The Thunder have three players in the top 10 of the 25 under 25 list on ESPN.com with KD being No. 1: “It would come as little surprise if Durant won multiple MVP awards and multiple NBA titles, as his team is built with an excellent blend of youth and role players with good seasons left in their tanks. Durant also set a new trend by signing his max deal for the full amount of years available. He’s a terrific teammate and is as coachable a player as there is in the league.”

Perk used the Socratic method for something.

Mike Prada of SB Nation on sixth men: “There are all sorts of possible reasons for why the sixth man concept is back, but to me, it speaks to two growing trends. First, coaches are starting to understand the need for spontaneity. The beginning of games has become so regimented. Coaches need to get certain players going, and certain players need to develop the right kind of rhythm. Teams are so concerned with not letting the game get out of hand early that they maintain the same rituals to ensure it doesn’t happen. That means that, early on, games tend to be played to a draw. The true competitive advantage therefore comes when the substitutes enter the game. Good coaches understand the need to find players who can change the pace of the game during those moments.”

Matt Moore of CBSSports.com’s power rankings: “The Thunder’s stars are playing better but their overall performance has stumbled a bit. So the head is shining and brilliant while the body’s kind of knocking into things, clumsily. It’s like Robin Williams in “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen,” which I’m sure none of you have seen.”

Michael Pina of Shaky Ankles looks at if Serge Ibaka is regressing: “Right now there’s a good chance when Ibaka takes the floor that he won’t get to the free-throw line. He won’t score in double figures or grab 10-plus rebounds. Yes, there’s the near guarantee he blocks two shots, but both are probable to land in a fan’s lap, swatted with irresponsible enthusiasm. Last year Ibaka was the 56th most efficient player in basketball, with the spot up jumper serving the team’s if-all-else-fails weapon of choice. This year he’s the 174th with a little over 20% of his offensive production coming on the backs of others via the offensive rebound. This is awesome in its own way, but in the modern NBA, where the good teams start power forwards who can wander outside and knock down a consistent jumper, if the put back has become Ibaka’s main form of offensive contribution then a problem has been posed.”

KD in graphs.

Perk is worth every penny for things like what he said about Griffin’s dunk: “If I was in the same position, in the same rotation, I’m going to jump again and again and again,” Perkins told Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t care. A lot of people are afraid of humiliation or don’t know how to handle embarrassment or would even get embarrassed. I don’t care. I’m the same Perk you’re going to see. I’m still going to sign autographs the same way. I ain’t going to change. The people that move out the way and stuff are the people who have insecurity problems. That’s my job. How will my teammates look at me if next time I just back out the way and just let him dunk when I’m supposed to be defensive-minded, a shot-blocker? That would be a coward move on me. He’d just have to dunk on me again.”

Steve Aschburner of NBA.com on the tough Northwest Division: “Common denominators in the division’s turnaround? Patience, for one. The Thunder seeded their plan with Durant, Russell Westbrook and a few other deft personnel moves and have given it time to grow. The Wolves might have had no special inklings about playmaker/gate attraction Ricky Rubio when he fell to them in the 2009 Draft, but Kahn, the team’s basketball czar, cultivated a relationship across the Atlantic over two years and didn’t give in to any temptation to deal him.”

5-on-5 asking if the Thunder are the best team in the league with all five saying no.

Blazersedge on what the goaltending call did: “This whistle won’t define his career nor the team’s fate. But it did take away a chance for both star and team to become more than they were in this moment and to travel further down the road to perceived greatness. Now if Aldridge puts another spectacular block on Durant announcers everybody around the league will react with surprise and amazement, saying, “Can you believe that?!?” instead of saying, “This has happened before. Aldridge may have Durant’s number and may be just as potent of a team leader, if not player.” The gulf between those two statements is vast, not only in assessment but in impact and influence on the game, team expectations, and yes, officiating. The edge the latter statement provides is exactly the one that teams like the Lakers, and now the Clippers and Thunder, carry into matchups against less-heralded foes. That edge can easily provide the difference between playoff wins and losses in an otherwise-even contest.”

BOX SCORE

I’m choosing to believe Kevin Durant went glass on purpose. Not just because that means he made the shot he intended to, but because he did it as a little nod to his old buddy Jeff Green.

