Grizzlies 105, Thunder 101
News, notes and observations from Tuesday’s loss to Memphis.
- A few people asked me after the game (and some during when the outcome looked in doubt) whether this could be classified as a bad loss. I say yes. But only on the surface. The Grizzlies were shorthanded. They were on the second night of a back-to-back. And, quite frankly, they’re mediocre. The Thunder, meanwhile, had its full complement of players, had not laced them up since Saturday and is a top four team in the West. For all those reasons, this was a bad loss. But the Grizzlies played terrific basketball in the second half and earned this win. It’s not like the Thunder lost to a team going through the motions.
- With that said, OKC couldn’t have rolled out the red carpet more than it did. The Thunder blew a 13-point lead (10 at the half) by throwing it away a season-high 23 times, 12 coming in the second half. Memphis scored 31 points off the Thunder’s turnovers and had 27 fast break points.
- Bad offense burned the Thunder. Disregard the turnovers. Even in spite of them the Thunder could have won this game. But OKC couldn’t get a quality shot on three separate occasions in late-game situations — once at the end of regulation and twice in the final 17 seconds of overtime. The Thunder also missed six free throws in the fourth quarter and overtime (all of them by the point guards, Russell Westbrook and Eric Maynor, of all players). And OKC made sharing the ball look like a foreign subject.
- Strangely enough, the defense was actually good tonight. The Thunder held the Grizzlies to 24 points in the first quarter. It was the first time in seven games that the Thunder has held an opponent under 25 points in the opening period. Memphis’ 44 first-half points marked the first time in 14 games that the Thunder held an opponent to less than 50 points in the first half. OKC allowed Memphis to outscore it 30-17 in the third quarter, but much of that goes back to the turnover issues. The Thunder had six in the period, which led to 10 Grizzlies points. But the Thunder out-rebounded the Grizzlies 58-36, which included an 18-6 advantage on the offensive glass.
- From a team standpoint, the defense was solid. I did not like Kevin Durant’s defense at all tonight. KD wasn’t really engaged on that end all night. Tony Allen beat Durant with sheer hustle on at least two possessions, scoring in transition both times as Durant jogged back on D. The second instance saw Durant stroll back as Allen sprinted. And when Greivis Vasquez missed a 3-pointer, Allen was right there for the putback while KD was standing near the 3-point line watching. The play gave the Grizzlies a 72-71 lead, their first since 22-21.
- The rest of this entry could easily be about Allen. He was awesome tonight. His defense on Durant was smothering. And his assertiveness on offense was much-needed for the Grizzlies and unmatched by anyone on the Thunder.
- Here’s what Thunder coach Scott Brooks said of Allen: “The guy was All-Pro all night. Both ends of the floor. Twenty-seven points and he made Kevin work for every shot. I thought he won the game for them. Give him a lot of credit. He’s a competitor. Certain guys in this league compete every possession and he’s one of them. He competes every possession. And I love guys that hate getting scored on and he’s one of them.”
Monday (Evening) Mailbag
Cole Aldrich has played just 54 total minutes in seven games. Not quite what fans envisioned from the No. 11 overall pick.
After a lengthy delay thanks to some technical difficulties, the weekly mailbag is here.
In this week’s edition, we tackle realignment, whether Byron Mullens and Cole Aldrich will ever pan out, what’s up with Thabo Sefolosha, whether the Thunder can win the Northwest Division and where OKC could finish in the standings.
As always, join the discussion next time if you’d like.
Enjoy.
Is the Northwest Division there for the taking if Melo is traded? – Nax.
The division crown is the Thunder’s to lose, no matter what happens with Melo. The Thunder currently has a 3 1/2 game lead, and if it can’t hold off Denver or Utah that has to be considered a disappointment. There is plenty of time left and anything can happen, especially with the Thunder still having to face the Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz a combined five times. Those five games could be the difference. But it shouldn’t come down to that and here’s why: 19 of the Thunder’s final 32 games are against teams currently below .500. The Thunder is 18-4 against sub-.500 teams and has developed a knack for winning close games. Even if the Thunder runs into a rough patch, I don’t see Denver or Utah coming up with enough consistency to climb ahead of the Thunder.
