Travis Singleton

The Memphis Grizzlies Were Able To Grind Out A Win Against OKC (121-92)

by Travis Singleton | Aug 8, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder came into this game against Memphis feeling good after the win against LA. Steven Adams and Mike Muscala were out tonight for this one with injuries that hurt OKC inside. Oklahoma City came out hitting almost everything as they knocked down seven 3 pointers in that first quarter. At one point in the game in the first half, OKC had been up by 18 points. One of the players that really stood out for the Thunder tonight was Luguentz Dort who was one of the leading scorers with 16 points. Lu was able to hit some big 3 pointers and showed a lot of confidence on both ends of the floor against the Grizzlies. OKC had to play some different lineups tonight but the energy wasn’t the same in that 2nd quarter. Shai struggled a little bit today but he’s been trying to carry the load for the absence of Schröder. People need to understand that Shai is a 2nd-year player and there’s still going to be ups and downs. Shai finished the game with 10 points. Look for Shai to bounce back because he’s stated numerous times he wants to be one of the greats. Chris Paul finished with 17 points and wasn’t really able to get things going in that 2nd half. One thing about CP3 is the fact he will always bounce back and he’s a true leader with professionalism. OKC didn’t play their best game today but they’re missing some key pieces that help them play at an elite level.

It seemed as if everything was going to go the Thunders way until the 2nd quarter. The Memphis Grizzlies came out in the second quarter and were able to hit the 3 balls consistently. One player that really took advantage of the minutes given to him in that 2nd quarter was Anthony Tolliver. He came in and made some energy plays and he was also able to hit some big shots. Memphis came out with a lot of energy overall as a team and they were able to out-hustle and outplay OKC as they fought back. It showed a lot of growth for the Memphis Grizzlies the fact that they trailed by 18 points and came back without Ja Morant. Morant was on the bench during the comeback and was able to come back in the game with Memphis up by 1 point. Morant was able to get a lot of help from Dillion Brooks who was able to get to the lane with ease and hit some tough shots. Brooks finished with 22 points on the night for Memphis and was taking it personally on the court tonight. The Grizzlies had a huge advantage on the rebounds as it was 36-58 and Jonas Valančiūnas helped in that department. Valančiūnas finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds against OKC as the Thunder didn’t have Adams. Jonas was able to bully in the paint and got a lot of 2nd chance points. Ja Morant finished with 19 points and 9 assists on the night as he proved he’s definitely the ROTY in the NBA. Ja was able to create for others and he was able to create offense for himself as well. Once Ja gets you on your heels with the dribble you’re at his mercy and he has a quick step. The Thunder did a great job defending as they forced Memphis into a lot of turnovers they just didn’t capitalize on them how they usually do.

The OKC Thunder will be playing against the Washington Wizards next on Sunday at 11:30 am.

Aug 8, 2020 No Comments

Chris Paul’s 21 Point Performance Propels OKC To Victory Over The Lakers (105-86)

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by Travis Singleton | Aug 6, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder were coming off their first loss of the season against Denver. It didn’t help that the next opponent would be the number one team in the Western Conference LA Lakers. This Thunder team has made believers out of everyone all season long and in Orlando, they’ve proved everyone wrong. The Thunder played against the Lakers tonight without Dennis Schröder, Mike Muscala, and Terrence Ferguson in the lineup. Chris Paul came to the rescue in this one as he set the tone from the tipoff against the Lakers. One thing about Chris Paul’s game that stands out is the fact he can get his teammates involved while getting his game going too.

Tonight CP3 showed that he can do anything on the court and it didn’t matter if you had a big defender on him or a smaller defender. The way that Chris’ able to crossover players and still get to his sweet mid-range spot on a nightly basis is amazing. Paul has had an amazing year and a lot of that has gone to his new diet coming into the season. This Thunder team will go as far as CP3 brings them and he showed that OKC can hang with the best teams in the league. Chris Paul finished the game with 21 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds on the night against LA. The Lakers gave Chris Paul a couple of looks on the defensive end but they weren’t enough to slow him down.

Chris Paul’s leadership has been on full display and it’s been rubbing off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the right way. Shai had a quiet game tonight with 13 points but still was able to get people involved. One thing about Shai is the fact that he can affect the stat sheet without having the big numbers pop out. With Chris playing the point guard it’s been giving Shai multiple chances to defend players at different positions. Shai wants to be great and has shown that he’s willing to put the time in to make that possible.

Danilo Gallinari had a nice game as well for the Thunder as he was able to pour in 19 points in only 25 minutes. Gallinari has been a great help to the team especially with the absence of Dennis Schröder. The Thunder has a mismatch at the PF position usually when Gallinari is on the floor because he can score from outside to inside on any possession. When Gallinari is hitting his 3 pointers which he did tonight against the Lakers it makes this team tough to beat. The Lakers had Kuzma and Davis on him the majority of the night and he was still able to find a crease in the defense to make his offense stand out.