It was on the opposite elbow, but much like Uncle Jeff’s game-winner against in Oracle Arena three years ago, KD iced the Warriors by banking home a jumper in the closing seconds. Said Durant after the game, “It looked terrible leaving my hands but I’m glad it hit the backboard and went in.” Even when KD misses, he makes it. He’s THAT good.

But if you thought last night’s game was cray, this one took it up another level. Monta Ellis scored 30 points in the first half and finished with 48. The two teams traded like 15 3-pointers in the third quarter. Oklahoma City trailed by 12, and then seven late in the fourth but clawed back to somehow pull out a win. About 10 different times, this looked like a loss. I don’t know what it is about the Thunder, but if they’re within striking distance after that final TV timeout, they’ve got a real good shot at winning.

The Thunder got massive contributions from Durant (33 points), Westbrook (31 points), James Harden (19 points) and Daequan Cook (17 points), who was 5-6 from 3. Each time the Thunder were put in a position of needing a do-or-die bucket, they got it. They got stops, did well on the glass and just found a way.

It appeared that the Thunder would spoil all their hard work with two ugly possessions in the final minute though. OKC led by two, 115-113, and has the ball. Westbrook had Dominic McGuire on him for some reason (he played three really random minutes), and tried to take him off the dribble. Westbrook lost it and the Warriors took possession with 55 seconds left. But OKC got a stop and made sure the ball went to The Closer. KD isolated with Dorell Wright on him but instead of attacking, Durant settled for a contested 3. Two empty possessions and it opened up the opportunity for OKC to blow it. Ellis made them pay on the other end with an and-1 to give GSW a one-point lead, but that’s when KD said, “I got this.”

“Clutch” is a weird thing, and something I’m not entirely sure I believe in. But you can’t ignore that Durant seems to have developed that knack for dropping big shots in big moments. Some guys have it. They want the ball, the want the weight of missing on their back. They want the opportunity to win it, and the responsibility if they don’t. The Thunder are fortunate to have two guys with the stones to want to take those shots, but as it tends to do, the ball finds No. 35′s hands and as he tends to do, he finishes the deed.

Just another night, another banana sandwich win for the Thunder. There’s something about this team’s backbone that gives you a quiet confidence in those big moments. Whether it’s a tough, physical game like in Portland on Monday or a fast break shooting contest like Tuesday’s game against the Warriors, the Thunder are finishing games.

NOTES:

• KD’s line: 33 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, only two turnovers, two blocks. Including the final one on Brandon Rush to seal the win. Durant is next level right now. Next level for himself even. I wouldn’t want any other guy on my team. I’m serious.

• Westbrook nearly got himself a double-double: 31 points and nine turnovers. Whoa. He had seven assists to go with it but he was giving the ball away with great regularity in this one.

• Only three players turned the ball over for the Thunder tonight, but those piled up to 15 total. Westbrook had nine, Perk four and Durant two. Don’t see that every day.

• Westbrook was WIDE open under the basket on KD’s jumper, but Harden either saw him too late or decided it was too risky of a pass. Obviously it worked out well, but had KD missed, I think we’d all be wondering why Russ didn’t get the ball there.

• Monta Ellis had a terrific look to win it with 15 seconds left but missed. I thought he had it all the way.

• Gotta think Thabo would’ve helped a bit covering Ellis out there in this one. Westbrook tried his darndest but Ellis kept making wild layups and hitting that leaning jumper. Some nights Ellis can just be better than even great defense. Not saying the Thunder were playing any, but Ellis has an incredible ability to score the ball.

• OKC shot 52.4 percent, went 11-26 from 3 and 20-21 from the free throw line. That’s some good true shootin’.

• KD has played 89 minutes the last two nights and Westbrook 85. Get some rest, you guys.

• Daequan Cook was simply sensational. Hitting 5-6 was great, but he took smart shots and hit a couple of really timely jumpers.

• I’ve never seen Nick Collison so helpless defensively. David Lee just completely worked him late in the third quarter on four straight possession.

• Brian Davis called labeled James Harden “Never Hurry Harden” which I think is the best/worst nickname for him I’ve heard.

• Serge Ibaka really is pretty terrific at going straight up. Players attack the rim but Ibaka jumps straight up with his arms stretched high and doesn’t foul. If they score, so be it, but he’s not getting baited into a foul.

