Robert Vaden (right) was a a 2009 draft pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

At first glance, today’s signing of Robert Vaden might be a head-scratcher.

But dig deeper into the Thunder’s history and the culture of the organization and the transaction makes much more sense.

Vaden was a 2009 draft pick of Charlotte but was acquired via trade by the Thunder. Perimeter shooting is his specialty. The last two seasons, Vaden has played over in Italy and with the Tulsa 66ers, all while his draft rights remained property of the Thunder.  In 45 regular season games with the 66ers this season, Vaden averaged 10.4 points while shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range, along with 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28 minutes per game.

The Thunder inked Vaden as the 15th man but kept him with the 66ers by immediately assigning him to Tulsa. The 66ers made the second round of the NBA D-League playoffs, but expect to see Vaden in a Thunder uniform at the conclusion of the D-League playoffs.

It’s unlikely Vaden will find minutes on the Thunder. The team’s rotation is set, and talented players like Nate Robinson are already squeezed out.

So why did the Thunder sign a guy who probably isn’t going to play?

The answer can be found in something rather significant the Thunder is doing — growing from within. Vaden’s signing is the organization’s latest example of its commitment to its current cast of young players. For the Thunder, a laundry list of guys already make up that group. In addition to Vaden, the list includes Byron Mullens, Cole Aldrich, Ryan Reid, Latavious Williams and Tibor Pleiss. Last season, D.J. White and Kyle Weaver also fell into that category.

Vaden’s call-up is further proof that the Thunder rewards hard-working players who have the right attitude and show a commitment to getting better. Aldrich has spent much of his rookie season paying his dues and is currently doing so in Tulsa. Mullens has been on the Turnpike Express as well over the last two seasons. The system might not result in every young player getting called up or put on the permanent roster. But a clear method has been created, and it’s already led to some pretty favorable results.

Quietly, the Thunder-owned 66ers have cranked out tons of talent. The Thunder did the exact same exercise with Mustafa Shakur last season, signing him toward the end of the season for the rest of the year and the playoffs. Shakur is now playing for Washington. Weaver, meanwhile, chipped in during emergency situations last year in between stints developing with the 66ers. Now, Weaver is a member of the Utah Jazz. The 66ers also helped Zabian Dowdell get signed by Phoenix and Larry Owens recently get signed by the Wizards.

The system is working because the Thunder is committed to in-house development.

Don’t be surprised if Vaden, Williams, Reid are all on the Thunder’s training camp roster next fall. It would be another step in the process for each of them to potentially make their NBA dreams come true. And for the Thunder, it would be another chance to groom young guys who might someday be able to contribute valuable minutes in a pinch.

Vaden might not be the sexiest selection as the 15th man. But be careful not to overlook what his signing symbolizes about the continued commitment to the growth and development of players that are in the program.

-DM-

Shaun Livingston served as the 15th man for a time with the Thunder. Who might it be this year?

Days after Thursday’s trading deadline saw four players shipped out of Oklahoma City and only return three, effectively creating one open roster spot, speculation about which player might join the Thunder began to run rampant.

Corey Brewer and Jason Kapono were two of the early names the Thunder reportedly had interest in.

But on Tuesday, the team’s plans for the 15th position became a little bit clearer. And those plans don’t sound like they include Corey Brewer or Jason Kapono types.

“That 15th spot, nothing against that 15th spot because I was that 15th spot a few times in my career, it’s very slim that that spot plays,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “It’s usually a high energy (player) that makes practices very competitive.”

Look back through the Thunder’s history and you’ll see that precise pattern.

During the 2008-09 season, the Thunder signed center Steven Hill to man that spot, then waived him when Nenad Krstic agreed to an offer sheet. Point guard Chucky Atkins was then acquired as part of a mid-season trade with Denver and assumed the role. Late in that season, Shaun Livingston was signed as the 15th man when Joe Smith was waived on March 1.

Last season, the Thunder started the year with Ryan Bowen as its 15th man. Bowen logged just eight minutes in one game before being waived. He was replaced by Mike Wilks in late November. Wilks played just 59 minutes over four games. When the Thunder acquired Eric Maynor, it had to take on Matt Harpring’s contract as well, forcing the team to waive Livingston and Wilks. The Thunder later waived Harpring (who was injured and never reported to OKC) and signed Antonio Anderson from the D-League’s Rio Valley Grande Vipers as the 15th man. Anderson played 15 minutes in just one game while lasting on two 10-day contracts. In mid-March, the Thunder replaced Anderson with guard Mustafa Shakur, first inking him to a 10-day contract, then for the rest of the season. Shakur never appeared in a game for the Thunder.

Going off the Thunder’s history, the current spot would seemingly be filled by a lesser known player, perhaps from the D-League or a veteran who can provide a stabilizing presence. A few of the more realistic names include: Leon Powe, Elijah Millsap, Dominic McGuire, Jannero Pargo, Devin Brown, Trenton Hassell, Da’Sean Butler, Kyle Weaver (yes, that Kyle Weaver) and Ime Udoka.

