Take two: Oklahoma City tops Atlanta again, 106-99
BOX SCORE – ADVANCED BOX SCORE
(Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
There’s just something about Jeff Green and big plays against Atlanta. Last time, he did it at the rim on Josh Smith. This time, he did it 23 feet away from the tin over Josh Smith. I guess Phil Connors isn’t the only guy living the same nightmare on Groundhog Day.
The Thunder grabbed a 13-point lead late in the second half, but Joe Johnson absolutely took the world over, scoring 10 straight points and keying a 15-4 Atlanta run. With 1:50 left, Oklahoma City was holding a 97-93 lead. Russell Westbrook penetrated, pump faked and kicked to Kevin Durant. Durant had an open look but he deferred to the more open Green. And Uncle Jeff paid it off with a loud 3 to essentially seal the deal for OKC. I think Brian Davis put it best: “YES YES YES YES YES.”
And while Green’s shot was the play of the night because it locked things up, it’s notable that we might not have even been there had Russell Westbrook not skied over Al Horford and Josh Smith for two monstrous offensive rebounds. The two boards led to four points for OKC and put Westbrook one rebound and one assists away from a triple-double (12 points, nine rebounds, nine assists). Read more…
