OKC Ruins Paul George’s Return Beating The LA Clippers (118-112)

OKC Ruins Paul George’s Return Beating The LA Clippers (118-112)

Featured

by | Dec 23, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Paul George was coming back to Oklahoma City to play the team that he left this offseason via trade. It was never but love for Paul George when he hit the court in Oklahoma City. A lot of the media were wondering how Paul George would be received by the OKC fans. Well, tonight in the return of Paul George the fans were cheering him and the OKC Thunder even had a little tribute clip played for PG-13 as well. The OKC Thunder were a true class act and the fans followed that until the game started so they can cheer the home team. The Thunder came out slow in this game against the Clippers as they were able to dominate in the paint very early. The play of Harrell and Zubac was making it tough on the Thunder int he interior. On the night Harrell had 18 points and was able to be very physical in the paint. The Clippers made it an added effort to set the tone early and it was working. Paul George was able to get his game going in that first half and this is something that the Thunder are used to seeing from the past. Paul had his whole package on display as he was hitting 3 pointers, driving to the lane, and he was able to create space with his smooth crossover/jumper. The Thunder had Terrance Ferguson on Paul George all night and he was able to make it tough on PG-13 on some shots. Ferguson was able to slow down Paul George in the 2nd half and it won’t come up on the stat sheet but he was able to make him work for everything. Paul George was able to score at will in the 1st half and the 2nd half he didn’t get the chance to get open looks. While Paul George wasn’t able to execute to the level he wanted too in that 2nd half he had back up. Since the Clippers were without Patrick Beverley and Kawhi Leonard they had Lou Williams starting. Lou Williams was able to carry the LA Clippers in scoring as he’s been the microwave on the offensive end for them. Lou Williams finished with 22 points on the night but his crafty offense and smooth jumper weren’t enough to pull this one out for the Clippers. The Clippers had 5 scorers in double figures but they weren’t enough to get the job done tonight as the Thunder were able to come back from an 18 point lead.

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder came into this game with comebacks of 26, 24, and now 18 points. This Thunder team is very scrappy and they have a lot of talent that people sleep on. The Thunder team has been able to make the opposing teams pay and it starts with the play of their three guards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul, and Dennis Schröder. Tonight was the night that Shai wanted to let his former team and teammates know that they shouldn’t have got rid of him. Tonight Shai was able to score with his scoop and also he had his fadeaway jumper working. When Shai plays with this type of confidence on any given night I feel like he makes it tough on any defense. Tonight Shai was able to match his career-high in points with 32 again after posting that against the Suns. The second-year player is quickly emerging as a star in this league and a player that teams will have to gameplan for now. The way that Shai has played on both ends of the floor including tonight against the Clippers has been special. Shai has made some big plays on the defensive end that has led to his offense and creating others. The confidence that he’s playing with right now has been spilling over and you can tell he’s been in a zone. Shai had a three-pointer that he hit right in front of the Clippers bench and he made sure they knew he made it. When Shai plays with his type of style and confidence like calling for the ball because he knows that he has the matchup he’s a problem. The length from Shai was able to make it tough for Paul George and others to defend him on the night. Another player that was able to make things possible for the Thunder to get this victory was Dennis Schröder. When Dennis comes into the game he gives this team a big jolt in energy on both sides of the floor. The way that Dennis plays the game is very slithery and his first step is extremely quick. Dennis is showing everyone what he’s able to do with the minutes and opportunity and he’s been the main source of offense for the Thunder this year. Schröder was in the zone tonight and the Clippers had no answer for him from the inside and outside. When Dennis gets into a zone where the 3 pointers and midrange are working it’s tough to stop this team. The Thunder are now above .500 on the season as they’re 15-14 after beating the Clippers tonight.

The Thunder will look to get to 16 wins on Thursday as they have the Memphis Grizzlies and Morant coming back into town.

Dec 23, 2019 No Comments
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Career High 32 PTS Help OKC Beat Phoenix (126-108)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Career High 32 PTS Help OKC Beat Phoenix (126-108)

Featured

by | Dec 21, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder has been labeled the “Comeback Kids” after the last couple of games. Tonight against the Phoenix Suns they made sure there wasn’t going to be a comeback needed. From the opening tipoff, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was attacking the rim with aggression. It was one of those nights that you could tell you were about to see something special. Shai was able to get the offense started as he was creating his jumper and was very crafty at the rim. The Thunder plays with a different type of swagger when Shai gets his offense going from the start of the game. The Phoenix Suns tried putting Devin Booker and Ricky Rubio on Shai throughout the night and it didn’t matter. Shai was 13/18 from the field on the evening and put this team on his back for a career-high 32 points. When Shai plays with this type of aggressiveness it opens up the floor for his teammates as well. The fact that Shai can beat you inside and outside has opposing teams confused on how to guard the second-year guard. The Suns had no answer for the Thunder tonight as OKC had 6 players in double figures. Shai has emerged as a player that teams have to gameplan for and just as much as the Suns tried he had an answer. Shai has patented his scoop layups and they have been something that teams can’t defend at all. The play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the Thunder in cruise control as they were able to throttle the Suns.

