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-

But the NBA Draft is now just three weeks away, and if we’ve learned anything about the Thunder on draft night it’s that it is a team liable to do anything. No one knows whether the Thunder will select a player, trade up, trade down or trade out.

Add to that, fewer fans seem to be paying attention this year. A deep playoff run and first-round positioning that inspires widespread yawning have taken away from the intrigue of the Thunder’s draft. Perhaps there is a growing awareness that whatever prospect the Thunder plucks won’t make an immediate impact. Heck, he might not even make the team. That’s what having a stable of young talent in place and possession of the 24th overall pick gets you.

But draft guru Chad Ford of ESPN.com held a chat today and wrote something very interesting. (Worth noting, though, that the words ‘Oklahoma City’ and ‘Thunder’ weren’t written anywhere in his hour long chat? Further proof that the Thunder is on the back-burner in this year’s draft.) Ford broke down the depth of this year’s class, and indirectly said the Thunder is in prime position to get a quality player. When asked about the draft seemingly being weak at the top but deep toward the end of the first round, Ford responded with this:

For sure. I think people misunderstand the criticism of the draft. The top two picks are really good … but they aren’t superstar caliber. The next 10 players in the draft are typically the sorts of players you get in the late lottery to mid first round. But after that, the draft is really loaded into the mid to late 30s. If I’m drafting anywhere between 15-35, I’m happy with the draft.”

Not saying Ford’s say should be taken as gospel. But that’s got to make Thunder fans feel pretty good, no?

If Oklahoma City stands pat, it’s sounds like the Thunder, at 24, can land a serviceable player with potential to grow into something special. That 24 range is where sleepers usually rest, and the Thunder could very well come away with the next great steal. A few of the more notable recent 24th overall picks include Serge Ibaka in 2008,Rudy Fernandez in 2007, Kyle Lowry in 2006, Delonte West in 2004 and Nenad Krstic in 2002.

Other players recently picked in the 25 to 30 range include Taj Gibson, Nicolas Batum, George Hill, Aaron Brooks, Shannon Brown, Jason Maxiell, David Lee, Tony Allen, Kevin Martin, Beno Udrih, Kendrick Perkins, Leandro Barbosa and Josh Howard and John Salmons.

So, historically, there’s clearly been plenty of talent to choose from in the 24 spot.

In its latest mock draft, NBADraft.net currently has the Thunder selecting UCLA swingman Tyler Honeycutt. The website DraftExpress.com currently has the Thunder selecting Duke forward Kyle Singler. And in his latest mock, Ford has the Thunder taking Serbian forward Nikola Mirotic in a select-and-stash strategy.

None of those names are likely to get you all that excited. But maybe one of them, or someone else in that cluster will prove to be effective.

-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-

• Sort of a predictable game. The Wolves stayed close. The Thunder went up big. Minnesota battled back. And OKC ended up blowing them out before it got respectable by the final buzzer.

• That third quarter was disturbing, though. The Thunder was up 16 before the Wolves mustered a 22-8 run and pulled within 82-80 with 33 seconds left. Minnesota made made 10 of 13 shots while the Thunder missed eight of 11 and turned it over three times.

• Kevin Durant’s two 3-pointers turned the tide. KD was 4-for-13 before hitting two 3s in the final 11 seconds of the third quarter. But those were big-time shots. They helped the Thunder lead by six going into the fourth.

• Nazr Mohammed picked it up from there. His contributions in the fourth quarter came out of nowhere and maintained the momentum that Durant’s shots had created. His defense (the charge he took, the deflections and steals he came up with, the interior resistance he supplied) we’ve come to expect. But his offense (10 fourth-quarter points) was unexpected. Nazr scored 10 of the Thunder’s 13 points during a 13-5 run in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter that bumped OKC’s lead to 101-87. Ball game.

• The entire bench played beautiful basketball tonight. Eric Maynor, James Harden, Mohammed and Nick Collison played their roles to perfection. They shared the ball on offense and created turnovers on defense. At one point in the second quarter, the starters had scored 29 points and the reserves had 27 points.

• Collison was scary good offensively. He made his first six shots before missing his final attempt. But Collison wasn’t just scoring. He was scoring at will. He had a sick crossover on Anthony Tolliver. He hit mid-range jumpers. He scored on running hooks and finished feeds with dunks.

