Daily Thunder.com

T-minus two days until V-Day. No, I haven’t gotten anything yet. Maybe this? How about that for a tie-in?

J.A. Adande on KD: “To get burned into more memory banks, his team will have to win more, enough to get into the playoffs, enough to earn him consideration for the All-Star Game … unless he starts putting up numbers so large he has to be chosen. He’ll be in the rookie-sophomore game and the new H-O-R-S-E contest, something which he hasn’t had any time to practice for. He’s been working so much on shooting good shots that his trick-shot arsenal is limited.”

Bill Simmons annual awesome trade value column. Kevin Durant falls in the “It Makes Us Angry You’d Even Ask” category: “Put it this way: I had a lot to do this week. I am trying to finish a book. I had to finish this column. My wife and daughter returned from a trip late Monday night and I wanted to see them. I am flying to Phoenix on Thursday and had to take care of all the dumb stuff people have when they are about to leave for a trip. On Tuesday night, under normal circumstances, I would have rather given myself a two-foot paper cut over going to the Staples Center and spending three hours with Lakers fans. I went there anyway. Only three teams would have dragged me out of the house: The LeBrons, the Celts, and Durant’s Future Former Team. That’s the list … Jeff Green: Great teammate, tough as nails, gives a crap, does whatever you need. He’s the anti-Beasley. What frightens me is that The Team That Shall Not Be Named somehow has become my favorite non-Boston team to watch. Love the Durant-Green-Westbrook foundation, love Scotty Brooks (who knew???), love the spirit of their crowds, love their style of play (attack off every miss, which is exactly how the Bulls should play). It continues to be cruel and unfair that this couldn’t have happened in Seattle … Russell Westbrook: The rookie MVP of the Table Team for guys who bring a ton of stuff to the table, but also take a fair share of stuff off it … but still, he wins you over in the end. I like him. He is definitely not a point guard. This much we know. I’d like to be the chairman of the “Is He A Point Guard Or Not?” Committee. I have a rare talent for quickly spotting breast implants, dentures, bad toupees and shooting guards masquerading as point guards.”

Josh Q. Public on Kevin Durant: “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to Thunder fans and NBA fans alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of basketball player.  The torch has been passed to Kevin Durant.  Enjoy it.  You are enjoying history.” Read more…

Bolts

A lot like me after playing three hours of pick-up ball, Oklahoma City just broke down and ran out of gas in the last 10 minutes against Portland tonight. The Thunder hung tight for three quarters, trading buckets and staying within six or so points, but a 14-2 run to start the fourth did the Thunder in as Portland won 106-92.

And honestly, I can’t really blame them. They were visibly worn out. The Blazers were fresh and motivated and the Thunder just played a tough 48 minute grinder on the road against the league’s best team. They did everything they could to hang tough but shooting 39 percent again, getting outrebounded and hitting just one three hurt. And by “hurt” I mean “was the difference in the game.”

The Thunder just weren’t themselves on the glass. Portland outrebounded OKC by 11 and seemed to reel in every tipped or loose rebound. The ball just didn’t bounce right for the Thunder. Kevin Durant struggled shooting the ball again. So did Russell Westbrook. So did Jeff Green. But again, they worked hard, didn’t turn it over much (just 12 turnovers), hit free throws (27-32) and stayed in the game – for the most part. So that’s good. I guess.

I’ve mentioned it before, but I just do not get why OKC struggles to close the first half. Much like last night in Los Angeles – and about 25 other games for that matter – instead of going into the locker room down two or four, the Blazers went on a 7-0 run before the horn and took a 53-46 lead to halftime. The Thunder gets sloppy, throws the ball away and doesn’t secure rebounds and the other guy capitalizes on that lapse stretching out a little cushion. Frustrating. Read more…

Recap

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OKC Thunder (13-39, 3-21 road) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (31-19, 18-5 home)

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

Offensive Rating: Thunder: 103.3 (27th), Portland: 113.5 (2nd)
Defensive Rating: Thunder: 109.3 (21st), Portland: 109.4 (22nd)
Pace: Thunder: 93.8 (7th), Portland: 86.3 (30th)

There’s not much to preview here because these two teams just played less than a week ago. We know what the Blazers are going to try to do offensively and we know what OKC needs to do to combat it. In the first meeting, OKC led wire to wire, executing offensively and getting out to a nice lead and basically running the Blazers out of the building. Portland didn’t make their open looks and for the most part, those came few and far between. The Thunder had more intensity and passion than Portland but that component may not be there for OKC again tonight.