• We’re real close to putting to bed this Harden on the road stuff.

• If you think Perk is bad, it could be worse. OKC could have Andris Biedrins.

• Nazr Mohammed did some work. He was great in nine first half minutes scoring eight points on 4-5 shooting and grabbing three rebounds. He didn’t play any in the second half, but that was largely because Scott Brooks chose to go small pretty much the whole way.

• Not a good matchup for Perk and luckily Brooks recognized it as Perk only got 19 minutes. With the way the Warriors were working the pick-and-roll and moving the ball, Perk was mostly a complete non-factor.

• The plus/minus numbers are a bit wonky. Only one starter was a plus (Cook, +2), with Ibaka and Perk being -14 each. Durant and Westbrook were both -8. The bench was all pluses, with Jackson and Collison a +14, Mohammed a +13 and Harden a +9.

• KD started the game 1-7, Westbrook 6-7. Westbrook finished 12-21, KD 13-27.

• Reggie Jackson’s failure to execute a 3-on-2 fast break says a lot about his confidence. He decided to take it on his own, but the whole way he didn’t look sure of what he wanted to do.

• Brian Davis Line of the Night: “Threes will put points on the board and hair on your chest!” Though the popular submission was, “KD uncoiling like a rattlesnake in the Oklahoma panhandle!”

Next up: At the Kings Thursday.

OKC Thunder (19-5, 10-4 road) at Golden State Warriors (8-13, 6-7 home)

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 9:30 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 107.3 (4th), Warriors– 104.5 (11th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 102.2 (14th), Warriors – 106.9 (26th)
Pace: Thunder – 93.2 (7th), Warriors – 92.6 (9th)

View from the enemy: Warriors World

The last time the Thunder endured a grueling, physical game with another waiting 24 hours later, they turned in a stinker against the Spurs. Granted, the Warriors aren’t on that level but with their offensive firepower and OKC’s penchant for leaving shooters open, this one could be a major challenge.

In the first matchup the Thunder played well beating the Warriors 120-109, but part of that was good fortune as the Warriors missed a number of wide open looks. Stephen Curry was off, Monta Ellis didn’t shoot well and the rest of the Warriors didn’t take advantage of good opportunities. I don’t think the Thunder defense can plan on that again.

Golden State coming in: The Warriors are 5-5 in their last 10 but lost in overtime to the Kings on Saturday.

Three Big Things

1. Kill the glass, again. The best way to overcome a little cause of the tireds is to hammer the offensive glass and provide yourself with extra possessions. Serge Ibaka was outstanding in the first meeting and did great work on the boards.

2. Help, recover and help again. The Warriors want to break you down by penetrating then kicking out and then swinging the ball to a shooter to either penetrate or shoot. It’s about communication. The Thunder have to help the helper, communicate and rotate around. That might result in a few times where Perk is caught on Monta Ellis, but that’s better than giving up a wide open jumper.

3. Someone needs to carry the load a little. Whether it’s Durant, Westbrook or Harden, somebody is probably going to need to have a hot quarter or big 10-minute stretch where they score consistently. Because I can foresee the Thunder having some major lulls in this game and too much of that and the Warriors will rip off a 13-4 run on you.

Tip at 9:30 CT. Go Energy.

This should be getting more attention today because a) it saved the game for Oklahoma City and b) it was completely, totally ridiculous. Look at Russell Westbrook’s elevation. Look at his body control. Look at how he swipes perfectly at the ball and doesn’t foul.

Westbrook does a lot of absurd things in a basketball games — for better and for worse — but these type of plays are what tell you the story about him. He’s always going full out, always ready and willing to make that extra play.

The strange thing though? Evidently this wasn’t ruled a block as the official box score has Westbrook with zero for the game.

Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops isn’t sold on OKC: “The Thunder has done a wonderful job of drafting, and Brooks has his team playing at a high level. But OKC is hardly a sure thing. A major step for the Thunder will be winning a playoff series against a team seeded in the top four. They have not yet done that. When they do, I will believe the future has arrived. Until they do, they are a team with potential. And as history has told us, there are significant steps between that and a championship.”