I was impressed with Daequan’s D. By impressed I mean that he was actually trying to play D, which is more than can be said for other Thunder players. – Rich.
Nothing inspires like a half a season sitting the bench. But I agree with you. Cook has busted his butt on the defensive end when given the opportunity to play. The results aren’t always pretty. But he’s a shooter, not a defender. If defense is mostly about effort, though, Cook has got that part down. I’m not willing to go as far as saying the others don’t try. They haven’t sustained their effort for a full game. But there have been moments when the entire team has come to play defensively.
Will the NBA restructure the divisions in near future? – Didoff
I haven’t heard anything like that. I reported when the NBA’s board of governors approved the franchise’s move to OKC that the league had no intention of realigning. As far as I know, nothing has changed. Keep an eye on the Hornets and Kings. If one or both of those teams relocate, the league might have to consider realigning. But even then, I don’t think the NBA wants to get into the business of reshuffling divisions each time a team relocates (which has become the fallback plan for every floundering franchise). If no team moves, I think it’s a safe bet that the divisions will remain intact. But that opinion is coming from a guy who thinks the current setup is fine the way it is.
DM! What’s your beef with Monta Ellis? Give the man some love. – @ShadeTreeGambler
I see you’ve brought our Twitter beef to the mailbag. Nice! But I don’t have a problem with Monta, except he’s a chucker who plays on a bad team that runs a fast-paced offense and pays little attention to defense. Other than that, I think he’s a splendid player. I love watching him put the ball in the hole. He’s one of the best pure scorers in the league in my eyes. But the coaches got it right. As I said on Twitter, Ellis had no business even being mentioned as an All-Star ahead of Russell Westbrook. : )
Why doesn’t KD use fakes that much? He can draw more fouls that way instead of shooting contested shots. Do you get a chance to see different things these guys work on in scrimmages that they don’t show in real games? What has caught your eye? – Kamal.
Rarely is KD’s shot contested. His height, length, elevation and quick and high release essentially make most of his shots good looks. I’ve never really asked around or put much thought into why Durant doesn’t use more fakes. But now that you’ve brought it up, I think that’s something that actually could hurt Durant’s game. KD is a rhythm player, much more than most. He’s at his best when he’s catching and shooting. A series of fakes could throw off that rhythm. It could make him go from Kevin Durant to Kevin Martin. Fakes work extremely well for a guy like Martin, who is one of the most efficient scorers in the league. But Martin almost has to rely on fakes because he’s shorter and has a slower and more unorthodox release than Durant. Drawing more fouls is the least of Durant’s concerns. His focus needs to be being stronger with the ball. The majority of practices and scrimmages are closed to the media. Occasionally, I’ll see a player putting in extra work after practice. Most of it is pretty standard shooting drills.
Why doesn’t Scott Brooks just play our best players instead of adjusting to the other team’s personnel? Seems as though Brooks is reacting instead of dictating. It was particularly apparent in the Wizards game when their bigs got in foul trouble. – James.
A lot of coaches do that. It took me a while to understand why as well. But it basically boils down to whether you believe your player can get the better of that night’s mismatch. If you believe he has the upper hand and will be more of a force than a liability, you go with what you have. If there is doubt, you match up. Ultimately, Serge Ibaka, the player who was most affected in that Wizards game, has a much greater chance of getting torched by an odd matchup than he does of having his way. When you look at it like that, I think you have to matchup. The only two players the Thunder has that can dominate against anyone are Durant and Westbrook. Everyone else is a role player. The way I see it, the best way Brooks can dictate is to put his best horses on the floor and make it a track meet. But that’s not going to happen consistently because the Thunder wants to be a defensive team.
