(Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
At halftime, Kevin Durant was 3-10 from the floor with just six points. And I’d bet you nobody was happier.
For really the first time this year, his Thunder teammates picked up the slack. It’s not like Durant was playing bad, but for once, he wasn’t forced to play good. The Warriors focused their defensive effort on KD and so Durant deferred to the other two Broingtons. Jeff Green was awesome in the first 24, putting up a double-double (17-10) and James Harden had 15 points (10-10 from the line), as OKC held a 51-50 lead at halftime over Golden State. Just hold down the fort and wait for KD to start cooking and that’s exactly what Harden and Green did.
And all it took was Durant remembering how awesome he is and the Thunder took control in the second half to run away from Golden State, 104-88, notching win No. 11 and finishing this homestand 3-2.
Here’s a good stat: This is the first time this season the Warriors have been held under 90 points. How’s that for defensive improvement? A 29-18 third quarter did the trick for OKC, though it didn’t go as smooth as the box score seems. The Thunder scored seven quick points out of the locker room in literally a minute. Russell Westbrook had five in 10 seconds. But after that, OKC scored six over the next eight minutes. The offense stalled, the team got lazy and GSW cut the score to 63-62. But OKC finished on a 16-5 run to really take the game over.
But back to Harden and Green. Uncle Jeff had his best game of the season, scoring 21 points on 9-16 shooting (1-2 from 3) along with pulling down 13 boards (seven offensive). Harden went 13-14 from the line to finish with 26 points, but The Bearded Wonder also had nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers. This is exactly what OKC needed when it drafted Harden. A scorer that could pick up the slack when needed. Russell Westbrook didn’t play all that well (12 points, 4-17 shooting, three assists, seven rebounds, four turnovers), Durant had the underwhelming half and Krstic, Sefolosha, Collison and Livingston all combined for just 17 points. Without Harden stepping up, OKC loses this game.
Notes:
- Shaun Livingston looked really good in 18 minutes tonight. He didn’t score (just took one shot), but had seven rebounds and three assists. He didn’t look completely healthy, but I thought he looked solid.
- Thabo guarded Monta Ellis for virtually the entire night. Ellis finished with 28 points, but took 28 shots to get there. He also turned it over nine times. I’d say Thabo did pretty good.
- Westbrook looked lazy and tired and lackadaisical in the first half. I don’t know if he’s necessarily pouting, but I don’t see a fire in his belly like Durant or Green sometimes. Sometimes I wonder if he’s worried about his own rather than the scoreboard. He played a much better second half with a ton more energy, but I don’t like seeing extended minutes with Russ not going all out. I know his box score doesn’t look great, but he got picked up by his teammates and he made some crucial plays during OKC’s big run in the third. Still though, lately I’ve been worrying about what Russ sees as most important…
- OKC had 57 (!) rebounds. GSW had just 37. I knew the Thunder had an advantage on the glass, but sheesh.
- Nick Collison gives such a boost off the bench. Eight points, six rebounds in 28 minutes. He makes so many little plays it’s like he’s worth 20 points.
- No Serge Ibaka tonight. I thought he was supposed to be in the regular rotation? I bet Scott Brooks didn’t like a matchup for some reason. He typically plays nine guys, but just eight saw burn tonight.
- KD got it rolling in the second half. He finished with 28 (9-24, 2-6 from 3), nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. One thing Durant does is score well within the offense. He never really forced things and waited for his chance to score. Twenty-two points and 6-14 from the field is a nice second half.
- A big blow to GSW was Corey Maggette getting tossed. He was playing well inside and was adding a real physical presence for the Warriors. But he stupidly got himself tossed and OKC quickly went on its big run.
- What was the deal with that giant pad on Harden’s left knee?
- In case you were wondering, it takes Kevin Durant five steps (FIVE!) to go from halfcourt to the rim. Absolutely insane.
- With the game in hand, Scott Brooks kept his starters in late. I don’t really know why. Durant logged another 45 minutes and Green 39. I just don’t feel like it was necessary to keep them both on the floor up 17 late.
This is exactly what the Thunder needed as they head off to Memphis before hitting a tough stretch of games. A loss here would have really, really hurt. But instead the Thunder was (mostly) focused and played a solid game. The thing about these guys is that even when they shoot poorly and don’t execute, the defense can keep them in it. To hold GSW to 88 points is impressive. Most impressive.