Zach Lowe of SI.com has James Harden as an All-Star snub but Westbrook making it: “And yet for all the hemming and hawing, Westbrook is an obvious All-Star, one of the 10 or 15 best players in the league, a scoring force still learning the league’s most demanding position. And he’s getting better at it, despite the drop in assists, some of which is due to the Thunder handing more creative responsibility to Durant and more minutes to James Harden. Westbrook is trying and making more next-level passes — the interior slips and tricky diagonal looks to shooters outside his direct line of vision. All of this comes with growing pains, especially since the Thunder lack any kind of big man pick-and-roll threat to pair with Westbrook. But the guy is a stud.”

Kevin Pelton has Westbrook making it along with Harden: “I went back and forth between Harden and Steve Nash. From a standpoint of pure entertainment, it’s hard to go wrong with Nash, and the two-time MVP continues to perform at a high level as he approaches his 38th birthday on Tuesday. Nonetheless, Harden is simply playing too well to leave him off the roster, especially since he is clearly the second-best shooting guard in the conference after starter Kobe Bryant. In this case, track record should work in Harden’s favor, since he’s been playing at an elite level since last year’s All-Star break.”

Matt Moore of CBSSports.com has KD second in the MVP: “Durant scored 95 points on 66 shots through three games this week before the Spurs ran the Thunder ragged. Double-digit rebounds in all. Durant’s been on the MVP list as a “oh, we should put KD on there, what with the Thunder so good and all.” But this is the week Durant’s really stepped up and put his stamp on the picture. He’s averaged 28 points per contest in his last 10 games, is third overall in scoring per game, and is second in Player Efficiency Rating behind LeBron James.”

GQ talked to James Harden about his style and called him the NBA’s “most eclectic dresser”: “Everyone wants to know what’s in the backpack Kevin Durant wears to press conferences, but at GQ we’re more curious about what’s in the closet of KD’s teammate. Since punctuating his arrival in the league by wearing a bow tie to draft night in 2009, Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden has quickly distinguished himself from his four-button suit brethren. “Weird and funky” is how Harden, born and raised in Los Angeles, describes his style. His signature off-court look is a mix of high and kid fashion—Gucci shoes meet Looney Tunes—while on the hardwood he’s emerging as an elite sixth man for the league’s top team. Harden spoke to GQ about his style must-haves, and that pair of Louboutins he just can’t bring himself to wear in the Thunder locker room.”

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com on last night: “Truth is, the NBA needs more games like this — at least the first 47 minutes, before the officiating came to the forefront, when it was just two young and fast teams going at it, producing 13 ties and 12 lead changes, plenty of full-court action, and the occasional back-and-forth between Aldridge (who finished with 39 points) and Durant (33). But Aldridge didn’t have a Westbrook riding shotgun, producing a stat line of 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Aldridge didn’t even have Ray Felton, who missed the game with a foot injury. (I know “foot injury” is a sensitive word combination in Portland.)”

Ben Golliver of Blazersedge: “53 minutes of back-and-forth, tooth-and-nail basketball between two highly-motivated teams evaporated with six seconds remaining in regulation. Trailing 103-101, Thunder All-Star forward and 2-time defending scoring champion Kevin Durant drove hard to his left from the top of the key, shadowed by Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge. One of the few defenders in the league long and quick enough to recover defensively on Durant after he turned the corner, Aldridge rose a split-second after Durant, but with impeccable timing, and appeared to swat the ball into the backboard, causing it to ricochet to nearly halfcourt. The defensive play of Portland’s season.”

Darnell Mayberry: “I don’t know whether that block by LaMarcus Aldridge was a goaltend or not. Even the in-arena replays that I saw were inconclusive. Many have said on Twitter that it was clearly a clean block. If so, there’s obviously going to be a large segment of fans who insist the Thunder got a gift. I can’t disagree. The Blazers probably would have won. But it was a bang-bang play (when I saw it live I thought it hit the backboard first) and you can’t fault the officials if they got it wrong. That’s the breaks.”

Here’s how angry and upset some Portland fans were last night: They actually wouldn’t acknowledge that the Thunder still had possession after the Aldridge block/goaltend. Even though James Harden CLEARLY runs it down. The chances of OKC winning there were slim, but the Thunder at least had the ball still.

You know what I found funny? On the Thunder broadcast, after Brian and Grant saw a replay, they concluded it was goaltending. But on the Portland broadcast, they initially thought it was goaltending but changed their mind on the replay. And people want to act like that call was clean cut or something.

