OKC Thunder Grab Their First Win Of The Season Against Golden State (120-92)

OKC Thunder Grab Their First Win Of The Season Against Golden State (120-92)

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by | Oct 27, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder had their foot on the gas all day long against Golden State. This was the first time we were able to get a glimpse of what this team could look like clicking on all cylinders. If OKC can get some strong nights from anyone other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chris Paul, and Steven Adams this could be a playoff team The Thunder defense was all over the Warriors swarming them and making sure that Stephen Curry wasn’t able to get any good looks from the field. It looked as though the rest of the Warriors were struggling and the Thunder capitalized on it scoring 19 points on their turnovers. This was an overall performance from the OKC Thunder as they were able to have 5 scorers in double figures on the evening. The Thunder shot 55% percent from the field and were able to use defense to convert offense. The Thunder did everything right tonight from the hustle plays to the rebounding.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been able to show a lot of growth in his 2nd season in the NBA. The way he’s playing the game looks pretty easy and effortless. Shai has been able to get his shot off whenever he wants and he’s been able to glide into the paint with beautiful finishes as well. One thing that Shai showed off today against the Warriors is that he can create space for his jump shot. SGA finished the game with 19 points on the night and showed that he can get it done against a potential playoff team in the Golden State Warriors. Shai looked good but tonight was about the other guys as Danilo Gallinari was about to get his 3 point shot going tonight against the Warriors. Gallinari was knocking down jumpers at a high rate and this is what the Thunder expected when they got him in the offseason. Gallinari was able to space out the floor for the team and drained every shot when given a little bit of space as he finished the game with 21 points on the night. Terrance Ferguson was able to get his game going and that was a breath of fresh air to all the Thunder fans waiting for his impact on a game. T-Ferg scored 13 and was able to hit those shots that he wasn’t able to the last two games. When Ferguson has the confidence and he’s making that corner 3 pointer his nights look a lot brighter. Ferguson was aggressive and attacked the basket on those back door cuts. That’s what OKC needs from him and he delivered today in a big way against the Warriors.

 

 

The Thunder got their momentum going off of the game of Dennis Schröder when he was rolling in the 2nd quarter. The way that Dennis hustled and was able to create for others opened the flood gates for this win. Schröder’s 6th man of this team and he was able to set the tone as he scored any way he wanted offensively in this game. If he can bring this energy and play night in and night out the Thunder could be a serious contender. Scrhöder finished with 22 points on the night. The one player that hasn’t shown his true colors so far even though he’s affected the game in other areas has been Chris Paul. When CP3 gets his game going this team could be a scary sight for any other team playing them moving forward. CP3 has shown the leadership but OKC fans will need for him to get it going offensively as he finished today with 10 points. When CP3 gets his assists and scoring going to add to what they did today against the Warriors this could something special.

 

 

The only bright spot for the Golden State Warriors today was Stephen Curry as he finished with 23 points. He was able to get his shot off when he wanted too but things were different without his other Splash Brother. The Warriors are in different territory as they’re trying to gel together new players that weren’t on the team last year. D’Angelo Russell was terrible tonight as he went 3/10 shooting with 6 points before he was ejected for getting in the referees face. This Warriors team is going to have some growing pains and their first win will have to wait on the season.

 

 

 

The Thunder have a quick turnaround as they will be heading to Houston to take on James Harden/Russell Westbrook after a back to back.

Oct 27, 2019 No Comments
OKC Thunder Lose To The Memphis Grizzlies (124-119) To Finish Preseason (2-2)

OKC Thunder Lose To The Memphis Grizzlies (124-119) To Finish Preseason (2-2)

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by | Oct 17, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder tried to redeem themselves after the loss on Monday night in Dallas. You can tell that the Thunder were playing with different energy at home against the Memphis Grizzlies in the beginning. Both teams were missing key pieces to their offense and defense, for example, Ja Morant, and Chris Paul didn’t play tonight. The OKC Thunder leaned on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Steven Adams for the majority of the game to set the tone offensively but came up short. Steven Adams has impressed all preseason and looks ready for a monster year in his stats. The Big Kiwi finished with 12 points and 9 rebounds on the night as he was able to dominate in the paint. Steven has worked on his post moves and this offseason he’s added the 3 point shot to his arsenal. Steven Adams has been a true leader and has let his game speak for itself as he faced off against Jaren Jackson Jr tonight. You could see the size difference but Steven was quick on his feet and made it hard on the second-year player. The pace that Steven Adams has been playing at this preseason he should easily be in the conversation for MIP with a 20-10 campaign in 2019-2020 season.

 

Shai Gilgeous Alexander has been able to take advantage of his opportunity as he’s been incredible this preseason. When the Thunder brought him in we knew a little bit of what he brought to the table but this preseason he was showing out. Shai has shown that he can lead and that he can create his own shot with ease. The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t have the answer for Shai as he finished his preseason finale with 17 points. Memphis couldn’t contain Shai but they got the last laugh with the win in OKC.  Shai has been a special player to watch and he’s blended right in with the players from last year. The way that Shai attacks the basket is impressive and he does it with finesse. Shai has that old school layup package in NBA2K and he makes it look cool. One thing that he was able to do tonight against the Grizzlies was to use his defense to start fast breaks for his teammates. It’s only Shai’s second year in the NBA and he gets to the free-throw line like a veteran and plays basketball the Thunder way. It would have been cool to see Ja Morant vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight but we will have to save the popcorn for the regular-season matchups.