Harden and Green get gold stars for the night, as well as Thabo for his solid D on Ellis. Three players accounted for 75 of OKC’s 104 points and that’s what’s so great – it was a team effort. Guys stepped up. Which is a really nice sign heading into a difficult run of games.
Next up is four days of rest and then a roadie at Memphis Friday night. Maybe that’s why Durant played 45.
@dooney. I've been able to move down almost every game. With the exception of the tickets I bought lowers for (milwuakee, Philly, LAL, GS) only asked to move once and that was the Houston game. We got valley and moved to front row right behind the Rocket's bench. We moved to the seats right behind those.
yeah at least with livingston playing as the backup PG we dont lose russ rebounding ability and livingston is waay better then ollie
@f5alcon
Maybe not all of them, but in the game last night it was if though Brooks had enough and pulled Russ, just after one of his ill advised shots and put in Shaun.
also brooks calls plays from the sideline, and im sure some of them include westbrook taking the shot right away. yes a lot of the time his bad shots are all him, but not all of them
he averages 13.25 shots in the games where he has less then 7 assists and 14.01 shots in games where he gets 7 or more assists, so he doesnt shoot more when he gets less assists, its the opposite, he gets more assists when he takes more shots probably because he has the defenders closing out on him opening up other players.
and really yes the last 2 games he took more shots but beyond that he really hasnt taken more then normal.
@RH
I notice the main problem with Thabo's jumper is that he has almost zero arch on it. He has the most flat shot of anyone 6'7 that i've ever seen.
@f5alcon
You didn't keep in mind that Westbrook jacks up shots from all over the court without even remotely passing the ball once either.
The low RW assist rate is tied to Durants FG%, in the games where westbrook had 7 or more assists durant shot 46.9% in the games where RW didnt durant shot 44.4%, and if you take out the boston game durants FG% is only 41% in games where RW has less then 7 assists.
As a team its 42.9% in games with less then 7 and 46.7% with 7 or more. So the fact that his assists are down is not entirely his fault.
@Royce
You have several DT readers that are seat grabbing vagabonds! That's the only negative about becoming a better team.... less opportunities to move down to the lower bowl. I've only been able to do it once this season and be confident I won't be asked to move out of the rightful owners seat.
@Brett
I just now realized my iPhone screwed with my spelling. "last couple of minutes" and "Thunder's offense isolated."
I don't see the Tony Parker comparison with Westbrook. Just different styles of games and contributions. Westbrook's much more of a stat sheet stuffer type than Parker. He has the potential to put up triple doubles while Parker lacks the rebounding ability for the feat.
I think what it comes down to is that Parker is one of the most lethal scorers in the game and Westbrook doesn't have that type of ability. If Parker wasn't in the San Antonio system playing suppressed minutes, surrounded by great players, he could average 25 points a game. He has that type of scoring chops. Westbrook isn't in that elite scorer category.
Parker's role is to score as well as make enough plays for others. Westbrook's is to be all over the floor, rebounding, defending, scoring enough. The guy I think compares closest to Parker is Derrick Rose. Now there's a guy whose game isn't of the all-around variety but has similar scoring ability from the point guard position.
One final comment tonight. I noticed it and Royce commented on it, but for a few possessions in the 3rd quarter we were lazy on offense and had nearly no movement without the ball, ran the shot clock down, and hurled up a shot that was created one-on-one with an expiring shot clock.
Sounds bad, right?
Well, I love that we can complain about a stretch of a few minutes in a win where we had this problem instead of last year, when it seemed we would go entire quarters (or halves) with an anemic offense. So while I would like to see these types of lapses go away, I'm considering it a good thing that these types of stretches are becoming more rare.
@Brad
I completely agree on the turnover comment - it's something that will hopefully just improve over time. And RW seems to take more jump shots than I can ever remember Parker taking, but I don't ever feel like RW has nights where he just lights it up from 18 feet. I like him much more when he's attacking, just like Parker.
