Thunder keep spiraling in Memphis, 85-74

BOX SCORE

It happened with 4:47 left in the fourth quarter after the Grizzlies called timeout. The Thunder had fallen behind 11 and were well on their way to another loss, and therefore, back under .500. And then I realized it.

The Thunder have six points so far in the fourth quarter.

Another minute went by. And another. The Grizzlies, because of their nature, didn’t exactly put the blowout finishing touches on the Thunder. But with a deficit sitting at 13, the Thunder didn’t score their seventh point until there was 2:21 left, when Russell Westbrook split free throws. They scored 12 points total in the final 12 minutes, five coming in complete garbage time after the game was over.

Let’s rewind to how the quarter started, though. The Thunder trailed 68-62, and were riding a small waft of momentum after Reggie Jackson beat the buzzer to end the third. Things hadn’t been pretty thus far, but it was a typical Thunder-Grizzlies game. Physical, tough, and offense coming with attrition. Memphis won the first quarter 25-20. The second was tied 20-20. The third went 23-22 to the Grizzlies. It was a close game, and as we’ve seen happen so many times between these teams, the Thunder just needed a little offensive spark to light the fire and take it over.

The fourth began, and both Kevin Durant and Westbrook were sitting. The Thunder didn’t score the opening three minutes before Anthony Morrow hit a layup with 8:45 left. The Grizzlies were up nine. Durant checked in 15 seconds later. Westbrook followed 15 seconds after that. The Thunder didn’t score for the next three minutes, until Durant hit a step-back. Ibaka banked in a midrange jumper the next possession — cutting the deficit to 11! — and that was it. Those were the six points. The Grizzlies just ground-and-pounded the Thunder into a messy pulp and took away a nasty 11-point win. Durant shot 5-16. Westbrook 5-16. Ibaka 4-10. Dion Waiters was 3-14. The Thunder hit 34.6 percent overall and turned it over 18 times. It’s a miracle they only lost by 11, really.

Under different circumstances, you’d just tip your cap and accept that on this night, you got Grizzled. They pummeled you all night, beat you up on the glass, jumped passing lanes, frustrated you into bad shots and when you got open ones, you rushed them and didn’t capitalize with any consistency. It happens against Memphis. It’s why they’re 35-12.

But you know why you can’t stomach this one and file it under the oh-well-the-Grizzlies-are-good category? Because the Thunder lost to the Knicks on Wednesday and because of that kind of stupidity, created the feeling of a must-win environment. Watch how they started the game, with the intensity and energy. They felt it too. They wanted to atone for Wednesday. Everyone’s patience is getting stretched at this point and when you throw away games you’re supposed to win, it doesn’t provide the kind of forgiveness in losing the tough ones.

So, what’s the problem? What I keep seeing game to game is a team that is unable to find itself right now. They’re just… off. Because of the lack of continuity throughout the season, they haven’t found a rhythm and understanding of each other. They’re playing as a collection of individuals instead of as a cohesive unit. Possessions are choppy. They’re disjointed. They meander without purpose. They look like a group of guys playing pickup with two good players, and the other three stand around waiting for them to do something. It doesn’t seem like they have a real good idea of what they’re trying to do. There’s more fear than confidence, and the swagger they had has turned to arrogance, with them expecting the green light to click back on just by default. The Suns aren’t letting up and the Thunder are playing with a sense of entitlement.

I’m not normally one to get agitated by isolated losses. And really, it was just a week ago I was writing how despite losing in Cleveland, the Thunder played a pretty good game and can walk away feeling decent. But I expected them to build on something. And then that Knicks game, man. That’s changed things. That loss put a different kind of pressure on this one, and the Thunder no-showed in the worst way when it mattered.

I know I’ve said this before, but this team didn’t magically have its powers zapped from it. They still have the majority of a core that has routinely finished in the top half of the West, winning some 70 percent of their games. They have flaws — serious flaws — but those blemishes previously have been the difference in not winning a championship, not falling back below .500. I still think they have a 10-game win streak in them at some point, though. Yes, there are massive glaring issues plaguing them, but if they can at least get some feel and rhythm going, and start trusting and liking each other again, they can rip off a streak. But what’s it going to take to start that?