 

This team has been clicking on all levels so far and the ball movement has been there every game. The Thunder is moving the ball and it’s flowing without anyone knowing he the plays run for on offense. The last couple of games Danilo Gallinari has been in a great shooting groove and that continued tonight against the Grizzlies. In the game tonight Gallinari had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Gallinari is that sharpshooter that the Thunder has been needing and his ability to knock down shots has been a true addition to this team. One play that stood out tonight was a drive-by Darius Bazley where he was able to wrap the ball around a defender to find the open Gallinari for the 3 pointer. The Thunder made some good plays as a whole tonight but just couldn’t defend Dillon Brooks and get the second-chance points in the paint tonight. Darius played a great overall game tonight as he’s like the swiss army knife of the team. Anything you ask Bazley to do he gets it done. He showed a lot of versatility tonight as he finished with 7 points, 6 assists, and 9 rebounds in 30 minutes.

 

 

Memphis has a lot of players that can make an impact on their team. Jaren Jackson Jr. stood out tonight in his matchup against Steven Adams. Jackson Jr added a 3 point shot to his game and has some amazing footwork in the paint. Jackson Jr. finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds on the night for the Grizzlies and showed that he can defend at a high level. The Grizzlies are built for the future with Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Another player that made a huge impact on the game for the Grizzlies and should take that step in his career is Dillon Brooks. Tonight Brooks finished with 30 points and showed the ability to score off the dribble and attack the basket aggressively. If the Grizzlies can use some of this raw and young talent and mixed it with some veterans like Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala this could be an interesting team to watch on the year.

 

 

The Thunder has a lot of potential and this team can definitely gel together with Chris Paul in the mix as well. We still haven’t been able to see how this team can be a full unit. The one player that Thunder fans are waiting to see is Andre Roberson as he’s recovering from his injury. The Thunder didn’t need him in the preseason but they will need him heading into the regular season moving forward.

 

 

Photo Credit : Sue Orgrocki/AP 

Oct 17, 2019 No Comments
OKC Thunder Fall To The Dallas Mavericks (107-70) Without CP3 & Adams

OKC Thunder Fall To The Dallas Mavericks (107-70) Without CP3 & Adams

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by | Oct 15, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder were 2-1 coming into tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder would be without Steven Adams and Chris Paul on the night two of their leaders on the team. With CP3 and Adams out the game tonight in Dallas, the Thunder leaned on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari. Both Shai and Danilo had 16 points each in the evening and were able to use the paint and wide-open shots to their advantage tonight. Shai had some strong moves to the basket that were followed with some finesse layups. The way that Shai plays looks like he’s been in the NBA for more than 2 years. He plays the game with grace and plays with a smoothness that looks so unbothered when he’s attacking. One thing that he’s been able to add to his game more consistent so far is his 3 point shot. On the night he was able to get some good looks and convert. Nerlens Noel had a great night as well with 8 points and 4 blocks. He was a force in the paint and played a great role with Steven Adams out for tonight. Nerlens spoke on his performance and the team after the game in Dallas.

 

 

Danilo Gallinari was able to get his offensive game going tonight against the Mavericks after sitting out the game against New Zealand. Gallinari had some impressive And-1 plays tonight against the Mavericks where he was able to slice and dice to the rim. If Gallinari can stay healthy and compete at a high level like the Thunder/NBA know this can be something special for the team. Gallinari brings some length and someone that is a pure shooter to the Thunder. The Thunder have lacked in a knockdown shooter in the past and this could be the season we see that with some extra ball movement and people open. Danilo Gallinari can be that missing piece to the offense that can bring this team pretty far if they can continue to gel on this type of level.

 

 

Another player that impressed tonight in Dallas was Hamidou because he was able to get after Luka on the defensive end. If Hamidou can use his defense to turn into offense he could have an amazing 2 year in the NBA. So many people want to see him take that next step and he can definitely do that under the leadership of Billy Donovan. If Hami takes that next step he can be even more special and help the Thunder have a 3&D player that they can believe in on a nightly basis.

 

This game was all about growth for the Thunder as they got their first taste of Luka and Kristaps on the year. Both of them didn’t play in Tulsa for the first game of the preseason. Luka and Kristaps were able to use the ball movement from the Mavericks to their advantage as they were hitting 3 pointers and getting to the lane. Both of them finished with a combined 36 points on the night and looked really good. The Mavericks have a nice young core and if they can gel this whole team together for the season there will be some battles between them and OKC throughout the year.

The Thunder play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in OKC and will look to go 3-1 in the preseason.

