Paul George’s 33 Point Performance Leads OKC To Victory Over The Clippers (110-104)

Paul George’s 33 Point Performance Leads OKC To Victory Over The Clippers (110-104)

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by | Dec 16, 2018 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder came into tonight’s game on a two-game losing streak. The Thunder wanted to bounce back after their loss to the Pelicans the other night and did just that. Paul George was able to carry a lot of the load tonight as he finished with a game-high 33 points. The Thunder were able to beat up the Clippers in the paint all night that set the tone for the night. Steven Adams was able to get anything he wanted in the paint against Harrell and Gortat. When Steven Adams has the chance to dominate the paint like he did tonight the Thunder look unstoppable. Adams finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds tonight against the Clippers. No one had an answer for Adams in the paint from the Clippers and it was extremely noticeable. When Adams has his hook shot going and he’s drawing the double team it opens up more for his teammates.

The one thing that was working for the Clippers that kept them in the game was Danilo Gallinari’s 3 point shooting. He finished with 28 points but was (4-6) from the 3 point line while shooting (10-16) on the night. Tobias Harris was doing an amazing job as well for the Clippers. Harris was able to go to the basket with ease and made some very tough shots to finish with 22 points on the night. The Clippers had 26 turnovers in the game and weren’t making the right decisions when it came down to crunch time. The Clippers were hanging around but could never get within 5 points of the Thunder. Every time the Clippers would get within 10 points Paul George or Russell Westbrook would display their greatness. Paul George was able to score any way that he wanted tonight against the Clippers. The string of games that PG-13 has been able to put together as of late have him in the thick of the MVP talks. Paul George has been shooting lights out from the 3 point line and the Clippers couldn’t stop him at all. The rhythm that Paul George is shooting in right now is close to some of his best since Indiana. The best thing about the Thunder is the fact that Paul George and Russell Westbrook are 1st and 2nd in the NBA in steals. Paul George has grown confidence in his play and has been extremely comfortable within this offense on the season.

 

 

Russell Westbrook has shown a lot of maturity within his game and has been able to flourish as the leader. Westbrook has been able to play off of Paul George’s great shooting and he’s been able to still dominate. Westbrook had 13 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds on the night and still was able to have a huge impact on the game. When you can impact the game in every way without having to always score or make the play that’s something special. Russell Westbrook has been able to dominate his position night in and night out. Patrick Beverley was guarding Russell Westbrook tonight but he wasn’t able to phase the former MVP as Westbrook still made plays for his teammates. The thing that is so amazing about this Thunder team this year and the ball movement. The Thunder ball movement has very good and they’re looking for Steven Adams early. The Thunder had 5 players in double figures tonight against the Clippers and will look to get another win under their belt against the Bulls on Monday. Russell Westbrook passed Kobe Bryant for 30th on the NBA All-Time Assists list tonight as well.

If Paul George and Russell Westbrook can continue to do what they’ve been doing for this team as leaders the skies the limit for OKC.

 

[Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman]

Dec 16, 2018 No Comments
Paul George’s 31 Points Help Oklahoma City Defeat The Utah Jazz (122-113)

Paul George’s 31 Points Help Oklahoma City Defeat The Utah Jazz (122-113)

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by | Dec 11, 2018 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder came into this game following a loss to the Chicago Bulls. There’s nothing like home cooking especially when it’s against the team that eliminated you in the playoffs. The Utah Jazz beat the Thunder in a seven-game series last season and the Thunder fans let it be known they didn’t forget. The Thunder have been clicking on all cylinders and look like the best team in the west. The overall play from the Thunder as a unit was on full display as the Utah Jazz didn’t know what hit them. Steven Adams has been the man that starts out games for the Thunder and he did just that against Rudy Gobert. Steven was able to get him in early foul trouble and was able to take control of the paint with ease. Steven was able to get to the basket whether it was the pick and roll, backing down, or his jump hook. Adams finished the game with 22 points and 7 rebounds on the night. Adams was able to set the tone in that first half while Paul George and Russell Westbrook were still trying to find a rhythm.

Gobert was in some foul trouble the one bright spot for the Jazz all night was Donovan Mitchell. The Thunder were throwing different defensive players at Mitchell trying to make it tougher on the second year guard. Mitchell was able to get his jumper going but it was a little too late. Donovan Mitchell finished the game with 19 points for the Jazz but a lot of his buckets came in the second quarter. The Jazz got down at one point by 29 points and found themselves trying to claw back into the game desperately. The Thunder have found their niche and identity this season on both the defensive/offensive end. Russell Westbrook didn’t have his best night shooting but the man that came to his rescue was Paul George. The man they call PG-13 took over in the 3rd quarter of the game as he scored 17 points in that quarter alone. When a player of his caliber gets it going like that especially in a quarter there isn’t much that can be done. Paul George was hitting 3 pointers and slashing to the basket with ease. The Thunder team as a whole noticed what was going on and kept feeding Paul the ball as he continued to grow the lead against the Jazz. Paul George finished with a game-high 31 points on 8-10 shooting from the field and was able to do whatever he wanted tonight.

