There was no foul called on this play. Seriously. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
I had a feeling from the midway point of the first quarter that this game was going to end badly. At about the seven minute mark of the third quarter all the way up until about the three minute mark of the fourth, the Thunder’s impressive run with three rookies and Durant and Westbrook helped put that fear to ease…
And then Thabo went for the steal.
To be fair, he had been sitting for quite awhile (more on that later) so it’s certainly going to be discussed about if he should have been inserted when he was ice cold for the game’s biggest play (after all, he had been sitting for a reason) but no matter how much I shook my head in disbelief that the Thunder’s most sound defender actually gambled so recklessly, this loss can not be totally placed on him.
The entire team earned this loss with their lackluster and uninspired play through the first two and a half quarters, but then seemingly totally redeemed themselves with a furious rally to go up by 10 midway through the fourth. Credit to the Suns, they kept fighting, kept clawing little by little. You couldn’t help but be impressed.
One could even argue that Coach Brooks earned a nice share of this loss with his very curious decision to yank the five man unit of Maynor, Westbrook, Harden, Durant and Ibaka that had sparked and sustained the Thunder’s comeback into the last few minutes of the fourth before they got pulled, but this group above most is a team. And they will both enjoy the wins and endure the blame for losses as one.
The first half was, how do I say it, not a lot of fun to watch. I don’t know what it was, maybe it was the fact that the Thunder seemed to start out really hot in the first few minutes and the Suns really didn’t, which might have given the Thunder a false sense that this game would be easy and get out of hand early but from the lack of defensive rotation to taking unnecessary gambles on defense to the offense sporadically grinding to a halt, it just didn’t feel like the Thunder really seemed locked in to the game in the first half.
Oh yeah, they also gave up 9 offensive rebounds to the Suns in the first half alone. That was fun to watch in the, “Gee, I like watching a team get 3 or 4 chances in a row” kind of way.
Sure Collison took his customary charges, Westbrook (11 points on 5-8 shooting, 7 assists to 1 turnover and 2 steals in the FIRST HALF) honestly kept the team in the game with his penetrating and playmaking abilities while Green used his quickness to get to the basket and Durant did what he does, namely score in buckets on 7-13 shooting, but there just seemed to be a spark missing in that first half.
On the flip side, I was really impressed with the Suns early on as they made it quite clear that they had no intentions of just rolling over in the Ford Center. Grant Hill and Amare Stoudemire certainly were amped up and I think the rest of the team fed off of them to the tune of 51 first half points for the visiting team on 23-46 shooting (50%FG) despite only shooting 1-5 from 3 PT range. The Suns improved on that statistic in the second half.
The game got out of hand more from there with the Suns extending their lead to 15 points before the seven minute mark of the third quarter saw Russell Westbrook decide to stop the run and begin the Thunder’s furious rally back. It seemed like they could honestly do no wrong well into the fourth, but they just couldn’t put the Suns away and it came back to bite them.
So the win streak stopped at nine. Durant’s 25+ points streak is extended to 29 games…but I’m pretty sure he feels a lot like we do at this point. His streak continuing is no consolation or comfort in this loss. A pyrrhic victory in the face of a painful defeat.
This one hurts.
So hopefully the team (from the coaching staff on down) learns from this and continues to develop a killer instinct that HAS to manifest itself if this team doesn’t want to get handed a broom in the playoffs.
- It was good to see Eric Maynor come out of his semi-funk and play a solid and productive game. I had an entire section ready to be included in this recap about how three rookies, a sophomore and Kevin Durant changed the game (and they did, certainly) and led the Thunder to a runaway victory…if only.