Oct 15, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers at LA Chargers (SNF Week 6)

Primetime Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers at LA Chargers (SNF Week 6)

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by | Oct 13, 2019 | Featured, NFL

The LA Chargers come into this game (2-3) on the young season. This will be a true test to see if they can bounce back after their loss against the Denver Broncos last week. One thing that’s been missing in the Chargers offense the past two weeks has been Keenan Allen. Keenan has been on a record pace but the Chargers haven’t been able to get the ball to him in those clutch situations. Keenan Allen is one of the best route runners in the league and needs to make sure he connects with his quarterback Philip Rivers. The Chargers have an amazing running game and that’s helped them in the past but still, it’s all about the Allen-Rivers connection. With Melvin Gordon slowly coming back to his original workload the Chargers have a nice dual-threat with Austin Ekler in the mix as well. The Chargers are trying to get back on track and show people that they still have the offense that made them a dominant force last year. The defense has been struggling as of late for the Chargers and they will need to put pressure on Devlin Hodges their 3rd string QB. The run game for the Steelers has yet to go off yet and showed some glimpses against the Bengals. The Chargers will need to slow down James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster if they want to come out of this game with a win. Overall this could be the game that helps the Chargers get back in the win column.

 

 

The Steelers’ defense will have their hands full against the LA Chargers. If the Steelers can contain the two RBs in Gordon/Ekler they will have a good day. Pittsburgh has been playing good defense but it hasn’t translated to wins. With  Bush, Watt, and Fitzpatrick in the defense as their playmakers, they will need to get to Phillip Rivers very quick before he gets the ball out. If those playmakers can make a full effort to stop the offensive players like Keenan Allen and Melvin Gordon then they could be in the driver’s seat. With Devlin Hodges behind the center, it will be one of those games where the Steelers will have to lean on Conner and Juju both his playmakers. The Steelers will need to get that ground game going as they did against the Bengals. The Steelers used the wildcat as a weapon and we may see that tonight against LA with Jaylen Samuels. The Steelers don’t have the offensive weapons like they did last year but they can make some noise if they get the running game and Juju going ASAP. The Steelers are (1-4) on the season and they need to have an overall performance from offense, defense, and special teams.

 

 

Score Prediction: Chargers 24 – Steelers 17

Oct 13, 2019 No Comments
OKC Thunder Dominate New Zealand On Their Way To 2-0 In The Preseason (110-84)

OKC Thunder Dominate New Zealand On Their Way To 2-0 In The Preseason (110-84)

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by | Oct 11, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder came out clicking on all cylinders against New Zealand tonight. Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder wanted to dominate early against his countries team. Steven came out and set the tone for the Thunder in this one and established himself in the paint early. If Steven can play like this throughout the season NBA teams will be in trouble. In a day and age where people think the center position isn’t important enough in the All-Star Game Adams makes it look good. Adams has been a monster in the preseason so far for the Thunder and has been able to work on his pick and roll with Chris Paul. The Thunder need to continue using their defense to translate to the offense as they made it tough on the New Zealand team from the opening tip. Steven Adams had 19 points and 10 rebounds on the night and was able to do the majority of his dominant stat line in the first half. The New Zealand Breakers shot 41% percent from the field and the Thunder’s length made it challenging on the night. The one bright spot in the game for the Breakers was the game of Robert Loe who scored 19 points for them. Robert was able to shoot and drive to the basket while gliding in the air through Thunder defenders. Former OKC Thunder training camp player Scotty Hopson also helped with 15 points for the Breakers.

 

Some of the players that stood out tonight for the Thunder were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo, and Darius Bazley. Shai was able to continue his smooth game tonight against the Breakers as he had his shot and slashing to the paint working for him. Shai has shown a lot of leadership and has been leading the Thunder in scoring from the scrimmage to now. The way that his game just flows and translates in this OKC offense has been amazing. Shai has shown that he’s worked on his 3 point shot and also his floater too. Shai finished the game against the New Zealand Breakers with 18 points on the evening in 23 minutes. Hamidou Diallo has shown a lot of improvement this season so far as he’s showing everyone he’s more than just the NBA Dunk Contest Champion. Diallo has shown growth in his jumper and also defensively he’s been getting after all the opponents he’s guarding. Hamidou has been able to use his quickness to his advantage and it’s been on full display this preseason. If Hamidou can make the most of his minutes during the regular season he can be a huge piece to this second unit. Diallo finished the night against the Breakers with 16 points and had all the parts of his game working tonight.

 

 

The other player that was really impressive was Darius Bazley because he’s showing that he can hit the 3 pointers and he’s been defending at a high level. Bazley is the wild card for the Thunder because he can do everything from drive to the basket all the way to shooting outside. When Bazley has both the inside and outside game working for him you can see that he gets extremely confident in himself and it shows in his game. Bazley can be what Jerami Grant was to this team in the past and it’s only a matter of time before we get to see what this rookie is all about. Bazley finished with 12 points on the night and the Thunder were able to cruise to a victory against New Zealand with ease.

 

The Thunder will be playing against the Dallas Mavericks on October 14th in Dallas. Hopefully, this time around the Mavericks will play their starters and we can see the young OKC Thunder core against starter talent. In Tulsa, the Thunder faced the Mavericks but they didn’t play Luka Dončić or Kristaps Porziņģis. This should be a good test for the Thunder and they’re a division rival as well.

Oct 11, 2019 No Comments