Where is Cole Aldrich these days? IR, D League, end of the bench? Having played so long in College, unless he is Hurt, he looks like (another) “Sonics” miss on a big man in the first round. WOW. A LOT the past six years…Swift, Petro, the signing of what’s his name from Dallas a few years ago. ONLY Ibaka working out well…! – Bob in Seattle.
You can’t put Swift, Sene and Petro on the current regime. They had nothing to do with their selections. Let’s give Aldrich and Byron Mullens some time before we write them off as busts. Big men take longer to develop, and both guys are just 22 (Mullens turns 22 next Monday). They’ve got a lot of time to improve and make something out of their careers. Aldrich was recently recalled from the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. He played well during his stint and has shown that he’s willing to work hard to get better. I wouldn’t count him out just yet. He could prove to be a nice defensive presence in the middle in the next year or two. At the very least, he’s got six more fouls to offer.
I’m watching the Thunder box scores from back here in Columbus, Ohio and it seems Mullens is buried very deep in the bench without much chance of ever developing into a contributing NBA player. I would like to get your take on Mullens’ future with the Thunder and or NBA. Thanks. – Scott.
It’s hard to say since he rarely plays. All I can really go on is the improvement Mullens showed from his first year to his second. He’s looked much better, dating to his first showing of his sophomore season in the Orlando Summer League. He’s become stronger, more confident and has added some more skills. Again, he’s a week shy of his 22nd birthday. I still like him as a prospect. There’s no telling what he can be in five years. If the Thunder gives up on him, I’d bet there are at least a dozen other teams willing to give him a chance. But down here in OKC, Mullens is in a good situation. There is no pressure on him right now to provide anything but an impact on practice court. Meanwhile, he’s learning from some solid veterans (Nick Collison and Nenad Krstic) and a strong coaching staff both with the Thunder (Mark Bryant) and the 66ers (Nate Tibbetts and Dale Osbourne). Be patient and see if it pays off.
It wears me out that so many fans seem to think of James Harden as successful only if he hits his 3′s. But my view has always been that the Thunder took him ahead of Stephen Curry because of the potential Harden has to be a more complete player. How do you feel Harden has performed in the starting role with Thabo sidelined, particularly on defense? – Mike.
Before Sefolosha came back, Harden looked uncomfortable playing alongside the starters. But you really can’t blame him. He’s been a reserve for a year and a half and has been asked to adjust his game to that of a supporting cast member. His defense was, however, encouraging. He had moments where he was easily beaten off the dribble and on backdoor cuts while also being ran ragged on screens. But he always stuck with it. That’s the encouraging thing. Harden has had every reason to gripe but hasn’t. He’s fulfilling his role to the best of his ability and that’s had to be a challenging assignment. I’m not sure if we would be able to say the same if Curry was on this team.
Is it too early to tell how the Thunder will be positioned for the playoffs? – Joe.
Not at all. It’s become pretty clear that the Thunder will be seeded between 3 and 5. The most likely spots are 4 and 5. And I think the first-round matchup will be either Denver or Utah. Both would be highly entertaining matchups. I like the Thunder’s chances more against the Jazz than the Nuggets.
Do you have any read on what’s up with Thabo? Is he injured, or having issues with his teammates? His on-court production has been bad this year, especially the past month or 2. I really thought he was great last year, especially on defense, and to see this kind of dramatic drop-off is a little troubling. And with Harden and Cook outplaying him almost nightly, do you sense that Thabo’s time in the starting lineup is coming to an end? – Peter.
Sefolosha admits he’s not fully recovered. The knee is still uncomfortable, and the bulky brace that he’s been wearing has restricted some of his movements. I think you’re being too hard on him though. He hasn’t been as good as he was last year. But I wouldn’t say that he’s been bad. At least not the majority of the time. One thing I’ve been curious about is how much of his slippage has to do with the overall team’s dip. Everyone looks better when the team defense is locked in. But I doubt we see a chance to the starting lineup anytime this season. Scott Brooks at the midway point of the season all but guaranteed he wouldn’t change the first five. And as long as the Thunder keeps piling up the wins, Brooks doesn’t see a reason to go a different direction.