 

Russell Westbrook didn’t have the shooting night he wanted but finished with another triple-double (12 PTS,10 AST, 11 REB) on the night. The beauty about this situation is in past seasons if Westbrook didn’t play a great game the Thunder would be in trouble. This time around having someone like Paul George in his corner helped the situation. Westbrook still managed to get his teammates involved and took advantage of the smaller Rubio defending him. No one in the league can stop Westbrook in the point guard position it seems like this season and he continued to show that even on an off night for him. The Thunder had 5 players in double figures and were able to move the ball as they finished the game with 25 assists. The Thunder have committed to the defensive end and also have improved the ball movement so much this season. The players like Jerami Grant, Dennis Schroder, and Nerlens have the experience and can help on the second unit on a nightly basis like they did tonight. When the Thunder play together as a whole they’re tough to beat any night. The Utah Jazz was in foul trouble but just weren’t able to get anything going offensively as they shot 27% from 3 point land. The Thunder defense deserves a lot of credit and will try to continue this against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.

 

Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Dec 11, 2018 No Comments
Russell Westbrook’s 107th Triple-Double Helps OKC Beat Cleveland (100-83)

Russell Westbrook’s 107th Triple-Double Helps OKC Beat Cleveland (100-83)

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by | Nov 29, 2018 | Featured, NBA

After the loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, Russell Westbrook spent the rest of his evening working on his craft. In true professional fashion, Westbrook worked on his jumper and was determined to get that game out of his system. In all reality, Westbrook doesn’t need to shoot after games to get over a bad outing especially when you’re an NBA MVP. Westbrook getting a late night session in just proves his leadership and the fact that he wants to lead by example. Russell Westbrook has done things his way and has grown over the years as a leader and professional. The Thunder back up Russell Westbrook and his teammates do as well and the fact he’s in the gym working on his game daily should be added motivation for anyone who appreciates his game.

The Thunder took on the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena and Russell Westbrook put on one of the best performances in his career. Russell finished with 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 15 assists for his 3rd triple-double of the season. While getting his 3rd triple-double of the season Westbrook made history as well notching his 107th of his career tying Jason Kidd for 3rd All Time. Westbrook played within the game and let his game do the talking tonight. Westbrook was able to find his teammates in their sweet spots and was able to get into his sweet spot on the court as well. Russell Westbrook was matched up against Collin Sexton the very aggressive rookie and took him to the post. There is no guard in the league that can defend Russell Westbrook when he’s on the block and he was able to take advantage of the Cavs defense anyway he wanted too.

The Cavs would try to double-team Westbrook and Russ made them pay by getting it to Jerami Grant. The Cavs had no answer for Jerami Grant as he was able to beat them on backdoor cuts all night long. This was a huge step for Jerami Grant because he was able to see his 3 point shot go down and he also was able to get to the rim whenever he wanted tonight. Grant finished the game one point shy of his career high with 21 points and 5 rebounds. This stretch for the Thunder has been great as a unit with Billy Donovan switching up lineups this has made other step up and get some added minutes. One of those players that have stepped up his game and made the most of those minutes has been has been Deonte Burton. Paul George said “Te is just a baller” and that’s exactly what he’s been for this team. When Burton comes in the game he brings that energy and intensity on both ends of the floor and doesn’t back down from anyone. Burton has been very big for the Thunder because he stretches the floor and also can attack the defense with ease off the perimeter. Paul George was in foul trouble all night and still managed to have 18 points on the night. The referees were calling the game a little too tight and it showed with PG only playing 24 minutes. When Paul George gets to play his game he’s one of the top two way players and he would have been able to stop Sexton tonight a little bit.

The Cavaliers rookie Collin Sexton had his hands full trying to guard Russell Westbrook tonight but was able to still get 21 points. Sexton showed a lot of heart and grit out there tonight and didn’t give up. When Sexton gets some more experience in this league and can continue to work on his offensive game he’s going to be special. Jordan Clarkson was the one player that was able to help Sexton tonight as he scored 25 points off the bench. Jordan knows how to get some big-time buckets in big moments but wasn’t able to do enough to get the Cavs the victory on the road. The Thunder had a huge win tonight and didn’t let anything get in the way of this victory. When you shoot 48% from the field and have a dominant player like Russell Westbrook leading the charge it’s going to be a long night for any team.

This Thunder team will try to continue this great play against the Hawks on Friday as Trae Young comes back home to play his hometown team.