The main difference is that this time the game is in Portland where the Blazers are really good. And on top of that, the Thunder are coming off a grueling 48 minute slugger with the Lakers last night. So add up OKC’s heavy legs, Portland’s home court advantage and the obvious revenge factor and all signs point to a solid Blazer win.

But we’re talking about Scott Brooks’ Thunder here. These guys don’t go down easily. It will be really tough, really tough, to beat Portland again tonight because there’s so many factors working against the Thunder. But the goal, much like last night, is just to put it out there for 48 minutes. OKC proved that it can stay in a game with the best in the league while not even playing that well. So add in that scrappiness but maybe shoot better tonight and the Thunder could get it done. I said could.

I’m pretty interested to see how Kyle Weaver does in his second go-around against Brandon Roy. Last Friday, Roy scored 32, but it came on 12-27 shooting. Weaver pestered Roy, slapping at the ball and keeping a hand in his face constantly. But after taking a beating from Kobe Bryant the night before, I wonder if Weaver is going to be ready physically and mentally to take on the very talented Roy.

Let’s hope the Thunder are ready because the Blazers are good and they’re going to be out for blood to get vengence on this OKC group that “embarrassed” them last Friday.

Tip is at 9:00 CST. Go Thun-da.

Preview

Basketbawful Worst of the Night: “The news that their new mascot is a bison was trumped today by the outbreak of tornadoes in the OKC area. Luckily for we basketball fans this game was played in LA, but like the LA announcers said last night “there’s a reason the national weather service has its headquarters in Oklahoma City”. Oh yeah, they also got beat by the Lakers. Who could have seen that coming?”

Shoals is happy about the H-O-R-S-E field: “I can’t tell you how stoked I am that we’re not getting a bunch of three-point shooters and goofy tricky shooters (Kevin Love, I see you!). Sure, there’s no dunking allowed, but you want players who can mix athleticism with range and offensive creativity. Durant’s length seems to give him some sort of advantage, though I’m not sure what. Johnson’s fundamentally sound, deceptively explosive, and quietly acrobatic, which to my mind makes him the favorite. I’ve often thought that Johnson is Mayo’s ceiling as a player, so in that respect the match-up is intriguing. And right now, Johnson’s more of a complete package.”

Nothing to do with the Thunder, but watch this. Corey Maggette travels six times in one play. This is something officials seem to be totally lax on: letting players shuffle and change pivot foots constantly.

A review of the new KD1′s: “We featured the Nike KD1 in our 9 Sneakers We’re Looking Forward to in ‘09, and after testing it out, we can honestly see why it is one of the more anticipated sneakers this year. When Kevin Durant stated that, “he wanted a shoe at a price point that most individuals could afford,” I was a little skeptical of how much quality Nike was going to insert into Durant’s 1st signature shoe. Priced at $88, the shoe is less than half of the price of some of other shoes in the Nike Basketball lineup, but when put to the test, the shoe performed very well.”

Clay Bennett says the Thunder will provide dividends to the state: “That frying pan of scrutiny started with their first efforts in Seattle, memories Bennett said he hoped to blot out. What lessons did he draw from two years, and even more lawsuits, that led to the team’s move to Oklahoma City? To improve their communication efforts and avoid litigation at most any cost. “It really hampers how we do business,” he said of the changes they adopted after their many legal encounters. “We really need to think about how we do that. “I remain convinced that we did the best job we could to be successful in Seattle,” Bennett said of operations there. “It was not meant to be.” Read more…

Bolts

In a strange way, this was a big time step in the right direction for Oklahoma City. So the final score was 105-98 and the Thunder really didn’t have a realistic chance to win down the stretch. OKC was in it for 48 minutes against the league’s best team on the road – and the Thunder didn’t even play that well. (Too bad they were on the road because they could have gotten their first taste of real Oklahoma today with four tornadoes touching down in the city. I bet they were bummed. Anyway…)

Now don’t get me wrong, it kind of felt like Los Angeles was just cruising at points and was never in jeopardy of letting it get close. They had total control in the second half and for three or four minute stretches it seemed like they could just turn it on and spit out six straight. But OKC scrapped and wouldn’t lay down and die. And that’s one of the many things there is to love about these guys.

