Thunder crush the Clippers, 114-88
Russell Westbrook got a really fast triple-double tonight. That’s basically the relevant takeaway from this game. It took him a little more than 19 minutes to put up 11 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, and it happened with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter.
Outside of the that, the Clippers looked like a team very much not interested in playing a professional basketball game, especially with Chris Paul sitting, along with Blake Griffin. Brandon Bass briefly looked like the greatest power forward of all time, but for the most part the Clippers were abominably bad, and the Thunder looked quite good with Victor Oladipo back.
It’s a good way to finish out December, considering what we all know is ahead. The loss to the Grizzlies was ugly and gross, but this seems to atone for it somewhat, and now the Thunder look ahead to a tough month. They’re on the road for almost all of it (13 of 16) and they play a lot of very good teams. So to close out by getting almost entirely healthy, and completely smoking the Clippers in the process, it’s a good little boost ahead.
And that’s pretty much it. I’m telling you, with the way the Clippers approached this game, there’s just not much to really talk about. They cared so little. It was actually a little appalling. The Thunder, though, avoided any notion of a letdown, or doing what they’ve been guilty of at times in playing down to a lesser team and just completely blitzed them. It was over in almost they first six minutes, and then it just got worse from there.
Or from the Thunder perspective, a lot better.
NOTES:
- Alex Abrines appears to have the current rotation spot of “shooter guy” over Anthony Morrow right now. Or had, pending his injury situation. He took a fall into the baseline photographers and had to leave the game early. Appeared he took a hit to the face or something.
- The word on Abrines is a likely concussion, so he’ll probably miss a little time.
- Abrines has been shooting it really well, too. Tonight, 4-5 from 3.
- And that was fun right before halftime when he hit that 3 from deep.
- I kind of assumed Oladipo would have some trouble adjusting with the wrap on his wrist and the general pain/discomfort, but apparently not. He came out hitting 3s right away, and for the most part, shot it well.
- Austin Rivers just fails to do a lot of simple basketball things well.
- The Thunder are now 8-1 on New Year’s Eve. This is a stat.
- Mo Speights unofficially shoots 94 percent on 3s against the Thunder for his career.
- Did you know Westbrook got a triple-double again? And it was pretty fast how he got it.
- There was some discussion about which fastest it was for Westbrook. We came up with this one happening in 18:42, and registering as his second fastest one. Still not the fastest ever. DAMN YOU JIM TUCKER.
- With 2:45 left in a 33-point game, Westbrook picked up his 11th technical of the year for yelling back and forth with Mo Speights from their respective benches. Not good.
- The Clippers clearly kind of threw this one, but this could be important come seeding time, for tiebreaker purposes.
- OK, go have fun celebrating the new year, and forgetting 2016. And don’t be stupid.
Next up: At the Bucks on Monday
