Wednesday Bolts: 1.24.18
Nick Gallo recaps last night’s narrow Thunder victory over the Nets: “Carmelo Anthony counted down from five seconds, just to keep time with the referee, and Andre Roberson stayed both strong and nimble to track Spencer Dinwiddie out to the three-point line. The Thunder’s defensive ace forced the Brooklyn Nets guard to catch it deep and didn’t give an inch, and Dinwiddie’s desperation jumper fell short and right to seal a heart-thumping 109-108 Thunder win.”
Erik Horne on Russell Westbrook and Raymond Felton rescuing the Thunder last night: “Before Russell Westbrook bulled his way past the Nets, Raymond Felton screamed at the same corner section of Chesapeake Energy Arena that Westbrook ran to in pregame. Early in the fourth quarter, Westbrook was chasing him out of the timeout, yelling and pumping fists in the reserve guard’s direction. The Thunder had surged back. The Nets were better than the Thunder for three quarters of OKC’s 109-108 win on Tuesday, the Thunder’s fifth in a row, but it was a win the Thunder wouldn’t have escaped with earlier in the season.”
DJ Dunson (Yahoo) on Westbrook and Paul George getting superstar treatment on the game-winning bucket: “Following a timeout that advanced the ball, Paul George tossed the inbound pass to Westbrook a few feet behind the three-point arc, while Dinwiddie staved off a Steven Adams screen. However, in his urgency George ran into and knocked Dinwiddie to the floor as he cut to the corner, leaving Westbrook with a runway for liftoff into the lane. Nets center Jarrett Allen contested Westbrook at the rim, but the reigning MVP used his body as a shield to keep Allen from getting a hand on his attempt and banked in a tough go-ahead lay-in off the glass.”
Russell Westbrook was named an All-Star yesterday evening: “Reigning Kia NBA MVP Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and four first-time All-Stars lead the list of 14 players selected by the NBA’s head coaches as reserves for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Joining Westbrook as reserves in the Western Conference player pool are LaMarcus Aldridge of the San Antonio Spurs, Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.”
Royce Young on Russell Westbrook’s strong words regarding Paul George’s All-Star snub: “Unbelievable. I think it’s just outrageous, in my opinion,” Westbrook said, demonstrably closing his eyes and shaking his head. “I don’t know who else made the team but got four people from one team, you’ve got guys complaining about getting snubbed until they get in, you’ve got guys just talking about it all the time. But the guys that deserve it — should be in — are not. I just don’t understand. Doesn’t make any sense.”
Mark Medina (Mercury News) has Kevin Durant’s reaction to Westbrook’s pointed comments: “Paul George is an All-Star player, no matter who puts him in the game,” Durant told Bay Area News Group following the Warriors’ 123-112 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday at Oracle Arena. “He’s a super star. He’s a star. It don’t matter. I’m sure it would mean a lot to me if I was Paul as well, or his teammates. I’m sure he deserves to be in there along with a lot of other guys. But [expletive]. That’s just how it is. You know what I’m saying? Everybody gets snubbed. That’s how it is. I really don’t know what to say to that. I think everybody that is in the game deserves to be in there.”
Moke Hamilton (USA Today) on Carmelo Anthony’s rational reaction to not being an All-Star: “I don’t think it’s any disappointment for me,” Anthony said when asked whether he was disappointed. “I mean, coming here, I knew it would be a sacrifice. It was a full sacrifice for me, it wasn’t a half sacrifice, so this is actually a part of that sacrifice.”
William Cannon (Tech Times) on the Nike PG2 “Playstation” colorway: “The new shoe called the PG-2 is the second-generation signature sneaker for NBA all-star George, but this time, he has decided to add a PlayStation console theme. The shoes colorway, tongues, and LED light-up make the sneakers resemble the PlayStation. For those who don’t know, George considers himself NBA’s most avid gamer in the field and felt his second signature shoes needed to express his interest in gaming. The shoes feature buttons on the inside of the tongue that allow wearers to turn the LED lights on and off. The shoe design also features the PlayStation logo and George Logo on either foot. There’s even a vibration feature that pulsates through the shoe when the LED light is turned on, similar to the PlayStation’s DualShock controller.”
Around the League: LeBron James joined the 30,000 point club last night in a loss…. KD was ejected and then talked about it…. Tyronn Lue says it’s time to adjust the Cavs lineup…. The Cavs are looking to acquire George Hill from the Kings…. Gregg Popovich played down the recent rumors of drama in San Antonio.