With Kevin Durant having an uncharacteristic off night hitting 10 of 23 shots (and by “off night” he still finished with 31 points and 10 boards, making it five straight 30 point games) and Russell Westbrook going 5-16 and Jeff Green 6-14 and the team shooting 40 percent, it’s really amazing that the Thunder was even in it at all down the stretch. Especially when your opponent shoots 46 percent and outrebounds you by 10.

But pure grit and scrappiness (is that a word?) is what did it. OKC took care of the ball, hit free throws and the big three put up solid numbers despite shooting poorly. Durant had the 31 and 10, Green had 16 points, eight boards and five assists and Westbrook was in triple-double territory again with 17-9-7. They all hung in there and played gutty, hard basketball despite shooting a combined 39 percent. That’s what I was really thrilled about. Even though they were all “off,” they still cashed in really solid performances. That’s the type of stuff winning teams do. The Thunder is getting there. Read more…

Other

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Oklahoma City Thunder (13-38, 3-20) vs. L.A. Lakers (41-9, 23-4 home)

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

Offensive Rating: Thunder: 103.4 (27th), Lakers: 114.5 (1st)
Defensive Rating: Thunder: 109.4 (21st), Lakers: 105.6 (7th)
Pace: Thunder: 93.6 (7th), Lakers: 94.3 (5th)

Ohhhh boy. Here. We. Go. Lakers and THUN-DA.

OK, so it’s not a marquee matchup yet, but I’m still pretty excited about it. The Lakers are the best team in basketball. The Thunder are no longer the worst. Should make for an awesome matchup, right? Joking aside, yes, I actually really do think it will be a good match.

First, you’ve got a potential Laker letdown. They’re coming off a tough six-game roadie with huge wins against Boston and Cleveland. Now they return home against the Thunder. I bet they didn’t even practice today. Thunder? We playin’ the Thunder? Second: One thing about OKC, other than playing really good ball right now, is that they get up against good teams and compete. It’s against the mediocre to bad ones that they mail it in.

Win or lose, here’s what Oklahoma City needs to focus on tonight: Read more…

Other

He’ll be taking on Joe Johnson and O.J. Mayo in the event which takes place on TNT at 4 p.m. Saturday. While it doesn’t exactly strike me as the most interesting H-O-R-S-E group ever, but it should be cool to watch. But a lot of times, what wins in this game is a perfect combo of steady jump shots and creative shots.

So what could KD do to put away Orange Juice and Johnson? Both are pretty good shooters so I don’t know if KD could just out-do them with the 20-foot jumpers. If Durant gets control, he needs a couple zingers. And I’m not talking about the classic “Back to the basket, two-hand over-the-head” shot or the ”bounce it in” shot. Those are high risk, high reward shots. But here’s four suggestions:

1. Use lots of backboard. This always drove me nuts. Especially on straightaway shots. Nobody is used to banking in long jumpers so if KD could get the hang of that, he could throw off two pure shooters.

2. One-handed, left-handed. My friend Roy would always bust this out and I had no answer.

3. Since KD has go-go-gadget arms, he should see if he can stand under the backboard and then reach out (without jumping) and flip the ball up and in. The point: Use your unique physical attributes to create shots that the other guy just physically cannot do.

4. One hand scoop shot from three. This is your closer. It’s doable, but it’s not easy.

What do you guys think? Got a good H-O-R-S-E shot for KD?

Other

Ball Don’t Lie has a 2-on-2 tournament going and Chris Paul and David West are taking on Jeff Green and Kevin Durant: “Another phenomenal first round match-up: Chris Paul and David West vs. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green. Last week, when we slammed down the quarters, many of you picked the Hornets to win this entire 32-team tournament. Makes sense. With CP3 runnin’ the show and D-West choppin’ heads, they very well could. But first they’ll have to get by this pesky, young Thunder duo. Could Durant be too much of a one-on-one nightmare? You tell me.”

ESPN recaps the first half of the NBA season with links (plenty of OKC included).

SLAM says KD could be Sam Cassell’s heir. To what you ask? Read on: “A budding assassin, he’s already got himself a very nice reel of game-winners. He’s still growing into his personality, and it could benefit him tremendously to give OKC fans a healthy amount of swagger to get behind. But still, his combination of height, shooting ability and confidence all absolutely scream future assassin. Cons: Let’s see how the kid does when he’s got actual pressure put on him. This is a decision we can’t afford to be wrong about.”