The Thunder had a minor scare when Steven Adams got tangled up and fell awkwardly but he was able to come back in the game and make his presence felt. Steven Adams was the best big on the floor tonight and was able to get his jump hook going as he finished with 18 points. This Thunder team has shown a lot of heart and they’ve proven a lot of people wrong this year. If the Thunder can continue to play with this flow of the offense and take the defensive end as serious as they have all season they are destined for greatness.

The Lakers were a bit banged up tonight but that’s no excuse for the OKC eruption that came their way. When LeBron James and Anthony Davis are in the lineup no matter who you’re playing against you have a chance to win. The Thunder got Anthony Davis in some early foul trouble that had the Lakers leaning on the bench and LeBron a lot. OKC was able to force the referees into making some calls tonight that helped them by their aggressiveness. On the night LeBron finished with quiet 19 points and 11 rebounds against OKC.

Once Davis got in foul trouble you can tell that LeBron was going to have to try to pick up the load but with multiple defenders on him, it wore him down a little. Anthony Davis only had 9 points after he erupted for 42 points the other night and that was because OKC got him in foul trouble from the tip. The second player from the Lakers that was able to put in some work tonight and help out was Dion Waiters. On the night Waiters had 14 points and was able to get it going but it was already too late as OKC pulled away.

Up next the OKC Thunder will take on the Memphis Grizzlies who are currently in 8th place on Friday at 3 pm.

Photo Credit: Joe Murphy / National Basketball Association / Getty

Aug 6, 2020 No Comments

Nuggets Beat The OKC Thunder In OT (121-113) Behind MPJ’s Career High 37 Points

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by Travis Singleton | Aug 4, 2020 | Featured, NBA

The OKC Thunder were 1-0 coming into today’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Pregame Billy Donovan talked to the media letting us know that Dennis Schröder had left the bubble for personal reasons. Without Dennis, in the lineup, it was going to be a challenge to try to make up his points. Also to add to that news of not having Schröder the Thunder were without Terrence Ferguson as well. The Nuggets were shorthanded as well so both teams had to fight through the game equally. Denver has been without Jamal Murry, Gary Harris, and Will Barton who are very important pieces to their puzzle. This was a close game throughout as both teams needed players to step up to help the other starters. In this game, the OKC Thunder got a huge boost from Abdel Nader as he played very well off the bench. Nader had 13 points off the bench and was able to be the main source of points from the OKC Thunder bench tonight.

On the other side of things, Denver got a very huge boost from the 2nd year player Michael Porter Jr. who exploded for a career-high 37 points tonight. It seemed that MPJ was able to do anything tonight against the Thunder as he was able to use his youthful legs to go up for dunks and athletic plays. Porter Jr. had a very efficient day at the office as he shot 12/16 from the field and stepped up every time the Nuggets needed him. One aspect of his game that has grown is the improvement in his consistency on his jumper. It didn’t matter if there was a hand in his face or not tonight but everything he put up was nothing but net. If Michael Porter Jr can do this throughout the playoffs with the improvement of Bol Bol as well this team will be tough. Once the Denver Nuggets get the rest of the team back from injury they will be a tough out. This game went into overtime and it looked as though the only person that had energy or lift left was Jokic. The Joker finished with 30 points on the night which 8 of those points came in overtime. You can tell that Jokic is back and shape as he put on a show in that overtime against the Thunder. It’s always been a tough matchup with the length of Denver against the Thunder and it showed tonight. Jokic looked like he was in great shape and still had all the bag of tricks.

The OKC Thunder were in the game this whole time until the overtime period. It’s crazy because the OKC Thunder had a chance to take the lead in this one as Chris Paul missed a free throw that would have gave them the lead. Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had great games tonight. CP3 and Shai combined for 47 points against the Nuggets. If the Thunder want to be successful they will need to slow up on the turnovers and they will need to rebound better. This team will go as far as CP3 and Shai bring them especially with the absence of Dennis Schröder so look for them to take it to the next level. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got his 5th foul in the 3rd quarter midway so for him to finish with 24 points was impressive. The steps that Shai has taken in his game have been on full display and the OKC fans will be in for a great future moving forward. Chris Paul was upset about his missed free throw in that 4th quarter so look for his game to be a lot more aggressive against the Lakers on Wednesday. Steven Adams had a quiet game but he will need to get more aggressive in the game on Wednesday as well as the Thunder have to face the reality of Schröder being out extended time. Overall the Thunder were in this game the whole time until they looked a little gassed in the overtime but it took a career-high from Michael Porter Jr that wasn’t on the scouting report to beat them.