- I have to say this…I rarely like to be that guy who calls out officials but that “blocking” foul whistled on James Harden in the first quarter was easily the most egregious and laughable call I’ve ever witnessed. And yet that was only the opening act. Both sides have a legitimate reason to feel wronged by the refs in this one (somehow Amare got called for what seemed like fifteen fouls in the span of thirty seconds in the fourth quarter and even I shook my head and said, “Man, he’s getting jobbed here”) as the referees called what could only be a questionable and wildly inconsistent ball game. I feel confident that just as many Suns fans feel that way as Thunder fans. But back to the Harden phantom charge. At no point was there any significant contact, neither player was moved and even Dudley seemed shocked and amused by the call as Harden continued to backup and Dudley continued towards the basket untouched. I repeat, UNTOUCHED. Therefore I award the refs no points, and may Stern have mercy on their souls.
- I’ve never officially said it here but I’m going to now. When Thabo has a game like he does tonight and goes 0-5 from the floor, the Thunder end up playing 4-5 on the offensive end and every team they face now knows it. And the Thunder simply just aren’t good enough on offense to get away with that. I love T-Bone and what he brings to this team, but I can’t help but wonder how loud the “Harden needs to start” roar will get the more Sefolosha struggles on the offensive end and isn’t able to make up for it on the defensive end.
- Thunder’s bench outscored the Suns 21-15. Hey, that’s kind of a win, right?
- The Suns outrebounded the Thunder 45-35; that kind of stat is what really, really frustrates you when you lose by a possession.
- Westbrook shot 50%FG (9-18) and Durant shot 54%FG (13-24). The rest of the Thunder’s starting five — 7 of 25 for 28%FG. Do I really need to say anything?
Next up: Bring on the Spurs. Tomorrow night can’t get here fast enough.
James :I disagree about Collison having a great defensive game and I thought when Brooks pulled Ibaka at the end of the game for Collison it was a big part of us losing the game. You could see Stoudamire’s eyes light up when Collison was guarding him because he just couldn’t physically match up. Stoudamire came into the game at the 8:07 mark and Ibaka was guarding him. He didn’t score a point or get a rebound against Ibaka and Ibaka went out of the game at the 2:24 mark when we were up by 5. Stoudamire proceeded to get a layup at the 1:53 mark, got a rebound at the 1:30 mark which led to Collison tackling Grant Hill (at the same exact spot Ibaka threw his stuff in the stands a few minutes earlier) and then Stoudamire made another layup (and 1) at the 1 minute mark.
We may have still lost but Serge was doing a good job on Stoudamire, we were up by 5 and Ibaka is just a better physical matchup against Stoudamire. Stoudamire knew it too because he played differently when Ibaka was guarding him. He wasn’t near as aggressive.
Having said that, Collison is obviously the more polished player, it just wasn’t a good matchup for him last night.
I still think he had a very great game - but you are right, I missed a play where he overplayed on Amar'e and gave up an easy two . . . the next possession Amar'e scored, but that was on a loose ball where Green tried to save it - I won't blame Collison for going for the ball -
still, I will change the score to +7 for Nick - thanks for the well detailed criticism, I love feedback (good or bad) when it's supported by details . . .
Doesn't apply to us so much but I still hear them calling The Bobcats "The Charlotte Hornets" - how long ago did The Hornets leave Charlotte?
damn, you people are straight crazy letting espn in your head like this
MartzMimic :I hate that we lost too, but it kind of evens out the gift we got against the Knicks.
good point . . .
I hate that we lost too, but it kind of evens out the gift we got against the Knicks.
Bryan :@DLI think It’s pretty clear at this point that Kirstic won’t be starting next year. He is rarely in the game when it’s tight. Only question is if Ibaka will start, or if someone else comes in.
Serge isn't a center . . .
@DL
I think It's pretty clear at this point that Kirstic won't be starting next year. He is rarely in the game when it's tight. Only question is if Ibaka will start, or if someone else comes in.
hey royce have you ever gotten the opportunity to meet bill russell yet??
I dont know... I've heard the the Lakers be called the Kobes
Normally I would go through and read all the comments before I post... but
The small, young lineup was nice. It made sense with Nash out to go small and test the Suns' back court depth.