Kevin Durant one of SI’s breakout stars: “After an uneven rookie season, Durant has become a much more efficient shooter and improved his rebounding (the latter in part because of his switch from shooting guard to small forward after Oklahoma City’s early-season coaching change). The No. 2 pick in the 2007 draft is averaging 25.5 points (on 48.1 percent shooting) and 6.6 rebounds.” Read more…

Other

From NewsOK.com (thanks to MartzMimic for the heads up):

“The Oklahoma City Thunder mascot will be a bison and will be unveiled at the Thunder’s Feb. 17 home game against the New Orleans Hornets, sources have confirmed.”

I’m happy. As soon as I heard the name was going to be Thunder, this is what I thought an appropriate mascot would be. It made sense, it tied to the state and it could be really cool. I have a feeling that the name will be something like Bolt (Bolt the Bison sounds good, right?), and I’m relieved this is the direction they decided to go. They’ll have to be careful not to steal Bennie the Bull’s look and make sure they have a good design that’s original and clever. Let’s just hope they stick with traditional bison colors and make the “base color” brown, gray or black and not Thunder blue fur with an orange/red nose and yellow horns. That would be bad.

And if you’re wondering what the difference between a bison and a buffalo is, a bison is what we traditionally think of as a buffalo. A bison is the big, hairy animal that’s found in the Midwest. A buffalo is traditionally found in Africa and Asia. So we’ve got the correct term here. Take that Colorado!

Other

Men: Don’t forget the Slam Dunk Competition Valentine’s Day is just, uh, let’s see… five days away. And no, don’t email me asking for ideas. Because I don’t have any either.

UPDATE: Marc Stein’s Power Rankings are out and OKC is this week’s biggest mover, all the way up to No. 21: “Leave it to us to spoil the moment and fixate on the downside of OKC’s 9-9 record — with six of those losses by four points or less — in 2009: Winning the rights to Blake Griffin in the lottery gets tougher with every W.”

The Root on Kevin Durant: “Pardon the cliché; but change has come to Durant’s game. It arrived around the time that final appointees for cabinet positions were announced. In December, Durant mounted an impressive stat line: 25.1 points and 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 6.5 free throw attempts per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from behind the arc. Then in January, he showed it was no fluke, notching 27.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 8.7 free throw attempts per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor and 39.6 percent from deep.”

BDL Behind the Box Score: “LeBron might be the league’s greatest offensive force, Dwyane Wade may have led the league in scoring for most of the year, and Kobe Bryant’s always a bad room service experience away from dropping 57 on you, but I’d be awfully surprised if Kevin Durant didn’t lead the league in scoring in 2010-11. I wouldn’t even mind putting money on him to lead the NBA in points per game next season. No weirdness or exaggeration. Just watch. At this rate, the kid is going to be right there. 39 jaw-dropping points for Durant on Sunday (OK, the four free throws he hit didn’t make my face go all funny, but the other 35 were crazy-hep), and it’s safe to note that this guy absolutely has it. I don’t care that it came against Sacramento, the league’s worst defense. Not interested. Durant is just as pure as they come. The next 17 years are going to be fun as hell.”

Sactown Royalty’s reaction: “When you don’t overcommit, you stand the risk of not really committing. This wasn’t so much a problem against OKC because no team in the league takes fewer threes than the Thunder. But it’s been a problem all year, and the lack of catch-up speed/effort also affects interior rotations. Spencer Hawes commits on rotations, but that usually results in an And-1. Jason Thompson commits on rotations, but that usually results in two free throws. There’s never a back-up plan. If a guard overcommits on a shooter to deny the open three, the player can step in and get an open jumper … because no one is backing up the initial defender.”

Sacramento’s beat writer left the Ford Center with bells in her ears: “My head is still ringing. Oklahoma City fans are loud, even if Spencer Hawes doesn’t want to admit it. As I wrote about in Monday’s Bee, Hawes was quite outspoken about his disdain for the Seattle SuperSonics relocating to Oklahoma City. He called it a “travesty.” Read more…

Other

Box score

The Kings rallied back from a 19 point deficit in the first half to take a lead in the fourth quarter, but the Thunder forced the Kings into  a tough shot late, and denied them an inbounds pass with 3/10ths of a second to seal the deal and get redemption for the overtime loss in Sacramento on Superbowl Sunday.

