Thunder 124, Wizards 117
Nuggets from my notebook from Friday’s win over Washington.
- There might not be such a thing as a bad win. But this one sure as heck wasn’t a good one.
- The Thunder’s defense is gone. The team can never admit that, and they certainly can’t change gears now. But maybe it’s time fans forget about it returning this season.
- The Wizards scored 29 points in the opening period, shot 52 percent and didn’t have a single turnover.
- Here are the two most telling things about the Thunder’s defense tonight. The Thunder didn’t register a steal through three quarters. Not one! OKC finished with three, one more than its season low, and didn’t get its first until Nick Collison collected a deflection with 10:49 left in the fourth. The second thing. The Wizards had just eight turnovers. Washington came in as the third worst team taking care of the ball, giving it away 16 times a game.
- The Wizards had 19 more shot attempts than the Thunder. The offensive rebounding was the same, at 13 apiece. But the Thunder’s 16 turnovers gave the Wizards more opportunities.
- But, hey, the Thunder is 30-16. The team is 17-5 in games decided by six points or less and 5-0 in overtime. I’m sure there are some that say I’m being too critical. But at this point, whether the Thunder is winning or not, the performances are unacceptable.
- Maybe it would be better if the Thunder wasn’t winning. I’ve got a funny feeling that the mounting wins are creating a big ol’ pot of fool’s gold. For the coaches and the players. The close wins could be creating an entirely different set of false confidence. After winning in this fashion for the better part of 46 games, it’s not out of the question to think that maybe this young team believes it can win like this on any given night. Or worse, in the playoffs. But again, the Thunder is 17-5 in close games, right? So maybe I’m wrong.
What To Make Of These Close Wins
Scott Brooks (left) insists close games are more stressful on a coach than a player.
The Thunder notched yet another close victory last night.
A one-point overtime win at Minnesota bumped Oklahoma City to 17-6 in games decided by seven points or less.
What does that record mean? Is it a good thing? A bad thing? Or does it not matter at all. Our panel offers their take in today’s question of the day.
What do you make of the Thunder’s 17-6record in games decided by seven points or less?
JENNI CARLSON
It’s good and bad in my book. It’s good from the standpoint that these guys know how to win close games. They don’t get nervous. They don’t get out of sorts. They know that if it’s close, they can win. But there’s a bad side to this, too. Wednesday night’s one-point overtime win at Minnesota is a prime example. The Timberwolves are a 10-win team. Why in the world is the Thunder in such a close game with them? Yes, the win is great. Yes, the entertainment was grand. But the Timberwolves are a team the Thunder should have been able to beat going away. It goes back to this team’s struggles on defense. If you don’t defend well, Kevin Love and Michael Beasley are going to have big nights, the Timberwolves are going to take you to overtime and you’re going to have another victory in a close game. For the Thunder, it’s great to get a win, but should it have been so close? They have to figure out a way to put away inferior opponents so that they don’t have so many close games. The best way? Play better defense.
BERRY TRAMEL
The Thunder’s great record in close games is part fluke and part skill. And it’s a great skill to have, the ability to play well late in close games. It starts with foul shooting. If you rank the reasons why the Thunder beat Minnesota last night, foul shooting is No. 1. Keep the game close, and the Thunder has a huge edge. And the Thunder is young, which would seem to be a negative in close games, but close games are decided at the end of 48 minutes, so fresh legs are a wonderful attribute. But of course, sometimes it’s just dumb luck. Luke Ridnour misses a foul shot last night. Who was it a few games ago, missed a bunch of late foul shots? That’s just fortune. The Thunder has its share of that, too.
JOHN ROHDE
It’s kind of a good news/bad news answer. The good news is the Thunder is finding a way to win close games. The bad news is a lot of those games probably shouldn’t be that close. The Thunder is 4-0 in overtime, but continues to struggle with teams lower in the standings. Against sub-.500 teams this season, the Thunder has edged Detroit (105-104); Philadelphia (109-103); Milwaukee (82-81); Indiana (110-106 in OT); Houston (99-98); New Jersey (123-120 3OT); Golden State (114-109); Houston (118-112); and Minnesota (118-117 OT). There have been sub-.500 losses at the LA Clippers (107-92); at Toronto (111-99); against depleted Phoenix (113-110) in OKC; at Memphis (110-105); and the Thunder trailed Charlotte going into the fourth quarter before closing with a 31-12 final period. Obviously, a 17-6 (.739) record is impressive, but there shouldn’t have been so many. By the way, who decided the cut-off was seven points or less? That’s a three-possession game (barring a four-point play). I could go along with a two-possession game (six points) being a better cut-off, which would make the Thunder’s record even better at 16-5 (.762).