• Kendrick Perkins, for one, thinks Collison should be more assertive on the offensive end. “One thing about Nick that I’ve been telling him a lot lately is I don’t know why he don’t be being aggressive a lot,” Perkins said. “He can play offensively. I think sometimes he gets a little passive and gets caught up in his role, which is good. But he can put the ball in the basket and he can make plays. And I think going into the playoffs we’re going to need everybody. Every night in the playoffs, it’s a certain guy that wins games for you, that has a big night.”

• Perk had his best scoring game since joining the Thunder, chipping in 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting. He said he’s been working on his offense a lot lately and it’s starting to pay off. “I’m starting to feel a little bit better out there on the court,” Perkins said. “I’m starting to get my rhythm back.” Perk also said he was upset at himself for how he played Wednesday against Utah so he used that performance as motivation to have a better showing offensively tonight.

• Of Minnesota’s 20 turnovers, 16 were Thunder steals. That’s a season-high for the Thunder and it helped OKC have a 22-6 advantage in fast-break points.

• Russell Westbrook tied a season high with five of steals. He looked like a defensive back on one interception he had on one of Luke Ridnour‘s passes.

• Thabo Sefolosha tied a career-high with four blocks tonight, which is the sixth time he’s had that many in a single game.

• James Harden just had to do the leg kick again tonight. Looks like he’s starting to get the call less frequently, which is a good thing in my opinion.

• Wesley Johnson’s poster dunk on Serge Ibaka in the first quarter was nasty. But did Johnson travel?

• After missing its debut, I saw the new intro video for the first time tonight. Well done by the Thunder. Cool concept. Excellent execution.

• You can always tell when KD has made up his mind whether he’s going to shoot before he catches the ball. He just has a look. And generally, when it goes up in those situations it’s going in.

• I loved the fundamentals Ibaka showed on back-to-back trips early in the third. He had two put-back opportunities, the first off a Durant miss and the second off his own miss. On both attempts, he kept the ball high and went right back up for layups. One of my pet peeves is seeing big men think they absolutely have to put the ball on the deck before going back up. Now that Nenad Krstic is in Boston, we don’t see that nearly as much.

• If ever there was a player you could just look at and say, ‘God created him to play basketball,’ it’d be Anthony Randolph.

• Perk has been flirting with air-balling a free throw for three games now. It finally came tonight in the third quarter. But it started against the Raptors, with that huge trip to the stripe he had in 2ith about 40 seconds left. He almost missed everything on the second attempt. In the first half tonight, he came up extremely short, too. Then, it happened in the third quarter. Perk went 1-for-6 tonight from the stripe. I asked him about his foul shooting struggles after the game and he took full responsibility for his poor percentage. He said it’s all mental and an early miss got in his head for the rest of the game. I’ll have more on Perk’s foul shooting in the coming days.

• Along those lines, Thunder coach Scott Brooks said he has confidence in Perk to get up there and make them with the game on the line. Brooks said he thinks Perk will get it together. So at this point I wouldn’t expect to see Brooks take out Perk down the stretch to avoid him having to shoot foul shots.

• Daequan Cook might be getting squeezed out of the rotation a little bit. He played just five minutes against Utah (probably because Thabo was so good defensively) and had just eight minutes tonight (slightly more because KD had two first-quarter fouls). It’ll be interesting to see how Brooks uses Cook against Portland on Sunday. That’s a game where the Thunder might really need another 3-point threat.

• Finally, no one is happier tonight than Maynor. March Madness has really been kind to his alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth. In the locker room after the game, Maynor was making all kinds of noise while boasting about his Rams. And they were only up seven at the time, just before halftime. They eventually escaped against Florida State and I’m sure Maynor is somewhere right now letting everyone know about it. Collison might not get a single pass from Maynor on Sunday, though, if Kansas beats VCU. And Maynor might want to keep his head on a swivel on defense if the Rams beat the Jayhawks. Collison might not call out a single pick.

-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-

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.”

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• The Thunder played an excellent opening period. OKC jumped out to a 12-2 run and showed early it was ready to compete for 48 minutes, whether shorthanded or not. A 28-22 lead was the result.