Tonight’s game was sort of a study in contrasts with the Kings. In the first half the Kings couldn’t get anything going. They were missing tons of open jumpers and turning the ball over-11 of them in the first half.  Meanwhile the Thunder were playing incredibly well offensively. Spacing the floor, passing the ball and hitting the jumpers. The Thunder had a 38-12 points in the paint advantage at halftime  and a 13 point lead.  Along the way the Thunder shot 62% in the first quarter and 52% in the second, while the Kings shot 48% and 43% respectively.  The Thunder also had a 7 rebound advantage at the half.

In the second half, the Kings were like a different team. They just completely outplayed us in the third. They came out and competed defensively and shot lights out. They had zero turns in the quarter and shot 15-21 (71%). Meanwhile the Thunder opened the quarter going 4-12, causing Brooks to almost light his hair on fire and calling his second timeout to try and settle the team down. Finally Durant caught fire towards the end of the third hitting some jumpers and a pair of threes to end the quarter. During the third the Thunder shot 43% and Durant notched his 30th point.

In the fourth, both teams looked like they were competing on defense, but there were very few stops. Both teams just lit it up.  The Thunder shot 52% in the fourth, while the Kings shot 54%. But what was crazy was the ridiculous three point shooting by the Kings in the fourth, going 6-9 and making the crowd visibly nervous. But the Thunder forced Francisco Garcia into a terrible off balance three pointer to win with 3 seconds left to effectively seal the deal. Had Nick Collison hit his two free throws with 12 seconds left, no late game heroics would have been needed. Read more…

Other

Ok, so those guys in Norcal got the monkey off their backs last week when we had a defensive meltdown. I don’t expect it to happen again. Last week Sacto took us to overtime and managed to give us a black eye, but this time they have to come to OKC and prove it wasn’t a fluke, you see, we aren’t the worst team in basketball anymore….they are, and even a blind squirrel finds an occasional acorn…..

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OKC offensive rating season: 103                           Sacto offensive rating season: 104.4

OKC off. rating last 5 games: 111.7                        Sacto off. rating last 5 games: 102.9

OKC defensive rating season: 109.2                     Sacto defesnive rating season: 114.7 (last in the NBA)

OKC def. rating last five games: 112.6                  Sacto def. rating last 5 games: 121 (OMG!!)

A quick simple method of sort of “ball parking” a team’s credibility is to note the difference between the offensive and defensive efficiencies. For the Thunder you get -.9 points per 100 possessions using the last five games. Not great, but something close to .500 ball. For the Kings you get a -18.1!! Think ab0ut that for a second. For every 100 possessions that Sacramento partakes of (100 is just a tad bit more than you would find in a standard 48 minute basketball game), they give up 18 points more than they score…….WOW! Can you say “lots of extra ping pong balls”?

For OKC it is notable that the Thunder give up 6.2 points/100 less at the Ford Center than they do on the road. Home court advantage means something in OKC.

They punched us in the nose last week. Lets hope for a nice counterpunch today in OKC.

Other

These days nearly everybody has a cell phone with a camera on it, and most have the ability to shoot video and audio from it as well.  What a great convenience when you need to capture some moment of time to save and share. However, if you are some sort of celebrity, this can be a real pain. Just this week Superstar swimming phenom Michael Phelps’ personal finances  and world credibility took a great hit because a picture surfaced of him with his face buried in a bong at what looks like a house party. In the information era, somebody is always watching or listening it seems.

So I am trying to understand the context behind Carmelo Anthony’s latest comments captured in a Denver Post story. Perhaps he was just talking to to a buddy or teammate completely off the record when some nosy Denver Post reporter happened to be in earshot and captured what was said on his cell phone.  Maybe somehow the words were taken out of context.  Maybe Carmelo has such an inflated self worth that he truly thinks he’s “all that”.  Who knows?

According to the Denver Post, Carmelo, apparently discussing his recent absence from the All Star roster was asked “who is the best small forward in the Western Conference”?  To which Carmelo replied  “I’m the only one out here in the West,” Anthony said Tuesday. “Can you name one better?”… Read more…

Other

I’ve encouraged fans to write in and be part of this blog and I got this awesome email about Kevin Durant the other day about how far he’s come and how far he could go. Really good stuff. Do yourself a favor and take 10 minutes and read it.