-DM-
Thunder 104, Hornets 93
Nuggets from my notebook from Wednesday’s win over New Orleans.
- Scott Brooks said Serge Ibaka wasn’t in the doghouse. Brooks insisted much of the reason Ibaka sat the bench the previous two games was because of matchups. A side issue was Ibaka’s lack of energy against the Heat. Against the Hornets, the matchups were more favorable and Ibaka brought the energy. In a big way. Ibaka had three blocks in the first quarter alone and was a major presence on both ends. He finished with eight points, 12 boards and six blocks in 33 minutes.
- When asked about Ibaka’s performance during his postgame press conference, Brooks had a little fun at my expense. “He finally got out of the doghouse and played,” Brooks said. “I was Serge’s best teammate tonight. I gave him some minutes.”
- For Wednesday’s paper, I wrote about how Trevor Ariza has had success against Kevin Durant this season. Sure enough, Durant quickly put an end to that. Late in the first half, KD had 19 points and was perfect from the floor (5-for-5), the 3-point line (3-for-3) and the foul line (6-for-6). Durant finished with 21 points in the first half en route to 43 for the game.
- This is the third time in four games that Durant has scored at least 40 points. Tonight’s scoring surge bumped his season average to 29.2 points. Back-to-back scoring titles, here Durant comes.
- What impressed me the most about Durant is that he stopped shooting with 5 1/2 minutes left despite sitting on 43 points. He could have forced his way to 50. But he decided to make the right play instead. He found or created open shots for Jeff Green, Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka. They didn’t finish plays and get Durant an assist. But his unselfishness was noteworthy.
- Something else that will probably get lost in Durant’s performance: rebounds. Durant had 10 of them and really picked it up in the second half when his team needed it most. With the exception of one rebound opportunity that Durant sat there and watched all but fall into David West’s hands in the second half, Durant showed that he’s really focused on becoming a better rebounder. He’s averaged 10.8 boards over his past six games.
Thunder 101, Knicks 98
Wonder what Mike D'Antoni is thinking here?
Nuggets from my notebook from Saturday’s win over New York.
- Kevin Durant needed this game-winner. There’s no other way to put it. He hadn’t made one since his rookie season. And he was growing incredibly frustrated with his failures in these last-second spots. Add to that, Durant came into this game on the verge of a slump, shooting 14 of 42 in his previous two contests. His nine of 24 performance before the game winner was threatening to extend that streak. But tonight’s fadeaway 3 from the right wing was a huge. Even if it doesn’t lead to more consistent clutch shots, it will serve as affirmation for Durant that sticking with it will pay off.
- I hate to be a Darnell downer. But this win covered up a lot of bad things. The Thunder’s performance was downright pitiful for much of this game. The first-half defense (60 points allowed) was deemed “embarrassing” by Thunder coach Scott Brooks. And even though the Thunder held New York to 38 second-half points, the Knicks were waltzing down the lane, getting open shots on the perimeter and securing offensive rebounds with ease.
- As I wrote in today’s paper, Brooks said he would manage minutes differently rather than tinker with his starting lineup if he feels a change is needed. And we saw that in a big way tonight. Jeff Green played just 29 minutes tonight, only 10 in the second half. Thabo Sefolosha played only 15 minutes, just eight in the second half.
- Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison were the biggest beneficiaries of the starters’ scaled-back playing time. And Ibaka and Collison stepped up big time. Ibaka had a career-high 15 rebounds to go with 11 points and two blocks. Collison stat sheet, three points, five rebounds, one steal and one block, won’t wow you. But his defense on Amar’e Stoudemire and all-around hustle were extremely important in this win. Together, Collison and Ibaka helped hold Stoudemire to 18 points on 18 shots. That’s more than six points below Stoudemire’s average. Ibaka’s double-double, meanwhile, was his seventh this season.
