D-Wade’s 25 Point Performance Helps Miami Beat OKC (116-107) #OneLastDance

D-Wade’s 25 Point Performance Helps Miami Beat OKC (116-107) #OneLastDance

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by | Mar 19, 2019 | Featured, NBA

Coming into this game against the Miami Heat the Thunder knew they would be without Russell Westbrook. Russell was suspended for one game for his technical against the Warriors on Saturday. That means that Westbrook wouldn’t be able to play against Dwyane Wade in his final game playing in Oklahoma City unless they met in the NBA Finals. The Thunder came out extremely in this game starting out on a 15-2 run and looked to be in control. The Thunder were clicking on all cylinders and were playing off Paul George tonight. The Thunder were in cruise control and could do no wrong in that 1st quarter until D-Wade and the Miami bench came in the game. The Miami Heat had 67 points total off the bench and the majority of those points were split between Wade and Dragic. The Thunder offense was kind of flat tonight without Westbrook running it and it was obvious. With that being said Dennis Schröder did an amazing job trying to get everyone involved but OKC lost momentum. Wade was able to go back in time and play like Flash as he was able to get anything he wanted it seemed like tonight against the Thunder defense. Wade was making tough shots and was able to get to the basket whenever he wanted with no problem.

 

Paul George had an amazing game for the Thunder finishing with 31 points on the night. Most of the damage that Paul George did was in the second half as he was able to get to the basket at will and keep OKC in the game. Another player that was able to get it going for the Thunder was Jerami Grant who had a career-high 27 points. Grant was attacking but it wasn’t enough to get the job done as every time the Thunder did something to make a run Dragic or Wade did it right back in return.

The Thunder will be playing the Toronto Raptors the next 2 games and will need to get back in the win column ASAP in order to try to stay within the pack in the playoff race.

 

Mar 19, 2019 No Comments
Stephen Curry’s 33 Points Helps Golden State Beat The Thunder (110-88)

Stephen Curry’s 33 Points Helps Golden State Beat The Thunder (110-88)

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by | Mar 17, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder came into this game against the Golden State Warriors following a last-second loss to the Indiana Pacers. This was a huge statement game for both teams either way as the standings were too close for comfort fighting for 1st place. From the start of the game, it seemed like the Thunder just couldn’t get anything to go down on the offensive end. Golden State in Golden State fashion was able to knock down 3 pointers and use their quick style of play to try and outplay the Thunder. One thing that the Thunder didn’t have working for them in this game was the calls. It seemed as though throughout the game the Thunder were getting fouled but the calls just didn’t go their way. It was a tough game to watch for any Thunder fan and it was also tough to see Westbrook and George finally have an off night. Every NBA star in their career has one of those nights from the field and then try to bounce back the next game.

Tonight that game belonged to Russell Westbrook who went 2-15 from the field and finished with 7 points on the night. Oklahoma City was already having trouble from the field as a unit but as the leader, Westbrook’s shooting will stand out. Westbrook still managed to have 9 assists on the night and get his teammates involved. A lot of the credit will go to Klay Thompson for defending Westbrook and making it tough for him on the offensive end but Russ was still able to get to his spots they just didn’t fall tonight. One thing about Westbrook is the fact that he will use this game and his shooting performance to bounce back for an epic night. The problem is that it might not be Monday night. Westbrook received his 16th technical foul tonight and if it’s not rescinded he will face a one-game suspension. Westbrook’s teammate Paul George had a rough night as well tonight and will have to carry the load on Monday if Westbrook’s suspended. Paul George finished the game against the Warriors with 29 points on the night and tried to get it going offensively but it was just too late. Paul George was able to do whatever he wanted offensively but wasn’t getting a lot of the calls that he normally would get. PG-13 will look to bounce back against Miami and try to make up for his 9-25 shooting performance tonight against the Warriors. It’s clear to see that Paul George has played at an extremely high level and he’s one of the best two-way players in the game and will continue to prove that time and time again on the court.

 

 

The Warriors were able to play at a high level without Kevin Durant in the lineup. This was the Thunders first look at the Warriors with Demarcus Cousins as well and he was able to make an impact all over the stat sheet. One thing about Cousins was the impact he made getting Steven Adams away from the paint. Cousins finished with 12 points, 6 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks on the night. Once the Warriors gel together as a whole with all their talent this team can be scary. Stephen Curry was able to flourish within his game tonight as he finished with 33 points. The Thunder were having some trouble trying to find Curry on the screens that the players were setting. Curry was hitting shots all over the field and he was able to make the Thunder pay off the dribble as well. The player of the night for the Golden State Warriors was definitely Klay Thompson as he was able to defend all night at a high level and made it tough on Russell Westbrook. Klay finished with 23 points on the night and was making some unbelievable shots that looked impossible to make look easy. Overall the Warriors came in ready to take it to the Thunder and OKC was caught off guard and had a bad shooting night on one of the worst night for it to happen.

 

The Thunder will be back in action against the Miami Heat on Monday and will look to bounce back from this loss tonight.

Mar 17, 2019 No Comments
The Oklahoma City Thunder Finalize Jersey Patch Sponsor With Local Business “Loves”

The Oklahoma City Thunder Finalize Jersey Patch Sponsor With Local Business “Loves”

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by | Mar 15, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder became the 30th NBA team to add a jersey patch sponsor to their uniform Friday morning. Local business Loves Travel Stops was granted access to be the sponsor for the Thunder team. Loves is a local business that has partnered up with the OKC Thunder in the past. This was a perfect fit for the OKC Thunder as they were able to find something close to home to represent their franchise. NBA jersey patch sponsors bring in approximately $150 Million annually and it helps bring awareness to the company that sponsors the team. The Oklahoma City will be debuting this new jersey patch on their jerseys this Saturday against the Golden State Warriors during primetime. The deal that Loves made with the OKC Thunder was for the estimated 4 years. This has been a partnership great partnership over the years and this is a huge step for the Thunder. Overall the Thunder are a huge part of the community and having a business that’s invested just as much as they are was something special.

