Thunder 123, Nets 120
I’m not with the team on this two-game road trip. Our man John Rohde has you covered with complete coverage.
But I had the DVR going for Wednesday’s triple-overtime win at New Jersey and, as always, I’ve got some nuggets on my noggin after this one. Rather than coming from my usual courtside viewpoint, these post-game thoughts are being delivered to you from my couch.
- There is no doubt in my mind the Thunder should have fouled Anthony Morrow with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation. The counter argument in that situation always is the risk of fouling a player while he’s shooting, as evidenced by Stephen Graham sending Jeff Green to the line in the second OT. But when Morrow put the ball on the floor, taking one dribble before hoisting his game-tying runner, that presented a perfect time to wrap up Morrow well before he could get a shot off. As exciting as this triple-overtime thriller was, it should never have gotten to that point.
- I thought it was a great timeout by Thunder coach Scott Brooks 1 minute, 5 seconds into the first overtime period when the Nets started on a 5-0 run. Thunder players still looked shell-shocked. And that run could have been the start of the end of this game for the Thunder.
- Instead of writing about the Thunder’s resiliency and grit and toughness and blah, blah, blah, I’ll do this. Here’s how many times I thought the Thunder was going to lose this game. Ready? When Morrow hit the 3 at the regulation buzzer to send it to OT, when Morrow and Travis Outlaw hit tough shot for the Nets 5-0 run to start the first OT, when Serge Ibaka fouled out early in the first overtime, when the Nets went up 100-94 and OKC couldn’t get anything going offensively in the first OT, when Russell Westbrook missed a wild jumper with eight seconds left in the second OT and hustled to get his hands on his own miss only to knock the ball out of bounds and give it back to New Jersey with the Thunder trailing by one, when Morrow made two foul shots to put the Nets up 110-107 with 6.2 seconds remaining in the second OT, when I saw the look on Nenad Krstic’s face, halfway covered with a towel, just before Morrow’s two free throws and when Kris Humphries put the Nets on the board first for the third straight overtime with a mid-range J from the top of the key.
- Westbrook’s two consecutive pull-up jumpers in the first overtime that tied it at 100-100 were the definition of clutch. And they saved the Thunder in the initial overtime.
- Green’s three free throws with 4.6 seconds left in the second OT were obviously the biggest game-changer for the Thunder at that point. But I thought the back-to-back shot clock violations the Thunder forced the Nets into late in that second extra frame were just as big in saving this victory.
Catching Up With Malik Rose
In case you missed it, former Thunder forward Malik Rose has joined FOX Sports Oklahoma’s studio crew as an analyst this season. He will make his debut during tonight’s season opener against Chicago. I’m on record of saying you won’t be disappointed in Rose’s addition. He’s the complete package, possessing a deep passion for and in-depth knowledge of the game, as well as a magnetic personality that no doubt will come through your television sets.
Rose was kind enough to dedicate a few minutes of his time to The Oklahoman recently to talk about his transition into television, his memories of Oklahoma City and what will define success for the Thunder this season.
DM: What do you like about television?
MR: I just like talking about the game of basketball. It’s kind of evolved. I started out with MSG (Network), really on a lot of their weekend shows and pre-draft shows. And then they just offered me a job when I wasn’t playing last year. But I just really enjoy the game of basketball, and I seem to know what I’m talking about when I’m talking about it. So I’ve been able to parlay it into a small career.
DM: Has it made the transition out of basketball any easier?
MR: Yeah, it has. It’s kept me around it. This past year without basketball was really tough. Just watching it, I was like a kid in a candy store. You can’t buy anything but you want all the candy. I wanted to play but all I could do was talk about it. But God’s been really good to me. He’s help me adjust to this really easy. I’m just thankful to Sam Presti, the FOX Sports Oklahoma people and the Thunder just for giving me this opportunity.
DM: A lot of former Thunder players have had great things to say about the organization after they’ve moved on. What do you remember most about the franchise from your stay?
MR: Really, just how professional they were. And it doesn’t surprise me because Sam came up in the same San Antonio Spurs culture I came up in. Everything was just about winning. That’s how it was when we were in San Antonio. It wasn’t a whole bunch of things that weren’t about basketball. When you came into the gym, everything you did, your diet, your workout, what was on television, everything just surrounded winning and basketball. And that’s pretty much the same way it was in Oklahoma City. Sam did a really good job of building a great basketball atmosphere. It’s all about getting better and you can see it.
Thunder 111, Spurs 102
News, notes and observations from Monday’s 111-102 win at San Antonio…
- Is a win still a win when wins don’t matter? You be the judge. Either you’ll look at the final score and the way the Thunder played the second half and think this was a fairly decent performance. Or you’ll look at the way the Spurs manhandled the Thunder for much of the first half and rested their big guns in the second half and come away ready to push the panic button.
- As awful as OKC played in the first defensively, giving up 22 fast break points, the Thunder did do a lot well in this game. It’s just that the good moments were so sporadic that they became lost in the final outcome. Scott Brooks said it best when he said his team played in “spurts.” Give the guys credit for regrouping, regardless of which Spurs were on the floor, and playing with better effort in the second half.
- It was hard to not be impressed with Jeff Green tonight. He dominated the Spurs from the left block. Brooks made it a point to post up Green against Garrett Temple, Richard Jefferson and Matt Bonner. Green bullied all three and earned trips to the free throw line or 3-point plays. And the versatility that we hear so much about when it comes to Green became evident when he was able to take DeJuan Blair out to the perimeter whenever Blair came in. Green didn’t hit any 3s tonight, but just pulling the Spurs’ big away from the basket is beneficial. Also, when Green can get into a rhythm with touches down low and trips to the foul line, he is capable of putting together a monster game.
- The one complaint you could have about Green tonight, and it is very nit-picky, is that he finished with zero assists. That wasn’t all his fault, as some of his passes were on time and on target but went unfinished. Green commanded a double team throughout the night, and, if that’s going to be the case this season, the next step should be making plays for others. But tonight, it was more about how his teammates didn’t finish plays for Green.
Malik Rose To Join Thunder Broadcast Team
Thunder telecasts will get a major boost this season.
Former NBA forward Malik Rose, who played for the Thunder for the final half of the 2008-09 season, will serve as a studio analyst for FOX Sports Oklahoma during road games and select home games. Rose, who enjoyed a 13-year playing career primarily with San Antonio and New York, served as a studio analyst for the Knicks last year, as well as an in-game color analyst for the Austin Toros of the NBA D-League.
Rose will team up with FOX Sports’ current anchor tandem of John Rhadigan or Dana Larson. After playing 813 career NBA games, averaging 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds, Rose will bring authentic knowledge to the booth. And with play-by-play man Brian Davis and color commentator Grant Long kicking it back and forth to the FOX studio, there is a possibility for some real entertaining dialogue and in-depth insight in the banter between former players Long and Rose. Thunder fans should hope the broadcast team doesn’t play it conservatively and understands the special opportunity it has during segments with Long and Grant.
Either way, segments with Rose in the studio with just the anchor should make for great television. Thunder heads might not know much about Rose because he wasn’t in town long and didn’t warrant many interviews. But he’s a real delight. When he came to OKC his reputation for being a class act preceded him. But Rose’s first practice is when the OKC media found out what a joy he is to speak with. He’s candid, comfortable and clever. And he’s got stories for days.
Thunder heads are in for a real treat.
