ainge agonized over it. It makes me wonder how involved Brooks is with the FO decisions, especially since he had been playing Green so much, nearly to a fault. Insight? — Steven R.

I know that Brooks and Sam Presti talk about possible player acquisitions, whether they’re potential free agent pick-ups or trades, regularly. But at the end of the day, the Bull’s eye is on Presti for all roster moves. He’s the one who’s held accountable for player movement, so the final call is his. Brooks isn’t going to persuade or dissuade Presti from making a move if he feels it’s best for the team and its long term prospects.

I’m a Thunder season ticket holder and I know of the fun and love us fans have for this team, but a funny thing happened at the Sunday LA game. A fan/season ticket holder/friend was blowing a vuvuzela horn and was asked to stop. It wasn’t by the Thunder or arena staff it was a call that came from NY NBA offices that said that the noise interfered with the mics at the game. What happened to home court advantages? Where did TV mics win over what has been going on for years now at the OKC arena? Now if you noticed last night at the game the megaphone carrying fan of are thunder couldn’t even bring that in. It looked like anything that could be a noise maker was not allowed in. Players from both sides have never complained, some even laugh at it and have fun with it. It is what makes OKC’s fans some of the best in the league. I think this would be something fun to write about and find out what is going on. I know that the vuvuzela might have been a bit over the top, but how far is too far and what are the rules? — Ernest V.

I don’t know the official rules for noise-makers at NBA games. But if you’re telling me that the league office in New York stepped in and put the kibosh on vuvuzelas because they interfered with microphones, then that’s probably a pretty good indicator of what the rules are. But you’re right. It would be something interesting to look into, especially with the parade of creative characters at Thunder games. Frankly, I could go without more noise-makers. There are plenty of enough ear-shattering sounds at NBA arenas. But your story reminds me of Milwaukee’s special section of fans which have been named Squad 6. They create a good deal of commotion during games and, at times, have been known to have a few vuvuzelas. Since the Bucks rarely are on national television, I suppose they get a little bit of a pass. But Sacramento fans have become notorious for ringing cowbells. I don’t see much of a difference.

With the new additions, the Thunder’s bench is deep. Is there a danger in playing too many guys, and risking anyone getting in rhythm? It seems rare for playoff teams to have a 10-man rotation, much less 11. Cole has been playing well, but won’t he be reduced to a 6-foul body once Perkins is back? — Ryan H.

With Scott Brooks, I don’t think there will ever be a risk of playing too many guys. Brooks is pretty set in his ways with a nine-man rotation. If he uses a 10th man when Perkins gets healthy, that player, which will be Daequan Cook, Nazr Mohammed or Nate Robinson, will only see spot minutes. But to your point, Brooks sticks with a set rotation and a set number of minutes for most players to avoid hurting their rhythms. You don’t have to worry about Cole Aldrich rocking the boat once Perkins is healthy. Aldrich more than likely will go back to the end of the bench. A nice rotation of Westbrook/Maynor, Thabo/Harden, KD/Cook, Ibaka/Collison and Perkins/Mohammed will then be used. Cook and Mohammed will be the last two in that rotation, and, depending on the matchups, Brooks could choose to not use either in any given game.

-DM-