Question Of The Day
The second half of the season starts tonight with the Thunder at Denver.
Oklahoma City currently is third in the West at 27-14, but we all know the Thunder has lots to work on in these final 41 prior to the playoffs. Is there something that can solve just some of the team’s issues and help the Thunder perform better down the stretch? That’s the topic of discussion for our panel in today’s question of the day.
What is one change you would like to see the Thunder make in the second half of the season?
JOHN ROHDE
Force tempo more. The Thunder on the run is one of the prettiest sights in the NBA. I sat next to a scout at the Lakers game Monday who was absolutely floored when watching the Thunder in transition. Opposing fans gasp when the Thunder goes on a fastbreak. Get the ball up-court quickly, even after the opponent scores. Outscore whatever mistakes you might make defensively. Lead the league in scoring. You’ve got the horses. Run ‘em.
BERRY TRAMEL
Quit shooting so many 3-pointers. If you can’t make ‘em, don’t shoot ‘em. The Thunder has attempted 632 3-pointers, which is just 22nd in the league. But that’s still too many for a team making just 32.4 percent of them, which ranks last in the 30-team NBA. You don’t have to launch a bunch of treys; Boston is third in the league in 3-point percentage, .389, yet ranks 29th in 3-pointers attempted with 560. That’s right, the Celtics are shooting significantly better than the Thunder from 3-point range but has attempted 72 fewer 3-pointers. Shoot 20-footers. Shoot 15-footers. Shoot hook shots. Drive to the hoop. Shoot bank shots. Shoot anything except so many dang 3-pointers.
JENNI CARLSON
Keep guys from getting to the basket so easily. Too often this season, Thunder opponents have scored easy baskets because no one has stopped them from getting to the rim. There have been uncontested ally-oop dunks. There have been layups where the guy has driven the lane and almost gone untouched. Listen, I understand that the other team is going to score points. The Thunder isn’t going to shut out someone. But when points are scored because no one stops the dribble or takes a charge or gets a body on a big man? That has to stop.
DARNELL MAYBERRY
Start Serge Ibaka. Quit fooling around with 26 minutes a night. Give Ibaka starter’s minutes and let’s see how hi’s presence in the first five might alter the defense. Stick him in for Nenad Krstic. It’s not the ideal position for Ibaka, and there might be more breakdowns initially. But Ibaka has proven to be a fast learner and the Thunder is 6-3 when Ibaka starts at center. Ibaka’s athleticism also complements Jeff Green and allows for better weak side help and more protection in the paint. Besides, one guy we know is going to be around next year. The other guy’s roster spot isn’t so safe. Krstic and Nick Collison never play together, but they could be an intriguing frontline. With the right matchups, they’d be a good defensive pair, while Krstic could have more of an opportunity to score in the second unit.
-DM-
Thunder 125, Magic 124
Nuggets from my notebook from Thursday’s win over Orlando.
- Nenad Krstic played perhaps the best quarter of his life in a Thunder uniform in the first period. He pulled down nine rebounds, which tied his season high, and scored six points. His defense on Dwight Howard was exceptional and he was great establishing himself as a presence in the paint.
- Krstic’s final stat line, 16 points and 11 rebounds, marked his first double-double this season.
- Russell Westbrook was awesome again. He notched his second triple-double this season and you could see it coming from the opening tip. Westbrook was all over the court, finding any way he could to make an impact.
- Kevin Durant’s efficiency is starting to show. He’s now connected on at least 50 percent from the field in each of the past four games. His percentages in those four, from latest to oldest: 76.5, 58.8, 54.2 and 50.
- Jeff Green came up with yet another clutch play tonight. His fadeaway 3-pointer at the shot clock buzzer with 2:51 left to play pushed the Thunder’s lead to 119-112, effectively creating breathing room for OKC down the stretch. I asked Green what makes him so good in those situations: “I’m always confident in myself,” Green said. “No matter how I’m shooting. If I’m 0-for-11 when the time comes or if I’m 7-for-7, I’m going to shoot the ball if it’s in my hands and I have an opportunity to make a play.”
