And then there were seven: Thunder fall in Toronto 100-88
I can’t. I just can not even.
The Thunder lost to the Raptors, 100-88. And guess what: They may have lost another player.
In the third quarter Perry Jones went down clutching his right knee after contact to Patrick Patterson’s knee. He limped his way straight to the locker room, and there the Thunder were, without their top scorer, and left with seven available bodies. The team is calling it a right knee contusion which would suggest he’s day to day, but at this point, who even knows. Hope for the best, expect the worst, and all that stuff.
Actually, the Thunder ended up finishing the game with six players as Sebastian Telfair was ejected for what the officials deemed to be a punch at Tyler Hansbrough. Why not make it six, you know?
It’s hard to really describe what’s happening, but there is no question the team played with an incredible amount of spirit. After getting shredded by the Nets last night, the Thunder bounced back with a really quality effort. There was offensive execution, guys playing for each other and defensive intensity. Eventually only having like two players caught up to them, but there’s no question the Thunder gave all they had to give.
Serge Ibaka’s impressive 25-point, 11-rebound game on 11-of-14 shooting is what stands out first, but snaps to Reggie Jackson. After an ugly performance against the Nets in more ways than one, which resulted in Scott Brooks issuing the ultra rare public call-out, Jackson responded by completely running the game. He didn’t take his first shot until there was a minute left in the first quarter, and by then, he’d dished out eight assists. He finished with 13 points and 14 helpers, playing 42 minutes a second straight night, which are his first two games back from his own injury. He battled through an apparent wrist issue and his own thigh bruise. He appeared to be cramping at different times, limping all over the floor. But he gave an effort and played for his teammates.
Scott Brooks said he came away “encouraged” by the performance, and it’s easy to see why. The Thunder somehow had the game within reach, even nibbling the Raptors lead down to seven with 3:34 left. They got a stop, but a mistimed pass by Sebastian Telfair stopped the burst, and the Raptors came back with two points on a Patterson tip-in. After that Nick Collison layup that cut it to seven with 3:34 left, the Thunder scored just one point, coming on a Steven Adams free throw. They just didn’t have anything left to give. Quite an effort, and certainly positive in a lot of ways, but still: The Thunder are 1-4. And now might just have seven players available for Friday’s game against Memphis.
The 1-4 record looks really bad, and the road ahead, with potentially seven healthy bodies available, makes it seem worse. But you have to remember: Not only have the Thunder been horrifically snake-bitten, they’ve also played five games in seven nights, traveling some 9,000 miles in the process. It’s not just that they haven’t had the players; they haven’t had the opportunity to heal and rest either.
It’s going to get worse before it can get better. The darkest is before the dawn, and all that. Question is, will it get too dark for the sun to rise this season?
NOTES:
- The Thunder’s fourth quarter scoring this season: 21.4 points on 37.2 percent shooting while allowing 29.4 points on 50.9 percent shooting. The first three quarters? They’re averaging 23.1 points on 46.0 percent shooting. That’s spelled F-A-T-I-G-U-E.
- A lot of people asked about the Thunder only having four players if three guys would’ve fouled out. I believe the rule is you can’t play with four, so the Thunder would’ve had to play one of the guys that fouled out and each additional foul he picked up with be a technical. Now if there was an injury to the final three guys, I have no idea what would happen.
- Since scoring 17 against the Nuggets, Perk has scored zero the last two games on 0-6 shooting. Obviously the Thunder’s problem is the need to get him going again.
- Took roughly four minutes, but the Thunder had more quality possessions in the first quarter than they did the entire game against Brooklyn.
- Something the Thunder can regret from this one is going just 14-25 from the free throw line. Eleven extra points would’ve been pretty helpful.
- Because consider this: The Thunder shot 52.3 percent from the floor and hit six 3s. The Raptors hit 39.5 percent and made just eight 3s. But Toronto made 28-33 from the free throw line and only turned it over 10 times to OKC’s 21.
- The Thunder were dangerously close to being in trouble as Steven Adams, Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka all finished the game with five fouls.
- More than one person asked if the Thunder’s training staff holds some responsibly for this rash of injuries. I realize that people feel compelled to assign blame to SOMEONE with everything, but shit luck is exactly that. This isn’t anyone’s fault, except for maybe Lil B. How could better training and conditioning have spared Perry Jones from banging knees tonight?
- The intelligence level of some fans was illustrated tonight by the fact many of them were asking me if Patrick Patterson was the same guy that injured Westbrook. Oh boy.
- Remember when the Thunder went through like four years without having to deal much at all with injuries? This feels like an over-correction by the universe. I feel like I’m watching “Final Destination 14: ThunderDome.”
- It was so bad tonight that for extended stretches the Thunder were running a lineup that included Perk, Collison and Ibaka. I don’t know who the small forward was in that group, but really, it doesn’t matter.
- Hey, Serge Ibaka has hit 10 3-pointers already this season. He didn’t hit his 10th one last season until Jan. 14.
- Also: Nick Collison hit two 3s which is neat.
- Telfair’s ejection looked a bit harsh to me. Only person who knows what the intent was there is Telfair. Let’s hope the league takes a sympathetic view and doesn’t issue any more punishment, like a suspension.
- I mean seriously, do Tyler Hansbrough’s parents even like him? They can’t possibly, can they?
- One area the Thunder have to impro– crap, I just sprained my wrist typing this. That’s it for me, I’m day to day.
Next up: Home against the Grizzlies on Friday
