vs. 
Thunder (50-18, 20-13 road) at Grizzlies (45-21, 26-8 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 112.7 (1st), Grizzlies– 104.8 (18th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.0 (7th), Grizzlies – 100.1 (2nd)
Pace: Thunder – 93.9 (8th), Grizzlies – 88.6 (28th)
View from the enemy: 3 Shades of Blue
Looking through the schedule, this might be the Thunder’s most difficult back-to-back of the entire season. Especially considering the current circumstances. The Nuggets are obviously very legit and the Grizzlies have reestablished themselves as a potential contender in the past few weeks.
What the Thunder face is a very serious challenge on the road against an excellent team. The Thunder worked Memphis in the last meeting, but that was the first game after the Rudy Gay trade and the Grizz only had like six total players. Every game against Memphis is always a major adventure and never not the most stressful thing ever. Considering the Thunder are still stinging from last night, I’d expect a knockdown dragout kind of game tonight.
Memphis coming in: The Grizzlies cruised over the Wolves on Monday.
Three Big Things
1. In the mud. That’s where this game will be own. The Grizzlies are paint focused and will try to pound OKC inside. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are strong on the offensive glass and can own a game from the inside out.
2. Turnovers. There aren’t many teams that frustrate and swarm the Thunder like the Grizzlies do. They’re a team that take of the ball while playing hyperphysical defense and pressuring the ball like crazy. OKC has to value the ball and make sure to get the most out of each possession, at least as much as possible.
3. Energy. The Thunder have seemed to sort of lack a little of it at times recently. The Grizzlies are going to bring it. The Thunder have to match their intensity.
Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Better.
I couldn't watch the game tonight so I took a quick look at the box score, not much of an in-depth game analysis but maybe enough to get my fix on hating Brooks? So let's review the usual suspects:
- Playing Fisher: 11mns and 0s everywhere across the board - CHECK
- Overplaying playing superstars to pad regular season record: Durant 43mn (not counting overtime) - CHECK
- Lack of offensive system: 9 total team assist - CHECK
- Keep promising rookies on the bench: Lamb, Perry DNP - CHECK
- Keep defensive specialist on the bench: Brewer DNP - CHECK
And from a quick DT scan:
- Inadequate rotations: - CHECK
- Deer-in-headlight in-game management - CHECK
Now do you know the definition of an idiot: BROOKS
Thanks, I'm good for the night.
I know i said i was going to sleep but
Pat riley>>>>> presti as a gm
@Lost Ones Money helps.
@Aren't @Lost Ones
A'LOT
I always feel like I overreact and get way too upset over losses. But then I come here and feel like a balanced, sane individual haha.
http://dailythunder.com/2013/03/thunder-let-one-slip-in-memphis-90-89-ot/
Just a long-time lurker who has appreciated the insight and quality of the comments here for a long time and finds himself appreciating them less lately, especially tonight.
Gonna leave this here, Royce's words (I assume) not mine:
http://dailythunder.com/commenting-guidelines/
@Blooki
You generally can't mine the game threads for insight and quality comments--particularly during/after a Thunder loss. :)
I'll be back later tonight when things calmed down a bit. Actually not as bad as i thought it was gonna be.
jared bayless is one ugly guy
TC finally shows up.... where you been girl
@SexyWatt
I was at the movies and dinner with friends, but caught the second half on the car radio while driving home . . . So considerate of the Thunder not to require my 'First team to 100' post for the past two nights when I've been unavailable.
@SexyWatt out
in other news lil waynes new cd
"I am not a human being 2 " is nothing but pure garbage!
@KDRUCKERPARK66 what do you expect....
@KDRUCKERPARK66
Thats not news! That was expected!
X Games UGH!!! thank goodness the NCAA tournament starts tomorrow. #shouldhavetakenoffwork
At least the backcourt duo of Reggie/Westbrook is showing positive signs. Maybe it may continue to improve and maybe be even good enough to use as a option to close games in the PO's.
@ElMexiThunder but reggie cannot get ball enough when he played with russ.it is the same with old russ/harden duo.and reggie's 3p shooting are much worse than harden.It limits his minutes
@ElMexiThunder Against most teams we should be closing with
Westbrook
2 of Thabo, Martin, and Reggie depending on who is hot and has the best matchup
Durant
Nick/Ibaka
Too bad Brooks is locked into his rotations
@ElMexiThunder reggie is lookin good
Honest question needs honest answer: we did it for the most part last year in the playoffs, but can we go all the way this year without a reliable post-scorer or defender? (maybe not so much the post-defender)?