That’s all just more speculation, of course, as there is a chance, albeit remote, the spot goes unfilled.

“We’ve talked about it,” Brooks said. “It’s always a spot that can stay available. I don’t know yet. I’m still trying to figure out how we can integrate our players that we have now. I’m not sure if we’re going to use that or not. But if we do, I know it’s going to be another player that we can know what to expect from him. He’s going to be a good kid. He’s going to be a worker. And he’s going to have some good skill sets.”

And just because the Thunder now has a logjam at point guard, shooting guard, power forward and center doesn’t mean a more natural small forward is the target, Brooks said.

“We have a lot of options with our team that we can throw different lineups out there,” said Brooks. “Kevin (Durant) does not really have a true backup, but Daequan Cook can play there, Thabo (Sefolosha) can play there, we can throw James (Harden) there, we can throw Kevin at the 4. We can throw different lineups on the floor that if we pick up somebody it doesn’t necessarily (have to be) a 3.”

-DM-

• James Harden: His toughness is a very underrated characteristic in his game. He gets credited for his high IQ and his playmaking skills a lot. Those are the easy traits to pick up on when you watch him. Look closer and you’ll see how Harden’s pacing is perhaps his best attribute, while his toughness is his most unheralded. Maybe it’s because he’s such a soft-spoken, laid-back cat. But that toughness rears its ugly head from time to time. It was on display during the season, when not only did he not back down from Kobe Bryant in the playoffs, but he went right back at him. And it was on display throughout Tuesday’s matchup against Gerald Henderson, who is lauded for his defensive skills. A scene that took place during pre-game warmups set the stage. As Henderson jogged the length of the court, crossing into the Thunder’s half of the hardwood his high-kicking legs caught Harden’s eye. The Thunder’s guard then stared him down as he trotted back on his end. Could have been nothing. Could have been everything. To me it showed Harden sizing up his opponent. And when you watched the way Harden went at Henderson throughout the game you knew Harden took this matchup as a personal challenge. The two held and pushed, grabbed and grappled. They had to be separated on more than one occasion. When Henderson complained to the ref before an inbounds pass about how Harden was body checking him with his arms spread wide, Harden came right back and did the same thing. You can’t fake that kind of fortitude. Remember that as you delight in Harden’s development. Remember it even when his sky-walking dunks, lights-out shooting and pinpoint passes push to define his game.

• Eric Maynor: As I said Monday and wrote about for Wednesday, Maynor is blossoming into one of the best backups in the league. His patience, poise and maturity are assets that make up for his shortcomings. His a skinny little something who’s generously listed at 6-3. He doesn’t have superb quickness and isn’t a great perimeter shooter. But he’s a floor general who thinks the game and never rushes. As Charlotte summer league coach Dave Hanners told me, “He kept them in the game tonight.” Maynor has shades of Sam Cassell. He’s emerging as a leader and has tremendous competitiveness. All of the above was on display against the Bobcats, as Maynor did whatever he had, whenever he had to, for his Thunder to win. Unfortunately for him, a buzzer-beater by Jeremy Pargo prevented it from happening.

• Derrick Favors: Dude will be a monster. He can post, step away from the basket, run the floor and finish on the break. And when he gets it on the block, he can turn either direction and finish with both hands. I’d like to see him hit the glass harder than he has through the first two days, though. But offensively, he will be hard to stop when he gets the hang of things. He showed toughness and composure Tuesday after a sluggish start Monday. And his body is extremely well built. With a great coaching staff in New Jersey that includes Avery Johnson and Sam Mitchell, look for Favors to develop fast.

• Magnum Rolle: He has taken Orlando by storm. He never stops hustling. He goes after every rebound, contests every shot and plays every possession like it’s his lasts. And that’s just on the defensive end. Offensively, he can knock down mid-range jumpers with consistency and bang in the post although he needs to get stronger. On one possession Tuesday, Rolle grabbed an offensive rebound with four Nets players in front of him. Rolle reminds me of a smarter, more interested, less athletic Tyrus Thomas. Not a bad set of tools.

• Damion James: With the Nets’ coaching staff sitting front row, and Avery Johnson barking more instructions than any other head coach here, the rookie from Texas proved he’ll do anything you need him to do. James displayed all-out hustle against Indiana in the final game of the night and a soft shooting touch for good measure. James is equally adept at finishing at the rim, showing more craftiness than I remember seeing from him at Texas. James will carve out a career because of his hustle on both ends alone. But he looks to have real skills to match.

Others of note: Derrick Brown (Charlotte), Tony Gaffney (Boston), Luke Harangody (Boston), Gerald Henderson (Charlotte), Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia), Oliver Lafayette (Boston), Jodie Meeks (Philadelphia), Terrence Williams (New Jersey), Lance Stephenson (Indiana).

