Monday Bolts: 11.13.17
Royce Young on Friday’s win over the Clippers: “A night after getting only one shot in a miserable fourth quarter in a loss to the Denver Nuggets, George poured in 42 points on 13-of-22 shooting, plus nine rebounds and seven assists as the Thunder snapped their four-game skid, 120-111 over the Clippers. The Thunder’s triad has spoken often about trusting the hot hand, about playing off the guy that has it going on any given night, but with the Clippers coming back from double-digit deficits on multiple occasions and the game suddenly at risk, Westbrook’s instinct is often to take on the challenge himself.”
Erik Horne on the Thunder’s win over Dallas last night: “In the Thunder’s 112-99 win, OKC may have been down two starters, but it still had two stars, and another electrifying night from George, who followed a 42-point performance from Friday with a game-high 37 in OKC’s second-consecutive win. Carmelo Anthony was a late scratch because of a sore back, and Steven Adams missed his second consecutive game with a right calf contusion. But George carried over from Friday, converting 12-of-22 from the field and 7-of-12 from 3-point range.”
Berry Tramel on Westbrook going beast mode versus the Mavs: “The quick fix is Westbrook going all beast mode, like we saw last season and like we saw in a 15-possession span against the Mavericks when Westbrook scored 16 points on five shots from the field and three trips to the foul line, plus assisting on 3-pointers by Josh Huestis and George. Westbrook scored on a strong drive, was fouled twice doing the same and nailed two treys himself.”
Royce Young on Carmelo Anthony’s back: “Anthony was a late scratch from the game, a 112-99 Thunder win, with the team announcing his status only about 45 minutes before tipoff. As he did Friday, Dakari Johnson started in place of Adams. Jerami Grant started in Anthony’s place.”
Free episode of Fred Katz’s Thunder After Dark podcast: “Fred Katz wraps up Paul George’s big game against the Mavericks and talks Melo’s and Steven Adams’ injuries before answering Twitter questions on how the Thunder can win without massive performances from PG, if the team is better without Carmelo, why Alex Abrines isn’t getting time and more.”
ESPN has OKC 13th in its latest power rankings: “Last season the Thunder outperformed their record by outscoring their opponents by 20 points per 100 possessions in clutch time (the last five minutes of a game with the score within five). Though they finally finished off a close game last week after losing their first six, the Thunder are still very much a work in progress when things get tight, as they are 1-6 in games that have gone to clutch time while being outscored by 50 points per 100 possessions, last in the NBA.”
Brandon Richard (Sole Collector) on Westbrook’s custom Jordan 10’s he wore last night: “When Russell Westbrook nabbed MVP honors for his triple-double season this past June, he was gifted a special Air Jordan sneaker pack that included two Player Exclusive colorways of the Air Jordan 10. With a Sunday evening game against the Dallas Mavericks on the schedule for his birthday, Westbrook figured there was no better time to put his MVP kicks to use than today.”
Erik Horne on Westbrook’s OKC pop-up shop: “Russell Westbrook scoured the Oklahoma City area for the perfect spot for his latest venture into fashion. He wanted something automotive-themed for the first public offering of his new line of clothing and apparel, Honor The Gift…. Westbrook personally scouted the city and decided on Penn Automotive on NW 39th St., a BMW, import and high performance shop outfitted with customized cars and neon glowing wall clocks.”
Jimmy Do (okcthunder.com) on Melo giving back to the community: “Between hearty handshakes and souvenir selfies, Anthony spent his Saturday loading trunk after trunk with boxes containing food, supplies, toys and books for local families in need at Feed the Children in Oklahoma City. The overcast day featured a parade of vehicles outside of the building where Anthony, members of the Carmelo Anthony Foundation and volunteers delivered some early holiday cheer. “Everywhere I go, I try to touch communities and give back. This is my first opportunity to do that,” said Anthony. “I’m handing out boxes and doing the work that’s needed.”
Highlights from Paul George’s big weekend:
Around the League: Jazz center Rudy Gobert is out 4-6 weeks…. Kyrie Irving suffered a minor facial fracture…. The development of KD the defender…. The Cavs are reportedly interested in trading for Greg Monroe…. James Harden has the Rockets on a six-game winning streak…. Lonzo Ball became the youngest player in NBA history with a triple-double…. A guide to best pro prospects in college basketball.
