Thunder buried by the Nets 106-116

Andrew Schlecht -

Welp… this should have been an easy one. The 2nd ranked offense and 9th ranked defense vs. the 29th ranked offense and the 26th ranked defense. The math was simple. However we have all seen that these rankings don’t always match up with the play on the floor, and tonight was one of those nights.

Could have been the massive amount of snow dumped on New York over the last couple days delaying the game time, or that Steven Adams strained elbow kept him out of another game. The fact is the Thunder didn’t show up tonight.

The Thunder allowed a team that averages 95 points per game score 116 in regulation, the highest for the Nets this season. Turns out Steven Adams and Andre Roberson really matter to this Thunder defense. Roberson left the game in the second quarter when Westbrook collided with his knee after a missed layup attempt. He didn’t return to the game and has a sprained right knee.

The Thunder attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter that almost worked. They used the Tom Haberstroh lineup of Westbrook, Waiters, Durant, Ibaka and Kanter. For a few minutes Westbrook was getting his teammates involved, dishing to Ibaka for a wide open dunk to cut the lead to 7. This was followed by a Dion Waiters transition layup (what?) making it a 5 point game.  It seemed like the Nets were falling apart and the Thunder had found the right mix, but the Nets answered and the Thunder went back to iso mode. Isolation basketball isn’t necessarily a horrible thing, but tonight it was very ineffective. Durant was 2-10 from downtown and a lot of those were on easy isolations.

The defense was horrendous tonight. The combination of Enes Kanter playing 30 minutes plus Westbrook seemingly not caring on that end made it easy to understand. They gave up 58 points in the paint and allowed Brook Lopez to go for 31 points and 10 rebounds, his 18th double double of the season. They were lazy on closeouts allowing the Nets to shoot 47% from deep including 4-6 from Bogdanovic. The Thunder turned the ball over 14 times resulting in 21 points for the Nets. Donovan may have put it best, “We were getting good shots, they were getting layups”.

The Thunder came into tonight as the leagues top rebounding team, and left getting out rebounded by the 19th ranked team. There is some skill to rebounding no doubt, but when this Thunder team loses on the boards it is often due to a lack of effort. Thad Young had 7 of Brooklyn’s 18 offensive rebounds and was key to the Nets energy.

If anything this game shows this Thunder team is not a finished product. They still play to the level of their opponent at times, and lack motivation. A very concerning loss amidst what seemed like a really nice stretch.

  • What a weird weekend in the NBA. David Blatt fired, Josh Smith traded back to the Rockets, and the Thunder lose to the Nets.
  • It was infuriating to watch Serge Ibaka on the break. Durant hits him right in the numbers and Ibaka hot potatoes that thing right into the hands of the Nets. Maybe Carson Cunningham was right about him having the worst hands on the team. 
  • Kyle Singler hit another 3 tonight, but ended his two game streak of double digit points. He finished with 7.
  • This is one of those games that makes you feel like Serge has regressed.
  • After Roberson went out you’d figure Morrow would get some significant run. Not so. He played a little less than 5 minutes. Didn’t get a shot up.
  • The only real energy I saw from the Thunder came from rookie sensation Cam Payne. He ignited a run on his own at the end of the third quarter. Dishing to a wide open Dion for three, hitting on of his own from KD, and blocking Shane Larkin from behind on a layup attempt. This brought the Thunder within 4 after being down 10. It seemed like the momentum had shifted, but a silly turnover and a bad closeout killed it quick.
  • Payne was a +3, highest for the team, and only played 13 minutes. With his energy and effort it seemed he deserved more.
  • The Thunder are 19-6 when Enes Kanter plays 20+ minutes
  • They are 1-1 when he plays 30+ minutes
  • Kanter guarding Brook Lopez down the stretch was not ideal, and brought out way too many trade deadline emotions for me to handle.
  • Durant missing wide open shots from 3 is the theme of this road trip so far
  • Westbrook hit an iso 3 to make the game 102-110 with just over a minute left, but Joe Johnson answered with a deep three himself, and that sealed the game.

The Thunder in MSG on Tuesday night to face Kristaps and friends.