 

Photo Credit: Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Nov 29, 2018 No Comments
The OKC Thunder Come Up Short Tonight Against The Denver Nuggets (105-98)

The OKC Thunder Come Up Short Tonight Against The Denver Nuggets (105-98)

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by | Nov 25, 2018 | Featured

The Thunder are coming off a win against the Hornets last night. This is one of the first back to back games at home for the Thunder in recent memory. OKC has been extremely hot and came into this game 12-6 tied for first place in the Western Conference. Tonight the Thunder started Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot at shooting guard. Billy Donovan wanted to get a different look in the lineup and see what’s working and what’s not working. The biggest difference in this game against the Nuggets tonight was the fact that Schroder, Westbrook, and George didn’t start together tonight. During the start of the game, OKC wasn’t able to get anything to fall for them. The Thunder ball movement has been amazing as of late but when they were given the open looks tonight they didn’t drop. While the Thunder weren’t able to get anything to drop the Nuggets, on the other hand, were able to get anything they wanted. The Nuggets took advantage of every hustle play and made the Thunder pay. Jamal Murray was a constant nightmare for OKC because he was hustling for loose balls and making tough shots while finding his teammates. Murray finished the game with 22 points and was able to put the Nuggets on his back throughout the game. Denver is a well-balanced team and they showed that high energy with defense can keep you in a game. The Thunder had five players in double figures tonight and it seemed that every run OKC tried to get going the Nuggets had an answer. Denver had a 25 point lead and was in the driver seat majority of the night on both ends of the floor.

At the half, it was 63-42 and the Thunder came out that 3rd quarter with energy and swag that they usually do. Russell Westbrook was trying to will his team back into the game all night showing true leadership through his play. Westbrook finished with 16 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds on the night for his second triple-double of the season. Every time OKC got close to getting back into the game the Nuggets hit a tough shot. The NBA is a miss or make league and tonight the Thunder were struggling. This defense for the Thunder will continue to get better and they will continue to grow. A lot of people forget they’re playing without Roberson, Diallo, and Ferguson right now. The defense has been swarming including tonight and it just came down to the Nuggets hitting some tough shots. Paul George had his game going but showed some signs of frustration with some of the calls against him. Paul George is one of the best two-way players in the league and he will continue to find a way to score no matter what. PG-13 finished with 24 points to lead the Thunder but he wants to lead with his defense as well. Westbrook and George both have played amazing on this stretch of games. Tonight’s loss came down to other players making plays for the Nuggets that weren’t apart of the gameplan as much. Trey Lyles had 16 points and had a couple of 3 point plays that helped his night out. OKC has to continue to defend at a high level and trust one another like they have to continue this success with Cleveland coming to town.

After the game, Russell Westbrook was practicing on the court working on his jumper. People give Westbrook a hard time with his shooting right now but no one said anything when he carried this team his MVP season. The same shots that got him the MVP that season are the same shots that he’s taking now. Westbrook just has to see the ball go in the hoop and he will be fine. Westbrook shot 1-15 from the 3pt field tonight and will redeem himself on Wednesday like the true professional he is. Westbrook plays great without the ball and showed that he can still dominate with or without the ball in his hands with his IQ. Russell Westbrook is a true professional and will bounce back like he always does on the daily.

 

Photo Credit: Alonzo Adams

Nov 25, 2018 No Comments
Westbrook’s 30 Point Performance Leads OKC To The Victory Over Charlotte (109-104)

Westbrook’s 30 Point Performance Leads OKC To The Victory Over Charlotte (109-104)

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by | Nov 24, 2018 | Featured

The Oklahoma City Thunder came back home looking for another win after beating the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Tonight the Thunder faced off against the Charlotte Hornets and Kemba Walker. This was a great matchup between two great point guards in Russell Westbrook and Kemba Walker. Both players have the same heart but have different skill sets that were put on full display. Russell Westbrook’s the type of player that can beat you with his explosiveness and his IQ on the basketball court. Russell makes his teammates around him better and he’s shown that he can still be dominating playing with the ball and off the ball. Kemba Walker is that player that can cross you over and get to the basket with ease and score with his lethal setback jumper. Billy Donovan tried the new lineup of Russell Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, and Paul George tonight. This was the first time we were able to see all three together in the lineup and flourish together. Dennis was finding Westbrook and George in their hot spots and the ball movement was very smooth. The Thunder are playing at a high level right now and having a lot of fun while doing it.

The Hornets were able to hang around all night in this game because of Kemba Walker’s 25 points and 8 assists. Kemba was able to weave through the Thunder defense in that first half and get to the basket with no issue. Billy Donovan made the proper adjustments heading into the second half and that helped big time. The first half the Hornets were trying to get Kemba in a switch with Steven Adams but in the second half, Westbrook was able to defend him at a high level. Russell Westbrook has shown that he can defend and take over a game offensively at will. Russell put the Thunder on his back tonight and finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. Westbrook dominated this game in the second half and was able to help OKC get the momentum in their favor. The Thunder had 6 players in double digits tonight against the Hornets and the ball movement looked amazing. Deonte Burton had his career high 11 points tonight and was able to make some huge energy plays to spark the team. Burton had 2 dunks that had the whole arena going crazy. The Thunder are now 12-6 on the season and they have a matchup with Denver Nuggets tomorrow in OKC. If the Thunder continue to play like this and continue to grow as a unit this could be a special season.

 

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Nov 24, 2018 No Comments