After Kevin Durant started off the game with consecutive airballs, everyone was saying the same thing: Haven’t I already seen this movie?
It wasn’t a sequel to Thunderstruck though. It was real life and Durant wasn’t playing well. And neither were the Thunder.
“Our first half was one of the worst we’ve played this year,” said Durant “It was one of those games. Grind out game where you got to push through.” Keep Reading…
vs. 
TV: FSOK (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: 6:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 113.6 (1st), Pacers– 9982 (28th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.5 (10th), Pacers – 99.6 (2nd)
Pace: Thunder – 92.5 (12th), Pacers – 90.1 (28th)
View from the enemy: 8 Points, 9 Seconds
Can the train keep on a rollin’ tonight against the Pacers? The NBA season is so full of ebbs and flows, highs and lows. It’s just not possible for a team to be up every game, to be ready to play. That’s not meant to say a team can’t win on those nights — that’s what truly separates the average groups from the great ones. Keep Reading…
This week Jared Dubin of HoopChalk.com joins Brad to talk all things Russell Westbrook as well as a general overlook of the Eastern Conference elite and everyone’s favorite controversy team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
Topics of conversation include:
… And much more
Download, listen and comment.
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Good weekend. Thank you for your support of Daily Thunder. No more 8:30 games, please.
Riveting video here, you guys. Some guy actually made a video “unboxing” KD’s movie. I love YouTube. But hey, a reminder that “Thunderstruck” is out on Blu Ray and DVD, so if you’re looking for a Christmas gift, there you go. And you know what, it’s not terrible.
A lot has changed since the last time the Thunder and Lakers met. The Lakers are different. The Thunder are different.
Except nothing is really different.
At least in terms of outcome.
The last time the Thunder and Lakers met, Oklahoma City was polishing off a nice gentleman’s sweep, a five-game handling of the LA. Of course, the Lakers didn’t just make an offseason splash, but emptied the pool with the signing of Steve Nash and the Dwight Howard trade. The Thunder actually subtracted from their roster.
Didn’t matter Friday though. Russell Westbrook went ballistic the first 24 minutes, Kevin Durant calmly closed the last 24 and the Thunder cruised to a 104-108 win over the Lakers. Keep Reading…
vs.
TV: ESPN (Cox 29, HD720); FSOK (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: 8:30 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 113.3 (2nd), Lakers– 107.2 (9th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 102.9 (9th), Lakers – 102.8 (8th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.3 (15th), Lakers – 94.3 (3rd)
View from the enemy: Forum Blue and Gold
It’s pretty obvious how this is going to play out. We’ve all watched sports long enough to know. The Thunder are rolling, looking as powerful as ever. The Lakers are the disappointment of basketball and have everyone digging their grave.
So naturally, they’re going to beat the Thunder in OKC and have everyone proclaiming they’re back. That’s just the way it works. Sports, y’know? Keep Reading…
Tom Ziller of SB Nation looks at why no one scores 50 anymore: “The well-rounded superstar is the highest ideal. During the Kobe era, being well-rounded was perhaps not as valued as being incredible at what you do. I imagine Durant doing the Kobe-McGrady-Vince Carter era … and I imagine him taking many more shots, and maybe having a 60-point game under his belt. These days, we opine about completionism in our stars — LeBron and the post game, Durant and the assists. Coaches do, too, and so we have better players. But fewer big game scorers. It’s a net good with a drag on something we enjoy. Are there any current players who could signal a return to prominence for the 50-point game? Durant is an obvious choice, but it’ll take an injury to or trade of Russell Westbrook to make that happen. And vice versa: Westbrook could have a few big nights if Durant misses any time.”
Tony Manfred of Business Insider on how KD is trying to LeBron himself: “His assist numbers have increased as a result. In addition, his slightly reduced scoring role has allowed him to attack the boards more freely, and he’s grabbing a solid share of rebounds despite playing alongside two rebounding specialists in Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. Look, we’re not saying Durant is going to be as good as LeBron. But it’s clear that he’s making an effort to expand his game by mimicking some of the ways LeBron plays.” Keep Reading…
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images
For whatever reason, it often takes a nice round number for us to all pause and take a second to recognize how brilliant a professional athlete is. Five hundred home runs, 10,000 rushing yards, or 30,000 points.
Kobe hit the latter last night. He joined four other players — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Obviously a pretty exclusive club reserved for the greatest of the greats.
Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus did number formulatin’ and projected other active players likely to join those five. The most likely: LeBron at 90.5 percent, Kevin Durant at 58.1 percent and Dirk at 48.1 percent. LeBron is nearly 28 and has 19,442 points. Dirk is 34 and a half and has 24,134. KD just turned 24 and has 10,481. Keep Reading…