• Thabo Sefolosha’s defense on Kobe Bryant was outstanding. Sefolosha made Bryant work for everything he got. He forced him into an air-ball, which ended up in a Lakers shot clock violation. He stripped Bryant following a pump fake. And he was a pest in the passing lanes, coming up with another steal on an entry pass into Kobe at the high post. What shouldn’t go overlooked is the job Thabo did on Kobe off the ball as well. Sefolosha denied entry passes extremely well, and once Kobe gave it up Thabo rarely allowed him to get it back. It took Bryant right out of the offense.

• My question is where has this level of defense been from Sefolosha all season?

• Bryant finished with 17 points on 8-for-22 shooting.  He had seven assists by also four turnovers.

• Here’s a shocker. Kobe didn’t attempt a single free throw. That happened only once this year, in the Lakers’ road loss to Cleveland. You’d have to go back to last season to find the last time Bryant didn’t take at least one foul shot and the Lakers won. He pulled that feat in back-to-back games against Washington and San Antonio on March 21 and March 24

• The Thunder scored 31 points in the second half. OKC made 12 of 40 shots (30 percent) and turned the ball over 10 times. The turning point came early in the third quarter. The Thunder came out of the locker room playing selfish basketball. The ball movement dried up, and too many players went into hero made, taking bad shots and forcing one-on-one plays. It completely killed the team’s rhythm.

• The Thunder scored just 13 points in the third quarter, when it made just five of 22 shots. There was a stretch late where I would have loved to see Nate Robinson get some burn. The guy can be instant offense and is capable of igniting a team and the crowd.

• Once again, late game execution on offense was a problem. The Thunder scored just three points in the final 3 1/2 minutes. Over that same span, the Thunder had three turnovers. The one bucket the Thunder did get was a 3-pointer from Russell Westbrook.

• The final minute was discouraging. Kevin Durant had a Ron Artest strip the ball from him with 49.9 seconds left and the Thunder down three. And when Bryant missed a jumper, Serge Ibaka secured the rebound to give the Thunder another chance. Westbrook then dribbled around like a chicken with his head cut off before barrelling down the lane for a charge. And when Lamar Odom missed two free throws, the Thunder wasted two more chances to tie when Durant missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key and James Harden misfired on a trey following a tap out by Nick Collison.

• Something will have to change in these late-game opportunities between now and playoff time. If not, that one aspect could be a big problem.

• A lot of questions about why Daequan Cook wasn’t in for Sefolosha for the final possession. I didn’t ask coach Scott Brooks that. Historically, Brooks likes to have Sefolosha inbound the ball because he’s good at it.

• Cole Aldrich got the nod over newcomer Nazr Mohammed as the first big off the bench. It was a surprise move. I just knew Brooks would opt for Mohammed to back up Collison. But, boy, it’s a good thing he didn’t. Aldrich was as good as we’ve ever seen him. He had about three boards, a block and a steal in roughly five minutes. His energy on defense and on the boards was a pleasant surprise. At this point, it’s all about baby steps for Aldrich. And we saw him take a few today.

• How do you like this from Kobe on Kendrick Perkins: “Kendrick provides a big body for them and he is the best low post defender we have in the game.”

• Durant’s struggles against the Lakers continued. He had 21 points on 20 shots. When asked what is it about his defense against Durant, Artest dug through a bag, pulled out a shoe, raised it and smiled. “It’s got to be the shoes,” Artest said.

• The Thunder is the fifth highest scoring team in the league. Without Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic in the last two games, OKC scored 88 and 87 points.

• Harden was ultra aggressive attacking the paint early. He’s been looking for his more often lately. And he is so much better when he’s doing that. He’s ordinary when he camps around the perimeter and reduces himself to a spot-up shooter.

• Cook is stroking it with incredible confidence right now. When he touches it, he lets it fly. And when he lets it go, his form and rotation are beautiful. Even most of he misses look good.

• Too many Lakers fans in the building for my liking. Where did they all come from? Someone on Twitter told me that the season ticket holders who sit next to him sold their seats for this game to some Lakers fans. That’s terrible.

• The “Beat L.A.” chant with a minute remaining was awesome. It never gets old.

• How about Collison’s left-handed putback dunk midway through the second quarter? Wonder who was more surprised, the Lakers or Collison.