DARNELL MAYBERRY
As Kevin Durant said after the Wolves thriller, the Thunder is going through these close games for a reason. And that reason will reveal itself in late April. When the playoffs roll around, we’ll see how much better the Thunder is because of these regular season experiences. Playoff games, for the most part, are close contests. The Thunder is still young and still not supposed to be able to defeat the elite teams in a seven-game series. But with the help of these close games now, the Thunder might be able to steal a few more win they really matter.
-DM-
Thunder 118, Wolves 117
Nuggets from my notebook from Wednesday’s win at Minnesota.
- At halftime, I had no idea what I was going to write off of this game for Thursday’s paper. At the end of the third quarter, I still had no clue. My game story ended up being 805 words, 200 of which I’d be surprised if they see the light of day on your doorstep (space constraints). That tells you how good of a finish this was.
- Kevin Durant was simply awesome. He came within three points and two rebounds of scoring 50 with 20 boards. When is the last time that happened?
- Durant said after the game that he was upset at himself with his scoreless fourth quarter at New Orleans and wanted to help his team out better tonight down the stretch. That he did. He had 16 points in both the third and fourth quarters and had four of the team’s eight overtime points.
- Scott Brooks decided to revert to running Durant off screens tonight, the biggest reason Durant was so successful. It was a good call. Durant could catch and shoot with ease as his defenders trailed and struggled to close ground.
- I might be in the minority here, but I still think the Brooks should continue to put the ball in Durant’s hands and let his playmaking skills develop. It’s a must for Durant to reach his full potential. KD is not Ray Allen. His ceiling is closer to Kobe Bryant. And for that ceiling to be reached, Durant’s got to be able to do more than just catch and shoot.
- Once again, this win covered up a whole lot of bad. And I mean a whole lot. There was no energy for 2 1/2 quarters. No defense. Ugly offense. Too many turnovers. And selfish play. One number tells the story of how crummy the Thunder played early. Six. OKC never led by more than six. Minnesota, mind you, loses games by an average margin of nearly six. The Wolves’ minus-5.88 point differential is the third worst in the league. Said Nick Collison: “It’s kind of similar to how a lot of games have gone this year. We locked in late and really defended a lot differently than we had the majority of the game…We were fortunate to win this one for sure.”
Hornets 91, Thunder 89
Nuggets from my notebook from Monday’s loss at New Orleans.
- How much fun would this matchup be in the playoffs? For some reason, each time these two teams meet it’s a tightly-contested, tremendously-intense, extremely-entertaining battle. In the first three of a scheduled four meetings this season, these guys have gone at each other. And that intensity would only get dialed up in the playoffs. Both teams have proven that they’re tough. Both teams have star power. And both teams play differing styles. It could all make for a great series.
- One guy who understands full well that these two teams could meet in the postseason is David West. He told me after the game that this win was extremely important for the Hornets. “Tonight, we just had to prove that we could play with them and prove that we could put a dent in their armor and resist them a little bit and ultimately beat them,” West said. “Being able to get three against us, I thought, would have put a bad taste in our mouths about the confidence we have to play against them and ultimately give them more confidence when they’re playing against us. So this was a big game for us.”
- You could not watch West hit the game winner without thinking back to the Hornets’ days in Oklahoma City. West and Chris Paul, the last two players from the “New Orleans/Oklahoma City” days, even reminisced after the game about West’s heroics in OKC. It was yet another occurrence that harked back to the bond between Oklahoma and the Hornets. To me, that’s a special relationship.
- Give Serge Ibaka credit for his defense on West’s game-winner. Ibaka made West twist and turn in search of an angle to get off a good look. Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap. West’s shot was not all that different from Kevin Durant’s on Saturday. Both were low-percentage shots. West is money from that range, but he wasn’t in any kind of rhythm. A good player just made a good play.
- West was actually a pain for the Thunder again tonight. His game winner will garner the headlines. But his work from the second quarter on was equally important in keeping the Hornets in it. The Thunder built a 14-point first-quarter lead as West sat after being whistled for two fouls less than three minutes in. When West returned, the Hornets trailed by 10. West then added another dimension to New Orleans’ offense and put pressure on the Thunder’s defense. The Hornets peeled off a 21-10 run to take a 45-44 lead.
- Turnovers in the second period also proved costly for the Thunder. After committing just one in the first quarter, the Thunder had seven, leading to 12 Hornets points, in the second quarter.