Sean Highkin of Portland Roundball Society: “Scott Foster’s goaltending call on LaMarcus Aldridge was awful. There’s no getting around that. The game should have been 103-101 with six seconds remaining in regulation. It’s very possible that the Blazers would have won had the correct call been made. But had Aldridge’s block stood, Oklahoma City would have had the ball back with more than enough time to execute a final play for either Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook to tie or win the game. The call absolutely shifted momentum in the Thunder’s favor in the waning seconds of regulation, but a Blazers victory was no sure thing regardless.”

BOX SCORE

Was it a block, or a goaltend?

The shame of what otherwise would certainly go down as one of this season’s classics is that will be the discussion. With the Thunder trailing by two, Kevin Durant got to the rim and put the ball off the glass and LaMarcus Aldridge swatted it away. Or Aldridge swatted it to the glass. It didn’t matter what we thought though. Referee Scott Foster saw it as a goaltend. Two points. Overtime.

I think KD’s little grin while he was watching the replay says it all. It appeared to be a block. At least that’s the side I’m going to take after watching it with my face two inches from the screen about 60 times. I think the point is, that’s not a good call to make either way in that situation. Because full speed, it’s nearly impossible to tell. I think if we were being honest here, Thunder fans would be a tad upset if they were on the other end of that.

But try and forget all that because this was a fantastic 111-107 Thunder victory in Portland. So many big points to single out. So many big moments. All of KD’s silencing jumpers that kept OKC ticking. Russell Westbrook’s ridiuclous block on Nicolas Batum at the end of regulation. Serge Ibaka’s work on the offensive glass.

All of that stuff was incredibly large, but it really was all about Perk, who played his best game of the season. He was completely torched by LaMarcus Aldridge for about 44 minutes as Aldridge put up a season-high 39. Aldridge was having his way — off the dribble, in the post, in the pick-and-pop. But the last four minutes and overtime, Perk was incredible. Aldridge finished the game missing eight of his last nine shots as Perk roughed him up, keeping him off the block and contesting every shot. The Thunder doubled some, but mostly relied upon Perk to just do his best. It was going to come down to that matchup. If Perk could stop Aldridge just enough, the Thunder might find enough buckets to pull the thing out.

Perk talked before the game how he has to do better and I’d say he did. Not just the defense, but he looked far more active on the glass than we’ve seen him this season. He pulled in 10 rebounds, which is his first double-digit rebounding game in almost a month. He blocked Jamal Crawford’s potential tying shot. He played his butt off and impacted the game the way he should. He wasn’t just a screener and tough guy on the defensive block. He actually made a big difference. You could tell he knew it too in his interview with Kelly Crull after the game. He was clearly fired up and happy. He played a helluva game and was proud of it. Now, just do that 42 more times.

This game though had some serious ups and downs. The Thunder blew it and then won it about five different times. They went up by 12 twice in the third quarter only to see the Blazers erase it with a speedy 13-0 run. But after KD knocked down two cold-blooded jumpers, OKC responded going on their own 16-4 spurt. And then gave it up again, by turning it over twice at the end of the third to help start an 8-0 Portland run. It looked like the Thunder were about to crap away a game as they went scoreless for three minutes in the fourth and only scored six points from the 11-minutes mark  to about the three-minute mark, but KD bailed OKC out again hitting a big time 3 to cut it back to a three-point game.

A stop here, another bucket and just like that the Thunder had tied it back up. A Jamal Crawford jumper put the Blazer up two and the Thunder were going to have to dig deep again. I thought going for the win made the most sense because I couldn’t see OKC winning on the road and stopping Aldridge enough in overtime. Good thing I’m an idiot. Because Durant tied it up and the Thunder took care of business in the OT.

I’m almost out of breath trying to recap this thing. Here are the cliff notes: It was a good game, had a controversial finish and a whole lot of stuff happened. But in the end, the Thunder had more points than the Blazers and nothing is going to change that result. Considering how hard the Thunder played in this game, you could tell they wanted it. The loss against San Antonio really stung and starting this road trip 0-2 wouldn’t have been good. Instead, now the Thunder pulled off a terrific win and could come out of this stretch in good shape.

NOTES:

• You probably don’t care, but my goodness, Blazer fans took this one hard.

