Little things cost the Thunder against the Rockets, 115-112
We have to start with the last play.
“We knew that they were probably going to foul,” Scott Brooks said. “They’ve done that in the past. I think Russell thought he was going to get fouled, and he got pushed a little bit, but probably not enough to get the call in that situation. And then there were going to be some other actions off a drive and kick.”
Brooks paused, waiting for the next question. And then figured he should add something else.
“But there were many other plays throughout the game,” he said.
A very correct statement. And we’ll get to those other things in a bit. But that last play. That last play, you guys. The Thunder had come back to have a chance to tie, down 115-112 with 3.4 seconds left after Corey Brewer split free throws. Anthony Morrow, who is shooting 2,000 percent on 3s the last two months, and was 6-8 from deep tonight, was inbounding the ball. Sure, makes sense. You know what they say, a lot of times the inbounder is the most dangerous player on the court. A little obvious, but still.
Instead, Westbrook came to get the ball, anticipated Brewer taking a foul, and fired wildly from 35 feet. Airball, game over, sadness ensued.
“He did,” Westbrook said when asked if he was anticipating the foul. “He did actually.”
It’s a decent excuse for an otherwise ungodly bad play. It’s why you do advance scouting, and it said the Rockets foul up three. So the Thunder were prepared, and Westbrook tried to make something happen by getting into the shooting motion. He’s gotten the call before, and he was trying again.
I have two problems with this: 1) You can’t run a play that puts the responsibility on the referee to make a call for you and 2) it didn’t seem like there was anything else planned after it. Brooks was vague with the “other actions” thing, as he always is, and I took that as he didn’t want to say that Westbrook broke the play to come get the ball, which has happened in the past.
But after hearing Anthony Morrow postgame, I’m not so entirely sure.
“I was just taking it out,” he said. “I was making sure I got a good pass in to him. I knew we had a few seconds on the clock but I couldn’t really tell if it was a foul or not, but it’s tough. It didn’t come down to that play, obviously, there are hundreds of plays and we didn’t take advantage all the way tonight.”
Was he anticipating getting a look himself?
“I mean, I’m always trying to make myself available for everybody. But obviously with Russ coming to the ball, he got himself open, which I’m glad he did and I got the ball into him.”
So. It would seem to me that Morrow — one of the best 3-point shooters in the league — wasn’t involved in the final play. It would seem to me, that the final design was for Westbrook to get fouled and go to the line for two free throws, or try and get fouled on a 3. If all that is the case, that’s horrible planning by Brooks and the Thunder. If this were a one-off play, you’d get over it. But we’ve seen it too many times to really forgive it. The Blazers run a simple double-screen for Damian Lillard that everyone in the building knows is coming, and get a look. Why is it so very hard? Is it because Westbrook’s death grip on wanting the ball makes it too difficult, or is this Brooks’ lack of ingenuity? I don’t know the answer. I do know that the look the Thunder got, even if Brewer did take the foul, wasn’t good. And the play that produced it, wasn’t good.
But, like Brooks and Morrow said, there were 47 minutes and 56 seconds that led up to that moment. They tied it up at 100-100 with 3:12 left after trailing by 13 earlier in the fourth. Immediately, there was a defensive miscommunication and James Harden drilled a 3. Two more daggers from Harden, and the Thunder were down 108-101. With 33 seconds left, after Westbrook had hit a 3 to cut it to four, he was fouled by Harden, his sixth, and headed to the line. He missed both, leaving the Thunder to play the foul game. Had Westbrook even hit one, it’s a different game. With Harden out, the Thunder just need a stop to have a chance to either tie, or if he hit both, to win.
Those are the fine points that aren’t going for the Thunder right now. Enes Kanter missed four or five point blank looks. Eighteen Thunder turnovers. Bad defensive breakdowns. They were in it against the Rockets. They had a chance. But they didn’t do enough.
I said this back in November when they were losing agonizingly close games, but that’s why mediocre teams are mediocre. Those little things are the difference between winning and losing most nights in the NBA. And that’s all the Thunder are right now. They’re mediocre. They’ve lost five of six, and with the Spurs coming to town next, it’s probably only going to get worse before it has a chance to get better.
NOTES:
- The Thunder started out up 10-3 today. Then the Rockets went on an 18-0 run over the next five minutes.
- Westbrook put up his 11th triple-double of the season, with what should be an eye-popping line: 40 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. We’ve become so desensitized to these monster lines that it barely even registers as amazing anymore.
- Harden was absurd: 41 points on 12-22 shooting, six rebounds and six assists. And cold-blooded dagger after cold-blooded dagger. He desperately wanted to talk noise to OKC’s bench, but literally no one he played with was in uniform on it. Westbrook was the only guy at all that Harden was teammates with.
- The Thunder were already really thin on the front line, but it was made worse by Steven Adams’ foul trouble. He fouled out in just 15 minutes, and McGary had five in only 10 minutes.
- It is definitely pretty dumb to boo Harden, especially still.
- Kevin Durant was in the building, sitting in a chair up next to Sam Presti and Troy Weaver.
- The Thunder hit 14 3s.
- Dion Waiters was pretty good, on both ends, I thought. He had 14 on 6-13 shooting, and at least made Harden work. A lot of what Harden got was because of the free throw line, and some tough shots down the stretch.
- I did like Westbrook on him better, though.
- Kanter had another big double-double, 21 points and 17 rebounds. But he had five turnovers and missed some great looks, as well as was unable to finish some easy and-1s.
- The Thunder bench produced 25 points today. Anthony Morrow had 22 of them.
- The Thunder did some Hack-a-Guy and were in the foul game late, but the Rockets still took 50 free throws.
- The numbers may make me look like an idiot, but I really feel like the Thunder’s best lineups lately have been the four guard look. Westbrook, Waiters, Morrow, Singler and a big. I think it’s worth considering starting games like that, especially if Adams is going to keep fouling everybody. They can switch everything on the perimeter.
- After Trevor Ariza fouled Westbrook, he was checking out of the game and a fan yelled, “stop crying!” and he responded, very loudly I might add, “Shut the f— up!” The fan later yelled out, “Thanks for teaching my daughter a new word on Easter.” Ariza then held his hand to his chest and apologized.
- The guy sitting behind me today was the best, most positive fan I’ve ever heard. Was calling out screens, constantly encouraging the players, yelling out weakside actions. He even told Morrow he had the shooter on a free throw. Cracked me up. Really smart guy, and really happy. I liked him a lot.
- Not over yet, but yeesh, this is getting old, isn’t it?
Next up: Home against the Spurs on Tuesday
