vs. 
OKC Thunder (2-2, 0-1 road) at Chicago Bulls (3-1, 2-1 home)
TV: TNT (Cox 31, HD 730)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 104.3 (12th), Bulls– 104.4 (9th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 98.2 (5th), Bulls – 95.3 (1st)
Pace: Thunder – 94.2 (10th), Bulls – 93.1 (16th)
View from the enemy: By the Horns
Back to .500, meaning tonight the Thunder either go to the plus side, or the negative.
A win tonight in Chicago — no easy task by any means — and the Thunder could be set up to rip off a few in a row. Following this, OKC gets Detroit twice and the Cavs before taking on Memphis at home Nov. 14.
The evaluation of the Thunder remains fluid and depending on tonight’s result will likely sway one way or the other. Either it’s back to worry and fret, or there’s another night of reassurance. But again, beating the Bulls wouldn’t only be a win, but a good win to boot.
Chicago coming in: The Bulls last played Tuesday beating Orlando.
Three Big Things
1. Scoring. The Bulls continue to be an elite defensive team and they always make scoring a challenge. The Thunder have reinvented themselves a bit as more of a ball movement, spread-it-around group and less straight isolation. That’s mostly due to Kevin Martin, who is brilliant off the ball and not a straight isolation pick-and-roll player like Harden. So OKC brings a new style to Chicago and instead of just relying on a bunch of individuality, the Thunder are going to try and space and spread out the Bulls.
2. Musical chairs. Who gets the nod in the rotation tonight? Another crack for Reggie Jackson or is it Perry Jones III again?
3. KD. I figured he’d explode against the Raptors. But with OKC’s blowout, Durant didn’t have much a chance to get off. Now on national TV and four straight performances under 25, it’s time for KD to do some scorin’.
Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Up The Thunder.
The Clippers are FAST
@Watson Especially Odom.
@Jooseppi Looool
http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/11/durant-and-the-thunder-slam-the-door-on-chicago-97-91/
clippers firing on all cylinders
@blueRAP Beatdown of spurs was scary.
Love how CP3 stormed up the court after Damien Lillard shot that long 2. Caught the rookie off guard and had it in the post with 19 secs on the shot clock.
I like that the Thunder have three times as many wins as the Lakers.
no team got 93+ against Bulls until we get 97 in this game
@shiki
I have no idea how that was possible without Harden's beard to will us to victory. (Ok that's the last one.)
http://www.beyondthebuzzer.com/2012/08/25/james-harden-and-his-new-stripper-friends/
NSFW, kinda
@ILikePancakes way old.
@ILikePancakes Old.
@Old Man Game @ILikePancakes Yeah, the wrinkles....
was tonight the first time we've run the pindown play this season? i don't remember seeing it before tonight.
@OBoy Jones III I think so. It worked really well too.
@Old Man Game @OBoy Jones III Yeah I like that play, and I also like pick and roll with Russ and Serge.
@EternalThunder @Daniel Hawaii @OBoy Jones III So true.
@Old Man Game @Daniel Hawaii @OBoy Jones III
Things open up when you don't have a cement footed midget center that literally does nothing but give dirty looks.
@Daniel Hawaii @OBoy Jones III Russ and KD also. That was very nice.
If Chris Paul had dressed like that in high school I wonder what his freinds would have said.
@Old Man Game if they let him dress like that, can they still be considered friends?...
@Old Man Game Hey, Chris! Cartman called....he wants his cap back
Is that CP3?
@OBoy Jones III Damien Lillard has more classic pg skills than russ will ever have. He is still learning the league, but he can pass (the non obvious pass), he has change of pace.. he can actually use the pick and roll effectively.. watch him go round, slow down and make decisions that i have never seen Russ make. In 3 years and calling it now, he will be better than Russ. Unless Russ changes his style... he isn't getting any better. He will shoot us out of the playoffs. In terms of playmaking skils and involving the team, Lillard is better than Russ. He knows what he is doing as a pg.. when to call his number and when not to. And he is only 5 games into his career.
@solutionz777 i won't accept this argument when the guys played less than 10 games and was a scoring point in college. And he's a terrible defender right now. Russ is an inconsistent defender but still much better.
@OBoy Jones III @solutionz777 Also one of the top rebounding PG's in the league. Especially coming up with Huge rebounds.
russ with 12 assists tonight. Sucky time to start acting this way
@Skyline @OBoy Jones III I said give lillard two or three years but as a traditional pick and roll pg, he is far ahead. And yes Russ rebounds, but watch every time he gets beaten or a shot goes up from a forward. turns his head, loses his man and sneaks to foul line or lower looking for the rebound. Rewind and watch the game. tradeoffs. and with kd initiating offense and bringing ball up from rebounding position, possibly not needed as much.
@OBoy Jones III Russ's defense today was terrible. Matador. Hinrich went round him like he was standing still. Robinson beat him. Just staying in front of his man was a problem and then it puts pressure on the defense because you have a free man coming at you. Watch the whole game and focus on Russ's defense. I did for the first time and wasn't impressed. Yes he is athletic, yes he is a freak. But so is Gerald Green. That doesn't make him good. Chris Paul is far less athletic.. but a far better smart and positional defender.
@solutionz777 @OBoy It's been 5 games? Remember how he started last season?
@dollarbillrussell @solutionz777 @OBoy All i ask is a decent shooting percentage. Then its justifiable. But not even getting that. Time will tell.
@PJthe3 bka ... @solutionz777 @OBoy Not every time especially early. At least 4 or 5 times, just driving at russ. the pick and roll came in more when luol deng got involved usually involving russ and kd and luol leaking out.
@solutionz777 @OBoy Jones III Russ is shooting too much, but he's also just missing a lot of shots he normally makes. While he's shooting more than a lot of us would like, that's kind of how this offense works. And he's making far better decisions passing the ball and not turning it over. Give him a few weeks to see if he can start shooting a little more efficiently. If so he could end up averaging 26 & 9. That's elite.
@solutionz777 @OBoy Jones III to say they went around Russ with ease is oversimplification... They used a pick every time.
@OBoy Jones III @solutionz777 or for when lillard is an all star point guard on a nba finals team.
@solutionz777 lets save this conversation for later in the season.
@solutionz777 @OBoy Jones III Maybe. Russ has to play better defense. He should be the best defensive PG in the NBA.
Agreed. He loafs on dfense quite a bit. But when he wants to---he can D up and play that end as well as any PG in the league, except against Parker.
@solutionz777 @OBoy Jones III Larry Brown would probably want to trade him after five games but Brown would turn Westbrook into a Top 5 player.
Disagree.. Dirk finishes games--Russ survives them with KD by his side. No way would I rank Russ ahead of Dirk or any of those other players.
@justin_mia @solutionz777 I put him ahead of Dirk. So not top 5, but top 7. That's not too far off.
@justin_mia @dollarbillrussell @solutionz777 if we are talking about just last year i could see an argument for dirk and wade
@dollarbillrussell @solutionz777 Durant, LeBron, Paul, Dwight, Wade, Love, Dirk... hard to put Russ ahead of 2 of those guys.
@dollarbillrussell @justin_mia @solutionz777 @OBoy i think he was top 10 last year. not top 5 tho
@dollarbillrussell @justin_mia @solutionz777 @OBoy I don't think there's an argument for it.
@justin_mia @solutionz777 @OBoy Jones III Is he not already arguably a top 5 player?
wow. stop. just stop
At the very end of the game when KD was hitting all those shots, sort of felt like the first time we've seen the Thunder we're used to all season.
Will the real EMaynor please stand up