Merry Russmas: Thunder drop the Spurs, 114-106
It would be going too far to say today erased the horrific, stunning loss to the Blazers on Tuesday. But if there was ever a way to bounce back from that collapse, this was it.
With Kevin Durant sitting his fourth straight game, it was all on the scratched shoulders of Russell Westbrook once again, and even after an erratic 1-of-8 start shooting, he was more than up for the challenge.
There are a whole lot of things that happened in this game, but here’s really the only two things you need to know, and they really tell the same story:
1)When Westbrook went to the bench with 2:59 left in the third, the Thunder led 74-68. When he returned with 8:40 left in the fourth, the Thunder were down 86-82. And when the game finished, they were up 114-106.
2) In an eight-point win, Westbrook was a +27.
The Thunder had played a splendid first eight minutes of the third, pushing the Spurs all over the floor, creating offense with pace and space, attacking the rim relentlessly and freeing up quality perimeter shots. They built a lead as big as 11, and really just seemed to be outclassing their opponent. Westbrook sat, things went to crap, and it really looked that in a game that was going to come down to halfcourt execution, the Thunder were going to pee down their leg again. Because let’s face it: In a one-on-one game of halfcourt execution, you don’t want to be doing that against the Spurs.
Instead, Westbrook immediately provided the Thunder a spark when he checked back in, finishing a layup, then drawing an and-1 on a mid-post jumper. The next 13 possessions, Westbrook had a hand in 15 points. That’s the Russell Westbrook that makes you stand the kind of crap he pulled against the Blazers. That’s the kind of Russell Westbrook that you defend to no end on the internet against the haterzzz. That’s the kind of Russell Westbrook that can be one of the most unstoppable players on the planet, and take the Thunder to the highest of places.
His final line: 34 points on 14-of-28 shooting, 11 assists, five rebounds and five steals in 35 minutes. Remember that he started 1-of-8? Yeah, me either.
If Tuesday’s loss was one of the worst ever, then today’s was, well, I’m not going to say one of the best ever, but it certainly is one of the best of the season to date. It was everything this team has shown, albeit inconsistently — toughness, resiliency, absurd playmaking and talent, selfless crunchtime offense and some outstanding shotmaking. One possession sticks out in my mind: With about six minutes left, Westbrook drove hard on the baseline, collapsing the San Antonio defense. He kicked to the corner where Serge Ibaka had a decent-to-good shot. But Ibaka made the extra pass, finding Anthony Morrow stepping into a wing 3. Perfect offense, set up by simple, but correct basketball plays.
One thing I don’t think people realize is the Thunder don’t have an especially great team. They have especially great players. A bunch of ’em. That’s why you remove one of the league’s very best players from the roster, and they aren’t nearly as good. The Spurs have a great team that can interchange parts. The Thunder are trying to get there. And today was a good step in showing they can get there. Yes, Westbrook dominated the offense, but all the pieces around him fit, and the defense stepped up behind it all. It doesn’t fix the transgressions from earlier in the week, but like Westbrook said after the Blazers loss: Move on. It’s easy.
Apparently so.
NOTES:
- I intentionally didn’t mention Steven Adams in that part up there, because he needs his own paragraph. Or two. Or three. Let’s make this the first one.
- Adams hasn’t played a better game in a Thunder uniform. And I think I’d be saying that even without the 16 points and 15 rebounds (career-high). His interior defense on Tim Duncan was spectacular. He completely stood up the Hall of Famer, taking away any kind of back-downs or turnarounds. On a few occasions, Adams straight up son’d Duncan, stuffing his shot right back in his face, even with two hands at one point.
- Then the offensive end. It helped that Adams pulled in eight offensive boards, which created a lot of his own offense, but he showed off that developing inside game, scoring with a face-up baseline drive on Duncan, then twice with baby hooks in the paint. It was disappointing the Thunder got away from that stuff, but maybe that’s best because once Adams had confidence and a rhythm, all those pick-and-roll finishes came a lot easier to him. Especially that strongman dunk over Duncan and Matt Bonner.