 

 

Another player that helped the Thunder get this victory was Danilo Gallinari as he finished with 22 points on the night. After the half, it seemed as though the in-game DJ kept playing the “Gallinari” theme music every couple of possessions. The 3rd quarter was owned by Gallinari as he came out the gate with 11 points. The Thunder in the past never had a clear cut sharpshooter outside of a star that you can depend on to knock down 3 pointers. This season Danilo Gallinari has been able to help the Thunder outshoot teams like they did the Suns tonight. The Phoenix Suns had no answer for the shooting of Gallinari and it seemed like the perimeter defense was nonexistent at times in this game. The NBA 6th Man of the Year award won’t be decided until June but it’s very clear to the Phoenix Suns and the NBA that Dennis Schröder is the front runner right now. Every time that Dennis Schröder comes into the game he’s been instant offense and tonight that was no different. Schröder finished the game with 24 points and was giving the Suns fits on the defensive side. This season and tonight Dennis has shown opposing defenses his whole bag of tricks from the floater to his flashy layups. The play of Dennis has helped this team to the 14-14 record that they have now. After tonights win the Thunder are finally at .500 on the season and will be looking to get above .500 against Paul George’s Clippers on Sunday.

 

 

The Phoenix Suns were flat out the gate in this game against OKC and it didn’t get better throughout the night. The Suns did get their star Devin Booker back from his forearm injury and it showed as he was a little rusty. On the night Devin Booker had 18 points as he usually gives the Thunder problems on the perimeter. Booker was one of the bright spots for the Suns who weren’t able to hit anything on second-chance opportunities on the night. The Suns have now lost 5 games in a row and tonight didn’t help with their morale at all. Ricky Rubio was also playing as good as he used too vs OKC when he was in Utah. Rubio finished with 24 points on the night to lead the Suns and it just wasn’t enough to get the job done against the Thunder tonight. The Suns had 5 players in double figures but it wasn’t enough to beat the OKC Thunder who have developed a nice home stretch.

 

 

Dec 21, 2019 No Comments
Another Thunderous Comeback In OKC As The Thunder Beat Memphis (126-122)

Another Thunderous Comeback In OKC As The Thunder Beat Memphis (126-122)

Featured

by | Dec 19, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The OKC Thunder came into this game against the Memphis Grizzlies fresh off their 26 point comeback victory over Chicago. The Thunder showed a lot of heart to come back from 26 points on Monday. Tonight they started off slow again as the Memphis Grizzlies were pretty much unstoppable in the first half. Ja Morant was dominate in his first game against the OKC Thunder in his career and looked explosive. Morant was able to get it done inside and outside the paint. One thing that Morant was able to do against the Thunder in that first half he created for his teammates. Ja Morant was being guarded by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul, Dennis Schröder all night. It was very impressive that Ja Morant was still able to finish with 22 points on the night. The problem with that is the fact that OKC was able to shut him down in the 4th quarter as they held him to 0 points. The Memphis Grizzlies were led by Brandon Clarke who had a career-high 27 points on the night. Clarke was all over the rebounds and was able to make the Thunder pay in the second-chance points. Brandon Clarke was able to use his power and finesse against the Thunder. The first half the Grizzlies were able to beat OKC in the fast break game and it really did show. The Thunder were giving up way too many points in the paint as Memphis had 74 points down low. Memphis showed a lot of fight tonight as they were able to make some tough shots throughout the night. The Thunder won this game with the adjustments they made on Ja Morant in that 4th quarter and their offense.

