Daily Thunder.com

I went and saw Gran Torino tonight (which was excellent, by the way) and didn’t watch the game. So sue me.

Evidently, I missed a good one. I’m just doing a box score drive-by and here’s a few quick ruminations:

1. No Chris Wilcox, no Damien Wilkins. Woo and woo. I like Joe’s theory at Thunderguru — holding Wilcox out so not to risk injury seems very plausible. Holding Wilkins out because OKC would be better off letting me hoist stupid jumpers seems very smart.

2. I listened to the first quarter on the radio, but one thing was pretty eye… er, ear-catching. The Rockets didn’t make a field goal until three minutes left in the first quarter. Yet the most they ever trailed in that quarter was by seven. Incredible.

3. What’s the deal with Robert Swift? Obviously, he’s just a token starter. He’s been in the first five the past six games, but the most minutes he’s played has been 21. Tonight he played just 10. Are they trying to slowly — and I mean slowly — work him back into game shape? Or are they trying to keep him somewhat happy so that they can make a decision on whether to bring him back next year? Or is he just biding time until Krispy Nads is ready to take over full-time? I think I found my answer.

4. Speaking of Krispy, judging by the box score, it looks like he’s adjusting decently back to the NBA game. But on the radio in the first quarter, I heard him make a major mental boo-boo. The Thunder had the ball with two seconds on the 24 and the ball went in two Krstic and he was totally clueless and swung the ball to Russell Westbrook. I’ll just cut him some slack and chalk it up to being rusty, even though you could not play basketball in 45 years and have enough court awareness to look at the shot clock, especially when there’s two seconds on it. But hey guys, come on… he’s new.

5. Twenty-two turnovers? Seven by Kevin Durant? Geez.

6. I really wasn’t aware Earl Watson was rehabbing a bum thumb for the first two months of the season and since he’s been “healthy” he has been better. I’ll give him that. But I only feel about .001 percent bad for all the ragging on him I’ve done. He’s shooting better but he still takes too many “No, no, no, NO, NOOO!!!” jumpshots. And I think I like Kyle Weaver as Russell’s backup more anyway.

7. When I have about two hours that I need to completely flush, I’ll do research on this, but how many games has Oklahoma City lost this year while outshooting its opponents? I feel like this has happened a decent amount under Scott Brooks. Tonight, the Thunder shot 48 percent from the field while Houston shot 46. And on top of it, OKC took seven more shots! The difference was at the free throw line where Houston took 15 more and made 11 more than the Thunder.

8. Seriously, you look at that stat line and you’ve got to think OKC won. 44-31 in rebounds. 48-46 in field goal percentage. OKC made four threes, Houston made five. OKC had six steals, Houston had… oh, I see. Houston had 14 steals. And 21 points off 22 Thunder turnovers.

9. Nice lines though by Westbrook and Durant though. KD continues to be one of the best scorers in the league, notching 27, but his game is becoming full. Six rebounds and five assists to go with the points is nice. Westbrook put up 15, six and six. Is it just me or does anyone think that’s going to be his consistent line for pretty much the rest of his career? He just screams 15, six and six to me.

10. I’m not really a moral victories kind of guy, but I don’t really have a problem with some of these losses. The team is playing contenders extremely well, but there’s just clearly one or two little, tiny things missing or these would be wins. And I fully expect that to be corrected by next year. So imagine all these under six-point losses Scott Brooks has piled up and make them wins. We’d be looking at a 13-24 record just on that alone instead of 5-32. Tack on more experience for the youngsters, more skills developing and maybe an added piece here or there and I think at this point next year we could see a 20-17 record. Is that crazy? Yeah, probably.

Recap

vs.

Houston Rockets (22-15) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (5-31)
Friday, Jan. 9
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 CST

TV: FS Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal

It should be a somber crowd tonight at the Ford. Maybe we should all wear black as we mourn the loss of the Sooners. Twas a wonderful season, but nothing hurts more than coming up empty-handed on the biggest stage in your sport.

Maybe the Thunder can give us some solace! Yeah.

I’m in the process of setting up the new website, so I’m a little swamped. But here’s a quick breakdown:

Rockets good.
Thunder not so much.