- Adams has flashed his potential a number of times, but it’s all becoming a lot more consistent. Is he going to shut the Harden trade talk up? That’ll probably never happen because that narrative ship sailed long ago. But in terms of what the Thunder need, the truth is Adams might be able to provide more than Harden ever could.
- Since Adams had those two games in early December with one total rebound, he’s averaging 9.6 rebounds (with 8.9 points) in just 25 minutes a game. Extrapolate to per 36, and that’s 12.8 points (on 63.8 percent shooting) and 13.8 rebounds with a net rating of +21.3 per 100 possessions. Wow.
- One more thing: Adams now has four double-doubles this season. Kendrick Perkins since joining the Thunder: three total, which includes the 2012 Finals.
- Anthony Morrow was magnificent off the bench, giving the Thunder exactly what they’ve been missing. He knocked down the open looks he got, and kept the Spurs worried when he wasn’t. He had 15 points with three 3s in 27 minutes, hitting two big ones in crunchtime. Without Morrow, the Thunder bench gets completely worked by the Spurs today.
- Still: It continues to be a running theme against the Spurs that the Thunder’s second unit is just inadequate against them.
- Danny Green today: 4-13 shooting, 2-8 from 3. Guess who was guarding him most of the day?
- (Andre Roberson was.)
- Perry Jones’ line looks decent: 14 points on 5-7 in 31 minutes. But he had one rebounds, zero assists, zero steals, zero blocks and heck, zero turnovers. He can do some things that impress you in isolated moments, but in those 10-12 plays where that’s not happening, you forget he’s even on the court.
- That Jones one-on-one fast break shows you a lot of what’s wrong with his game. He had Belinelli back-peddling, hesitated at first before realizing, “Hey! I should attack here!” Then he did, but only went about 70 percent I’d say before being bailed out by a bad call on Danny Green. Jones was indecisive and lacked any real aggression. You cannot play like that in the NBA.
- What was up with Pop pulling his starters with 1:30 left and down six, and then after Corey Joseph hit two free throws, putting them right back in? Did he think it was over? Did he just assume the Thunder were winning by more?
- Reggie Jackson struggled — six points on 3-9 in 27 minutes — but he did knock down the biggest shot of the game. With the Thunder offense stalled out and the Spurs closing fast, he hit a 20-footer pull-up with 56 seconds left to restore a six-point lead.
- Serge Ibaka was solid: 21 points on 8-15, 3-4 from 3, nine boards and a block. At times, he was drifting aimlessly to the perimeter, but he picked his spots well to shoot. And the Thunder were actively looking for him in the second half!
- I am required by the collective bargaining agreement to mention Matt Bonner’s dunk.
- What is it with the Thunder against the Spurs in getting a point guard matched up against a big constantly? Ish Smith kept getting caught on Tiago Splitter in the third, making easy points for the Spurs. More like Fish Smith, amirite?
- DNP-CD for Nick Collison. And Jeremy Lamb.
- I love the Jeremy Lamb conundrum. When he plays, everyone wants him to sit. When he sits, everyone wants him to play. Or maybe it’s just each side of the faction gets vocal at different times.
- Free throw shooting almost cost OKC big: 21-38, with Adams and Roberson combining to miss 10. But both hit some big ones late in the fourth.
- Ish Smith actually did some decent things (five assists in 13 minutes), but the Thunder were a -19 with him on the floor. Unfair to isolate entirely on that, but Smith doesn’t seem to be striking plus to me right now.
- There has been some confusion about Durant’s injury because the team probably messed up by calling it a “mild ankle sprain” when they first diagnosed it during the Warriors game. It’s actually just an “ankle sprain” which is the kind of injury that can keep you out a few weeks.
- Next Christmas jerseys: initials. Ex: R.F.W. (Russell F’ing Westbrook.)
- Of course Pop was hip to the smart move to Hack-A-Roberson. (Though Andre did split the pair.)
- The Thunder against the Spurs since 2012 when Serge Ibaka plays: 13-8.
Next up: Friday against the Hornets at home