• KD’s 33 field goal attempts are the most he’s ever taken in his career. He’s only attempted more than 30 once before tonight. He scored 33 points on 33 shots, with the reason being he only took one free throw in that game.

• OKC finished with a 59-39 edge on the glass. The Thunder had 18 offensive rebounds, led by Serge Ibaka’s animal-like work on the glass where he pulled in 13 rebounds, seven offensive.

• A sign of life from Nazr Mohammed! He had seven rebounds in 11 minutes and played some solid defense.

• Nate McMillan on the goaltending call: “It was a good block. That game should’ve been over.” Except for the fact the Thunder still had possession with six seconds left, but whatever.

• On the skip pass play tonight that Daequan Cook drilled, go back and watch how good Nick Collison’s screen was. He looked like Hines Ward cracking back on a linebacker.

• How about Perk’s baseline and-1 move?

• Gerald Wallace had just four points on 2-9 shooting. KD was doing some work on both ends in this one.

• Westbrook had five turnovers tonight, but not one in the fourth quarter. 28 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. And one massive block on Batum right at the end of regulation. And a couple huge rebounds. Dude was just after it tonight. A classic Westbrook game.

• On the road, James Harden went for 19 on 6-12 shooting. He wasn’t overly terrific, but was solid throughout. He attacked well, hit a big 3 and played some good perimeter defense.

• Keep in mind the Blazers were without Raymond Felton. Now, Felton hasn’t been great this season, but instead Portland had to use Jamal Crawford at the point which isn’t ideal for them.

• How good is LaMarcus Aldridge though? Even before Perk finished the game strong on him, I thought Perk was doing a great job but Aldridge was just hitting incredible shots. He’s such a tough cover. I honestly don’t know the best way to defend him except for just hope he misses.

• The Thunder turned it over 19 times but still only took two fewer shots than the Blazers. Again, offensive rebounding was important.

• Brian Davis Line of the Night: “And here you thought floppy was a play call and not a defensive tactic.” Or:  “How about ‘roar young lion’ but he’s not a young lion anymore. How about ROAR LION ROAR!”

Next up: At the Warriors Tuesday.

OKC Thunder (18-5, 9-4 road) at Portland Trail Blazers (14-10, 11-1 home)

TV: NBATV; FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 9:00 CT

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 107.3 (5th), Blazers– 104.8 (10th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 102.1 (13th), Blazers – 97.9 (3rd)
Pace: Thunder – 93.2 (8th), Blazers – 93.3 (5th)

View from the enemy: Portland Roundball Society

The Blazers handed Oklahoma City its only loss at home this season and afterward, Raymond Felton called out Russell Westbrook for not being a team player. And here’s the shame: Felton is doubtful for tonight, so we’re not going to get to see how Westbrook would’ve responded to that.

But it’s a big, tough game for the Thunder on the road after a bad showing in San Antonio Saturday night. Winning in Portland isn’t easy as the Blazers are 11-1 at the Rose Garden. The Thunder could use a good bounce back game and with this road trip off to a bad start, a win in Portland would make things look a bit better.

Portland coming in: The Blazers beat up the Nuggets on Saturday.

Three Big Things

1. Wallace on KD. Durant might say someone else, but Gerald Wallace is maybe the best defender for Kevin Durant. He’s long, tough and does an excellent job of not fouling. Of all the guys that can check Durant decently, Wallace is maybe the best.

2. Defending LMA. LaMarcus Aldridge is a nightmare matchup because he’s such a terrific inside-out big man. He can score on the block with his baseline turnaround jumper but he’s probably most deadly in the pick-and-pop game at the top of the key. The Thunder have to focus on keeping Aldridge in the teens and away from a big 30-point type of night. Otherwise, that means the Blazers were getting easy baskets and the Thunder were not.

3. Shoot well. When the Thunder play the Blazers, it often is just a matter if OKC shoots the ball well. Because Portland is one of those teams that does a great job of turning the Thunder into jumpshooters. If OKC has issues shooting and makes only three or four 3s and shoots around 40 percent, it will be tough to win. Get to the free throw line, take high percentage shots and keep the turnovers down.

Tip at 9:00 CT. Go Best Team.

WEEK 1 | WEEK 2 | WEEK 3 | WEEK 4 | WEEK 5

A select number of fans getting anxious, agitated and overreactionary isn’t anything new. It happens in every fanbase, even the most appreciative, smart and complacent. But why does it seem to happen quite a bit with the Thunder, a team that by all accounts people should be thrilled about?