• The move Westbrook put on Bryant with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third was just ridiculous. After a steal, Westbrook gathered the ball near the top of the key and darted the other way. When Bryant reached in near halfcourt, Westbrook wrapped the ball around his back, leaving Bryant looking silly before dashing in for a breakaway dunk.

• Westbrook knew the play was great. He couldn’t keep from smiling after the slam. But here’s the best part. Westbrook said that was his first time dunking with his left hand.

• The Thunder is on its first three-game losing streak. It only took 58 games.

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• With four players shipped out and three players yet to report, Thunder coach Scott Brooks was forced to use 10 different lineups according to my count. And some of them looked like preseason units at best. Maybe even summer league. Eric Maynor, Daequan Cook, James Harden, Thabo Sefolosha and Cole Aldrich. Really? What can the Thunder possible do against the Magic with that mix and match bunch?

• Oddly enough, the team’s bench played better than the more decorated starters. Maynor was the distributor Russell Westbrook decided he didn’t want to be tonight. Cook provided the shooting Kevin Durant couldn’t. And Harden, with a strong all-around game, made yet another case to supplant Sefolosha as the starter.

• If you’re wondering whether the loss of a few teammates played a big factor in this one, Durant comes through with his opinion. “It’s real tough,” Durant said. “Those guys were like brothers to us here. Not to see them out there on the bench clapping for us, in the locker room speaking up, it’s tough.” Durant was then asked if their departures disrupted the flow of the team. “It felt a little different going out there and playing, not having our guys out there,” Durant said. “But hopefully next game we get back into the flow and be all right.”

• In my eyes, Dwight Howard spoiled a spectacular game by remaining in the game to ensure he got 40. I put most of the blame on Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who you otherwise will never hear me say a bad word about. Van Gundy should have taken Howard out of the game during a timeout with 2:27 left on the clock. Instead, they showed up the Thunder and showed little class. Dwight’s 40th point came on a lob pass from Hedo Turkoglu with exactly 2:00 left to play. The Magic were up 20. His basket put the Magic up 22.

• I doubt Howard and the Magic would have been so strident had Kendrick Perkins been on the court. I can’t wait to see Perk’s scowl.

• Speaking of, the trio of new players are expected to practice with the team Saturday and meet the media following the session. I’m told all three players were in OKC on Friday taking physicals. If all goes well, I’d expect to see Nazr Mohammed and Nate Robinson in uniform Sunday. Perkins is out at least a week with a left knee injury.

• Does this bit from Howard ease the sting of Howard’s monster game and boastful final bucket?

• Aldrich battled hard tonight. He might still have a long way to go. But I like the kids’ tenacity. He’s going to stick with it no matter how out-matched he might be. This was a good experience for him.

• Aldrich’s block on Earl Clark with 1:24 left to play was a good sign of Aldrich’s skills. It was a play where Aldrich looked beat by a much more athletic player. But Aldrich recovered and stuffed Clark with perfect timing. One thing I’m really impressed with is Aldrich’s length. It’s been well-documented. But when you see how he can alter or block a shot without getting that high off the ground, you have no choice but to have an appreciation for that ability.

• Wish Byron Mullens would have gotten some burn tonight.

• Serge Ibaka got the start at power forward…and fouled out in 18 minutes, mainly because he had to play center much of the night and try to contain  Howard. That was a futile exercise. One minute after having to switch over to Howard after Nick Collison got the first crack at him, Ibaka was whistled for fouls on back-to-back defensive trips. Rough night. The good news is there aren’t many other Howard types on the schedule.

• He didn’t get many chances tonight, but when he did Ibaka showed his improving pick-and-pop game. He takes mid-range shots with confidence and is growing into a reliable option to replace Nenad Krstic in that respect. I don’t think we’ll see as much of a drop off as some would think. But there is a concern. Putting Ibaka in more on-ball screen situations will enhance his chances of fouling out quicker because of the risk of illegal screens. Someone will have to work with him there.

• Ibaka’s stone hands showed up again tonight. He bobbled passes on two straight possessions early in the first period, the first from Durant and the second from Westbrook. This could be an even bigger problem than before now that he’s starting.

• One last thing on Ibaka. His perimeter defense will be very interesting to watch. There are so many stretch 4s today that he could struggle. Tonight, Brandon Bass wasn’t as much of an issue because Bass isn’t ultra athletic or really a threat stroke it from the arc or take Ibaka off the dribble. Keep an eye on a potential Ibaka-Lamar Odom matchup Sunday.