NOTES:

• A staggering stat: Five straight games the Thunder have scored fewer than 100 points. Would be seven straight if not for overtime against the Wizards.

• Maybe some of Durant’s off night was rust from missing the last week, or maybe he was in some pain. Because he certainly didn’t appear to be his usual self. Not just the off shooting, but he didn’t attack off the dribble much at all.

• You want a positive spin? Here’s my best shot: The Thunder seven 7-7 in January. Two of those games Durant sat. They played only four home games and had 10 on the road.

• The Dion Waiters experiment is going poorly. He had a nice run of games. But he’s forcing shots, not finishing the good ones he gets, and when he attacks the basket, can’t draw contact or contorts so as to avoid it. Truth is, he gets a lot of great looks out of the offense — and yes, he takes a bunch of bad ones — but isn’t knocking them down with any consistency. He’s had a number of great corner 3 looks the past week, but isn’t hitting on them at all.

• Play of the game: Andre Roberson caught a pass on the wing, hesitated, jab-stepped, then confidently pulled into a 3 and swished it, with seven on the shot clock. He’s hit six of his last eight from deep.

• Why can’t Anthony Morrow get shots?

• Perry Jones with a solid 2 trillion tonight.

• Steven Adams had a nice offensive spurt to start the third as he and Westbrook hooked up in the pick-and-roll. Other than that, Adams was in foul trouble and came away with only two rebounds in a game that the Grizzlies had 20 offensive boards.

• Hey, Serge Ibaka has had five straight double-doubles.

• The first question Nancy Lieberman was asked postgame was “What went wrong?” and she answered by talking about how good OKC’s defense was. That’s next level fan trolling. The Thunder, and thereby, their broadcast team, really do think you are that stupid. That you’ll just forget the fact this team is in a complete tailspin and scored only 12 points in the fourth quarter, and instead just bask in the glory of ONLY losing by 11 to the Grizzlies due to great defense. To me, the lack of respect the Thunder give the fans with that kind of garbage is flat out insulting.

• Oh, oh! And it got better. Later on she broke down a player as a “great set drawn up by Scott Brooks” that resulted in a wild contested Westbrook midrange jumper (in which he was bailed out with a foul) and lauded the fact there were two shooters spaced to the wing — standing like three feet apart from each other — and one of them was Andre Roberson. Hold on, I can’t write anymore. I need to facepalm for the next 45 minutes.

• Jeremy Lamb has just been killing it in garbage time lately. Did you know he’s hit his last four 3s? And seven of his last 12? #NBABallot

• Reggie Jackson’s first quarter buzzer clutch appeared to displease Kevin Durant.

• Like Darnell Mayberry pointed out, there’s an air of hypocrisy there if Durant indeed got on Jackson. But there is a key difference, and it’s in motive. Durant was doing it because he’s constantly tracking stats with a mind toward exceptional efficiency. Individually selfish, sure, but not in the same context as Jackson, who is doing it to try and increase his offseason market value so as to make big money and thereby, get a ticket out of town. That’s a different kind of selfish.

• Dion Waiters is awesome in transition all by himself.

• February is almost do-or-die time for the Thunder. They have 12 games, seven at home and five on the road. They play the Pelicans twice and the Suns once. They need something like 10-2, or I fear the hole might officially get too deep.

• You know what this Thunder team reminds me of? I put on married-man weight right the first year after my wedding, and have basically spent the last six years saying, “Oh yeah, I’ll get in shape again. It’ll happen. I’ll start any day now. Annnnny day now.” I just ate an ice cream sandwich like five minutes ago.

• Here’s my big takeaway: Eventually bad basketball catches up to you. And the Thunder are paying for their sins.

Next up: Home against the Magic on Monday