Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images
BOX SCORE
I don’t even know what to say. I’m sitting here, staring at this screen, trying to figure out a way to accurately sum this game up. And whatever comes spilling out of my fingers isn’t going to do it justice. It was a great, great game – the greatest in Oklahoma City’s short history – that was given a black eye by referee Tony Brothers who didn’t blow his whistle in a crucial moment. Such is life in the NBA.
First, the non-call. It was horrible. It was awful. It was ridiculous. As Brian Davis put it, it was tragic. Really, that’s the best way to describe it. This was one of the best games of this NBA season, one that will surely be seen again and again on NBA Hardwood Classics. And for it to end that way is a shame. If Kevin Durant’s jumper would’ve airballed, I could’ve lived with it. If C.J. Miles would’ve got the ball clean, I can deal with that. But for Durant to shoot his team back in the game the way he did – bringing OKC back from 11 down with three minutes left in regulation – and then to get robbed there? Tragic. As John Hollinger put it: “Note to Kevin Garnett: Michael Jordan gets that call. Read more…
Recap
Utah Jazz
vs. 
Okla. City Thunder (48-28, 23-15 road) at Utah Jazz (50-27, 31-8 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 753)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:00 CDT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 108.0 (14th), Jazz – 110.8 (7th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.9 (8th), Jazz – 104.6 (10th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.9 (14th), Jazz – 93.6 (9th)
View from the enemy: Salt City Hoops
Oh, Oklahoma City is playing the Jazz tonight? Pfffft. That’s a win. I mean, the Thunder’s 3-0 against them, right? While that’s obviously true, winning in Utah against the Jazz is a tall task. I don’t know how the Thunder did it the first time, but to do it a second time would certainly be impressive. Most impressive. Read more…
Preview
Utah Jazz
Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images
BOX SCORE
Oklahoma City has kind of gotten a reputation for being a good third quarter team this year. But coming out of the locker room 12-12 from the floor and shooting 88 percent for the quarter? That’s kind of sort of ridiculous.
Good thing too, because the Thunder didn’t bring their signature defense tonight, as the Jazz scored 111 points on 51 percent shooting, but OKC had the offense firing (60 percent from the floor) as Kevin Durant dropped 35 and Russell Westbrook had 30 points and 11 assists, leading the Thunder to their fifth straight win, 119-111 over Utah.
The last time the young Thunder came into a buzzworthy game where there was a real importance to it, they didn’t show up. They were blasted by the Nuggets and had a look to them that didn’t feel great. Overwhelmed, anxious, nervous – you pick the word. Tonight was the exact opposite. This team was focused. They were hungry. They were locked in and on a mission. If you’re not a believer yet, it’s time to start. This Thunder team is going places. Where exactly that is, I have no clue. But I put a ceiling on them before the season and the roof was blown completely off. I’m not making the same mistake again. Read more…
Recap
Utah Jazz
vs.
Utah Jazz (42-23, 17-15 road) vs. Okla. City Thunder (40-24, 21-11 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 753)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 6:00 CST
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 106.7 (16th), Jazz – 110.4 (7th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.1 (6th), Jazz – 104.7 (9th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.9 (14th), Jazz – 93.1 (12rd)
View from the enemy: Salt City Hoops
To this point, in my humble opinion, this is the most important, biggest game of the season. There really is no question in my mind. Currently, Oklahoma City sits 1.5 games back of Utah in the West for fourth. The Thunder already is 2-0 against the Jazz, so a win would lock away a season series win for the Thunder and a potential valuable tiebreaker. Plus, since the Jazz are possibly a playoff opponent, establishing some semblance of dominance over them would be excellent. Read more…
Preview
Utah Jazz
Thunder 87, Jazz 86 – Box Score
Last year on New Year’s Eve I had a party to go to. I remember that I told the crew I wouldn’t be there until about 8pm. I had to watch the Thunder and I needed to do a recap (I think I was still on the old blog before Daily Thunder). At that time the team was 3-and-freaking-29. There were articles written almost every day about how the Thunder were one of the worst teams in history…
That night the Thunder came out and beat Golden State and it was the start of something special. That game was the fulcrum, the tipping point if you will for a surge into the new year that saw the team attain a measure of respectability. See the team was only 3-29 going into the new year last year, but they came out and won 10 of their next 19 games and the buzz began about the how the team was making progress.