QUICK HITS

• Kyle Weaver played a nice all-around game today, bouncing back from a disappointing debut Monday. One sequence highlighted his day. On one offensive trip, he spotted Latavious Williams running the floor and hit him with a nice bounce pass for a two-handed dunk. Then, on defense, Weaver came up with a steal and drove coast-to-coast for a layup.
• Byron Mullens showed great patience in the post today. When he got the ball on the block, he looked as though he had a plan. His shots weren’t falling but he worked hard all night.
• D.J. White went 5-for-5 in the first half and 0-for-5 in the second. His defense, however, was much better in Day Two.
• Bobcats guard Denis Clemente had five fouls, two turnovers and one assists while going scoreless in 12 minutes. And yet I liked his tenacity pressuring the ball and his speed and quickness with the rock in his hands. He might not ever make it in the NBA but someone somewhere will definitely be able to use him.
• I’m still waiting for Paul Paul George to show me why the Pacers selected him 10th overall. He settles for 3-pointers, doesn’t really rebound and doesn’t appear capable of making his teammates better.
• George’s teammate Lance Stephenson shook off a disappointing first half and played much better in the second. But New Jersey’s Terrence Williams, a bigger, stronger player than Orlando’s Jerome Randle, still gave Stephenson a few fits. Stephenson was the talk of the league on the opening day. He turned in a so-so performance on the second day but deserves credit for fighting off a poor first half. We’ll see how he performs Wednesday.
• Evan Turner is disappointing the masses here. Plenty have said he looks like he’s coasting and largely uninterested. After his debut Monday he said he hasn’t played five-on-five in months because he was prepping for the pre-draft circuit. But the larger issue, as one scout told me, was he appears to need the ball in his hands to be effective. That could pose a problem in Philadelphia with emerging young gun Jrue Holiday. At times Tuesday, the Sixers even took Holiday off the ball to get Turner involved. It’ll be interesting to see how new cocah Doug Collins handles that dynamic in November.
• No matter what happens the last three days, Orlando’s Patrick Ewing Jr. and Donell Taylor have earned spots on the All-Jack-It-Up team. These two gunners have combined to take 57 shots in two days.
• Gordon Hayward bounced back fairly well after a mediocre debut. He showed a little more of his offensive game Tuesday but still has periods where he gets lost in the mix. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt and saying he is trying to run the sets.
• Daniel Orton didn’t do well offensively in his second outing. But his defense was much better and he stayed out of foul trouble. I liked that he looks like he loves to contest every shot that goes up and isn’t afraid to be physical. There are plenty of guys his size that can’t get those two things down so at least he has a good foundation to start from.

-DM-

News, notes and observations from Tuesday’s 95-92 loss in Game 2…

• As long as the defense continues to play at this level, the Thunder can continue to make this a series. OKC held L.A. to 37.5 percent shooting from the field, 6-for-22 shooting from the 3-point line and forced the Lakers into 16 turnovers. Only two Lakers had at least 10 points. No one else had more than six

• The biggest problem for the Thunder on the defensive end is rebounding. The Lakers out-rebounded the Thunder 49-37 and 19-7 on the offensive end. OKC just doesn’t have enough length to keep L.A.’s bigs off the boards. It led to a  23-12 advantage in second chance points. At one point, that margin was something like 19-3.

• Offensively, the Thunder is struggling. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were the lone players who had anything going offensively. Nenad Krstic contributed a little in the third like he always does. But someone has to be able to make shots. Jeff Green needs to be that guy. He went 2-for-11 tonight, 1 of 6 from 3, and is now averaging 11 points on 27.2 percent shooting.

• Durant made huge strides tonight. Not a flawless game or even a great game. But Durant came out aggressive and made it a point to attack the rim early rather than settling for jump shot. The fact that his jumper was on made his entire offensive game look much better. What impressed me the most was that he matched Ron Artest’s physicality, often pushing back and returning the contact instead of allowing Artest to knock him off his spot.

• But don’t be fooled by Durant’s team-high 32 points on 12-for-26 shooting. Artest still did a number on him, and I wouldn’t say Durant is out of the woods. Durant had eight turnovers. Artest had four steals. Durant had two turnovers (one being an offensive foul away from the ball) in the final minute, 48 seconds that destroyed the Thunder’s momentum and allowed the Lakers to turn a two-point lead into a five-point cushion.

• What was also encouraging about Durant’s performance, though, was that he made smart plays throughout the game. He set up his teammates(Green’s only 3-pointer) and consistently looked to swing the ball to the open man if he didn’t have it. He didn’t force much tonight, and that was a step in the right direction. Just think, the guy is 21 years old, playing against the defending champions and was savvy and skilled enough to make all the right adjustments in only his second playoff game. I’m questioning if Oklahoma or the rest of the country knows how good he really is and what’s in store in the future.

• Scott Brooks said before the game that he still has confidence in James Harden. Didn’t really show it tonight. And, for the second straight game, Harden didn’t do anything to inspire his coach’s confidence. Brooks played Harden just 9 minutes, 36 seconds. And the rookie again went scoreless, this time missing two shots and pulling down only one rebound and dishing out only one assist.