@Blood-Game Perk's great at certain post defense, and tonight we saw Nick carry tons as well. Even Ibaka was pretty good tonight. A post scorer exposes a Miami weakness, but could we make it out of West without strong post D? Again, I hate to be a Harden-pusher but he helped expose post defense of other teams. Sometimes Russ does, and KD doesn't seem to as often. A long yes.
@Blood-Game
yes we can. Let's not forget we lost too much down the stretch last year as well.
@Blood-Game
Yeah, it'll be just as difficult but yes. Now can we do it with all the other factors going on? I don't know.
The only reason I'm upset is because Brooks continues to make the same damn mistakes.
@OKC035 I like to think that he's making the same mistakes over and over to throw off other teams, but when playoff time comes he'll make the necessary rotation changes.Then again I could be giving Brooks way too much credit.
who should we sign and trade martin for
@okcprophet Like Martin was the problem tonight?
@OKC035 lamb will never play if we dont get rid of him
We would have loved to have KD get that good of a look for a last second shot.
I'm not sure why the JERRYD Bayless shot was so "lucky." It was a good play, taking advantage of our not-fouling. He's a good shooter. Was simply a good play.
Can we stop losing on last second shots? Yeesh my heart can't take anymore of these games
@supreme35
Yeah, it shouldn't have come to that, but sometimes that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
@supreme35
lets get them all out of the way now.
Tough loss to a very good team on the road. they made a ridiculous shot to end regulation and to end OT. If we hadn't just lost last night people wouldn't be freaking out as much.
Just get ready for a battle come play off time.
I'll save my thoughts for the recap thread or maybe the bolts when things are less cluttered. Would like to have some intelligent discussion left to keep me entertained during the slow hours at work tomorrow
I'm more mad at Cleveland for giving us literally nothing to be happy about NBA-wise tonight.
A though occurs, wasn't Brooks a career backup PG? Maybe there's a reason he isn't the best game manager. He was rarely in games when they actually mattered/were on the line.
@Old Man Game
Phil Jackson came off the bench the majority of his career....
*thought
Damn typos.
@Old Man Game is Isiah Thomas a great coach?
@ElMexiThunder freaking KD and his money troubles... lol
@D_Fish's_6th_Ring
Tony Durant man.. Freaking Tony Durant.
This team is just coming down to Earth and finally playing the level of basketball that it was destined and designed to play.
A good to really good basketball team. Not a great one, unfortunately.
Future looks bright, though!
@Aren't Agree, but the future is NOW. Time to stop racking up these draft picks and young players and trade them for a real piece that will help us win now. Plenty of teams looking to rebuild would gladly take those draft picks and young players.
thunder is a team which is carried by KD and Russ.KD is not hot as he was 2 monthes ago.It is the only problem we have now.It is not Brooks' fault.he cannot do anything on it.
but giving fish too many minutes is Brooks' fault.trusting young players more is the only thing he can do now in my opinion,but he didn't do it well
Tough tough loss tonight. No reason we shouldn't have won. That Martin 3 should have been the dagger. 1 horrible offensive foul from KD, 1 missed FT from Westbrook, 1 lucky 3 pointer from Bayless, 1 retarded OT lineup decision by brooks, and 1 retarded rotation from Perkins later and we some how manage to lose.
@OKC035
That 3 wasn't lucky it was smart.. He faked the shot so he can get measure for a clear shot. Smart play. We should have fouled them, especially when it was clear they were going for the tie.
@ElMexiThunder Yea its just unlucky how many big shots teams have hit against us this year. Terrible defense though I don't get why we're not crowding the 3 point line in that situation.
@OKC035
It wasn't terrible defense, We just felled for the fake. It was a smart move by Bayless.
@ElMexiThunder If we're going to be dumb enough not to foul.
@ElMexiThunder @OKC035 The fact he walked and didn't get called is enough of a reason to call it lucky.
@ThunderRegulator @OKC035
Nah i know you didn't. IM saying thats what we should have done in that situation.
@ElMexiThunder @OKC035 Never said we shouldn't have gone for the foul.
@ThunderRegulator @OKC035
Lucky? That has nothing to do with luck. Thats the refs fault at not calling the travel. Still no reason as to why we didn't go for the foul.
@ElMexiThunder @OKC035 Not blaming this loss on the refs. Please don't misinterpret that.