But I actually sort of like OKC to play well tonight despite that 42-point whooping the other night. Under Scott Brooks, that doesn’t happen much and typically the team comes back competitive. Hopefully, Nenad Krstic gets more settled in tonight and unlike the Wolves, the Rockets don’t hit EVERYTHING. The Rockets are just .500 on the road and the Thunder have played them relatively well. And I’m kind of excited to have a real 7-footer to match up on Yao. I’m going to go on record and make a prediction for tonight: Oklahoma City 101, Houston 97. Yep. Maybe I’m reaching because I need something to help me get over last night. As you can see, I took it pretty hard.

Preview

I love these NBA.com hotspots. I could shuffle through them all day and look at where guys hit shots from. As you look at them, you notice strange trends. For instance, Kevin Durant:

Commentary

I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks Russell is going to be a special, special player. I don’t feel so crazy anymore. Hollinger says:

“Since everyone sees this rookie of the year race as a two-man chase between Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo, let me steal a page from Rob Neyer and present this comparison:

Player A: 37.3 min., 16.3 pts., 6.2 ast., 45.9 FG%, 13.58 PER
Player B: 36.4 min., 17.7 pts., 3.8 ast., 43.8 FG%, 14.03 PER
Player C: 33.1 min., 15.5 pts., 5.1 ast., 46.2 FG%, 16.23 PER

Player A is Rose in the month of December. Player B is Mayo in the month of December. And Player C, who has more combined points and assists per minute than either Rose or Mayo, a better shooting percentage and a higher Player Efficiency Rating? That would be Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook in the month of December.

He’s getting zero attention because he had a dreadful November and his team has won only five games. But Westbrook has been spectacular over the past month — he shot 34.5 percent in November but 46.2 percent in December and hung 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds on the Knicks on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Rose and Mayo have cooled off from their hot starts. Westbrook also is the youngest of the three, the best defender and the only one who had to change positions upon arriving in the NBA. All of which suggests he’s only scratching the surface of his potential — as does the fact that he has a higher turnover ratio than the other two, which, in a paradoxical twist of logic, is actually a good thing for a rookie. Historically, those with high turnover rates have had much higher rates of improvement in subsequent seasons.

So 12 months from now, don’t be surprised if we’re calling Westbrook the top guard from this rookie class.”

And also, if that last line becomes true, don’t be surprised if I send David Berri a gloating email.

Note: If you’re an ESPN Insider, you could continue reading as Hollinger also predicts OKC will win 20 (TWENTY!) games this year. I’ve got them penciled down for about 14-17 at this moment, but who am I to disagree with John “The Brain” Hollinger? I just hope he didn’t watch last night’s game.

Also… in today’s B.S. Report, Bill talks with Ric Bucher and Marc Stein and at about the 47 minute mark, they get into Oklahoma City and potential trades. Also, Bill asks if Portland had to do it all over again, would the Blazers take Kevin Durant? Bill even makes the bold claim that if Durant hits his ceiling, he will be one of the top 20 players ever. Interesting stuff.

Commentary

Ever stay up waaaay too late on a Tuesday night, just sitting there on the couch mindlessly flipping channels, catching a cool episode of I Shouldn’t Be Alive and then watching the same SportsCenter like four times? Then you wake up the next morning and you’re a zombie until quitting time and all you can think about is, “Why in the heck didn’t I go to bed at a reasonable time? I should have known I had business to take care of tomorrow.” That was the Thunder tonight. Instead of finishing off the Knicks last night and cruising into tonight’s game, they stayed up way later than they should have and they paid for it tonight.

What is there to say? Really, what is there to analyze, breakdown or write about after a 42 point (FORTY. TWO.) loss?

It was evident from the tip, the Thunder left their legs in Oklahoma City. Jumpshots were short. They were slow on the defensive end. Loose balls went to Minnesota every time. Perimeter defense was atrocious. I swear I saw a couple guys yawn while the ball was in play. Just bad all the way around. And you know what I have to say about it? It happens. Especially when you’re not all that good and you’re average age is 24. It’s just bound to happen.

Read more…

Preview

vs.