While Harden made some nice plays here and there, he REALLY needs to get back to that while unselfish, willing passer thing that we drafted him for. That 4 on 1 fast break where he kept the ball and failed to finish (AGAIN) made me jump out of my seat and yell at him while everyone else was yelling at the refs for the non-call. Why would he keep that? He had Russell and Maynor on his left flank and someone else on his right... instead he drove right at the ONLY defender and was lucky not to get a charging call. UGH. WHY?
Durant was great, so was Russell, but where was everyone else? Oh well.
And Ibaka needs more time, he was great defending Amare. I don't care how many mistakes he makes on offense.
I'm not worried about last night's game. Thunder played extremely hard, especially on defense in the 4th quarter, as hard as I've seen them play defense all year.
They missed a few wide-open threes that would have stretched the lead and won the game. If the defense is packing the lane then you have to take those open shots. They lost because Harden missed a wide-open three; he'll make a lot of those in the future.
@James
Agreed.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Absolutely.
Anybody who relies on Sportscenter for their in-depth coverage of sports is looking in the wrong place. Their anchors are chosen more for their wacky screen personas than for their knowledge/expertise of sports. Neil Everett and John Buccigross are both jokes, but in the world of ESPN that's actually a compliment.
The bottom line is that Sportscenter is marketed to the masses, and we should probably be glad that Durant is making such a huge impact right now: without him, we wouldn't be getting much coverage at all (even with the rise into the playoff chase).
With the advent of the internet (and therefore, NBA.com highlights, Daily Thunder, the rest of the blogosphere, etc.), complaining about what Sportscenter is doing just sounds silly. I've grown to enjoy sports much more since I tuned out Sportscenter and the Sports Animal.
I disagree about Collison having a great defensive game and I thought when Brooks pulled Ibaka at the end of the game for Collison it was a big part of us losing the game. You could see Stoudamire's eyes light up when Collison was guarding him because he just couldn't physically match up. Stoudamire came into the game at the 8:07 mark and Ibaka was guarding him. He didn't score a point or get a rebound against Ibaka and Ibaka went out of the game at the 2:24 mark when we were up by 5. Stoudamire proceeded to get a layup at the 1:53 mark, got a rebound at the 1:30 mark which led to Collison tackling Grant Hill (at the same exact spot Ibaka threw his stuff in the stands a few minutes earlier) and then Stoudamire made another layup (and 1) at the 1 minute mark.
We may have still lost but Serge was doing a good job on Stoudamire, we were up by 5 and Ibaka is just a better physical matchup against Stoudamire. Stoudamire knew it too because he played differently when Ibaka was guarding him. He wasn't near as aggressive.
Having said that, Collison is obviously the more polished player, it just wasn't a good matchup for him last night.
Yeah really.. didn't we just get done calling Portland fans too sensitive? It's TV..
This loss still bugs me. I still can't believe how we executed in the last few minutes..
I don't think what Sportscenter does is meant to be offensive. Sometimes we need to be subtly reminded that sports news is just masquerading as real news; it's mostly just entertainment. Thus, Chris Berman's nicknames, the constant word puns, the cracks of dry wit. It isn't as blatant as The Daily Show, but it's similar. Simmons calls us the Zombies and some people get upset. But Simmons loves the team. It's hard to view that as an offensive remark. He wouldn't do it if he were a serious journalist interested in integrity and professionalism. He does it because he's an entertainer.
I suggest not taking up every little word slight as a cause for picketing. It'll raise your blood pressure, but that's about all it will do in the grand scheme of things.
Is it more than just Neil Everett that refuses to say the words Oklahoma City Thunder? He's the Oregon guy, right? I've heard others say those words, no problem. He needs to be publicly shamed. Or maybe suspended. If they're willing to suspend a guy for pointing out how a tart dresses, maybe they'll suspend a guy for this. Or maybe not.
Maybe next time the Thunder has a game on ESPN he'll get a Lee Corso sign, "Neil Everett is a ****!" Or maybe not.
I woke up to "the artist formerly known as the Sonics" this morning on the Sportscenter replay. I'm thinking about having my kid write a letter in crayon asking why they wont call them the Thunder.