Not to continue on the Spurs comparisons, but doesn't it seem like Sefolosha is one consistent jump shot away from being very Bruce Bowen-esque? I realize a consistent jumper is a lot to ask, and I don't mean to state what is completely obvious, but the fact that he doesn't require a defender when he's standing at the three point line can sometimes collapse the defense as they cheat off of him. All he needs is one shot that can keep them honest.
Slow night tonight but anybody like CJ Watson? As a PG? Having a good season, on offense.
If Russ is special or going to be special it is mostly likely as a driving force not a jump shooter. Like Parker.
should be... 3) if "misses" on a wild drive
teaching plan for Westbrook might be
1) if he misses a jump shot
Hey Russ follow that up with a drive or a pass or drive/pass to somebody else
2) if he hits a jump shot
Hey Russ now you got him set up for the drive!
3) if makes a wild drive
Hey Russ look around more for the passing opportunities on that next drive
4) if he make a drive
Good one Russ; hit em again!
3-4th best at most. Maybe 5th actually.
RH team power rankings suggest you are right about the NW division being at least the deepest in quality, though the leading team is probably 3-4th best among the 6 divisions.
If Westbrook is similar to Parker, and Harden is similar to Ginobili and Thabo is similar to Bowen and Durant is similar to no one or is the super younger version of Finley, I not sure Green is (Horry might be the claim) and Krstic is Oberto... then no one is the Duncan. Unless Durant is a SF early version of Duncan and Green is the PF version of Finley?
@RH
I've been SCREAMING the TP comparisons on okcthunderfans.com for a year and a half. SOOO true! I remember during a preseason game against the Spurs in Texas there were fans on this blog (and others) saying Brooks didn't really know how to coach a PG and Greg Pop clearly knew what he was doing because he wasn't constantly in Parker's ear the way Brook's was in Russel's. I remember when Parker was young and there were games I thought Popovich was going to kill him because he'd drive the lane and turn it over. With the exception of Parkers lack of dunking ability, the comparison is actually strikingly similar. Not a "pass first point guard" with unbelievable speed and athleticism. Not a great shooter, but a workable shooter.
I don't really anything solid on Blake Ahern but I see a few reasons to wonder about him too.
Has anyone else noticed that the Northwest Division could be accused of being the best in the league? With the Spurs and Hornets struggling, the NW is the only division with four teams over .500, and there's only one other (SW) with three.
Divisions are a little overrated in the NBA but I thought it was worth mentioning.
One name I forgot when asked about free agent PGs available last summer was Will Conroy. The insider think he isn't NBA quality. They might well be right but I still wonder.
@justin
Is it concerning that he's taking more jump shots? I don't mean to take away from the positive point you had to make, but does he have a good reason to be getting to the rim less?
@Boots
And I thank you for it. I try and subtlety slip a few in there here and there.
@Royce
I'm sure I am not the only one that catches your quotes, but I like to point them out to let you know your humor is appreciated (as most of my humor relies on movie quotes)
If they get a free agent it probably will be a backup PG or possibly a Center, if there is also a trade out.
With the tight rotation, free agents will think harder about coming here. In fact I can see a zero free agent who plays anything significant next summer as about as likely as not.
One obvservation I've made about RW is that he's much more efficient on inside attempts (finishing better), but he's wasting that improvement because he's taking way more jump shots this season.
Last year, according to 82games.com, Russ was 58% jump shots and 42% inside attempts. His eFG% was .368 and .478 (terrible) respectively.
This year, Russ is taking 68% jump shots and 32% inside attempts. His jump shot eFG% is about the same at .378, but his inside attempts are at .561, a huge improvement.
@Boots
Points for you good sir.
I hear ya.
I was just wandering down a path to see what it might show.
I should qualify I was thinking about teams that want an immediate starter. Could any others take him and make him a combo guard / PG heir apparent? Maybe but trade talk is mostly a waste.
...Obi-Wan has taught you well.
@Crow
When Tony Parker was in his first couple of years, he drove Spurs fans crazy. He would make poor decisions, have awful games, and while he certainly showed flashes of brilliance, it was a struggle at times. There were very serious talks of trading him for Jason Kidd, but they stuck it out.