• Somebody on the bench is going to have to step up. I’d like to see Brooks give Kyle Weaver an opportunity. Weaver has actually played some surprisingly solid defense against Kobe, and Weaver’s 3-point shot has improved immensely since he first showed up as a rookie. Seriously, what does the Thunder have to lose?

• Fortunately for the Thunder, the Lakers’ bench doesn’t have much firepower or else this series would be so ugly right now it’d have the makings of a sweep even through the series is shifting to OKC.

• I’m starting to wonder if Serge Ibaka knows anyone in the NBA. I mean that. This guy is not intimidated by anyone or anything! Andrew Bynum? Who are you? Pau Gasol? So what? Defending champs? Whatever. On the road? It’s nothing. And how about Ibaka squaring up against Lamar Odom?  There are only a handful of guys in the league that players don’t want any part of.  Artest. Stephen Jackson. Kenyon Martin. Something tellsme Ibaka might be on that list but no one knows it yet. This much I’m ready to say; Ibaka is already a game-changer. I’m going that far. Now that he has a year under his belt, he could blossom into one of the league’s best shot blockers next season. And his mid-range game is sick. He had seven of the Thunder’s 17 blocks.

• Let me repeat that in case you didn’t catch it the first time — the Thunder had 17 blocked shots.

• This series is about to get really good in Game 3. The Ford Center is going to be rocking, and Thunder players already are talking about how they can’t just expect to carry over this same effort just because they’re now going home. That’s a good sign. If the Thunder wins Game 3, it’ll be a series-saving victory. If the Lakers win Game 3, turn out the lights. Who’s ready?

-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.

• How about that for bouncing back? There seemed to be a collective confidence surround the Thunder over the past two days following the collapse in Charlotte. It started in Thursday’s practice. And it carried over into Friday morning’s shootaround. By the time the game rolled around, the Thunder made like caged lions unleashed on a helpless pack of prey. The Raptors really never stood a chance.
• The most impressive, if not shocking, part of the blowout win is that the Thunder shot just 41.5 percent. The Thunder has won three games this season (Clippers and Golden State twice) despite shooting 42.2 percent. But Friday’s percentage was the lowest in a Thunder win this season. Of course that will happen when you play the all-around dominant game that OKC did against the Raptors. The Thunder held Toronto to 43.8 percent shooting, out-rebounded them 53-37, scored 24 points off their 19 turnovers, recorded 10 steals and seven blocked shots, raced to a 34-10 advantage in fast break points and finished with a 27-6 margin in second-chance points.
• That’s why Scott Brooks candidly called this one the “best game of the year.” Said Brooks: “That was about as good as we can possibly play.”
• Kevin Durant scored a game-high 31 points on 16 shots. And he made only seven field goals!  KD got to the free throw line 18 times, making 17 to make this an easy night.
• Jeff Green is in a nice offensive rhythm right now. He had  25 points and took 10 3-pointers, making four of them. He had the hot hand in the second half, scoring 12 of his 25 in the third quarter. And to the Thunder’s credit, players made it a point to get him the ball and let him do his thing.
• The way the Thunder directed each other tonight was very impressive. On one possession in the first half, Durant cleared out from the left wing and all but demanded Russell Westbrook back down Jose Calderon. Westbrook backed down the Raptors point guard with a few dribbles, turned and hit a baseline jumper over Calderon and drew the foul. That kind of chemistry was on display all night.
• I also noticed a small difference in Thabo Sefolosha tonight that speaks to the Thunder’s chemistry. A few games ago, Sefolosha dribbled up the court on the break, ignoring Westbrook’s call for the ball. Sefolosha shot, missed and heard an earful from Westbrook after the sequence. Tonight, Sefolosha found his point guard on every run and filled the lane instead of playing playmaker. It led to good results.
• The Thunder had just two turnovers in the first half, helping it establish that 27-point lead at the break.
• Serge Ibaka was absolutely huge late in the first quarter and into the second quarter. He had just two points, five rebounds and two blocked shots for the game, but all of that came in about a 9 1/2-minute span. And a good portion of that 9 1/2 minutes was against All-Star Chris Bosh, who looked like he had no clue as to how to keep Ibaka off the glass. After tonight’s game, forget it, Thunder fans. Forget your fantasies for Bosh, David Lee, Carlos Boozer, Amare Stoudemire or even Greg Monroe. I did. And so should you. Forget them and focus your energy on demanding that the Thunder develops Ibaka. This kid has a bright, bright future.
• Kyle Weaver emerges! Season-high 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting with three steals and two blocked shots. He made a career-high four 3-pointers. Now if he can only duplicate that for the next one to three weeks while James Harden is out.
• On a sour note, tonight’s game made me question Weaver’s future with the Thunder for the first time. I’ve wondered in the past where he fits long term after the additions of Sefolosha, Harden and Eric Maynor. But this was different. Raptors wings Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan had a few plays tonight where they absolutely blew by Weaver. Now, those are two of the most athletic cats in the league. LeBron James would get beat off the dribble by at least DeRozan every so often.  But what I’m wondering after tonight is whether Weaver has the athleticism to stick not only with the Thunder but in the league. Weaver is easy to root for because he’s a class act, and he’s smart as Einstein when it comes to basketball. But how much that athleticism will hinder him might be something to start keeping an eye on as the Thunder continues to build its roster.
• Jay Triano was all over the officials tonight. And of all the things he said, he got a technical for being past the coach’s line.
• After the game, a member of Toronto’s media asked Durant whether the Raptors are soft. Durant couldn’t help but let out a light laugh before answering (no obviously, what else is he going to say). But the Toronto media is now in all out attack mode on this team’s toughness, starting with Bosh. Not exactly the way to keep the guy in town, I don’t think.
• Speaking of toughness, Raptors fans are clearly hockey fans. They appreciate contact even in basketball. When a Raptors player raced down Durant on a break, fouling him with heavy contact to prevent the easy dunk, fans inside the Air Canada Centre let out their loudest roar of the night. But the ovation sounded like it had more to do with the hard foul and very little to do with preventing the basket.
• I’ll give Raptors fans credit for this — they stayed through this blowout longer than any other NBA fans likely would have. Most fans didn’t begin filing up the aisle until the fourth quarter. Impressive.