 

 

Dennis Schröder was able to lead the charge for the Thunder tonight. It seemed as though the Thunder fed off the energy from Dennis and they made sure to keep giving him the rock. Dennis was able to carry the Thunder tonight just like CP3 did the other night. The Thunder dug themselves in another deep hole trailing the Memphis Grizzlies by 24 points at the start of the 3rd. This Thunder team must like adversity and being the comeback kids. This Thunder team scrapped and clawed themselves back into this game and showed that they can turn it on. Dennis led the way with 31 points off the bench as the Grizzlies had no answer for his first step to the basket. Dennis Schröder has been the ultimate leader and has let his offense do all the talking for him. The Grizzlies had no answer for Dennis and when his game got going that opened up things for his other teammates. Another player who was able to get his game back on track was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he was attacking and was being aggressive in that 2nd half tonight. When Shai attacks like he did tonight this Thunder team can do no wrong because when he plays with that confidence the Thunder is scary. Shai was getting to the free-throw line and attacking as Dillion Brooks wasn’t able to stay in front of Shai. Shai and Chris Paul combined for 38 points on the night. Both of them with the addition of Dennis Schröder is not a sight that opposing defenses want to see and the Grizzlies learned that the hard way tonight when they lost their 24 point lead.

 

 

 

The OKC Thunder will be facing off against the Phoenix Suns on Friday as they look to get to .500 on the season. The Phoenix Suns will be waiting to see if Devin Booker will be joining them as they try to slow down the OKC Thunder on this home trip.

Dec 19, 2019 No Comments
CP3’s 19 Points In The 4th Quarter Help OKC Defeat Chicago (109-106)

CP3’s 19 Points In The 4th Quarter Help OKC Defeat Chicago (109-106)

Featured

by | Dec 17, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder returned back home for the first time since playing on December 6th. That game on the 6th was a great one against the Timberwolves and it seemed as though this game against the Bulls topped that. Both team’s records were close in standings for respective conferences but the Bulls played more games. The Thunder came into this game flat as it looked like they were still on the road somewhere as nothing went their way. The Bulls were clicking on every level and they were able to get anything they wanted in that first half. The Bulls were playing great team ball and they were able to score inside and out with ease. The two players that were making it tough on the Thunder in that first half and throughout the game were Wendell Carter Jr and their leading scorer Zach LaVine. Everything the Thunder tried to do to stop both of them wasn’t working in that first half and when it looked like they did stop them it was a foul. Wendell Carter Jr. has matured and you can see it in his patience when he plays in the paint. Carter Jr. was matched up against Steven Adams and had his hands full all night long. On the other hand for the Bulls their leading scorer Zach LaVine was able to get any and everything he wanted on the night as he finished with 39 points. Zach LaVine was able to score inside and out with anyone that the Thunder put on him as well. The great thing about LaVines game is the fact that he’s grown from just being a dunker and he’s now being utilized as scorer/closer. Zach LaVine was able to put the Bulls on his back throughout the game as they were able to have a 26 point lead at one point. The ball movement for the Bulls was working all night as they finished with 27 assists on the night as a team. All those assists led to some easy baskets which the OKC Thunder didn’t allow them to have in the 2nd half.

 

In the second half, the OKC Thunder took over, especially in the 4th quarter. The Thunder had only 4 double-digit scorers on the night (Paul, Schröder, Gallinari, Ferguson) but still managed to squeeze out the win. In the second half, you can tell the Thunder came out with a lot more energy and hustle. One person who caught on fire in that 3rd quarter coming out of halftime was Danilo Gallinari as he was able to punish the Bulls from the outside as he finished the game with 22 points. Gallinari even had a monster dunk over Wendell Carter Jr. that got the team hyped and built some momentum. The Bulls didn’t have an answer for Gallinari all night and it was clear that he was going to be able to get whatever he wanted. In the 4th quarter that’s when Chris Paul took over the game and put matters into his own hands. It seems as though CP3 doesn’t need to worry about his scoring as long as he’s getting his teammates involved. Chris gets his teammates into the game flow and then when it’s clutch time he comes to their rescue like tonight. Going into the 4th quarter CP3 only had 11 points and he was able to put on a 3 point shot clinic as he finished with 30 points going 6 of 8 from long range. Chris Paul was able to put the Thunder on his back just like Zach LaVine did for the Bulls. The difference between the two tonight was just who got the late calls down the stretch as those calls ended up going to the Thunder instead of the Bulls. When Chris Paul is playing at this elite level it’s tough for anyone to beat the Thunder and he showed tonight that he can still get it done when called upon.