- The bench was bad, too, in the second quarter. OKC’s reserves quickly gave back every bit of the momentum the starters had worked hard to build. The Hornets’ bench outscored the Thunder’s 13-4 in the second quarter. It was an amazing stretch. I don’t want to take anything away from the Hornets’ reserves. But there is no way they should be able to compete against the Thunder’s bench.
- Nothing illustrated the Thunder’s second unit’s lack of energy quite like D.J. Mbenga scoring five points and pulling down five rebounds in five second-quarter minutes.
Monday Morning Mailbag
As Nenad Krstic (12) and Jeff Green (22) allow opposing big men to have their way on the inside, fans have set their sights on Memphis center Marc Gasol.
In our first-ever Thunder mailbag, forward Jeff Green takes the focus of 40 percent of this week’s questions. That’ll happen when you’re shooting 37 percent in January.
But should Green be sent packing? Can the Thunder acquire a center? And what, if anything, can be done about the Thunder’s dreadful 3-point shooting?
We answer those questions and more in our new Monday Morning Mailbag.
If Jeff Green opts to test the free agent market, which available players do you think would be a great fit for OKC either as a starter or reserve for Ibaka? — Kyle.
Green will be a restricted free agent this summer. So he’s going to see what offers are out there. At this point, it’s all a matter of how much another team is willing to pay. If no team throws an absurd amount of cash at Green, he’s likely to return. But if a team comes in with a high-dollar offer, both Green and the Thunder have a decision to make. Green must decide whether to take the money and run or to take less money to continue to be a part of something that’s building from the ground up. And the Thunder must decide whether it can afford to keep Green around and risk his bloated contract potentially blowing up the books. It’ll be an intriguing situation. There are a lot of hypothetical/fantasy options out there. You don’t need me to feed that beast. But if Green bolts, the truth of the matter is the Thunder might have to just plug in Ibaka and move forward. Every quality big man carries a big contract. And with the Thunder having so many young players coming up for contract extensions (not to mention the potential for more restrictive rules in the next collective bargaining agreement possibly hindering teams), this franchise can’t risk bringing in a pricey big man if it comes at the expense of retaining the current core. Unless there is a super value somewhere, which rarely exists and often is in the form of a rugged, more one-dimensional player when he is out there, my gut says the Thunder marches on with Ibaka while getting Cole Aldrich ready for duty.
What does Thabo’s future with Thunder look like? I feel like if/when Harden cracks the starting lineup that Thabo playing against second units is pretty pointless. — Andrew.
I wouldn’t call it pointless. Every team will always have a need for defenders, no matter how his minutes come. Thabo’s got three years remaining on his contract, and I suspect he’ll be around for the duration of this deal — unless of course some opportunity comes along that is too good to pass up. But Thabo is still just 26, and the economics of his deal work incredibly well for the Thunder going forward. That’s important to remember as extensions for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook begin to make their way onto the books. If Harden ever takes over the starting spot from Thabo, the Thunder will still have tremendous flexibility when looking to match up with opponents if Thabo is coming off the bench. Look at how players like Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus and James Posey impacted games on the defensive end in the playoffs over the past few seasons. Of course, what separates Thabo from that group and others is perimeter shooting. If Thabo ever gets that part of the game down, he’ll be a great asset to have coming off the bench for 15-20 minutes, especially in future postseasons.
Thunder 101, Knicks 98
Wonder what Mike D'Antoni is thinking here?
Nuggets from my notebook from Saturday’s win over New York.
- Kevin Durant needed this game-winner. There’s no other way to put it. He hadn’t made one since his rookie season. And he was growing incredibly frustrated with his failures in these last-second spots. Add to that, Durant came into this game on the verge of a slump, shooting 14 of 42 in his previous two contests. His nine of 24 performance before the game winner was threatening to extend that streak. But tonight’s fadeaway 3 from the right wing was a huge. Even if it doesn’t lead to more consistent clutch shots, it will serve as affirmation for Durant that sticking with it will pay off.
- I hate to be a Darnell downer. But this win covered up a lot of bad things. The Thunder’s performance was downright pitiful for much of this game. The first-half defense (60 points allowed) was deemed “embarrassing” by Thunder coach Scott Brooks. And even though the Thunder held New York to 38 second-half points, the Knicks were waltzing down the lane, getting open shots on the perimeter and securing offensive rebounds with ease.
- As I wrote in today’s paper, Brooks said he would manage minutes differently rather than tinker with his starting lineup if he feels a change is needed. And we saw that in a big way tonight. Jeff Green played just 29 minutes tonight, only 10 in the second half. Thabo Sefolosha played only 15 minutes, just eight in the second half.
- Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison were the biggest beneficiaries of the starters’ scaled-back playing time. And Ibaka and Collison stepped up big time. Ibaka had a career-high 15 rebounds to go with 11 points and two blocks. Collison stat sheet, three points, five rebounds, one steal and one block, won’t wow you. But his defense on Amar’e Stoudemire and all-around hustle were extremely important in this win. Together, Collison and Ibaka helped hold Stoudemire to 18 points on 18 shots. That’s more than six points below Stoudemire’s average. Ibaka’s double-double, meanwhile, was his seventh this season.
How Do You Get Out Of A Slump?
Thunder forward Jeff Green is averaging just 11.4 points on 39 percent shooting in January.
Just about every Thunder player has experienced some form of a slump this season.
Some of their slumps were snapped after a few games. Some have lingered for weeks.
But the key to being a good pro is finding a way to work your way out of a funk or, at the very least, contribute in other areas while mired in one. What have Thunder players historically done to snap a slump? That’s the focus of today’s question of the day.
How do you get out of a slump?
NICK COLLISON
Focus less on your shots and more about how you can get yourself in position to make a better shot, like running your man off a screen harder or setting your man up harder if you’re a perimeter player. If you’re a big guy and can set a good screen or roll harder, then you’re going to find yourself more open and in a better situation. Simplifying what you’re thinking of helps. I’ve had stretches where I’ve played really bad at times and it does where on you sometimes. Sometimes it’s better to get away from it all. The worst thing you can do is beat yourself up when you’re away from the court thinking about negative thoughts.
D.J. WHITE
The best way to work out of it is not to over think. Just continue to do whatever you do and shots will fall. I’ve been in shooting slumps before, and what I did to handle it was just get in the gym, get up extra shots and not over think. I’ve prayed, too (laughs). I know you’re supposed to pray all the time. But I’ve picked it up because of slumps.
KEVIN DURANT
Coming in and getting extra shots and pushing myself past the limit has always helped me get out of those slumps. Being confident and not getting down helps. It’s hard. I lose sleep over it. This is my life. I eat, sleep and breathe basketball. I just try to take my mind off of it by watching movies and playing video games. Not looking at Twitter and Facebook. Just shutting everything off and being myself and going back to being the kid I was when I was younger. Thinking about stuff like that helps me.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
You got to continue to do what you were doing before the slump. You still got to stay consistent. I talk to my family after every game and they let me know what I need to do. Whether I’m playing good or not, they’re always telling me what I need to do or how I can get better.
-DM-
Is The Thunder A Contender Or Pretender?
Kevin Durant and Jeff Green have yet to find an answer for the league's best teams.
The Thunder returned home carrying only its third losing streak of the season after a winless two-game trip to L.A. and Denver. And when you think of it like that, the trip west can’t be considered terribly disappointing. Losses happen.
But the Thunder’s performances against the best teams in the league have left more to be desired. The Thunder is just 5-8 against the top four teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences. Against current playoff teams, the Thunder’s record is 12-10. So, is the Thunder a contender or a pretender at this point? We ask our panel in today’s question of the day.
What does the winless west coast trip against the Lakers and Nuggets tell us about where the Thunder ranks among the league’s best teams?
BERRY TRAMEL
It doesn’t tell us anything. Not anything of substance. I say you can take as much good as bad out of the trip. Durant shoots what, 33 percent?, on the trip, and yet the Thunder loses a tight one to one of the best teams in the league (LA) and a tight one to a talented (if dysfunctional) team playing for its life and on its beloved homecourt (Denver). The Thunder are exactly where we thought they were. Among the teams, maybe even at the top of the group, that are just below the LA/San Antonio/Boston/Miami elite level.
JOHN ROHDE
It shows the Thunder is a bit closer to these teams than a year ago. Despite horrendous shooting and poor defense at key moments, the Thunder had a chance to win both games up until the final minute. You’re not going to beat two playoff teams on the road by shooting a combined 5 for 37 (.135) from 3-point range while allowing both opponents to shoot 50-plus percent from the field. Here are the real questions: 1. Are these problems correctable? 2. Does the Thunder have the ability to shoot better and defend better at key moments? 3. Is OKC good enough to make clutch plays at clutch moments? Unless all three answers are “Yes,” “Yes” and “Yes,” the Thunder is still a pretender.