• The medical staff was examining Sefolosha’s throat late in the first quarter. I have no idea why.

• The Thunder started the game 1-for-12 shooting the basketball.

• Harden’s aggressiveness has been really encouraging. He made two hard drives to the hoop in the first half before eventually using his dribble penetration to set up a few plays later on.

• I find it slightly odd that Howard outscored Durant and Durant out-rebounded  Howard.

• A byproduct of Brooks going small to match up with Orlando nearly ended tragically. Midway through the second quarter, the Magic had a lineup of Gilbert Arenas, J.J. Redick, Ryan Anderson, Turkoglu and Clark. When Van Gundy re-inserted Howard for Anderson, Durant, who was playing center, had to defend Howard. The look on Durant’s face as Howard walked back onto the court was priceless. As Howard strolled in his direction, Durant never took his eyes off Brooks and the bench. You could read his mind. ‘Uh, coach. Coach…COACH! DO YOU SEE THIS?” Seconds later, Collison came back in for Sefolosha. Durant got two defensive possessions against Howard, though. I don’t have to say it wasn’t pretty.

• The back-to-back 3s by Redick and Jameer Nelson were daggers. They pushed a 10-point deficit to 16 points. It was right then, with 5:30 remaining, that the Thunder knew there was nothing it could do defensively to stop these guys.

• Howard is now one technical foul away from being slapped with an automatic one-game suspension. He picked up his 15th tech this season when he took a backwards swipe at Collison’s head midway through the second quarter. It’s debatable whether Howard should have been ejected. It was as close to a punch as you will see.

• Collison’s body has to be sore after tonight. He took everything Howard had down low. The two pushed and grabbed and threw elbows and just fought all game. At one point, I thought they were really about to fight. Up next for poor Nick, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

• Orlando maybe should have tried to do something else at the deadline. Arenas is not the savior.

• After making 17 of 20 foul shots in OKC on Jan. 13, Howard made eight of 12 tonight. That’s 78 percent for a career 60 percent foul shooter.

• When Howard stepped to the stripe for a three-point play chance with 6:32 left in the third, the crowd erupted in chants of M-V-P. He damn near air-balled his attempt.

• Orlando has a nice building…and the biggest scoreboard in the NBA.

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1) I love both deals. In one trade, the Thunder essentially packaged its out of position power forward (who is probably better suited as a sixth man) and its token starting center for a proven championship caliber center who can anchor its defense. In the other deal, OKC dealt spare parts for additional size, shot-blocking, experience and frontcourt depth. And the Thunder did it all without blowing up its budget in the short or long term. That about sums up the day. Yeah, the Thunder came out a huge winner.

2) I hope Perkins is healthy. The team’s medical staff already has pored over the particulars in Perkins’ history. No red flags were raised during that process, which ultimately paved the way for the Thunder to agree to the deal. Perkins must now pass a physical, and his knees will be the biggest question marks. Perk missed this season’s first 43 games after tearing the MCL and PCL in his knee in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. And he is currently sidelined for at least a week with a sprained MCL in his left knee. If even the slightest sign of something fishy appears during the physical process, we could see the Thunder rescind the deal. I highly doubt that happens. But Thunder general manager Sam Presti has proven in the past (see Tyson Chandler) that he listens to and trusts his medical staff. He’d nix this deal as well if need be. All indications, however, are that the Thunder organization believes Perkins is good to go and ready to be a cornerstone in OKC.

3) The Thunder just got tough. How many teams will want to to pick on a starting frontline of Perkins and Serge Ibaka? The answer is zero. The Thunder won’t be bullied by anyone. Not now. Not in the playoffs. For 2 1/2 seasons, the Thunder has been more of a finesse team. But both of today’s deals add more force and fire. Russell Westbrook is as tough as a point guard as you’ll find (ask Jermaine O’Neal), and Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed have much-needed meanness as well. Perk and Mohammed are a match made in heaven for the Thunder.

