Wednesday Bolts – 9.28.16
Erik Horne: “Six possessions into the Thunder’s scrimmage, you could tell it was preseason. With
the Thunder headed to Spain on Friday, the schedule’s been accelerated. The annual Blue and White scrimmage was played in just the Thunder’s fourth day of camp. The only points after those six possessions were from two Steven Adams free throws … then Domantas Sabonis awoke. The 6-foot-11 rookie was impressive in his first public playing time in Oklahoma City. Sabonis scored 14 points alongside several Thunder starters from a season ago in the White Team’s 73-67 win in front of a raucous crowd of 2,000 fans at John Marshall Mid-High on Tuesday.”
Michael Lee of The Vertical: “Though criticized for supposedly taking the easier road to a title by joining the team he couldn’t beat, Durant believes the opposite is true because he attracted more scrutiny and resistance, while placing more urgency on his desire to win that elusive ring. Durant has already become adept at dodging the questions he has no interest in answering, such as an inquiry about whether he would be a Warrior if Golden State had defeated Cleveland for the second year in a row.”
Brett Dawson: “Price pressed up on Westbrook. He tipped a ball out of bounds as the Thunder star tried to drive on one first-half possession. On another, Price read a Westbrook pick-and-roll and swiped a pass intended for Steven Adams. It was part of a high-energy night for Price, who finished unofficially with 10 points, three assists, three rebounds and four steals in his Blue team’s 73-67 loss. Late in the second quarter, Price was defending as Victor Oladipo gave him a little shove and swished a mid-range jumper. Furious, Price barked at an official for an offensive foul call.”
Psst. Domantas Sabonis might be pretty good.
Jake Fischer of SI.com: “After Minnesota narrowly emerged victorious, the two towering brutes sought each other outside the Target Center locker rooms. They had to be separated. “There wasn’t any physical altercation, but there was some verbal altercation between the two,” says longtime Celtics assistant Jamie Young. Perkins’s barking still rang in Garnett’s ears when Minnesota and Boston discussed their blockbuster trade on draft night that June. The Celtics remained firm: Boston would only exchange the promising Al Jefferson and a hoard of other assets if Garnett agreed to a contract extension.”