Oklahoma City Thunder (5-30) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-25)
Wednesday, Jan. 7
Target Center
Minneapolis, MN
7:00 PM CST

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1, FM, 640 AM)

After losing streaks of 14, nine and then just five, the Thunder snapped a one-game losing, uh, streak. Sure sign of improvement. But one thing has been consistent in all five of OKC’s wins – sub-par opponents. And tonight, the Thunder gets another one, albeit on the road, in 9-25 Minnesota. The two teams are eerily similar. Minny averages 96.6 and surrenders 102.2. OKC averages 94.7 and gives up 102.7. They’re identical in rebounds per game (41.7) and nearly the same in field goal percentage (both under 45 percent). So far, the season series is split 1-1 with the Thunder taking the first one 88-85 and the Wolves taking game two on a Mike Miller buzzer-beater, 105-103.

I’m a little pressed for time today, so I’ll just give you five quick keys to tonight’s game.

1. The Thunder’s legs. Will they be tired after having to exert so much energy in holding off New York last night? In a perfect Thunder-world (see what I did there?), OKC would have finished the Knicks off by 25, Mo Sene would have seen some burn and KD, Russell and Jeff Green would’ve sat most of the fourth. Instead, Durant played 45, Green 36 and Westbrook 42. Right now, the Scott Brooks is rotating 8-9 players in and out. We may see more than that tonight due to jello legs.

2. Oklahoma City stinks on the road. The Thunder’s 1-15 away from Loud City. Not much to break down or analyze there. This is as good a time as any to notch another one though.

3. Nenad Krstic. I thought he’d play a few last night, but he wasn’t even in uniform. No word on whether or not he’ll play tonight. But we’re all excited to see what Nads could potentially bring. I’ll go ahead and stick with my predicted line from last night: 14 minutes, eight points, three boards, two assists and city of encouraged people.

4. Winning streak? Another crack at it. I actually don’t like this opportunity for two in a row as much as I liked the Denver game. Weird, huh? But as mentioned, the Thunder’s no good in roadies, having lost its last eight away from home. The Wolves have played rather decently as of late, winning three in a row. Had it not been for Carmelo Effing Anthony, we’d have a clash of the three-game win streak titans. But when a bad team is on a winning streak, the first thing I always think is, “They’re due for a loss. Because how long can they keep it up?” Hmm. I guess the same principle could apply to the Thunder as well…

5. Randy Foye vs. Russell Westbrook. Foye has been playing excellent as of late. So has Westbrook. Something’s gotta give in a matchup of quick on quick. Of course I like Russell because well, I like Russell. But the key is limiting Foye’s scoring while also keeping him off schedule – meaning, don’t let him have easy drive and dishes to Al Jefferson and Craig Smith because that’s how Minny gets a lot of points. Foye wants to shoot the three but Westbrook plays pretty stiff man up defense, so I think Westbrook can handle him. But as it goes for rooks, they’re due for a bad one every few nights and Russell has played a pretty good streak of good ones.

Preview

- Have you voted for Russell Westbrook today? Do it… Do it.

- One day until the National Championship game. I’m nervous. And mad about the media storm around Dominique Franks’ “comments.”

- Seth from Posting and Toasting on OKC: “Credit Oklahoma City with being a really surprisingly solid city and arena. They’re really loveable underdogs. There’s a pre-game prayer (I’d like to see that), they have silly sound effects for each player (I guess the Knicks do to, but somehow this is sillier), and get legitimately rowdy when their team performs. Hats off to the OKC. Still, it would’ve given me sick pleasure to rob them of a much-deserved win.”

- See, we knew everyone would start to come around. One commenter at Knickerblogger: “It was totally [messed] up how the Thunder ended up in OKC, but yeah, the fans in OKC obviously love them their basketball.”

- What do YOU mean, “those guys?”: ‘”It’s taking steps back, especially losing to those guys,” Al Harrington said. “No disrespect to them, but we’re in a different place than those guys.” “What different place? The Thunder boast three young studs the Knicks wish they had. Second-year stars Kevin Durant and Jeff Green battered the Knicks with 27 points apiece, and rookie point guard Russell Westbrook, whom the Knicks targeted in the draft, finished with 22 points and nine assists.”‘

- Still following the Thunder on ESPN’s “worst team ever” thing? Yeah, me neither: With last night’s win, the Thunder are on pace for a 12-70 record. After 35 games, the 1972-73 Sixers were 3-35. Which isn’t even the worst ever after 35. The 1997-98 Nuggets, the 1993-94 Mavs and 1970-71 Cavs were all 2-33. Hey, I’m kind of digging 5-30 now.