The OKC Thunder will be facing LeBron and the LA Lakers on Wednesday at 5:30 pm #ThunderUp

Aug 4, 2020 No Comments

The OKC Thunder Dominate Utah (110-94) Behind The Play Of Shai & CP3

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by Travis Singleton | Aug 2, 2020 | Featured, NBA

This is the first regular-season game for the OKC Thunder since March 11th and it happened to be against the Utah Jazz. The NBA postponed after Rudy Gobert was the first player to have a positive result for Covid-19. Everyone in the NBA was waiting for this game to come back around and it happened today 4 months later. Players and coaches have been waiting to get this game going because this is where it ended. Both teams kneeled during the National Anthem today and showcased their social injustice messages. The OKC Thunder came into this game 3-0 after the scrimmage games and they didn’t stop today. This Thunder team is playing with the utmost confidence and they looked unbeatable on both ends of the floor. Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the Thunder on their back early as they set the tone. Chris Paul looked really good out there as he was able to create offense for himself and others. CP3 put his leadership on full display as he was able to put up 18 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds on the night. CP3 pretty much had the Utah Jazz defenders on a string as he was able to get to his spots all day and it didn’t matter if Rudy Gobert was there or not. Chris Paul has shown that he’s still got a lot of game left in the tank and it’s clear that his vision/playmaking ability won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

One thing that’s for sure with CP3 is that he’s been rubbing off on his teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who’s been emerging as one of the best young talents in this league. This is Shai’s second season in the NBA but his game is as smooth as a veteran. Today the Utah Jazz were able to see the growth and maturity in Shai’s game as he finished with 19 points and 6 assists. Some of the moves that Shai put on display vs Utah were extremely smooth and he was able to get by Rudy Gobert a couple of times. The Thunder focused on attacking the paint and they went right at the DPOY Rudy Gobert all day. The Thunder are playing with a lot of confidence right now that allows them to play with a lot of chemistry. Steven Adams was the best big on the floor tonight as he finished with a double-double 16 points and 11 rebounds. Adams was able to defend at a high level and was able to help the Thunder dominate all phases of the game.

It was a full team effort against Utah and they were able to slow down Donovan Mitchell today. The defense of Lu Dort on Mitchell won’t be on the stat sheet but he was all over Mitchell from the tip as he held him to 13 points on 5/15 from the field. Dort wasn’t able to add too much on the offensive end but he made up for it with his job on Mitchell. It seemed that the Utah Jazz wasn’t ready for the Thunder rush that hit them from the jump. The Jazz did play against the Pelicans already so that was their second game but still this is the NBA so no excuses. The Jazz has been struggling since losing Bojan Bogdanović and they’re trying to find a true rhythm in the offense. The Thunder have a roster full of 3&D ballhawks who don’t really give you a chance to do anything without them being pests. The Jazz just didn’t have it and they were behind the Thunder from the tipoff and couldn’t get within 20 points throughout the game. Jordan Clarkson was an instant offense in the game against the Pelicans but he wasn’t able to do that today and that hurt them. This probably won’t be the last time these two teams meet up but if it is the Thunder have the tiebreaker and they’ve had the Utah Jazz’s number all season.

The OKC Thunder play against the Denver Nuggets on Monday at 3 pm as they look to move up in position. OKC’s undefeated in Orlando and they look to be playing with a lot of chemistry right now which isn’t good for the league.

Aug 2, 2020 No Comments

Air Jordan 34 PE Week Featuring Zion Williamson & Jayson Tatum

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by Travis Singleton | Jul 29, 2020 | Featured, Sneakers

The Air Jordan 34 has been an exceptional silhouette this NBA Season on and off the court. The different PE’s that have been showcased by some of the NBA players throughout the season have been dope. Jordan Brand has a great balance on the roster in age from Chris Paul to Zion Williamson. Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul have signature sneakers that hit retail and do very well. The Jordan 34 is the sneaker of the year for Jordan Brand and they have done great numbers as well. The performance aspect of Jordan 34 has been amazing especially with the new technology and the traction. One thing that has been displayed with the Jordan 34 is the fact that Jordan Brand has been letting the players express themselves through design.

Both Zion Williamson and Jayson Tatum have some of the best Jordan 34’s that have graced the court this season and it hasn’t stopped even with them in Orlando. Jordan Brand has blessed both rising stars with player exclusives that have caught the eye of many fans and now Jordan Brand is sharing some of the love with us all. Jordan Brand has already released a pair of exclusive Jordan 34 PEs from Zion Williamson the Bayou Boys which did great in numbers. The Zion inspired Jordan 34 sold out instantly in seconds. This week Jordan Brand will be at it again as they release Jordan 34 PEs for Zion and Tatum. The Jayson Tatum pair dropped exclusively at Concepts in Boston today and will be releasing on the SNKRS app on Friday. Jayson Tatum’s Jordan 34 “Welcome To The Zoo” has a crazy leopard theme with his St.Louis vibes added in there for that pop.

Zion’s second Jordan 34 got the inspiration from his brother Noah and comes in a coloring book theme. The Jordan 34 comes with a coloring book as well which adds a deeper element to the sneaker with the details already popping out. Both Jordan 34’s should sell out right away but you have to give a lot of credit to Jordan Brand for even making these available to the public. Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson have a lot of promise and we should get accustomed to seeing a lot of PE’s from them and even their own shoes in the future.

Check out the pictures below to get a good look at the PE’s that Jordan Brand has coming this week. Also, check out some of the PE’s worn by Zion and Jayson throughout the season below.