 

Check out Loves official statement for more on the big news —> https://www.loves.com/en/news/2019/march/thunder-loves-expand-partnership 

Mar 15, 2019 No Comments
Westbrook’s Triple Double Helps Oklahoma City Defeat The Brooklyn Nets (108-96)

Westbrook’s Triple Double Helps Oklahoma City Defeat The Brooklyn Nets (108-96)

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by | Mar 14, 2019 | NBA

Oklahoma City was on a nice road trip where they went 2-2 on the trip. They were able to get back home to face off against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have a nice young squad led by D’Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie. The Nets were able to give the Thunder a nice fight at the beginning of the game sustaining a nice double-digit throughout. The Thunder were having trouble guarding inside the paint as the Nets were able to maximize the opportunities that the Thunder presented defensively. Spencer Dinwiddie was able to have a very good game tonight finishing with 25 points on the night. Dinwiddie was able to get into the paint with ease and made some tough shots on the night against the Thunder. Spencer and D’Angelo were giving the Thunder some trouble when they attacked the paint and it took for the 2nd half for the Thunder to adjust to the flow that Brooklyn was playing with. D’Angelo Russell finished with 14 points on the night but didn’t get the chance to showcase his whole skill set in OKC.

The Thunder defense ramped up in that 2nd half and that’s when the Thunder offense woke up as well. Russell Westbrook finished the 1st half with 4 points and it should be noted that he only had 1 assist going into halftime and finished the game with 31 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds on the night. Westbrook was able to take advantage of the mismatch that was on him all night. It didn’t matter who was guarding Westbrook tonight especially with him having the 3 point shot working for him. Westbrook was able to create and was able to attack the Nets in every way and they didn’t know what to do to stop it. Westbrook has been amazing since the All-Star Break and it was also good to see Paul George get back in the flow of the offense. PG-13 finished with 25 points on the night and was able to let his defense turn into offense. Paul George had his jumper working for him. When Westbrook and George play at this high level the Thunder are nearly unbeatable.

 

 

The Thunder have a back to back and will be playing in Indiana tomorrow night.

Mar 14, 2019 No Comments
Westbrook’s Late Heroics Help Oklahoma City Grind Out Victory Against Memphis (99-95)

Westbrook’s Late Heroics Help Oklahoma City Grind Out Victory Against Memphis (99-95)

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by | Mar 4, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder came into this game against Memphis riding a 4 game losing streak. Oklahoma City would also be without Paul George for the 3rd game in a row. The great thing about the Thunder is the fact that they still have an MVP caliber player on the roster in Russell Westbrook. The game tonight between Memphis and Oklahoma City was all about defense as both teams weren’t able to score over 100 points. The Memphis Grizzlies came out clicking on all cylinders tonight even without Mike Conley who was out tonight for them. Avery Bradley decided at an early moment in the game that he was going to be aggressive from the start and it paid off. Bradley was able to get his jumper working all night and finished with a game-high 27 points. It seemed like anything that Avery Bradley put up it was bound to go in at a certain point in the game and he was able to use that pick and roll with Valanciunas tonight to his advantage. Avery Bradley was able to use his defense to create offense in transition which opened up more opportunity for his teammates. The player that stepped up in a big way for the Grizzlies was Delon Wright he was able to come in and start in place of Conley and didn’t shy away from the moment. In the first half, Wright was able to create and get to the basket at will whenever he was able to get an open crease. Wright finished with 17 points on the night and had a chance late in the game to put Memphis in a better position to win but his 3 pointer didn’t go in. This is a huge teaching tool for Wright and he was able to show a lot of growth that Coach Bickerstaff could use moving forward. Jonas Valanciunas was able to notch a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds on the night but wasn’t able to outrebound Steven Adams.

 

Steven Adams was a grown man in that paint tonight as he was able to get 13 points and 22 rebounds. Steven was a huge threat in the paint tonight and he was able to defend that paint with his help defense. The Big Kiwi has been consistent all year and continued that tonight against Jonas. Steven Adams was 1 rebound shy of his career high of 23 but his dominance on the boards has played a huge roll in the Thunder’s success in the paint. The way that Adams and Westbrook run that pick and roll it seems unstoppable. Speaking of unstoppable that’s exactly what Russell Westbrook was in the second half of this game as he was able to hit big shot after big shot. Russell Westbrook finished with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists on the night. Westbrook hit a crucial 3 pointer late in the game that put OKC up and then followed it up with a clutch mid-range jumper that put the icing on the cake. People continue to doubt Westbrook’s shooting and he continues to prove them wrong every moment he gets. Westbrook was able to put the team on his back and made the comeback tonight with the help of his running mate Schröder and Nader. Both Schröder and Nader had made the best of the minutes they had tonight and combined for 32 points to help Russell Westbrook down the stretch. The confidence that Nader and Schröder have been playing has been impressive in the absence of Paul George and it has shown in the play on the court. Billy Donovan has found some comfort in the lineups he’s put out there and it has given the Thunder a chance to get back into the win column. This will be huge for the Thunder in the long run because you have players that don’t usually get this much run getting chances to make a difference in the games during the regular season and that can help in the postseason.

 

The Thunder improved to 39-24 and will be playing in Minnesota on Tuesday night. The question leading into that game will be is Paul George going to be active for that game. We should have an update on that status prior to the game so keep it locked on SneakerReporter.com

Mar 4, 2019 No Comments