vs. 
Memphis Grizzlies (5-1, 2-1 road) vs. OKC Thunder (6-2, 4-1 home)
TV: ESPN (Cox 29, HD 720); FS OK (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 105.4 (7th), Grizzlies– 107.3 (5th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 97.9 (3rd), Grizzlies – 97.7 (2nd)
Pace: Thunder – 94.0 (6th), Grizzlies – 93.8 (8th)
View from the enemy: 3 Shades of Blue
The Thunder’s 6-2 start has been pretty good, but let’s face it: They haven’t really beaten anyone of note. The win in Chicago is OKC’s best of the season but other than that, it’s been wins over Detroit (twice), Toronto, Portland and Cleveland.
Add up the records of those five opponents and you get 11-28. So against a good Memphis team (only the second Western Conference opponent OKC’s played yet), the Thunder have themselves a bit of a measuring bar type of game.
Because the Grizzlies are good. Real good. They’ve won five straight themselves, with some impressive wins in there too, especially an 18-point whipping of Miami. The Thunder are obviously playing solid basketball and winning games, but sometimes, wins hide issues. Losing exposes them. The Grizzlies defend, they rebound and they’re scoring better than they ever have.
With a win tonight over Memphis, it’s more reassurance about where the Thunder stand. It validates their record a bit. But a loss, it puts a spotlight on OKC and forces everyone to acknowledge that the Thunder have three losses against the Spurs, Hawks and Grizzlies — good teams. Other than a win against a likely average Bulls team, the Thunder won’t have beat anyone.
It’s about as big an early November game as you’re going to get.
Memphis coming in: The Grizzlies last played Sunday, smoking the Heat.
SCOTT BROOKS
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Three Big Things
1. Inside men. The Grizzlies have their bread and butter working against with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol playing on concert together. They’re scoring (combining for 28.4 a game) and rebounding (combining for 21.8 a game). After an injury slowed him last season, Randolph appears to be back in form, averaging easy double-doubles. Big assignment for the Thunder bigs tonight and one of those games where Kendrick Perkins has a chance to earn a little bit of his money.
2. Turnovers. The Grizzlies feast on them. They force 16.7 a game which is in the top 10 of the league, but against the Thunder, a turnover prone group, Memphis knows how to speed them up and get them playing out of control. Specifically, Westbrook and Durant. It’s about valuing possessions, taking what’s there and not forcing anything. The thing Westbrook and Durant sometimes need to remind themselves of is that while the “right” pass might be correct, it doesn’t matter if a shot doesn’t go at the basket. Because even if it’s a terrible look, it has a percentage chance of going in. A turnover has zero chance.
3. Atmospheric pressure. Thus far, home crowds at The Peake have been a little soft, in my opinion. Nothing all that boisterous, nothing all that intimidating. But there’s been the excuse of uninteresting opponents coming in. Hard to get amped for the Raptors and Pistons. But this is a playoff team and one the Thunder have some history with. If the place isn’t rocking tonight, then there really is a problem.
Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Peake.
I've never met Legendary_Dork, but I strongly suspect I sat in front of him at the game tonight.
@ThunderChick2010 did he say :p
@OBoy Jones III
Super-loud, super-passionate guy who spent most of the game on his feet, did every chant and even started a few, flipped out with a profane rant, and loudly called out the bandwagon fans who left with time still on the clock. Has to be him. :)
@ThunderChick2010 @OBoy Jones III who ever it is, can we clone him and fill him up at Thunder games?
Didnt watch the game, but im just wondering why people think Presti didnt choose one of these two options:
1- trading westbrook and keeping harden - harden is arguably a better fit w/ durant and maybe could have gotten a better haul w/ westbrook
2- amnestying perk
Again- not saying this because of tonights game (didnt even watch) but just curious why ppl think Presti had didnt explore/choose one of these options
@Thunder S
1. Westbrook is the better player.
2. I think the organization didn't want to weaken the bigs any further, and what would we have been stuck with if we amnestied Perkins. Thabeet and Collison? One uncoordinated and one undersized.
@Stringer Bell @Thunder S there were literally tons of bigs on the market this summer, some who went for next to nothing. We don't even pursue change, always talking about "Stability"
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@MisterJohnsonOKC ok - why is #1 idiotic. i think westbrook is a better player but it is debatable whether harden fits better next to durant.
The Grizz are a terrible match up for us and if we see them in the playoffs I think we're in some trouble.
We just don't match up well with their best lineup, it rebounds great, plays tough defense and its big. I think we're more talented overall, but when Russ goes 6-19 against them and K-Mart goes 1-4 we just won't win that game.
No need to over-react as its one game, but it highlighted many of our weaknesses.