By John Mietus (john.mietus@gmail.com)

Not often in a lifetime does an unconventional male sporting hero come along. One whom can be defined as a true genius of his trade, a marvel of modern engineering and competitive spirit. Only a few names come to mind as I think of the sporting achievements of men in my lifetime: Gretzky, Federer, Tiger, Larry Bird, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, men whose mental genius outweighs even their physical capability.

Take Gretzky, the slowest skater, perennially on his championship Edmonton Oiler teams. Bird, the worst run/jump athlete to ever star in the NBA, Roger Federer whose thorough dissection courtesy of David Foster Wallace reads like a manual into the mind of the greatest unusual tennis champion of all time. What cannot be measured in athletics is the mind’s ability to process and react within a fraction of a second, finding the razor’s edge margin between victory and defeat, and allowing the finest of the champions to stand out not only for their physical prowess but also their mental acuity. I hesitate to even use the term “mental” as if this type of genius is something that can be taught or learned. It’s a gift. And so few have it that it remains infinitely recognizable, even in a sea of sports culture. Even within the confines of statistics and SportsCenter highlights, even within a world of critics and haters, it stands out.  Read more…

Other

Amirite?

KD: 43 minutes, 31 points, three boards, two assists, no turnovers.

Greg Oden: 16 minutes, four points, two rebounds, two assists, two turnovers and four fouls.

Ben from Blazer’s Edge:

At this point in his career, Greg Oden doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same paragraph with Kevin Durant, let alone the same sentence.  One is a polished, all-purpose threat who plays with a joy for the game, confidence and passion, doing everything from knocking down pull-up 3s to blocking Joel Przybilla shot attempts.  The other can’t stay on the court for a week straight and has made zero adjustments, mentally or physically, to give his coach a reason to play him.  Nate has temporarily lost confidence in him.  And Greg knows it.  That’s a vicious cycle for someone with Greg’s demeanor.  Greg’s roller coaster rookie season continues.  The truth hurts.

But who cares about all that? That’s not what was important tonight for Thunder fans. The important thing was Oklahoma City never trailed and put a pretty solid beat down on a really good Blazers team, winning 102-93 in front of a frenzied Ford Center tonight. The Thunder outplayed the Blazers in every way. Shot better from the field, hit more free throws, turned it over less (I know, can you believe that?), outrebounded them, had more assists, had more steals and SCORED MORE POINTS. Great game. Probably the best of the season.

Check out tonight’s four factors, a clean sweep.

             Pace       Effe              FG          FT/FG     OREB%     TOr
POR     89.0     104.5          48.8%        18.8             22.0          14.6
OKC                 114.6          51.3%        25.0            28.2           11.2

Why am I so excited? Do I not realize OKC is still 12-38? Well, that sure beats the heck out of being 11-39. And in this new year, we’re looking at a .500 team and I’d love to keep that up. After three lackluster defensive games and everyone wondering if OKC could stop anybody without Desmond Mason, the Thunder cashed in a gem defensively and won its first game post-Desmond. OKC held the Blazers to 45 percent from the field for the game, but worked their tail off all night. The Thunder rotated and helped as good as it has all year. They blocked shots. They were physical. And they got big stops when they needed them. The Blazers scored just 40 points in the first half to OKC’s 60 and if it weren’t for a little late run, Portland would have been lucky to crack 80.

The Thunder were lights out in the first quarter, lighting the Blazers up for 37. Then more in the second, throwing up 33. And then more in the third, racing to an 81-69 lead on an awesome sequence. Joe Smith rotated over and rejected Brandon Roy at the rim. Earl Watson (who was fantastic tonight) scooped up the ball and zoomed down court. He had KD on his right and everyone thougth an oop to The Delicious One was coming. But Earl dropped a behind the back bounce pass right into Jeff Green’s breadbasket and Green sent the ball tearing through the net – literally. The Ford Center was electric. But there was about a 15 minute delay as the net was replaced at the Thunder end.  All the momentum was sucked out of OKC at that moment and the Blazers went on a 9-0 run as soon as play resumed. Everybody started to get that little squirmy feeling where you’re looking at the scoreboard every three seconds to see if they have gotten any closer. But the Thunder responded and closed. I’ll admit, I was pretty worried there for a second, but Watson got to the line and knocked down two and KD had a big bucket. The Thunder played too well to lose this one. I’m glad they didn’t. Read more…

Other