The bottom line is it takes 3 years to become a consistent PG in the Association. With the exception of Chris Paul, this seems to hold true (see Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, Parker, etc.) So we're going to have to live with off nights from RW. Hopefully there aren't too many in which we can criticize his effort, like tonight, but part of that can be blamed to it "being a long season" and "having off nights." So let's wait it out and see him develop. Remember, he's still only 21.
He is about the last one GS would trade, I'd guess, at least at this point. 2 years from now that might be quite different.
Anthony Randolph rookie vs KD rookie- Randolph shot better but 30% less, rebounded like a monster, had no 3 point shot and didn't get to the line much, got less assists but caused more no point trips to the opponents (steals +blocks). Of course KD played twice as much.
In the start of season 2 compared to KD season 2 he slipped on overall FG% but is narrowing the gap on shot attempts, FT attempts and FT%. Not much else has changed.
@andrew
No it hasn't. Good observation.
Not sure if this has been mentioned, but KD has made his last 33 FTs
@RH
Nice! A DT reader is a seat grabbing vagabond.
Green seems unlikely to be moved unless the playoffs seem out of reach by standing pat after next season.
For all the talk of a different Westbrook after tonight's game what separates RW last season from this one per minutes is mainly about +1 assist, -.5 reb, -.5 steals, +.5 blocks with the shooting nearly even.
Except maybe his defense or at least his defensive focus at times.
I asked myself who might come asking for Westbrook at some point and I thought of NY, the Clips, Charlotte and Memphis and the rest didn't seem that likely. 3 of them probably talk themselves out of it unless selling tickets is given a fair amount of weight. The Clips might do it but with B. Davis very difficult to trade they might talk themselves out of it too.
Sam picked Westbrook and it probably be for better and / or worse for 4-5 years.
Got to go tonight, so I have a few thoughts.
Jeff Green played what felt like a perfect first half. Tons of hustle and effort, and he really kept the Thunder in the game. I realize you mentioned that he really stepped up, but it was all we could talk about at halftime.
A nice glance at Curry and Harden on the same floor tonight. Interesting since we had the chance to draft Curry. If Harden continues to play like he did tonight, I think it's clear that we'll be happy with our decision.
Monta Ellis had an excellent game - he drew the defensive assignment of KD and gave a ton of effort for a very depleted Warriors squad that just doesn't have many weapons.
Best dunking performance (as a team) of the year? Maybe a strong statement but I'll stand by that.
Saw a Zombie Sonics shirt sitting courtside (until he got kicked out of the seat). I realize that's becoming more common but it was still awesome.
Kev :
someone in the game thread thought that we shold trade Green for Randolph straight up . . .
are you kidding me?? I guess some people haven’t seen Randolph play – he’s the kind of guy that destroys team chemistry on offense. Translation: he’s the guy at the park that you KNOW will shoot the ball five seconds before he actually does it – every time: He’s probably got the second worst assist rate in the NBA ahead of only Maggette . . .
I SUGGESTED it.. Randolph's bad attitude could be a lot to do with playing for Nellie.. Nellie has a history of problems with players at Golden State which suggests that he could be more of the problem in the relationship than randolph. If Randolph was on a team with a solid foundation and a good coach I believe he would become a perennial allstar.. right now he is just in a VERY bad situation..
Also just because a persons last name is Randolph doesnt mean they will be a ballhog and bad teammate for the rest of their career (Zach) :)
Two things. First, Traber tweeted "Did anyone see Durant and Westbrook right after the game?? Looked to me, not much love. Heard this, but didn't know!!"
Did anyone see anything?
Second, is it me, or does it seem like Traber only spews negative crap about the Thunder when he is online (perhaps on-air as well but don't listen to his show). If you look at his Tweets, they are all trying to bully someone or trying to start fights. He seems bitter that there is a pro team here to take away the; pardon the pun, Thunder, from his college teams.
@Alex
It's weird isn't it? As someone pointed out, I noticed a little slumping after that Ellis foul. I don't feel like Russ did these things last year.
@Royce Thank you for bringing up RW's body language...It's been bothering me all year.
@justin
;) true enough.
Lol - the 3 steps walking to the hole is way more exciting
@Lefty
I guess we're in luck the FO doesn't apply your logic to personnel decisions :)
@Kev
he’s the guy at the park that you KNOW will shoot the ball five seconds before he actually does it – every time: Yeah, just like Russel does. lol