I have heard the Cavs being repeatedly called the Lebrons, I have heard the Heat squad besides DWade as the "Tito Jackson." I don't think it is necessarily disrespect, I think it has become a common saying when you have a superstar on your team and really no other "star" players.
Fact is, this team is being disrespected in front of millions
I don't watch ESPN for that reason - we have MUCH better coverage on this thread . . .
Did anyone else see sportscenter once again disrespect us by calling this team "The Durants"
They were like "The Durants up by two"
Their attempt at being hip, witty, edgy and cool are such FAIL that it's incredible
Bunch of middle-aged squares with sticks up their arses trying hard to act cool and hip
Pathetic network
ugh thabo. of course, game on the line, you knew richardson was going to take the last shot. and really, i thought it was a no brainer for scotty to stick thabo in on him.
but thabo? it was a huge defensive mistake by him. totally out of position, so to hopefully save face, he tries to look like he's going for the steal.
i was really disappointed in the defense the final 3 minutes of the game. i thought it was going to be a great win. but, it seemed that just as the defense got the thunder a lead in the 4th, the defense let it evaporate.
blame "for" this game. I sounded like Dr. Thunder there for a minute.
@Dr. Thunder
If that is a poem I like it. But it sounds a little more like drunken midnight rambling...
For what it is worth, **warning- shameless Thabo admirer speaking*** You really CANNOT put the blame on this game on his shoulders. Not even a little bit. We lost this game in the last 4 minutes by not controlling the tempo, having poor shot selection, and breaking down on defense at the perimeter. Brooks couldn't coach us to the victory, and (for once) Durant/Green couldn't shoot us out of the hole we dug for ourselves. This game was in hand, and it slipped away.
I agree with Floppy-- (love the name BTW) I'm over it--bring on the NEXT VICTIM!
One could even argue that Coach Brooks earned a nice share of this loss with his very curious decision to yank the five man unit of Maynor, Westbrook, Harden, Durant and Ibaka that had sparked and sustained the Thunder’s comeback into the last few minutes of the fourth before they got pulled...
THIS. And all those missed 3's. But mostly this.
http://talksportsphilly.com/?p=1642
NBA Power Rankings
@Vince
Royce can't be blamed for anything in this recap (although I don't think applauding journalistic integrity qualifies, haha) as it's all on me.
And to be fair to Thabo, Westbrook also went for the steal as the first help side defender instead of cutting Richardson off. :)
Why would you miss with early game lineups...aka switching Harden and Thabo...the team is only leaps and bounds ahead of where they are supposed to be. Harden is GOOD off the bench. And as much as I dispise Krstic...Colli and Ibaka are sparks off the bench too.
Jeff Green had a monster dunk...my wife even yelled...and she is sickened by proffesional sports. Green should have through the ball to the other side of the court..aka..Thunder side. That's something your taught in middle school. and to blame him for the last second 3...they were obviously keying on Durant...he was open..and what do you want him to do with .7 seconds...He had a lot better shot (considering he needs to be wide open to make a 3) then anyone could have expected.
From the 8 to 3 min mark there were so many sparks. KD got to hug Serge again, it was a nice run. Why you change that line up blows my mind..they were absolutely killin PHX with it. Russ would bring it down, Maynor would. You didn't know who would be what position and it was beautiful.
gunnar þór :The play I really hated was when Westbrook had the whole halfcourt for himself for an easy dunk but Durant and another Thunder player ran with him and he gave Durant the ball for the dunk, 4 seconds later J-rich nails a three because the Thunder were late getting back. Durant and the other should have just stayed back on defense and that sequence would have never happened
that's why the Suns attack works - they make you pay for those "Look at us we just had an ESPN highlight play!" Check the replay. Durant is jogging back and enjoying the moment - that's not good when you are playing Phoenix.
The play I really hated was when Westbrook had the whole halfcourt for himself for an easy dunk but Durant and another Thunder player ran with him and he gave Durant the ball for the dunk, 4 seconds later J-rich nails a three because the Thunder were late getting back. Durant and the other should have just stayed back on defense and that sequence would have never happened
I'm over it. Bring on the next victim.