 

The Thunder will be facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday as Ja Morant will be coming into town. The Thunder improved to 12-14 on the season and will be looking for win number 13 Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nate Billings/The Oklahoman]

Dec 17, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview (SNF) : Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Primetime Preview (SNF) : Buffalo Bills @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Featured

by | Dec 16, 2019 | Featured, NFL

This Sunday Night game tonight between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers will be a good one. This will be a huge game for the AFC playoff picture as both teams come in trying to position for their divisions and wild card. The Buffalo Bills have been an impressive team this season and it came as a surprise. Josh Allen has taken that major step in his second season and now has the NFL on notice as well as the New England Patriots. A lot of people like Jalen Ramsey thought that Josh Allen wasn’t a real NFL quarterback and man were those people wrong. Josh Allen has been able to put together a great season as he’s thrown for 2,737 passing yards on the season with 17 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. One of the best things about Allen is the fact that he can run just as effectively as he passes. Josh Allen has 439 rushing yards on the season with 8 touchdowns on the ground. Josh Allen can score with his arm and his legs which makes him a special player to watch. The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been very good as of late and has been able to carry this team into the playoff picture. The Steelers will have their hands full with Josh Allen and this Bills team that has found their niche. The Buffalo Bills lost a close one to the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday and will look to get some revenge against the AFC North via Pittsburgh. When Josh Allen has time in the pocket he can beat defenses up it’s when he’s rushing that he hurts himself. If Josh Allen can get the ball to his playmakers John Brown and Cole Beasley in the receiving core than he can have a great day. John Brown and Cole Beasley both have been able to make some huge plays for Josh Allen while gaining his trust.

 

 

This Buffalo Bills team is scrappy and they have a lot of players that aren’t selfish. The way that Josh Allen has been able to bring this team together offensively has been special. One of the reasons that he’s been able to be so dominate is the fact that he has Devin Singletary. The emergence of Singletary has been nothing short of amazing especially since he won the job over McCoy earlier in the year. Devin Singletary has stepped his game up throughout the season as a rookie. One thing that you can notice is the breakaway speed that he has in the open field. Singletary is one of those players that can take a screen pass to the end zone, line up as a wide receiver, and run between tackles. Ever since Devin Singletary has come back from his hamstring injury he’s been able to score and he’s been able to be very elusive. The mix between Singletary and Allen has teams guessing what will happen. The Steelers will have a tough time trying to stop the running game so it will be interesting to see how they defend this RPO team. The Buffalo Bills defense has been very stout all season and will try to continue that against the Pittsburgh Steelers who will be getting James Conner back. The Bills will need to shut down the run game and they will need to limit Devlin Hodges from finding his favorite target James Washington. The Bills have a tough secondary and will make it tough on the Steelers especially without Juju Smith-Schuster. The Bills will try to limit Conner if they want to win this game and they need to get as many turnovers as they can against Duck Hodges.

 

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers have Devlin Hodges who has come out of nowhere and has been leading the Steelers giving them great play for this playoff push. On the season for Devlin “Duck” Hodges, he’s thrown for only 682 passing yards as the starter for 4 touchdowns. Yes, that’s a short sample size of what he’s done but his leadership is pouring throughout Pittsburgh. One thing that he’s been able to do is to stay in the pocket and make good reads with pressure in his face. So far Hodges has been able to connect with James Washington on a couple of touchdowns and he’s been able to do all this with the Steelers second unit. With the Pittsburgh Steelers 8-5 on the season and fighting for the NFL playoffs, it’s the perfect time to get his studs back into the lineup. Having Juju out of the lineup will open so much more in the field and this could be a huge addition to a team that needs that jolt of stardom to make big plays. The fact that Deonte Johnson has stepped up will give this team some confidence and when you mix that with the addition of James Conner coming back this could be a huge game for the Steelers. James Conner has been the running back that the Steelers have given the keys to and he’s been banged up but when on the field he’s been ruthless. James Conner helps in the running game with his power runs but also he’s been the Steelers quarterback blanket as he’s great catching out the backfield as well. When James Conner’s in the game it gives this team a different grittiness that has the team hyped up.

 

 

The Steelers offense has the chance to be very special this Sunday night but it will be the defense that will have the chance to steal the spotlight. The Steelers defense has been turnover machines lately as they have a lot of playmakers that are ballhawks. This Steelers defense has shown that they can pressure the quarterback and get sacks with interceptions. The emergence of this defense has helped carry this team while players on the offense have been banged up. The Steelers have a chance to make a statement on the big stage and look for Juju and Conner to put their stamp on this game to help their teammates get back in the win column with them in the lineup.

 

 

 

Prediction: The Pittsburgh Steelers will get the victory in front of the terrible towels 24-20 in Pittsburgh. The play of Hodges with the mix of adding Conner & Washington to the mix will be too much for the Bills to handle. It will be a close game but with the Steelers getting Conner back look for them to ground pound the Bills and stay away from their secondary. The Steelers have been impressive at home and the defense should do enough to make it tough on Josh Allen all night. 

Dec 16, 2019 No Comments