-DM-

• What do I know? I post a blog hours before the game about how this game had all the makings of a Thunder victory and what happens? The Thunder goes out and has a meltdown in the final 2 1/2 quarters.
• If you think the word meltdown is too strong, let me assure you it’s not. OKC was ahead by 19 with 3:33 remaining in the second quarter, then watched the Bobcats outscore it 13-2 to end the half, then allowed Charlotte to go on an 18-10 run to open the third quarter. Charlotte outscored OKC 57-41 in the second half, shot 60.6 percent and shot 21 free throws, 19 of them in the fourth quarter. I would call that a meltdown.
• And don’t give me the excuse that the Bobcats are 25-8 at home. The Thunder has won at San Antonio (24-10), at Utah (26-8), at Phoenix (26-9), at Atlanta (26-7), at New Orleans (21-12), at Portland (22-13) and at Miami (20-15). This was just a bad loss. Plain and simple. It would have been different had the game been nip and tuck throughout. But it’s inexcusable when you lead by as many as 19 points, against a team on the second night of a back-to-back, playing without its leading rebounder and second leading scorer.
• That’s what should make this loss sting. Had the Thunder maintained its intensity and all-around effort on both ends for 3 1/2 more minutes at the end of the second quarter, the Bobcats might have chalked this one up and geared up for Atlanta. But the fact that OKC couldn’t continue its stout defense and torrid offense from early in the game has to be heartbreaking.
• The Thunder held the Bobcats to an opponent season-low 15 points on 30.4 percent shooting in the first quarter, building a 26-15 lead. Kevin Durant had 16 points and seven rebounds. Jeff Green had 11 points four rebounds and one blocked shot. Russell Westbrook had eight points and six assists. The Thunder shot 48.8 percent in the first half and held the Bobcats to 38.6 percent.
• Then Durant, Green and Westbrook combined for 23 points, five rebounds and six assists in the second half. The Thunder shot 41.5 percent. Charlotte shot 60.6 percent.
• Green landed hard on his left side late in the second half. He laid on the floor for a moment with players, coaches  and trainers from both teams surrounding him during a timeout. But he got up and walked off on his own and remained in the game. I didn’t get to talk to Green after the game, but he wore a black sleeve on his left arm under his street clothes.
• I also spoke with James Harden before the game about his strained right hamstring. He said it’s getting better but is still one to three weeks away from allowing him to return. Today was the end of the first week of his original two-to-four week timetable.
• The officiating was very questionable tonight. At first it was both ways, D.J. Augustin getting away with a carry and Westbrook dodging a double dribble among other noticeable oversights. But as the game went on more and more calls went against the Thunder. I swear it seems like Ken Mauer called one call against the Bobcats.
• Stephen Jackson clearly was the difference. I openly wondered through Twitter whether Jackson was playing possum in the first half, when he had just two points and three assists with no rebounds in 18 first-half minutes. He had missed all five of his field-goal attempts. I didn’t want to hold it past Thabo Sefolosha that maybe he really was having a great defensive performance on him. Sefolosha has done it before. But Jackson’s nicknamed Jack 1 for a reason, and he lived up to that title in the second half. He buried a 20 footer 21 seconds in and was much more aggressive from the start of the second half on. He finished the third quarter with 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting with three rebounds, two assists and one block. The Bobcats outscored the Thunder 30-19 in the period.