4) Don’t underestimate Nate Robinson. It’s easy to look at him as a throw in. Don’t. Robinson has value. And lots of it. Whether he matters in Oklahoma City, though, will all depend on Scott Brooks. If Brooks gives Robinson minutes, he could be a serious spark plug. He scores in bunches and poses problems for defenses. He might be small. But he’s quick, he’s strong and he can shoot. Robinson can also get to the rack. So forget about where he plays. What’s important is that he plays. He’s a point guard but can slide over and steal minutes at the 2 in some situations, or all0w Westbrook to move over at times. Robinson might not fit in OKC long term. But my eyes are locked strictly on this year’s postseason. A scorer like Robinson who can heat up in a hurry is never a bad thing to have coming off your bench. It’s players like Robinson who can steal a game in a series. Just go back and look at Game 4 of last year’s Finals.

5) Say hello to better defense. You’re tired of seeing it. I’m tired of writing about it.  The Thunder’s defense just hasn’t been as good this year as it was last season. At least not consistently. Perkins and Ibaka could be great together. They present ideal size and a perfect blend of bulk and athleticism. Perk is an exceptional position defender. Ibaka is a great shot-blocker who’s at his best when helping off his man. Together, they should shore up the team’s D while making everyone else in front of them better. Now, the Thunder can rely less on helping the post, either on post-ups or penetration, and stay at home more on shooters. It should have a trickle down effect that leads to better 3-point defense.

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• The most significant thing of the night had nothing to do with anything on the court. The most intriguing action surfaced following multiple reports that claim the Thunder is actively searching for a center as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches. Denver’s Nene was at the center of the reports Tuesday, and the Thunder was linked to Memphis shot-blocker Hasheem Thabeet as well. I haven’t heard anything that suggests the Thunder is close to a deal for either player, and my feeling is what’s being reported is snippets of standard conversations. It’s no secret that the Thunder needs improved inside play so the organization is going to be linked to just about every player over 6-9. And the front office would be crazy to not be taking and making calls. So none of the reports come as a surprise. I’ve written that the Thunder has the assets to get a deal done. But I wouldn’t hold my breath for any sort of blockbuster.

• Now to the game. This is what the Thunder is supposed to do to bad teams. Lost in all the Blake Griffin hype was the fact that the Los Angeles Clippers are still the Clippers. They’re 15 games below .500, and the Thunder walked over them like the bottom feeder that they are. Very encouraging result, especially when combined with the Sacramento massacre just before the break.

• The real test comes Wednesday at San Antonio. Starting with the Spurs, and continuing in Orlando on Friday and back here against the L.A. Lakers on Sunday, we’ll get a true sense of where this Thunder team is in this home stretch.

• A huge key in the win tonight was the play of the Thunder’s role players. Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, James Harden, Eric Maynor and Daequan Cook all stepped up in a big way to overcome a poor shooting night from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Each guy chipped in something and made an impact.

• Who would have guessed Durant and Westbrook would combine for 34 points on 32 shots and Green and Harden would combined for 41 points on 23 shots? Not me.

• Give Green credit for this one. He started off in foul trouble but shook off those early struggles and bounced back with a nice offensive performance. What stood out early on is how Green was making the most out of garbage. He found ways to score and capitalized on opportunities when the ball was swung his direction. Classic game for the man known as Uncle Jeff.

• I thought Harden was exceptional tonight. Not perfect, but exceptional. He had only one assist (a beautiful drive and dish to Durant), but his playmaking was better than the assist column gave him credit for. At times, he made the pass that led to the assist. And his shooting touch was on target tonight. He was aggressive unlike he usually is, and his 12 shots tied Green for the second most tonight. More of this type of effort would be welcomed, I’m sure.

• Thunder coach Scott Brooks reiterated at this morning’s shoot-around that Thabo Sefolosha is not on a minute count, adding the starting shooting guard is healing well from his knee injury. “I thought the last game, he moved as well as he moved before he hurt his knee,” Brooks said. “If needed, he can play 30-something minutes.” Well, Sefolosha got only 15 minutes tonight and he’s played more than 20 minutes only once since returning from a three-game absence. If Sefolosha is healthy and not getting minutes, naturally that leads one to wonder if his burn is being transferred to others. Brooks’ answer to that questions wasn’t as resolute as it’s been in the past regarding Sefolosha’s spot. “The thing that I like is we have some depth there,” Brooks said. “Guys have to play their minutes hard and well because we have guys that can step up and play and play well. It’s hard to play three guys in one position. But I will try to find it whenever I can.”