After both losses last week, Oklahoman beat writers wrote columns wondering if the two losses exposed flaws and warts and ugly spots and problems. Sure the Thunder played horribly in those two games and I suppose you could read deeper into them if you want. Every team has flaws and problems. Otherwise they’d be 23-0. It’s about correcting the flaws enough to get by and enough to survive in the postseason.

So, why the anxiety? Why is each game under the microscope?

Two reasons, I think:

1) People can see that the opportunity to win a championship right now is a real thing. So that’s stressful. Every little thing matters, which it should. But every missed rebound, every opponent 3-pointer, every failed inbounds play are just a sign that something needs to improve if the team is actually going to complete the task of raising a trophy. If you’re going to win it all, you’ve got to get everything under control. You’ve got to hide the blemishes and correct the flaws.

2) People still kind of can’t believe what they’re seeing. I think the scars of the Thunder’s first season are still fresh with some. Like, some can’t completely buy into the team being this good and so they live in fear of reality crashing down. Every loss is potentially the beginning of the end and things won’t feel better until the Thunder win again.

And then there’s the majority of the fanbase that sees it all as gravy, but wants to win. Thing is, there’s a little of everything in all of us. There’s anxiety and frustration after losses while also a realization that the team is good and everything will be OK. Just the life, times and real-life anxiety of a fan.

Now to the rankings:

1. Kevin Durant (Last week: 1)

Honestly it didn’t matter to me if KD scored a point against the Spurs Saturday, he was the player of the week simply for his brilliant close against the Grizzlies Friday. That was just superhuman stuff. But he’s been consistently productive throughout the season and has notched five consecutive double-doubles. And here’s something that says a ton about KD: Since that Wizards game where the Thunder gave up 19 offensive rebounds, Durant has averaged 11.0 rebounds per game. He took it upon himself to correct an issue. I love that.

2. Russell Westbrook (Last week: 2)

Westbrook averaged 5.0 turnovers to  5.2 assists per game last week. That’s 21 assists and 20 turnovers. I’ve always felt I was OK with Westbrook turning it over as long as they were the good kind where he was trying to create or make a play. But I didn’t mean that it was cool to turn it over five and six times a game. But that’s just Russell. Otherwise, he was really good over last week’s four games averaging 25.7 ppg while maintaining a good shooting percentage. Plus he shot 40 percent from 3, which is icing. However, getting torched by Tony Parker for 42 is not.

3. James Harden (Last week: 4)

Here’s my case that Harden deserves to be an All-Star reserve, which I truly believe: The West needs more than one shooting guard, right? So after Kobe, who do you take? Probably the guy that plays for the team with the best record in the NBA and has the next best PER to Kobe, right? Maybe you want to make a case for Kevin Martin or Monta Ellis but the numbers tell a different story. Now with only seven spots open and guys like Tony Parker and Steve Nash deserving consideration, I understand it’s likely that Harden would be an easy snub. Positions don’t really matter in this selection process, but Harden has solid numbers — 16.6 ppg, 3.5 apg, 4.2 rpg, 47 percent from the floor and a true shooting percentage of 64.8 — and he’s the third best player on the West’s best team. That normally counts for something.

4. Daequan Cook (Last week: 7)

Cook has done quality work in the starting lineup, but one of the more impressive developments has been his defense. It’s been nothing short of excellent. He contests shots well and rarely gets blatantly beat. He’s not extremely quick or athletic, but he’s always a threat on the floor and his presence alongside KD and Westbrook open the floor a bit. I really wouldn’t be opposed if Cook stayed in the starting five when Thabo returns, even though we know that won’t happen.

5. Serge Ibaka (Last week: 3)

Ibaka averaged 3.75 blocks per game this week. But that was greatly aided by his 10-swat performance against the Mavericks. It was a decent week for Ibaka, but not great. The Dallas game was a high point, but he didn’t play well against the Clippers or Spurs and was squeezed out of the Grizzlies game as Scott Brooks went small.

6. Nick Collison (Last week: 5)

Collison has been his usual solid self, but it seems to be harder and harder to notice his contributions. According to HoopData, Collison has only taken seven charges this season (league leader has taken 21). Harden has taken the same amount as Collison.