- Ball Don’t Lie Behind the Box Score: “The Thunder stormed (I just wrote that, I didn’t even think about it … I think the BtB wheels have come off) to an early lead with some sound ball movement and plenty of aggression. Good aggression, getting into lanes, making the extra pass, and finishing well. Kevin Durant had 27 points on 16 shots, with 12 rebounds, and Jeff Green scored 27 of his own. A sneaky 27, if I’m honest. Didn’t know it was happening until I was told. Also, Russell Westbrook … 22 points, nine assists, six boards, four turnovers, not bad. Again, lots of aggression. The Thunder looked great, New York came back for a spell during the fourth quarter, but Oklahoma City is playing some really good basketball of late, and it’s been truly fun to watch.”

- Bored? Waste some time checking out what I think are the top 10 Nike commercials ever: “Pretty much anything with Michael Jordan makes a great commercial. It could be 30 seconds of MJ just dribbling in his underwear with some awesome pulsing beat with a light piano over the top and then you slap, “Become Legendary” and the Jumpman on the end of it and you’ve got a flippin’ sweet commercial.”

Bolts

What a strange feeling to have as a Thunder fan. Winning a game and yet feeling some disappointment and frustration. And it’s kind of weird to be on the other side of a comeback attempt.

But hey, it’s a win. And guess what: TWO OUT OF THREE. Had it not been for Carmelo tearing out OKC’s heart, this would have been three in a row. Can you believe that? But one encouraging thing to take out of it is that instead of OKC getting the “Here we go again” feeling, they closed. A month ago, the Thunder would have lost this one by eight points. But instead, they closed. They made clutch plays, got big rebounds and most importantly, won. And that feels good. Despite what may have happened in about an eight minute stretch, the Thunder played awesome for about 40 minutes, then hung on for dear life for eight. And won.

But the path to getting there wasn’t pretty. After leading by as much as 25 late in the third, Al Harrington went on an 11-0 run by himself to cut it to 14. The Thunder called timeout, went on a 4-0 spurt and pushed it back to 18. But then New York went back at it and got it down to as little as three. At one point, the Knicks scored on 13 consecutive possessions. As the game tightened, so did the Thunder. Jeff Green (who was awesome tonight) was 7-7 from the free throw line. But late in the fourth, he missed three of four from the line. OKC turned it over time after time and in general was just loose with the basketball. Had it not been for the Knicks just going completely cold from three, this may have been a jump-off-a-building type game.

Read more…

Other

vs.

New York Knicks (13-19) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (4-30)
Tuesday, January 6
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 PM CST

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

The other view: Knickerblogger

Throw out the first meeting between these two. Just take it, wad it up and toss it. Because much has changed since these two squads hooked up. November’s 116-106 win for the Knicks saw Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford both tossing up 29 point games as New York stormed out to a big lead and OKC fought from behind. But both Crawford and Randolph have been traded. Now OKC has to prepare for Al Harrington and Tim Thomas. Coach P.J. Carlesimo is gone. The Thunder welcomes in one new player as Nenad Krstic joins to fold. So basically, it’s as if the two teams never met.

Really, the main thing to watch for tonight is what Nenad Krispy does or is given the opportunity to do. Scott Brooks has said he wants to “work” Krstic in, meaning play him a little and build his minutes. But what if he walks out on the floor and scored three buckets and grabs four boards in a minute? I have a feeling Brooks will say, “Screw it. He’s playing 30 tonight.” My guess for Krispy: 14 minutes, eight points, three rebounds, two assists and 19,000 highly encouraged people.

The Thunder actually match up fairly well against the Knicks. Much like OKC, the Knicks play pretty small. I like Russell Westbrook on Chris Duhon because Russell is quicker and Duhon is prone to made poor decisions when pressured. Westbrook had 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists against the Knicks in the first meeting and for the most part outplayed Duhon. Quentin Richardson isn’t the same scorer he used to be. Wilson Chandler can be electric but at this point, I’m taking Kevin Durant over about 90 percent of the league’s small forwards. Jeff Green could really give Harrington trouble on the offensive end, but Green’s going to need help guarding the bigger Harrington. And Robert Swift versus David Lee is a total mismatch athletically so OKC will have to do something there. I don’t know who will get the start, but Chris Wilcox might be able to neutralize Lee somewhat.