I feel sick. We lost a game we had well in hand with a minute to go and a 5 point lead. The Suns didn't even have Steve Nash or Leandro Barbosa. We got beat by the likes of Jared Dudley and Goran Dragic. And this choke job makes up for the Knicks game which we probably should have lost. But I guess 9 out of 10 ain't bad.
I just wish this team would put their foot on the other team's throat when it has them down. When we had that 10 point lead with 3 minutes to go and we kept missing wide open shots, I couldn't help but yell "Finish them off!!!" And sure enough, the Thunder didn't and the Suns came all the way back to steal it. FRUSTRATION!!!
Defensive Breakdown
I thought the Thunder played pretty well defensively, and the score (+33) supports that thought. We contested (as usual) almost all of their shots – they just made shots when they needed to make them.
Of course Thabo dropped the ball on the last defensive possession. He’s in the NBA because of his defense, so he HAS to put up a better effort than reaching and watching Jason Richardson go by him. He has to sink a little bit more or even back up a little – and then contest when Jason rises up.
Still, that was only one possession. I’m of the belief that if you make a few more plays BEFORE the final moments, then you don’t have to worry about a close game in the final seconds. Thabo deserves the criticism, but others made mistakes earlier that hurt the Thunder just as much.
It’s late in the first quarter. Center Channing Frye has the ball up top, and Jared Dudley (Durant) is on the left wing. Durant had been in the lane. Durant gambles and runs to try and intercept the anticipated pass. Dudley reads it and goes backdoor. Frye delivers the perfect pass and Dudley scores on a layup. Obviously, when you gamble and succeed, you get the ESPN highlight dunk. When you gamble and fail, you hurt your team.
Nick Collison had a great defensive game, but he committed a blunder in the second quarter. The Thunder had just scored and Grant Hill has the ball and is on the move. Dudley spots up in the right corner. He gets the ball and shoots a three. Collison is the nearest OKC player and (as usual) he runs out to contest. The problem is that his technique is flawed, as he knocks down Dudley. And the Suns are awarded three shots.
A few moments later, Russell Westbrook is guarding Grant Hill. Hill starts on the left wing. Grant then goes to the top to receive the pass. Westbrook follows, but in doing so he gives up position by taking a swipe at the ball. This puts him on the side of Hill and allows Hill easy access to the lane. Westbrook is beaten and takes yet another swipe while in pursuit. He fails badly and his lack of balance sends him to the ground. He has a floor view of Hill scoring on a layup.
Westbrook (as usual) didn’t play well on defense. The traditional box scores show three steals, but box scores don’t tell the whole story. In addition to the above mistake, Westbrook allowed Dragic to get in the lane more than he should have. Also, in the third quarter, Westbrook’s questionable transition defense cost the Thunder three points. After a Thunder miss, Westbrook is in the right corner. His man, Goran Dragic is close to him. At this point, Westbrook needs to put on a burst of speed to get back between his man and the goal – which is defense 101. He doesn’t. He’s not really trotting back (which he does often) but he’s not sprinting either. Also, you have to know the competition – the Suns push the ball. Unlike most teams, they aren’t going to slow down, set up, and give you a chance to recover. Dragic runs the court and goes to the right corner. Westbrook speeds up a little, but is still two steps away. Jason Richardson gets Dragic the ball and he hits a three in the corner. Westbrook arrives to contest it, BUT if he had sprinted earlier, Dragic wouldn’t have been open, and he wouldn’t have had the ½ second he needed to release the ball.