- The Thunder is now 7-0 in national televised games, 3-0 on TNT. Several players were asked about that record after the game and the consensus was the team didn’t have many last season and are trying to capitalize on the exposure this year.
Thunder 118, Rockets 112
News, notes and observations from Wednesday’s win at Houston.
- Nenad Krstic won the jump ball…over Jordan Hill. That’s not something you see often.
- By now you know about the Thunder franchise’s 11-game losing streak at Houston. It stretched back to 2005 and ended tonight. Nick Collison, the longest tenured member of the franchise, was particularly pleased to finally record a victory in Houston. He hadn’t done it since he was a rookie and said after the game that he doesn’t even remember that win. ““We don’t talk about it a lot,” Collison said. “But every time I come here, I think about it because I’ve been here a long time. We’ve had a lot of games that we seemed to have given away in the end. There were a lot of tough losses here so it’s nice to finally get a win.”
- The Thunder’s energy and sense of purpose to start the game looked 10 times better than it did when the team lost here on Nov. 28. This time, OKC looked like it actually wanted to be here and it resulted in a great start offensively. The score was tied at 31 after one quarter, largely because the Thunder didn’t play great defense. But with the exception of a few turnovers and poor transition defense, the Thunder did a much better job of setting the tone.
- In the first quarter, Jeff Green looked like a real deal stretch 4. He pulled Luis Scola away from the paint and knocked down two of his first 3-pointers in rhythm and without hesitation when the ball was swung his way. With more consistency, you could see how Green would be an extremely useful player as this core grows — Again, with more consistency.
- I don’t think it would be a stretch to say second half defense is starting to become a bit of a staple for the Thunder. Over the past three games, OKC has outscored opponents 58 to 50.3 on average in the second half. The Thunder has been outscored 52 to 50.2 on average in the first half. On paper, that’s not a huge difference. But some too-little-too-late scoring has helped opponents. Said Thunder coach Scott Brooks of his team’s second half defense: “It’s probably right up there with the better teams.” All that’s left is to see it consistently and against the league’s better teams.
- For Thursday’s paper, I wrote about how Brooks’ halftime speeches lately have helped spur the Thunder’s second-half performances. And there was a funny exchange between Brooks and a local reporter after the game about something along those lines. The reporter asked Brooks if he had mentioned to his team Houston’s tendency to start slow in the third quarters. Said Brooks: “I did not know that and did not mention it. Even if I did know that I wouldn’t tell our guys because they would relax even more.”
- Brooks essentially gave Thabo Sefolosha the game ball for this one. Sefolosha, who I had noted in this space has been quiet lately (which Brooks attributed in part to reduced minutes), grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. That ties Sefolosha’s career high, which he’s done twice before. “I thought the defense by Thabo and the rebounding by Thabo won this game tonight.”
Thunder 109, Grizzlies 100
Nuggets from my notebook from Saturday’s win over Memphis
- The Thunder was physical tonight. More than anything, that’s what won it the game., After getting bullied in Memphis, the Thunder came home and pushed back. You could see the fight from the start. Jeff Green played like he took Zach Randolph’s monster game (and his own poor performance) Tuesday personally. Nick Collison came in and did all he could to slow down the Grizzlies’ big men. The Thunder set the tone early and made Memphis fight for everything it got.
- Another huge factor tonight was the job the Thunder did on the Grizzlies supporting cast around Randolph. Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Tony Allen, Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo, Darrell Arthur and Greivis Vasquez combined to score 71 points on 27 of 70 shots. That’s 38.6 percent, and had the Thunder not allowed so many offensive rebounds its defensive effort would have looked even better than it was.
- Mayo absolutely killed Memphis tonight. He jacked up shots every time he touched the ball. He put his teammates in bad positions. And he played horrible defense. His awful shot selection and unwillingness to stop shooting stood out most. Kevin Durant scored 29 more points than Mayo on only seven more shots.