I actually lean to OKC to win this one for a few reasons:

A. Because the Knicks are coming off a big win over the Celtics two nights ago. To me, that’s a red flag for a below average team to come out flat.

B. The Knicks are 5-11 on the road.

C. As mentioned, the matchups might favor OKC. The Knicks dominated Boston in the frontcourt. OKC doesn’t get much from there anyway and relies mainly on its backcourt. Plus, adding a wildcard like Krstic could be a huge boost for the Thunder. I like Westbrook against Duhon, Durant against Chandler and Green offensively against Harrington. Lee could be tough for Swift, but Wilcox might be able to guard him. And we just concede shooting guard every night. Basically, you could put a fan out there and let him run around and you’d get about the same production.

But the real key is how will the Thunder respond after last Friday’s 122-120 heartbreaker against the Nuggets. Some teams use it as extra motivation and come out looking to rectify and justify. Some come out sulking and mail it in for 48. Hard to say what will happen here. Last time the Thunder lost on a buzzer beater against the Pistons, they played poorly in Washington. But after Mike Miller’s horn beater to give Minny a 105-103 win, the Thunder beat Memphis on the road. So who knows.

But much like the Golden State game, these are no longer the stay-close-and-hope-you-have-a-chance games. These are winnable games. OKC is better than four wins. But you’ve got to show it against the 13-19 teams too, not just against the best. The Thunder has somehow started gaining respect despite having the worst record. Another solid performance and win No. 5 could go a long way in helping build that respect.

Other

1. Kevin Durant’s PER is at a solid 19.48 right now compared to 15.87 for his rookie season. He ranks 37th in the league in PER, ahead of players like Carmelo Anthony, Gerald Wallace and Rashard Lewis. The two categories KD really needs to improve in order to get into “elite” status are assists and cut down of turnovers. Something many don’t realize is that Durant ranks SIXTH in the entire league in scoring at 23.8 ppg, and THIRD in the West. And he’s in his second year and is 20 years old. Durant actually ranks ninth in the league in three point percentage (44.4). One other thing is that under Scott Brooks, KD is averaging about seven more minutes per game than under P.J. Carlesimo. I had that as one thing that needed to change for Durant almost two months ago.

2. A somewhat disturbing stat: Oklahoma City has hit 135 three pointers on the season. The team is shooting a pretty solid 38 percent from three which ranks 11th, but the 135 made ranks second to last. Between Jeff Green and Kevin Durant, those two have made 89 threes (Green 45, Durant 44), accounting for 66 percent of OKC’s made threes. The next highest total comes from Damien Wilkins who has made 16 on the year, followed by Russell Westbrook who has 15. After that, Earl Watson has 11, Kyle Weaver three and Joe Smith one. I think three point shooting is an issue.

3. David Thorpe on Russell Westbrook: “Westbrook has not disappointed his coaches on either side of the ball. He notched his third five-steal game of the season on New Year’s Eve after scoring 31 points two nights earlier. The Thunder were expecting the steals, but not the points this early in his first season. He’s scoring well while still not being a good shooter, a skill that can be improved over time. That bodes well for both Westbrook and the Thunder.” Hmm. Seems like somebody else was saying that about Russell. Look out league if he can get a consistent jumper? Yep.

4. Nenad Krstic appears to be fitting in nicely with his new team. He’s already been given the nickname “Krispy.” There’s no definite word on whether Krispy will play tonight against the Knicks, but all signs point to yes. He’s been cleared to play and the way Scott Brooks talked, I bet minutes will be limited (something like 8-10), but we should get a look at him at least.

5. Kevin Durant leads the Thunder in blocks with 30. The next closest player is Nick Collison with 24. And if you’re wondering, no, Krispy is not a big-time shot blocker. He has averaged just 0.7 bpg over his NBA career.

Other

What’s something I’ve said about 200 times over the last month that you already know, but that’s not going to stop me from saying it again? Anyone? The Thunder are getting better. The December 31 107-100 win over Golden State gave the team confidence. Last week’s 122-120 heartbreaker either shattered that confidence or built it even more, telling the young team they can compete with anybody.