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@MisterJohnsonOKC I think the Lakers would match up OK with them.
@MisterJohnsonOKC Maybe, I'd like to see it though.
I do think the Grizz will go far this year. They look very nice so far. Hopefully they avoid the injuries they've had the last few years.
@MisterJohnsonOKC @Stringer Bell Clippers
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@MisterJohnsonOKC not as fun to root for anymore without you know who
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@MisterJohnsonOKC or I guess people can wear them to the Rick Ross concert on the 23rd
@MisterJohnsonOKC He made us more fun and more interesting. He was great on the court but his quirkiness off the court (beyond the stripper obsession) and look was legendary. Someone on the team needs to grow a beard so we don't have to throw away the $1,000,000+ of fake beard merchandise that he inspired
Man ZBo is on my fantasy team... losing him for a game is going to suck.
@holeydonut bet your fantasy team can keep their fantasy team's ass though
Can someone give a recap of the game? I missed it
@Thunder S we started off good, then our 2nd unit got killed in the 2nd quarter and we lost all momentum. Russ couldn't hit a shot and we didn't get Martin involved and thats a big reason we couldn't get back into the game.
Perk and Randolph got ejected and got into an altercation by the locker rooms.
@OBoy Jones III @Thunder S oh and Keri Hilson was there. I gave my coworkers my tickets and he said he saw her
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@MisterJohnsonOKC @Thunder S no lube, no foreplay, no R Kelly playing in the background either. Just violated
@DarnellMayberry:
A mouthpiece remained on the floor near the Thunder's locker room for a while long after the game. Something happened back there.
@mb22 Scott Brooks daughter was TAKEN hostage!
@OBoy Jones III I have a very specific set of skills. Skills I will use to find you, and killyou
I think the team needs to start Martin and trust in him to take more shots.
The coaching really is crazy, I mean, they have so many analysis and analytical tools to try and work out the perfect rotations etc. Yet we don't send out our best statistical line ups for more than a couple of minutes.
Crazy.
@Stringer Bell Can we not just start small? Ibaka, KD, Thabo, Kmart, Russ. Ibaka/KD have been decent rebounders,
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@MisterJohnsonOKC @Stringer Bell you play thabo
@Lost Ones @MisterJohnsonOKC @Stringer i thought when we went with Maynor and Russ in the 4th quarter we should have had Thabo in with Martin instead.
Hopefully Russ can get his shot back this weekend vs NO and GS and then we have another measuring stick game vs the Clippers next week.
We need to quit lying to ourselves and thinking the Cavs will trade Varaje for some package involving Perkins
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@MisterJohnsonOKC they don't need our 1st rd picks either. They have Sacramento's, Charlotte's, and Miami's 1st rd picks next yr. I'm not sure the status of their own
has collison had a good game this year yet? he has been marginal at best pretty much the entire season. every game hes in foul trouble his defense and defensive rebounding is suspect at the moment.
@Lost Ones His defensive rebounding has been bad but he's been good in other areas. Scoring better than ever for his role.
@Jooseppi what areas? Imaginary intangibles he's been OK with passing off the pnr other then that hes a step slower snd has become a foul machine
@Lost Ones It is exactly as Justin foretold.
What was the crisis level in the game thread tonight?
@duhsweetness why perk and scott brooks not injured
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@MisterJohnsonOKC I like him. If we could ctrl+z the trade I absolutely would. I'd take Jeff Green back too if it were possible and put him in the 2nd unit
@Perk90X @MisterJohnsonOKC i would take Jeff Green back and then amnesty him if thats possible.
@OBoy Jones III @Perk90X @MisterJohnsonOKC I'd petition the league to change the rule to allow that to happen.
I'd then sign him and trade him to Boston again, and they can give him another contract. That way he makes a lot of money and we help him out, but he continues to bring down another team.
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@MisterJohnsonOKC @Perk90X
How did I use your argument?
@MisterJohnsonOKC @Perk90X
This is a bogus argument. The franchise has made $75 million in profits. Amnesty Perkins and roll with Harden for 2 seasons (this and next) & then trade him if we can't afford him anymore...
@Perk90X @MisterJohnsonOKC We weren't gonna win any championships with Jeff Green.
@MisterJohnsonOKC are we trying to win a championship or just stay under the tax and try to operate on a profit?
@Perk90X wake up. LOL He wasnt coming back.
Bench should be Maynor/reggie martin lamb pj3 collison/thabeet anything other is ridiculous.
you aren't kidding are you
@cemitten nope changes need to be made im the captain around here.
@Lost Ones @cemitten You ain't shit broski.
Captain D-MC Sparrow for life
@cemitten Get that boy DRUNK