Down KD, Thunder bounce back in LA, 104-103
Second night of a back-to-back, on the road and playing without a key player, even if it was against the Lakers, this wasn’t going to be an easy night for the Thunder.
They didn’t have Kendrick Perkins who was out with a bruised knee, and had to regroup and rethink their attack. Oh, and they also didn’t have Kevin Durant either.
It was a night of the Russell Westbrook Experience and he didn’t disappoint — 31 points on 9 of 22 shooting, 10 assists and five rebounds in 36 minutes. He steadied the Thunder after a slow start, provided easy offensive solutions and hit a couple large shots down the stretch, including an absurd leaning stop-and-pop jumper with 38 seconds left.
But the Thunder’s defense was sloppy all night, late on rotations off high screen-and-roll shows, leaving the Lakers easy avenues to the bucket with a simple pocket pass. Before Westbrook hit that big jumper, the Thunder had let a nine-point lead slip as they rode the seesaw for most of the fourth quarter. The Lakers took a three-point lead a few times, but the Thunder always had a response.
A big sequence: After Carlos Boozer hit a layup with 2:00 left, the teams exchange empty trips. Adams was then unable to convert a layup, and the Lakers came out with numbers. Wayne Ellington pulled from 3 in transition, but Serge Ibaka made a wonderful play to get a piece. Boozer pushed Reggie Jackson out of the way, resulting in two free throws OKC’s way, which Jackson hit, putting the Thunder back up one with 1:05 left.
It wasn’t a loud Westbrook-style bucket, but those free throws were just part of the role Jackson played for the Thunder down the stretch. After playing four straight pretty bad games, with his worst one coming last night in Oakland, he bounced back in a huge way with 25 points on 9 of 15 shooting and five assists. He and Steven Adams had a solid two-man thing going that resulted in three lobs, he hit a little runner with 3:32 left, and of course the free throws. Jackson has taken some heat lately, and for good reason in a lot of ways. He’s looked flat without much confidence, possibly even pouting from his new, old role. But his response tonight was fantastic, playing with focus and determination, not forcing or looking for anything himself. He attacked the basket, picked spots to be aggressive and alternated terrifically with Westbrook running the pick-and-roll.
It was a good thing too, because KD’s replacement didn’t play either. Or at least I don’t think he did. The box score tells me Perry Jones played 12 minutes. But seeing as his line looks like this 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0, I’m skeptical.
Kobe Bryant had a chance to win it and break OKC hearts, but his jumper at the buzzer was just short. It was part of an ugly, weird night for Kobe, who was just 3-15 shooting. A lot of that was indeed Andre Roberson’s defense, because he contested everything and made Kobe work, but a lot of that was that Kobe either looked tired or sick. He played the part of distributor for a lot of the night as the Thunder dared the Laker role guys to beat them. And they darn near did.
The thing, though, about Roberson and why the Thunder hunt for players like him, is that even when he makes a mistake, he can recover. Kobe got him to bite ever so slightly on that final shot, but Roberson didn’t jump forward, controlling his body well, and then springing back up and relying on his length to get a good contest. It was part of another really solid performance from 23-year-old, with him adding another unexpected double-digit scoring game. His defense is what puts him on the floor, and he showcased it well tonight.
I wouldn’t classify this as a great win by any means, but there was certainly a lot more at stake in losing. It’s not that it would’ve kicked back up the playoff conversation — because come on — but falling three games under with a tough week and a half ahead wouldn’t have been good. Instead, the Thunder have a good opportunity to get back to .500 on their home floor Sunday night with Durant hopefully ready to return.
NOTES:
- The Thunder relied on a pretty simple offensive trigger for a lot of the night. Post Westbrook, and let him either abuse whoever was guarding him, or kick out to a wide open cutter/shooter. People have been calling for a low post game for OKC for a while. They actually have a really good one. It just comes from their point guard.
- Down the stretch though, the offense was pretty shaky. You’d expect that without the KD bailout option, but it was a lot of Westbrook trying to manifest something out of nothing. There wasn’t a lot of movement, not a ton of screening and not a lot of good shots. But it worked well enough.
- Steven Adams strikes again, this time getting Nick Young tossed for a high forearm to the neck/chin. It was a pretty weird deal, because Adams looked like he was literally standing in place when Young went after him. Everyone always says things like, “Adams must have done something earlier that set him off.” Which seems like it makes sense, because nothing should’ve provoked him with that specific play. But Adams must be a ninja agitator, because in all these tussles he’s had, show me one time where Adams was caught doing something even remotely dirty. You’d think the cameras would’ve caught him at least once. I’ve seen Adams grab guys a little, and bump them some, but in terms of provoking elbows and forearms, I still don’t completely get it. He’s doing something though. Maybe he just has a really punchable face.
- Just seven turnovers for the Thunder. Important.
- Pretty big swing at the end of the third. Nick Young had just hit a flailing 3 to stop a 9-0 run and cut the lead back to six. And after a stop with three seconds left, Carlos Boozer threw it away. Roberson grabbed it, handed it to Anthony Morrow, who buried a 3 at the buzzer.
- It’s weird. It’s like Ronnie Price’s first quarter wasn’t sustainable or something.
- The Lakers couldn’t guard Westbrook whatsoever. He got to the line 13 times in the first half, simply because he was beating people everywhere and they couldn’t keep him in front.
- Westbrook didn’t take a free throw after that, though.
- The Lakers do some very dumb things. And by “the Lakers,” I really mean “Carlos Boozer.” Him trying to dunk on Ibaka was idiotic, then him throwing Jackson down, and he also had a play where Ibaka hit a jumper late in the fourth where he backed off him from like 18 feet. Uh, just skim the scouting report this morning?
- Roberson with consecutive double-digit games. I have no idea what is going on out there anymore.
- The reaction I see with Roberson annoys me quite a bit. Last two games, I’ve been seeing a lot more positive comments about him. Way too many people can only see a player on the offensive end. Roberson is a ridiculous defensive player and his offense is a work in progress. It’s a work in progress in the way road construction in Oklahoma City is a work in progress; annoying and probably never ending, but it’s getting better!
- Per ESPN Stats and Info: “Kobe Bryant shot 3-14 Friday night vs when Thunder’s Andre Roberson was the primary defender. He contested every one of Kobe’s jumpers.”
- What’s this new thing Westbrook is doing at the line with the INHALE… EXHALE…
- Jeremy Lamb’s crash back to earth has been pretty sudden.
- Best moment of the game with Nick Young going through a series of moves with the crowd ooohing only to raise up and take a long 2-pointer, dropping his hands really quickly annnnd airball.
- That play in the first quarter where the ball found Roberson wide open in the corner, Kobe looked him and essentially go right ahead and shoot that. So Roberson did, and swished it.
- Roberson also airballed a free throw tonight. But then bounced back and hit a second 3. He was 4 of 35 for his career from 3 coming in to the game, so going 2 of 4 is quite a thing.
- The Thunder had three pluses tonight: Jackson was a game-high +12, Roberson a +11 and Nick Collison +5.
- Adams was just 1 of 5 from the line, and the one make he had was ugly. Shame too, because he got 10 boards and could’ve had another double-double (nine points).
Next up: Home against the Pelicans on Sunday