- Durant’s 40 points were so impressive because they came in the flow of the game. He didn’t force his way to 40 by taking ill-advised shots. KD went 1-for-7 from the 3-point line, and at some point he probably should stop settling if they’re not going. But he made 13 of 14 free throws and 13 of 24 shots from the field.
- Russell Westbrook had a few “what-is-he-doing” moments. But overall, he was great tonight. He’s leading the team extremely well right now. And I think, with the exception of a few games here and there, he’s slowly getting his turnover problems under control.
Thunder 99, Mavs 95
Nuggets from my notebook from Thursday’s win at Dallas.
- With a minute and a half left in this one, the Mavs were sitting on 31 second-half points. DeShawn Stevenson then made three 3-pointers to make the final score look more respectable than it should have been. But those 31 second-half points were a testament to how great the Thunder’s second half defense was. Said Thunder coach Scott Brooks: “That was the problem. We only played defense in the second half…It takes 48 minutes of that type of effort. And it’s hard to do but you have to do it.”
- This from our man Berry Tramel: the thunder’s defense was so bad in the first half that not a single starter registered a foul. I’m not sure that’s not some kind of record.
- The Thunder got back to moving the ball in this one. The ball movement was absolutely excellent. Players were making plays for others, and it made a big difference. Eric Maynor did a great job of getting guys involved, and his efforts shouldn’t be forgotten.
- How big was Serge Ibaka tonight? He had 13 points and eight boards in 24 minutes. He had some huge dunks and did a great job of helping OKC control the paint with five offensive rebounds. His putback of Russell Westbrook’s miss with 4:23 left was a game-changer. It ended a 6-0 Dallas run that helped the Mavs pull within six. Kevin Durant hit a jumper on the next trip to put the Thunder back up 10. Big-time performance by Ibaka.
- Got to give credit to Jeff Green for bouncing back after a brutal outing in Memphis. His 16 points on 17 shots won’t knock your socks off. But he battled and, after failing to secure a single rebound against the Griz, pulled down nine tonight.
Grizzlies 110, Thunder 105
Nuggets from my notebook from Tuesday’s loss at Memphis.
- James Harden had one of the best games I’ve ever seen from him tonight. He was great offensively, hitting his shots without hesitation and setting up his teammates a few times for easy scores. And he was pretty solid defensively as well. The play that he stopped Tony Allen and Sam Young within seconds highlighted his night defensively.
- Harden has now scored at least 10 points in 12 straight games. That’s a career best. Harden has scored double digits in 17 of his past 20 games. It suggests the second-year guard is becoming consistent, which I’ll have more on in Thursday’s paper.
- I kept one eye on the stat monitor during this one to keep track of how long it would take for Rudy Gay and Jeff Green to each pull down their first rebound. It took Gay 28 minutes. Green’s never came.
- This was as poor of a game as I’ve seen Green play. Typically, he’s solid in something. Tonight, he stunk at everything. He couldn’t defend Zach Randolph. He couldn’t make a shot. And he didn’t set up anything offensively for his teammates. Green’s first (and only) field goal came with 10:54 left to play. The best thing Green did tonight was go 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.
- As the minutes went on, I was like a lot of Thunder fans probably were watching at home, thinking to myself why doesn’t coach Scott Brooks put in Serge Ibaka. Green was struggling so much and clearly too small for Randolph that it seemed like a natural move. But it never happened. Randolph finished with 31 points and 16 rebounds, both game highs.
- Something else that stood out was eight minutes in the second half despite playing near flawlessly in the first half. Brooks said he opted to use a big lineup late in the game to try to get control of the rebounding game.
- Give the Thunder credit for this. In the fourth quarter, the defense on Randolph really picked up. Nenad Krstic, Nick Collison, Green and Ibaka really tag-teamed Randolph. They fronted, flashed over, dug down and pushed back. Hardly any of it was enough. Randolph still found a way to be effective. The guy had it going tonight, and on nights like that there is not much you can do.
