Durant arrives as the Thunder hold off the Jazz, 94-90

BOX SCORE

It doesn’t always have to be pretty.

For a good portion of it, it was though. The Thunder went up 12 with 8:07 remaining, and against a Jazz team that appeared to be in desperate need of some creativity and scoring, they could just sort of sail in for a soft landing for their fourth straight win.

Instead, the Jazz cranked up their energy, and the Thunder didn’t in return, eventually getting it all the way back to square, 87-87, with 1:23 remaining.

Kevin Durant then did that thing. Simple play, high screen-and-roll with his man trailing on his hip, Durant pulled from 3 and splashed down to put the Thunder back up, 90-87. Then to stamp it, he hit a pull-up elbow jumper with 11 seconds left to put OKC up five after Russell Westbrook had missed one that Steven Adams kept alive and fell to Dion Waiters.

It was an odd game for Durant, who played the first half in a calm rhythm, taking what was given to him, not forcing any issue as Westbrook carried most of the load. Durant kind of carried on in that way, which was fine, until things started tightening. Then everyone started standing around a bit waiting for him to do something. It wasn’t that he was in a funk; he just wasn’t entirely in the game.

If you’ve watched Durant for long enough, you know all it takes for him to snap back on is for one shot to drop. It happened, and it was on an awkward off-balance runner thing with 4:18 remaining. That was Durant’s first points of the second half and at the time stopped a 7-0 run. Then Durant hit a one-legger on the next possession. He missed his next two, but then hit the next big two — the 3 from the top of the key and the dagger pull-up from the elbow.

After putting up nothing for the first 20 minutes of the second half, Durant scored the Thunder’s final 11 points. It’s what he does. It’s why he makes the Thunder so good, especially in these kinds of games where things get choppy and you’ve got to just strip down to your bare bones and find a way.

No question it was disturbing the way the Thunder played after going up 12. They clearly relaxed and started coasting, failing to make second or third efforts defensively, and just simply falling asleep at times on the defensive boards. Had Durant not arrived just in time, we’re talking about an infuriating loss, and another head-scracthing close one.

Billy Donovan talked about it last night after the Hawks win, about how some of the big jumps the Thunder have made can often come and go night to night. But it’s about who you are at your core, what your principles are, what your identity is, that carries you through when you don’t have “it.” Because you’re not going to every night, especially on the third game in four nights and second of a back-to-back on the road.

To me, this win showed equal parts develop as the previous two wins. One, because for large portions of this game, the Thunder played exactly as they did against the Grizzlies and Hawks, with crisp, rhythmic ball movement leading to excellent shots. Except some very good looks didn’t fall, specifically for Serge Ibaka who started the game 1-8. Against the Hawks he hit almost every one of those and it made OKC’s offense look fantastic. He got a lot of the same shots tonight, and didn’t make them.

Two, because when things started slipping, they still got it done. There’s no doubt in my mind they lose this game a month ago. This was the Raptors game — albeit against a worse team — with a meltdown on both ends nearly biting them. But they came up with a few stops, got a few rebounds, and Durant answered the bat signal.

It wasn’t as pretty as the last two, but really in principle, there’s almost equally as much to be encouraged from it.

NOTES:

• Really good design by Donovan on the inbound play to get it not just in, but in to Durant with 3.3 seconds left. Lots of misdirection and the Jazz were completely confused, which resulted in an easy pass to Durant.

• I had a feeling Durant was going to miss one of those free throws. And he did, except it just went in. It hit front rim and rolled its way home, with quite a bit of help from Durant who shimmied it down.

• The non-Durant/Westbrook bench lineup to start the fourth was much better, going +5 in almost four minutes of playing together. Took the five-point third quarter lead and had it to 10 when Westbrook and Durant re-entered.

• Durant seems to be feeling Billy Donovan.

• Sometimes Ibaka’s effort, or lack thereof, is just painful. The guy is a physical monster, and a vital part of the Thunder on both ends, but loose 50/50 balls, he’ll just stand and watch them literally bounce in front of him.

• Unselfish from Westbrook giving it up on the break to Waiters for a dunk (which he made). Donovan praised Durant for doing that against Memphis a few times, and Westbrook clearly is following in the same mindset. Those kind of little plays from your stars count for something down the line.

• I still want to know the dirty analogy Brian Davis was going to make.

• Did it feel like Durant had seven turnovers to anyone else? He had two.

• One of Enes Kanter’s better games in a while, adding 11 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes. The Jazz went after him too, primarily Trevor Booker who tried to rough Kanter up on the block.

• By the way Trevor, that’s now 2-0 for Kanter. With a chance for 3-0 on Sunday.

• Waiters was very meh. He had 10 on 5-9 in 30 minutes. Some good drives to the basket, but also a face-palming pull-up early in the clock in the first half, and a bad 3 in the second half.

• The Thunder stayed big against the Jazz for basically the entire game, playing Ibaka and Adams, or Kanter and Ibaka, or Kanter and Collison. The Jazz didn’t really ever go to a lineup to try and stretch OKC, and rebounding was an issue, so Donovan elected to stick with size. I would’ve liked to see the Westbrook, Waiters, Morrow, Durant, Ibaka five at some extended point though. Would’ve depended on if KD could hold up against Booker.

• Why does Raul Neto start?

• When the Thunder were struggling on the boards late, it was Westbrook who went flying in to rip down the most crucial one. Naturally.

• I think I like Roberson driving the ball more on those kick outs, but he’s just getting lost after he beats the first man. He’s either not reading the help in time, or he’s trying to force a pass that isn’t there. It’s better than a so-so look from 3 or a swing out to the top of the key, though.

Next up: Home against the Jazz on Sunday