• Give credit to Stephen Graham, too. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half and helped fill the void left by injured All-Star forward Gerald Wallace. Graham had several big plays in the fourth quarter. When Serge Ibaka he a nice 19-footer to cut the Bobcats’ lead to two, Graham responded with a 3 that put Charlotte up five. When Nick Collison scored on a dunk, Graham got to the line and made one of two to push the lead back to four. And when Durant hit an 11-foot jumper over him to bring the Thunder within one, Graham responded by attacking and getting another pair of free throws, this time sinking both. Said Raymond Felton: “Without Stephen Graham in there tonight, we wouldn’t have won. No question.”
• Here’s why the Bobcats struggled early on offensively. Theo Ratliff. Homeboy led all Bobcats in field goal attempts in the opening period with seven. Seven! In the first quarter! Theo Ratliff! Charlotte appeared to be trying to go at Nenad Krstic defensively, but some of Ratliff’s attempts came when all else had failed. Either way, it was a good way for the Thunder to jump out to its early lead. Boris Diaw was next with six shot attempts, and no other Bobcats player attempted more than Jackson and D.J. Augustin’s three.
• Guess how many shot attempts Ratliff had in the second half — one.
• Funny how quickly some fans can switch up. On one early possession, when Jackson was dribbling the air out of the ball at the top of the key while being defended by Krstic, a guy in the lower bowl could be heard imploring Jackson to “Pass the ball! Pass the ball! Pass the ball!” He shot the ball and missed the shot. No one was crying for Jackson to pass the ball in the third quarter.
• Tyson Chandler might never be what he was for those two seasons with the Hornets. But he’ll always have moments that make you drop your jaw. Tonight’s came in the first half, when he skied high above everyone else on the floor and tapped in a putback. It’s that athleticism and natural instinct that makes him so appealing. He would have been a great fit had his feet not given out.
• Speaking of putbacks, Ibaka’s dunk following Kyle Weaver’s miss with 9:07 left in the second quarter is one for his highlight reel. Still waiting on that level of aggression every time when he crashes the glass.
• Ibaka was all over the place in the second quarter. He initiated one play in the period’s first two minutes that I was going to use for Thursday’s paper. He blocked a layup by Jackson on one end, Weaver gobbled the rebound and got it ahead to Green. Green missed the fastbreak layup, but the trailing Collison was right there for the easy putback. At the time, the sequence summarized how the Thunder played together as a team. How OKC used defense to create offense and got a collective effort from everyone who took the floor. Needless to say, I had to hit the backspace button.
• I was walking with Mustafa Shakur from the locker room area to the court about an hour before the game and a security guard stopped the recently-signed guard and asked to see some credentials. Shakur, who had already gotten in a pre-game workout and was fully dressed in a suit, was completely confused. It was a little embarrassing. I wanted to tell him to just say he’s a player. Instead, it was a classic, ‘Welcome to the NBA, rookie” moment.
• I thought Eric Maynor was brilliant tonight. He ran the pick and roll nicely and controlled the offense masterfully when he replaced Westbrook. He limited his mistakes and was everything you could ask for out of a backup tonight. It’s been awhile since he’s had this type of performance.
• It’s not all gloom and doom. The Thunder did have the dominant first quarter. And OKC did hang in there in the fourth quarter, fighting to within one on three occasions before the lid on the rim became unbearable. After the game, everyone from coach Scott Brooks to Durant, to Westbrook to Collison seemed confident this one would be forgotten quickly. Based on how the Thunder has performed this season, I would agree with them. I expect OKC to finish this three-game trip much like it did the last one, when the Thunder won inside the Clippers and Kings’ buildings after that embarrassment at Denver.