• Meanwhile, Cook continued to pile on the pressure. He made just one shot, a 3-pointer of course, in just a shade less than seven minutes tonight. And while that might not sound like much, Brooks loves Cook’s ability to heat up in a heartbeat. That alone is forcing Brooks to make a decision on divvying up playing time a little differently. It didn’t hurt that Cook’s lone make tonight was a deflating bomb that gave the Thunder a 16-point halftime lead.

• Sefolosha said he’s close to shedding his knee brace and added that his knee is feeling better. “Those days really helped,” he said. “I feel good right now.”

• Am I the only one who thinks Clippers forward Al-Farouq Aminu looks like Dwight Howard’s little brother? I can’t be.

• Nenad Krstic struggled with his shooting touch as well, scoring five points on 1-for-5 shooting. But he said the finger injury he sustained in the game against Sacramento before the break isn’t bothersome even though his left ring finger is still swollen. “It’s still a little swollen. But it’s my left hand. I don’t really use my left hand,” Krstic said. “It’s kind of an old injury just re-injured again. I’m just going to tape it up and play.”

• Griffin is a beast. That’s really all that needs to be said.

• Jeers go out to the Thunder for how it handled Griffin’s pre-game intro. He was the fourth player announced in the Clippers’ starting lineup, which left little to no time for the fans to show their appreciation for not only his play but also his professionalism. Poor decision on the Thunder’s part.

• Cheers go out to the Thunder fans. The Thunder faithful gave Griffin a mighty ovation when he was announced and welcomed him back home with open arms for his pro debut in OKC. And just like good fans should do, you fell silent when he scored his first bucket. You cheered when he was whistled for his first foul. You erupted when he clanged his first foul shot. The only time you went gaga for Griffin was when he skied for an alley-oop from Baron Davis, catching it with one hand after spinning off Ibaka and slamming it home. The play deserved your approval. But most importantly, the throw down was just one highlight in what was already a thumping. The bucket pulled the visitor to within 20 with 7:20 left on the clock.

• Not much went wrong for the Thunder tonight. But two plays really caused me to shake my head. In the final two minutes, the Thunder failed to get a shot off twice. Durant passed off to a teammate with two seconds showing on the shot clock and forced his team into a shot clock violation. And Harden did the same at the quarter buzzer, which prevented the Thunder from breaking a 23-all tie.

• I hope fans appreciate how truly great Westbrook’s block on Eric Bledsoe with 4:20 left in the second quarter was. Point guards aren’t supposed to make those types of plays.

• The Thunder tied a season low with seven turnovers tonight. Considering the Thunder is coming off a weeklong hiatus, that was the most impressive stat of the night. The Clippers scored just two points off those giveaways. Big key to the victory.

• OKC’s 15-0 run to end the second quarter and provide the 16-point lead was the difference tonight. The Clippers were completely cooked at that point.

• Early foul trouble gave Cole Aldrich a chance to get some burn tonight. And he made the most of it. He had two points (on a nifty baseline spin for a dunk), five boards and a blocked shot. Not bad for his first action since Dec. 22. Cole showed he clearly has developed defensively. And he rebounded like he never wanted to go back to the bench. Said Durant: “He came in and got four quick rebounds for us; played great defense. “He looked fluid on the offensive end. So I was happy for him. After not playing for so long and then coming in and giving us some great minutes, that’s what we needed from him. And I’m sure if he gets the playing time he’s going to continue to play well.”

• And then there’s this from Brooks. The coach said Aldrich’s promotion to the active list was not a one-time maneuver done due to the possibility of foul trouble tonight in the back of his mind. “I think it’s time,” Brooks said. “He had a great two days of practice before the break, and he had a good month in Tulsa. It’s time. He’s earned an opportunity to dress. It’s nothing that Cole doesn’t do. It’s what we have. Serge, Nick and Nenad do a great job of filling that position.”

• To make room for Aldrich, D.J. White was sent to the inactive list.

• Last year, players insisted they weren’t concerned with playoff seeding. Now, it’s already becoming a talking point. And I think better positioning should be a goal. “It’s very important, especially with how tight the West is in the playoff race,” Durant said about getting off to a good start in the final 28 games. “We want to get as high as we can…We got a good win, something we can build on.”

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