So as this season wears on, what are five NEW goals for the Thunder? Being 4-30, it’s not crazy to say the team likely won’t be able to meet the goals they set before the season started. I remember a Sporting News reporter asking Kevin Durant about the playoffs. That really funny now in a that’s-not-so-funny-kind-of-way. But what can OKC set out to do the rest of the way? There’s 48 games left. Since there’s not a whole lot to play for other than to lose more and secure the most ping-pong balls, some new goals need to be set. Here’s five suggestions:

Read more…

Other

Forget all his amazing dunks and unreal display of athletic ability.

Voting for the last person ends January 14th. Go vote for Russell. He’ll blow your mind with what he can do.

Other

And now for the post you’ve all been eagerly awaiting: comment guidelines.

The whole goal of the blog is to have smart, clean and thoughtful discussion about Oklahoma City Thunder basketball. For some of you, I realize that is impossible. You’ve made it your goal in life to stop by, say something horribly inappropriate, click “submit” and be strangely proud of yourself. From now on, your comments must adhere to the following guidelines — and that goes for Oklahoma City folks, Seattle people or anyone else for that matter. Every single other team centric blog has a comment policy and it’s high time for this one to join the fold.

1. No profanity. If you wouldn’t say it in front of your grandmother, don’t say it here. If you have any question about a specific word, don’t write it. It’s probably bad. Also no pseudo-swears — using symbols (#$&%) or putting an asterisk (*) in the middle of the word aren’t acceptable. I don’t care how much cursing is part of your everyday life. If you want to comment, you won’t do it. This should be a place all ages can enjoy. I’m not going to list all the offensive words that aren’t acceptable, so use your judgment. If you didn’t hear it in Toy Story, it’s not going to fly.

2. Like every other conversation site on the planet there will be no obviously offensive comments based on race, orientation, religion and anything else in that realm. (For the most part) this blog is about basketball, so check your politics at the door. And your hate.

3. As Dave from Blazer’s Edge says, don’t be THAT GUY. Write in complete sentences. Maybe proof your comment once. Don’t use unfair and confrontational tones. I realize we all have opinions on lots of things, but as long as you’re being fair and not arrogant or abusive, everything is good. If you think you’re the authority on everything, start your own blog and write your obviously correct opinions there.

4. Absolutely no personal attacks on other commenters or writers. If someone misspelled something or forgot a comma, don’t go grammar police and point out everything and disregard anything they said based on that fact alone. We’re all our own editors. People make mistakes. If somebody thinks Earl Watson should be an All-Star, don’t call them a moron — call them a moron and explain WHY. Not really, just disagree, make your point and move on. Instead of saying, “You idiot, Earl Watson could never be an All-Star,” say instead, “Earl Watson could never be an All-Star.” It’s actually pretty simple to be nice.

5. We’re writing and talking about a GAME that grown men play in shorts and tanktops, not things that are actually really, really important. Remember that.

If you can’t follow these simple guidelines that every other team blog has established, then find another one that allows it. If you want to cuss OKC, talk about our dust and tepees or make fun of our intelligence then check out Bend It Like Bennett or start your own message board. If you want to argue with former Sonics’ fans and instigate and rile them up, then follow them wherever they go from here. This place is supposed to be about Thunder basketball. It’s meant to be a place to encourage lively discussion about OKC basketball and a place to read somebody’s thoughts on the team. We’re all here to have fun. Try to — in the cleanest way possible. Please don’t make me waste my life screening every single comment. We’re all adults. Let’s all try and act like it.

Thanks for reading and if there are any questions or concerns about the guidelines, feel free to email and ask. Oh, and the policy goes into effect… right… NOW.

Other

Adfsdfgfsgfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff (finally picks head off keyboard).

Dang. That really, really, really sucks. Big time. Kevin Durant hits an incredible shot — an INCREDIBLE shot — to put Oklahoma City up one with 2.7 to play. The Thunder actually may beat one of the best teams in the West. The Ford Center is ballistic. But Carmelo Anthony did what he’s paid to do. And in the end the Nuggets did what we all thought they would do.

Not to be lost in the killer, heart-wrenching, wooden spoon to the nards, 122-120 defeat is how well OKC played. Not only did the Thunder push out to a 14-point cushion at one point, but after Denver did what we all knew they would do — comeback — the Thunder weathered the storm (pun intended) and stayed in the game. They got the stop they HAD TO HAVE and KD knocked down the shot. Durant had 33 points, nine boards, five assists, was 10-21 from the floor and 4-5 from three. Jeff Green played a perfect sidekick, chipping in 18. Russell Westbrook was effective, scoring 14 and dishing five assists. Desmond Mason and Damien Wilkins both finally played a little offense. And what the heck has gotten into Earl Watson? Are you actually trying to get me to like you?