-DM-

• The Russell Westbrook-Deron Williams matchup was the highlight of the game. And you could tell it would be good from the opening minutes. Both players went at each other from the start and wouldn’t give the other an inch. Westbrook tried to back down Williams on multiple possessions early and it didn’t really lead to his own offense, but it generated some buckets when he found players off cuts. Westbrook was much more effective with his scoring when he attacked hard on drives to the basket.
• Then coach Scott Brooks played spoiler and put Thabo Sefolosha on Williams midway through the second quarter and ruined all the fun. Westbrook and Williams still stole the show, though, even while they weren’t guarding each other. Then Sefolosha picked up his fourth foul with 9:37 left in the third and it was on again.
• Aside from the entertainment of the individual matchup, Westbrook controlled the game beautifully against Utah. He made nice passes, hit rhythmic pull-ups and played solid defense, although most of it came when he switched onto Wes Matthews. This was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen out of Westbrook. If you took the names off the back of the jerseys and didn’t know anything about the Thunder, tonight you would have thought Westbrook was the franchise player and Kevin Durant was the sidekick. That’s how good Westbrook was. And with the Thunder running more and more of the offense through him, we could begin to see Durant become less of the main option as the season winds to an end. There will be plenty of sets that are run specifically for Durant, but  Westbrook is starting to look extremely comfortable taking charge and running the show. That can only be a good thing for the Thunder, especially if Durant continues to develop the ability to consistently take over games down the stretch.
• To my last point, Westbrook had 30 points and 11 assists and Durant had a game-high 35 points. Those numbers illustrate how Durant still can get his even if he’s not the focal point of the offense.
• Durant settled for jumpers early on C.J. Miles and missed his first three attempts. Then he made his next three and caught him with the rip move and before you knew it led all scorer’s with 11 points after one quarter and had 20 at the half.
• The hands-down play of the game came with 4:24 remaining when Durant found Jeff Green for an uncontested dunk plus the foul that stretched the lead to 13. Starting from the left win, Durant spun left on Miles, crossed over Carlos Boozer and worked back right across the lane to draw the help side defense, then found Green all by his lonesome. When they talk about the things a 6-foot-10 guy isn’t supposed to do, rewind and look at how he created that bucket.
• The Thunder started the third quarter12-for-12 from the field. OKC didn’t miss until Kyle Weaver missed a 3-pointer with 2:18 remaining in the period. The Thunder finished the period 14 of 17 from the field.
• OKC shot a season-high 60.3 percent from the field. Good thing, too, because the Jazz drained 11 of 19 3-pointers and shot 50.6 percent on their end. This was not one of the better played defensive games on the Thunder’s part.
• With the win, the Thunder clinched the tiebreaker over the Jazz after taking a 3-0 series lead. Keep an eye on that in case Utah stumbles and OKC keeps streaking. Although the Jazz wouldn’t have to stumble very far. Tonight’s win pulled the Thunder within a half game of Utah for the fourth seed and home court advantage in the first round.
• Make that five straight wins for the Thunder. One peak at the schedule suggests OKC has a very good chance to at least tie its season-high nine-game streak. Up next, at Charlotte, at Toronto, at Indiana and back home against a battered San Antonio squad. Things can get really interesting in the next week.
• In his postgame press conference, Brooks, for what seems like the first time, actually acknowledged how good his team is: “We’re a good team. I don’t know how good we will end up this season…I would say we’re a good team. We want to be one of the better teams in the league but it’s going to take time.”
• 20th sellout of the season for the Thunder tonight. I’m told there are a good amount of tickets left for the four-game homestand that follows the three-game road trip. Get on board, people!
• Kyrylo Fesenko wasn’t very successful dunking the basketball tonight. He missed his first attempt and had his second one blocked by Weaver before converting his third one. Later, Nick Collison prevented an easy dunk with a nice play on the ball but was whistled for the foul. And when Fesenko goes to the line, it ain’t pretty. Dude was 2-for-8 from the stripe and all six of his misses were atrocious.
• Serge Ibaka looks like he’s learning to keep his hands off the rim. Collison threw up a shot early in the fourth quarter and Ibaka jumped high above the rim but restrained himself and didn’t touch it. Good to see he is learning.
• Ibaka’s three blocked shots weren’t bad either.
• I would have loved to see how the Thunder would have fared against the Jazz with Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur and Ronnie Price healthy and in the lineup. Kirilenk0 can change the game for Utah on the defensive end, Okur spaces the court on the offensive end and makes teams rotations become much tighter and Price would have kept a D-Leaguer off the floor.
• This could be the 4-5 seed matchup, and it would be a very good one. I’m starting to wonder if the Thunder’s 3-0 record against the Jazz this season, however, has some Thunder fans overconfident about OKC’s chances in a playoff series. Maybe I’m the one who’s delusional. Golden State swept Dallas in 2006-07 and then beat them in the first round. So it’s possible we could have a similar situation on our hands.