7. Kendrick Perkins (Last week: 6)

First, this happened. Which actually tempted me to put Perk in the top five because I love the fact that he didn’t run from the dunk but instead tried to stop two easy points. But that would mean I’d be ignoring the fact Perk was awful against the Spurs and Clippers, the two games OKC lost. Also: He picked up his ninth technical of the season which puts him four away from a suspension. He’s on pace for 26 which means he could be on pace to miss up to eight games. He says he’ll get it under control, but it’s time for it to start happening.

8. Reggie Jackson (Last week: 9)

One improvement I’d like to see from Jackson is more of a willingness to attack the rim. At Boston College, he had the ball in his hands all the time and did things like this. With the Thunder so far he seems content to shoot 3-pointers (41 2-pointers this season compared to 26 3s) and just move the ball. Being aggressive is a challenge for some rookies to figure out because it’s hard to know if it’s better to get a little crazy or just try and stay totally steady. I’d love to see Jackson try and take some risks and make some plays.

9. Cole Aldrich (Last week: 10) 

Free Cole.

10. Nazr Mohammed (Last week: 11)

Just when it looked like maybe Mohammed was getting squeezed from the rotation, he came back against the Grizzlies and Spurs and played seven and 10 minutes, respectively. There’s no doubt his minutes are getting chopped and his production is way down. It’s always good to have interior depth, but Mohammed’s time in the rotation could be coming to an end.

11. Lazar Hayward (Last week: 12)

Hey, Hayward got like real playing time this week. Started the fourth quarter against the Spurs and was part of a little Thunder comeback. And… that’s your Lazar Hayward update for the week.

12. Royal Ivey (Last week: 13)

You know how much Ivey is making this season for practicing and coming up with cool handshakes? $1.2 million. I want THAT job.

Inactives: Eric Maynor, Ryan Reid, Thabo Sefolosha

Marc Stein of ESPN.com has Westbrook as a West reserve: “The unflattering reviews of Westbrook’s quarterback play from early in the season are gradually starting to fade. Like a lot of us, I’d still prefer to see Kevin Durant playing alongside a more pass-minded point guard, but Westbrook is inching away from his defiant approach and is back to being OKC’s best player some nights. Which means his second straight selection to the West All-Stars is just a formality.”

George Karl on if OKC has separated from the pack: “I don’t know yet. I haven’t played OKC. They look pretty good. The close games. They win close games with two guys who can make shots. their defense is first class at the end of games. Their home court is big time. They are a lot of things that say they have a fabric, a fiber of the real stuff to be special. I thought we played them a pretty good series last year. Even though everybody says we got beat 4 out of 5. But 4 of those games were last two minutes games and two of them were determined by a call as much as they were determined by a closer. Unfortunately we didn’t get either one of those calls.”

Seattle is working towards a new arena.

Russell Westbrook is a “no-brainer” All-Star pick from one writer.

SB Nation power rankings: “The Thunder have been pretty incredible, and look like the clear favorite in the West, just as everyone predicted. Kevin Durant should finish top-three in MVP voting, James Harden’s name might already be etched in the Sixth Man Trophy and Russell Westbrook is on his way to another All-NBA bid.”

NBA.com power rankings: “The Thunder’s position at the top of the West got a little less comfortable with road losses to the Clippers and Spurs last week. Their perimeter defense allowed Chris Paul and Tony Parker to combine for 68 points and 23 assists and the opponents to shoot 25-for-48 from 3-point range in the two games.”

Stein dropped OKC big time in his rankings: “Chicago and Indiana have passed the Thunder in the race for most road wins, but OKC has bigger worries. Specifically: Perk has nine techs in 23 games. Which means he’s on pace for 26 in this shortened season. Which computes to seven one-game suspensions. Which is far, far worse than getting Mozgoved by Blake.”

Mike Tokito of the Oregonian: “The early success this season continues the Thunder’s ascension since 2007-08, when in their final season as the Seattle SuperSonics, they finished with a 20-62 record. The rise, under the guidance of general manager Sam Presti, was accomplished through a combination of smart drafting, roster moves and salary cap management, as well as a healthy dose of good luck and timing.”

The guys talk about this and more:

• Thundie Awards

• Successful Teams without superstars

• More on Shaq’s awkward TNT comments

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