Season in Review: The Best Performance
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While as a team the Thunder failed to make the playoffs, there were still plenty of great individual performances. For this Part 2 of the Season in Review, I’m going to mix it up a bit and count down my selections for the five best performances of the season.
For the record, and before you second guess every selection, I tried not to make it just the Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant show and consider great performances by other players. You could rationally make an argument that the top five best performances this season were all by Mr. Triple Double (Westbrook, for those who aren’t of this world), but I’m an equal opportunity writer.
And without further ado, your five best performances of the 2014-15 season.
5) April 1, 2015 / Enes Kanter against the Dallas Mavericks
As a basketball fan, this game was flat-out fun. On the OKC side, three (count them, three) players scored 30+ points, and one of those players was Kanter. This was the showcase game for what Kanter can do offensively, as he displayed a variety of shots (including a three pointer) en route to 30 points on just 13 shots, including 16 rebounds (5 offensive). Kanter even a blocked shot! It’s really a shame the defense didn’t show, because if you had told me before the game that the Thunder would score 131 points in regulation, I would’ve assumed they won handily. But twas not to be, as the Mavericks edged the Thunder 135-131 in a battle of who could play defense for 30 seconds.
4) April 1, 2015 / Anthony Morrow against the Mavericks
Another one of the three players to score 30+ against the Mavericks was Mr. Anthony Morrow (Westbrook was the third, for the record). Morrow did a lot his damage from three-land, nailing 6 of his 9 attempts, but he also was aggressive inside the arc, going 5-7 on 2-point shots and getting to the line 4 times. How about this for efficiency? Thirty-two points in 29 minutes on 16 shots. Hello, scoring.
3) February 2, 2015 / Westbrook against the Orlando Magic
Dion Waiters’s best performance to date was overshadowed by a Westbrook triple double against the Magic. This is my favorite triple-double by Russ this year because of how he achieved it. He scored 25 points, on 53% shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 14 assists. The key here was Westbrook’s usage rate, which was a very tame 25%. In sum, Westbrook was under control, smart, and efficient.
2) December 31, 2014 / Durant against the Phoenix Suns
In his first game back after a six-game absence from a sprained ankle, Durant showed no ill effects from the injury en route to 44 points. Westbrook was ejected early in the game after receiving two technical fouls, but Durant more than carried the load in the overtime win. This was your typical Slim Reaper game, with Durant sniping from three (6-11), getting to the line (12-12), getting teammates involved (7 assists), and helping out on the boards (10 rebounds).
1) February 6, 2015 / Westbrook against the New Orleans Pelicans
In a critical game against the Pelicans, and on a night when Durant was struggling (9-26 shooting), Westbrook took over the scoring duties with 48 points on 15-28 shooting, including 3-5 from three and an incredible 15-15 from the free-throw line. Russ punctuated his performance with 9 rebounds, including 3 offensive, 11 assists, and 4 steals. Down three, Westbrook also drew a critical three-shot foul with one second left and converted all three under pressure. Unfortunately, Anthony Davis hit the shot of his life at the buzzer, and the Pelicans garnered a win that proved to be the difference in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the West.
MORE SEASON IN REVIEW
- Last week: The Best Player
- This week: The Best Performance
- Next week: The Best Plays