-DM-

• The Thunder recorded its 40th win but nearly didn’t. OKC led by as many as 16 points late in the third quarter but was outscored 38-24 the rest of the way.
• Oklahoma City had six turnovers in the final period, marking a disappointing end to a game that should have been a blowout.
• New Jersey might have won it if it had a better go-to, late-game option than Jarvis Hayes, who, to his credit, did hit two straight 3-pointers inside the final two minutes that cut the lead to four. Hayes bricked his next two 3-pointers and the Thunder avoided embarrassment.
• Hayes’ third-quarter buzzer beater was nice, though.
• Despite the milestone 40th win, and the 17-game improvement over last season that it brings, the Thunder treated this one as business as usual. Said Jeff Green: “We haven’t achieved anything. As tight as this Western Conference race is, we could easily drop out of the playoff race quick.” Said coach Scott Brooks: “We’ve won 40 games, but we still have a lot of things that we need to work on. That’s the good thing about this team. We’re going to come back tomorrow and figure out a way or two to get better and challenge each other to get better.”
• Green was the player of the game, with 20 first-half points that sparked the Thunder and allowed OKC to have a cushion it could then blow. Green’s outside stroke was going early and it triggered a hot night that led to a season-high 27 points.
• Even though the Thunder outscored New Jersey by only one point, the third quarter illustrated how the Nets have just seven wins. Josh Boone missed a one-handed putback dunk. Courtney Lee air-balled a 17 footer. And Trenton Hassell backed down Kevin Durant for so long that the possession resulted in a shot-clock violation.
• Did I mention these Nets players never met a shot they didn’t like. Everybody’s gunning on this team. Only Hassell and Boone seemed to be aware of what they do best.
• I thought Russell Westbrook played a much better game than his final stat line indicated. His nine turnovers are an eyesore for any stat sheet. But he finished with 11 points, 10 assists four rebounds and one blocked shot. He took only seven shots and made three of them. But aside from any stat that ever existed, he played hard on both ends, doing things that don’t show up in the box score. When he stripped Devin Harris on a reverse layup attempt in the first half, he busted his tail down the left sideline to fill the lane on the break. He would have had an uncontested dunk, but Thabo Sefolosha fumbled away the first pass from Durant. Later, in the second half, Westbrook “pulled the chair” from Hassell and forced him into a traveling violation. Westbrook made hustle and heady plays like that all night. But the eyesore is what will stand out to most in this one.
• Harris didn’t look like he played with much fire tonight with the exception of some early aggressiveness attacking the rim. Generally, that’s the last type of player anyone wants on their team. But can you blame him at this point? What I really liked about Harris was that I didn’t see him complain one time after drawing contact. And he drew plenty. Don’t know if that’s typical of Harris’ demeanor or if it simply goes back to that point about the fire dying out.
• With his 36th 30-point game, Durant broke Spencer Haywood’s franchise record for 30 point games in a single season. Congratulations to Kevin Durant…I’m sure he’ll tell you he’s just trying to get better every day.
• The Thunder played its first game without James Harden (strained right hamstring), and Scott Brooks went with Eric Maynor and Nick Collison off the bench first. No real difference. Serge Ibaka checked in seconds later. Recalled guard Kyle Weaver checked in with 1:01 remaining in the first quarter and played just 10 minutes. So the main difference in the rotation after one game was just less minutes for the backup shooting guard. We’ll see how that might change Sunday.
• I’m curious to see the battle of the benches from now until Harden returns. The Nets’ reserves outscored the Thunder’s 53-20, in part because New Jersey’s played 36 more minutes. But unless Collison scores 10 points every night for as long as Harden is out, the Thunder could be in big trouble against deeper, more talented teams. Weaver can’t go scoreless, and Maynor might have to contribute more scoring. But Brooks said his bench unit will have to overcome the shortage by, what else, clamping down defensively. Judging by tonight’s game, it’s looking like Brooks’ remedy also might simply be playing the starters more minutes.
• OKC out-rebounded N.J. 47-36, which can be taken two ways. You could look at the Nets as one of the league’s worst rebounding team and figure that’s what the Thunder is supposed to do. Or you could tip your cap to the Thunder for controlling Boone and Brook Lopez, who has fared extremely well against the Thunder the past two years, save one performance.
• The Thunder had its 19th sellout of the season…Against the Nets, no less. Give yourselves a round of applause for that one.
• The home team never trailed after taking a 5-4 lead tonight.
• The line of the night came after a writer who regularly covers the Thunder began complaining to Nets beat writers about  mundane quotes from Thunder players. Said one Nets writer: “You want to trade places with us?” Ballgame.

-DM-

The Thunder has recalled second-year guard Kyle Weaver from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League to replace Harden. Brooks said Weaver will be active and in the rotation as the backup shooting guard tonight against New Jersey.

“Like any injury that any team has in this league, you have guys on the team that have to step up,” Brooks said following the team’s morning shoot-around. “And we have enough guys on the team that have stepped up all year, and I don’t anticipate seeing anything different.”

Harden, the No. 3 overall pick out of Arizona State, appeared to have sustained the injury in the second quarter of Wednesday’s game against New Orleans when he landed awkwardly on his right leg following a drive to the basket. Harden remained in the game but played just 14 minutes, his fewest since Dec. 31.

Harden is averaging 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes while playing in all 63 games this season. If Harden’s absence extends to the high end of the projected two-to-four-week timetable, he should return for the final week of the regular season and be healthy for what is expected to be the Thunder’s first trip to the playoffs.

In the meantime, Brooks said his roster’s versatility is an asset that should keep the Thunder rolling. Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook can all play multiple positions.

“We can change the lineup a few different ways,” Brooks said.

Weaver has played in only three games this season after sustaining a shoulder injury in late November. In five games with the 66ers, Weaver averaged 12.4 points, 7.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks in 42.6 minutes.

After keeping track of Weaver’s development — and even attending the 66ers’ home game this past Monday against Fort Wayne and seeing Weaver score 18 points with 10 assists, five rebounds and three assists — Brooks said Weaver is ready to compete.

“It was good for him to go down and play in Tulsa…He looked very good,” Brooks said.

“He’s missed three or 3 1/2 months of NBA basketball so you don’t expect him to be flawless. I just expect his effort to be flawless.”

With Weaver, now healthy, the Thunder isn’t expecting a drop off isn’t while Harden is out. Weaver, at 6-foot-6, can play both guard positions and is as versatile as Harden if not more as a scorer, playmaker and defender.

“I like what Kyle brings,” Brooks said. “He’s a big guard that defends. He has a knack for making incredible defensive plays. You think that he is getting beat, but he always comes from behind and blocks from behind or steals from behind. He has great hands. His anticipation is very good. He’s really changed hid body thanks to our (training staff) here. He’s a strong guard now. He’s not a lanky wing player. I look forward to seeing him playing good basketball.”

-DM-