Tonight similarly has the feel of something special. I don’t have a crystal ball or anything but it just feels like this team has taken the next step. The last step was just getting to somewhere around .500. This next step is beating good teams. The good teams that when you beat them or lose to them might make or break you when the playoff seeding shakes out in the spring. Tonight the Thunder protected the home court, beat a quality team just ahead of them in the standings and finished up the old year 18-14.
Tonight the Thunder pulled out a close game against a very evenly matched Utah team. It really seems sort of surreal to mention Utah and OKC in the same sentence and consider them to be evenly matched, but I really think that’s the case. The game tonight was reasonably tight most of the way. Neither team got out and put the smackdown on the other, however the game was really closer than it needed to be. The Thunder played what I thought was really stingy defense most of the night. Sure there were blown plays but what I mean is that the defensive energy was high, the closeouts were sharp and the general defensive tenor seemed tight. If the Thunder had managed to hit a few more than half it’s free throws this thing could have been a walk away; we left 14 points on the board right there. Also the 19 turns didn’t help matters. But the Thunder were far the more efficient offensive team shooting 47% to 41% for the Jazz. Read more…
Recap
Utah Jazz
vs. 
Utah Jazz (18-13, 6-9 road) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (17-14, 8-7 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 753)
Stream: Click Here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CST
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 106.8 (18th), Jazz – 108.0 (12nd)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 104.5 (8th), Jazz – 105.3 (10th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.1 (20th), Jazz – 92.5 (16th)
View from the enemy: Salt City Hoops
It’s still December. There are 51 games yet to be played. But… this feels like a huge game. I guess when you haven’t really had a lot of big ones, or really ANY big ones, a game against a division rival that you happen to be a game behind for the eighth playoff spot feels big. Read more…
Preview
Utah Jazz
Well, that got a little more exciting than it needed to be but the Thunder held on to a nice road win in Utah, primarily through another third quarter offensive explosion and a fairly impressive defensive performance throughout the game. Also, if the Thunder shoot 44.4% from three every night, I like our odds folks. I’m beginning to have some serious anticipation for the games following a Kevin Durant rough shooting night at this point! After the L.A. game, didn’t you just kind of have the feeling he was going to take out his frustrations on the Utah Jazz?
BOX SCORE
You couldn’t really ask for a better initial start for the Thunder despite Jeff Green’s charge on Okur during the Thunder’s first offensive possession, which seemed to force Green to hesitate on his shots and drives after that all the way up until the second quarter. The boys in blue had very active hands defensively at the start of the first quarter and looked a little sharper than the Jazz did from the get-go, rotating excellently on defense with Russell Westbrook looking to pass early and often and I really wish he kept that mindset throughout the game instead of just in spurts. Read more…
Recap
Utah Jazz
vs. 
Oklahoma City Thunder (7-7) vs. Utah Jazz (7-6)
TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 753)
Stream: Click Here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:00 CST
View from the enemy: Salt City Hoops
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 103.4 (23rd), Jazz – 108.7 (8th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 101.5 (7th), Jazz – 107.9 (20th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.1 (19th), Jazz – 91.2 (25th)
(Note: This pregame was written last week. If something if off or incorrect, that’s why.)
Does it feel like the Thunder has been on the road a TON these past two weeks? It does? Well, that’s because Oklahoma City has had seven of its last nine away from the Ford Center. The good news is, after this one in Utah, OKC has a nice, cushy five-game homestand.
Salt Lake City is never an easy place to win. The Jazz haven’t been exactly great this year, but this is a roster still loaded with talent and players that are going to make plays. The Thunder has proven they can win on the road, but some places are just harder to win at than others. Read more…
Preview
Utah Jazz