I just hope the team can get over it. I hope they realize that they proved themselves in a big way tonight. Coming off a win, they played awesome for 48 full minutes, taking one of the best teams in the league to the edge. It will be tough for them to refocus and get back at it when they were so, so close to the biggest win of the year.

It’s a weird thing to watch one team that’s clearly over-matched battle a far more talented team to the limit. Anthony had 31, Chauncey Billups 24 and Nene 27. Every possession late, it just seemed it would take a miracle from the Thunder to stop the Nuggs.

Honestly, other than the obvious poor defense, there’s nothing really to complain about. It sure would have been sweet to pick up win No. 5 and for it to be over a great team, but OKC played about as good as it could. The Thunder shot 58 percent from the floor. They hit free throws. They rebounded (relatively) well. They didn’t turn it over an absurd amount. They just got beat by a better team.

There were some lost possessions late in the game where Jeff Green airmailed a pass into the eight row and Chris Wilcox inexplicably threw it away. Those would be nice to have back. But dang, I feel for the team. They wanted this one. They played so hard and so well. To come up empty-handed has to hurt. But this happens in the NBA. Happens a lot in fact. It just has to be forgotten as OKC prepares for a Tuesday night run against the Knicks. I think it’s pretty clear right now: You better not come into the Ford Center and expect to roll the ball out, jog up and down the court and walk out with a win. It’s just not happening anymore. This team will play you. And if you’re not ready and focused, they’ll beat you. I really feel that the Thunder could win every two out of five the rest of the way. Mentally, you can see they believe they can win. I think they’re finally getting over the “Here we go again” mentality.

OKC tries to shake this one off against New York Tuesday night at the Ford Center. Good game Thunder. Nothing to hang your heads about.

Other

vs.

Denver Nuggets (21-12) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (FOUR-29)
Friday, January 2
Ford Center
Oklahoma City, OK
7:00 CST

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722)
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)

View from the other side: Roundball Mining Company

For just the fourth time this year, Oklahoma City will have a chance at a winning streak. And while it’s a small chance as OKC takes on one of the West’s best, it may actually be a better one than the previous three times.

What? Why? Am I crazy? Hello? Because against Golden State, the Thunder just looked different. For once, the veterans that were supposed to do something, did. Chris Wilcox had a huge game. Earl Watson was productive. Then Jeff Green and Kevin Durant made the tag-team combo they finally were supposed to. OKC executed and played like the team we expected to see all season. A team that was surely going to have its lapses and play some bad basketball in stretches, but would always be in the game and win a few here and there.

It’s not like anyone is predicting a win tonight. It’s just that after Wednesday’s win, I think the mood and feel of the team is finally turning over. We’re starting to get to the point where you could see OKC shocking anyone — especially at home. The Thunder played the Cavs tight. They took Detroit to the wire on the road. I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that the Nuggets will walk over OKC. Now, let’s not get this confused. I’m not saying OKC WILL win. I’m just saying it’s no longer crazy to say the COULD.

And a win over Denver would be nice. In the Thunder four wins, the teams are a combined 38-91. The closest to .500 out of OKC’s four victims is Memphis, who is 12 games under the line. But while a win isn’t out of the question, the real goal is to continue to play sound basketball and just hand tough. This isn’t like the game against the Warriors where hanging tough isn’t enough — this is the class of the West. Beating them is tough, for anyone.

I’m excited to see if Jeff Green can carry over and play another really productive game. Ever since the text messaging from Scott Brooks, he’s averaging near nine boards a game. Kevin Durant is rebounding much better and is still scoring well. The difficult part for KD tonight will be holding Carmelo Anthony in check. But I hope to see Durant attack the rim like he did against Golden State and let the free jumpers just come to him.

The key is getting production from more than two spots and if that happens, OKC will be in the game late on the fourth. And when you’re at home and you’re close, anything can happen. Especially when you play the totally awesome Hoosiers slow-clap video like they have been the last few home games late in the fourth. I freaking love that.

Other