Friday Bolts – 3.25.16
Erik Horne: “After missing a layup on the break, Westbrook snuck in behind the Utah
rebounder, swiped the ball away, and immediately went up with another shot. Result? Basket and the foul. Westbrook gave a head nod and yell in a first quarter that lacked energy. Maybe the University of Oklahoma playing simultaneously in the NCAA Tournament took some of the Thunder’s thunder amidst a less-than-capacity crowd during the first quarter. OKC’s defense, of all things, stole the attention back. It’s been center of attention during the Thunder’s six-game run.”
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com: “Payne is getting a special brand of on-court hazing, and that’s a good thing. Some first-year players get a crash course with big minutes. Some get a steady ration of decent opportunities. And some — or one in particular — develop because who they face most every practice is a tougher opponent than pretty much any game assignment.”
I wrote a thing about Russell Westbrook yesterday.
Ethan Rothstein of The Dream Shake grasping for straws: “But Michael Beasley returning also—again, theoretically—helps the Rockets’ chances of signing, as does longtime friend James Harden, the lack of state income tax, a front office with a reputation for success and a hopefully dynamite coaching hire. And it’s not like the Rockets didn’t just give the Thunder a big scare on the road Tuesday night.” You hear that? The Rockets almost beat the Thunder the other night! When can Durant sign? Also, Durant talked about Beasley the other day. He said he hadn’t seen him in a year. So, yeah, let’s not act like they’re all that close.
Would LeBron’s hypothetical team beat the Warriors???
Anthony Slater: “A driver had methamphetamine in her system when she hit the car driven by the wife of Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams head-on, resulting in their deaths, according to a lab report by the state’s medical examiner. Susannah Donaldson, 52, of Oklahoma City, was going 92 miles per hour 1.2 seconds before the crash and 78 mph at impact, police Sgt. Gary Knight said last month. She died at the scene.”