Nick Collison (+9)
Collison had a great game. Despite the mistake posted earlier, he impacted the game defensively. Look at these notes:
• Stopped Jared Dudley at the rim (2nd Q – 11:00)
• Deflection on pass to Amar’e Stoudemire (2nd Q – 10:10)
• Contest Amar’e Stoudemire (2nd Q – 10:05)
• Blocked Lou Amundson’s shot (2nd Q – 9:35)
• Took a charge on Grant Hill (2nd Q – 9:20)
Check out the time sequence on the right. He did all that in less than two minutes. Some people don’t do that much in an entire game. Obviously he did a lot more; I just wanted to show you how Collison can impact the game without having to score. (this ability is rare in the NBA). And notice that he doesn’t just lockdown his man; he will defend the rim no matter who is assigned to. You have to love his defensive game.
Eric Maynor (+6)
James Harden (+6)
Jeff Green (+6)
Thabo Sefolosha (+4)
Kevin Durant (+2)
Nenad Krstic (+2)
Serge Ibaka (zero)
Russell Westbrook (-2)
Collison was ALL ALONE inside the paint for about six seconds and Russell Westbrook some didn't see him then Westbrook picked up a terrible over the back foul to send JRich to the line to tie it. with 40 seconds.
Gotta love the respect Gentry gave the team, saying it was their best win all year. Even referred to OKC as "that team".
Hopefully this tough loss will motivate us to take care of business against the Spurs tomorrow night. I'll be there in person sporting my DT shirt.
it was a game we should have won if we made just 1 more shot, oh well tomorrow we can get back to winning against the spurs
At least the NBA now knows what is because the game was and it wasn't for long but its nothing i cant see forgoing if u understand the least future and the once past its nothing we cant understand for our kids may but DURANTULA.....
^replying to justin
I think that's one reason Presti has brought in Anderson. he might have felt things were getting a little stale....
Not sure who or how it started but Bennett also courted and hosted Russell while the team was still in Seattle, a head coach of the Sonics in the mid-70s. An interest in history, respect for a legend, but Bennett has also asked him for advice. Not sure if it ever went as far as a consulting gig.
Agreed. I'd like to Collison start, and maintain his minutes or maybe a little more. And more PT for Serge, and with that comes a little less Nenad. When he's stroking, give the guy 25 minutes. But when he's off, 15 sounds good to me and 20+ for Colly and Ibaka in that scenario.
Still split on how I feel about Harden starting, gotta love Thabo's D that he brings and I like Harden's punch off the bench with Maynor. But I wouldn't complain if James was promoted.
Nope, Boston did.. I don't think it's happened often, though. Kind of shocked how poor Thabo played defensively in this game, I'd be interested in a kev style breakdown.
I believe this was the first time all year an opponent has shot 50% or more against us.
@I am the DON
You can't start Ibaka. I love him to death -- man his swat in the 4th was sweet -- but he still blows rotations and makes, as Justin said, an awful lot of mistakes. I'll accept them as growing pains.
I just think from a unit standpoint, Collison is a better fit with the first unit. Krstic is, for his flaws, better offensively, and I think Ibaka can better cover his defensive liabilities than Green can. I'm not sure if I'm ready to swap Harden for Thabo -- a 2nd unit of Maynor/Thabo/Green/Ibaka/Krstic would average roughly 22 points per 48 minutes, I would think -- but I think swapping Krstic and Collison would make sense.
I can more than live with collison over kristic
Missed threes by Green and Harden.. on our 9 game win streak we were hitting threes. Tonight they were 0-7 from down town. Coincidence?
Royce, I appreciate your attempt at journalistic integrity...but those refs [edited due to DT guidelines] and I hope they [edited as well]. The reversed blocking/charge when Harden went to the rim in the 2nd (?) quarter was criminal. They missed three blatant traveling violations on the Suns. Yes, the foul on Amare vs Green (after which Green hit two FT's to go up 102-97) was a phantom call. But there were two or three sequences in which missed calls on one end (including the Harden "charge") led directly to Suns' 3's on the other end.
The key was really the two (maybe 3) missed open 3-pointers around the 4-minute mark up 10. Harden had one rim out, Maynor was short, and (I think) Green had one as well. And yes, the crowd was excellent tonight -- and had we hit one of them, I think a) we win and b) the Ford Center might have set a new decibel record.