DARNELL MAYBERRY
The trip told us the Thunder is still a ways away from contention. OKC has improved, no doubt. But some of the same issues from last season are still prevalent in this year’s squad. When games come down to the final quarter, the Thunder turns into a jump shooting team. The Thunder still hasn’t found effective ways to get its best player the ball in good positions. And opponents still get pretty much anything they want on the offensive end. These past two games were repeats of what we’ve seen for much of a year and a half now. So, for now, it looks like the Thunder on paper is a top four team in the West. On the court, however, there looks to be a mighty big gap between the Thunder and the Lakers, Spurs and Mavs.
-DM-
Thunder 125, Magic 124
Nuggets from my notebook from Thursday’s win over Orlando.
- Nenad Krstic played perhaps the best quarter of his life in a Thunder uniform in the first period. He pulled down nine rebounds, which tied his season high, and scored six points. His defense on Dwight Howard was exceptional and he was great establishing himself as a presence in the paint.
- Krstic’s final stat line, 16 points and 11 rebounds, marked his first double-double this season.
- Russell Westbrook was awesome again. He notched his second triple-double this season and you could see it coming from the opening tip. Westbrook was all over the court, finding any way he could to make an impact.
- Kevin Durant’s efficiency is starting to show. He’s now connected on at least 50 percent from the field in each of the past four games. His percentages in those four, from latest to oldest: 76.5, 58.8, 54.2 and 50.
- Jeff Green came up with yet another clutch play tonight. His fadeaway 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer with 2:51 left to play pushed the Thunder’s lead to 119-112, effectively creating breathing room for OKC down the stretch. I asked Green what makes him so good in those situations: “I’m always confident in myself,” Green said. “No matter how I’m shooting. If I’m 0-for-11 when the time comes or if I’m 7-for-7, I’m going to shoot the ball if it’s in my hands and I have an opportunity to make a play.”
- The Thunder is now 7-0 in national televised games, 3-0 on TNT. Several players were asked about that record after the game and the consensus was the team didn’t have many last season and are trying to capitalize on the exposure this year.
Thunder 118, Rockets 112
News, notes and observations from Wednesday’s win at Houston.
- Nenad Krstic won the jump ball…over Jordan Hill. That’s not something you see often.
- By now you know about the Thunder franchise’s 11-game losing streak at Houston. It stretched back to 2005 and ended tonight. Nick Collison, the longest tenured member of the franchise, was particularly pleased to finally record a victory in Houston. He hadn’t done it since he was a rookie and said after the game that he doesn’t even remember that win. ““We don’t talk about it a lot,” Collison said. “But every time I come here, I think about it because I’ve been here a long time. We’ve had a lot of games that we seemed to have given away in the end. There were a lot of tough losses here so it’s nice to finally get a win.”
- The Thunder’s energy and sense of purpose to start the game looked 10 times better than it did when the team lost here on Nov. 28. This time, OKC looked like it actually wanted to be here and it resulted in a great start offensively. The score was tied at 31 after one quarter, largely because the Thunder didn’t play great defense. But with the exception of a few turnovers and poor transition defense, the Thunder did a much better job of setting the tone.
- In the first quarter, Jeff Green looked like a real deal stretch 4. He pulled Luis Scola away from the paint and knocked down two of his first 3-pointers in rhythm and without hesitation when the ball was swung his way. With more consistency, you could see how Green would be an extremely useful player as this core grows — Again, with more consistency.
- I don’t think it would be a stretch to say second half defense is starting to become a bit of a staple for the Thunder. Over the past three games, OKC has outscored opponents 58 to 50.3 on average in the second half. The Thunder has been outscored 52 to 50.2 on average in the first half. On paper, that’s not a huge difference. But some too-little-too-late scoring has helped opponents. Said Thunder coach Scott Brooks of his team’s second half defense: “It’s probably right up there with the better teams.” All that’s left is to see it consistently and against the league’s better teams.
- For Thursday’s paper, I wrote about how Brooks’ halftime speeches lately have helped spur the Thunder’s second-half performances. And there was a funny exchange between Brooks and a local reporter after the game about something along those lines. The reporter asked Brooks if he had mentioned to his team Houston’s tendency to start slow in the third quarters. Said Brooks: “I did not know that and did not mention it. Even if I did know that I wouldn’t tell our guys because they would relax even more.”
- Brooks essentially gave Thabo Sefolosha the game ball for this one. Sefolosha, who I had noted in this space has been quiet lately (which Brooks attributed in part to reduced minutes), grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. That ties Sefolosha’s career high, which he’s done twice before. “I thought the defense by Thabo and the rebounding by Thabo won this game tonight.”
