Travis Singleton

OKC Debuts New “City” Jersey With Thunderous Win Over Knicks (128-103)

by Travis Singleton | Nov 15, 2018 | Featured

Paul George has been on a hot streak shooting as of late and that didn’t stop at all tonight. Paul put the team on his back and didn’t look back at all. Once Russell Westbrook was ruled out for tonight’s game Paul George, Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams were ready to step up. This was one of the best games collectively from the Oklahoma City Thunder all season. Paul George led the way with 35 points on 13-22 shooting from the field and looked unstoppable. Paul George aka PG-13 was in a zone that not too many people get to experience in life. It seemed like he was in heat check mode all night and was in a groove that even his teammates were able to witness. Paul George was dunking, assisting, shooting, and hustling all night long. The Thunder played as a team and it was special to watch. When OKC plays like this and the ball movement and moving like it did tonight against the Knicks this team is unstoppable.

The Thunder finished the game with 32 assists and some of those were on some serious alley oops that PG-13 finished. This team is having fun and it showed tonight in the game against the Knicks. Steven Adams was another player that was able to flourish in this game as he dominated the paint in back to back games now. Steven Adams finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds against his old teammate/stache brother Enes Kanter. Steven Adams has been the most consistent player for the Oklahoma City Thunder all season and that has a lot to do with the fact the NBA has gone small. Steven Adams has been able to dominate the paint and his matchup for the majority of the season. Dennis Schroder has grown in this system a lot over the time since his arrival and you can see his growth through his play on the court. Schroder knows where Adams and George will be on every play and knows how to draw the defense in so that he can find them. Schroder had 15 points and 12 assists on the night and was a problem for any Knicks defender they put in front of him. Schroder has been able to fill in for Russell Westbrook while he’s been injured and has been able to direct this team on and off the court with leadership.

The Thunder had 5 players in double figures and have figured out how to operate as a team. The ball movement has been amazing and Billy Donovan has done a great job with rotations getting the best out of Diallo, Noel, and Abrines. The Thunder have won 9 out of the last 10 games and have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA all season. The Knicks ran into a hot team and weren’t able to put out the fire that was OKC tonight. Tim Hardaway Jr and Enes Kanter combined for 39 points tonight and were the bright spots for the Knicks. Trier was able to add 10 points off the bench as he is a young promising talent that will emerge for them in the coming weeks. Trier has the special talent that can compliment Hardaway Jr and Kanter on a nightly basis. Overall the Knicks will drop to 4-11 on the season but will continue to try to climb the ladder in the East after this loss to the Thunder.

Oklahoma City will play the Phoenix Suns on Saturday trying to make it 10 wins in the last 11. The Thunder beat the Suns the other night 118-101 and will look to repeat that.

Photo Credit: Photo by Zach Beeker

Nov 15, 2018 No Comments

Paul George Drops 32 PTS To Lead The Way As OKC Dominates The Phoenix Suns (118-101)

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by Travis Singleton | Nov 13, 2018 | Featured

The Oklahoma City Thunder were coming off their loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday and wanted to get back in the winning column. This will be the first of two games this week against the Phoenix Suns and it’s one they would want to forget about. Paul George was shooting lights out from the field and was able to get anything he wanted tonight. Since Russell Westbrook went down with his left sprained ankle Paul George has led the charge scoring 58 points in those three games. Tonight against the Phoenix Suns he would continue that pace as PG-13 went for 32 points on 11-19 shooting from the field. The leadership and aggressiveness that Paul George has played with while Westbrook has been sidelined has been impressive. Overall the team has played outstanding as a whole unit from the starters to the second unit. The Thunder are starting to find their chemistry and it was on full display against the Suns. Oklahoma City 48% from the 3 point line and 47% from the field. The Suns weren’t able to put the fire out at all tonight as OKC got it going early and didn’t look back. Dennis Schroder was able to get things going offensively as well in the second half finishing with 20 points. The floater was working for Dennis and he was being very aggressive on the defensive end as well.

One of the big bright spots in the game was the fact that the Thunder were feeding Steven Adams in the paint as he was able to post up rookie Deandre Ayton with ease. Steven was pump faking Ayton and outrebounding the rookie and that set the tone for the evening inside the paint. Steven Adams finished with 18 points and was able to hold Deandre Ayton to only 14 points on the night. The Suns had their rising star Devin Booker in the lineup and he showed a lot of heart and was still able to find his shot. Devin Booker was being guarded by Paul George majority of the night and he was able to finish with 19 points on the night. Booker has so much talent and once this Suns team finished their identity they could make a push if they get some games together. The Suns just couldn’t get back into this a close range in this game as they allowed OKC to shoot season highs. The Thunder had 3 players that were in double figures George, Adams, and Schroder. All three of them have been able to build chemistry and have learned each other’s hot spots on the court. Schroder to Adams on the pick and roll has been a thing of beauty and Deandre Ayton wasn’t able to stop it. Schroder has improved his passing in transition and has been able to find Paul George in rhythm with ease as of late. Overall the Thunder have been able to string together 8 of 9 wins in the last 9 games and look to be getting things together on the court. Some people will say the schedule helps the Thunder but they have played great basketball and have been clicking on all cylinders as a team even without Westbrook.

Oklahoma City and Phoenix will play again on Saturday in Phoenix as the Suns will try to get revenge on OKC after this game. The Thunder will play against the Knicks on Wednesday before they hit the road as they try to improve to 9-5 on the season in that game.

Nov 13, 2018 No Comments

Paul George Drops 20 PTS To Help OKC Beat Houston For 7th Straight Win (98-80)

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by Travis Singleton | Nov 9, 2018 | Featured

The Oklahoma City Thunder came into this game on a six-game win streak and wanted to continue that against Houston. A lot of sports outlets around the country say that OKC hasn’t beat top-tier tier team. Coming into the season the Houston Rockets were able to acquire Carmelo Anthony via free agency and people have them going back to the WCF. The Thunder, on the other hand, was able to add Dennis Schroder in a trade for Melo during the offseason. This is the first time that Melo came back to OKC to play and with Russell Westbrook out for the second game nursing his sprained left ankle the lights were on for Schroder to prove to OKC that he can be a huge playmaker and shotmaker.

The Thunder opened up the game extremely hot from the field and they were able to take care of the paint. This was back to back games that the Thunder and Steven Adams made sure to dominate the paint. Steven Adams was able to do whatever he wanted to do against the interior of the Houston Rockets. One thing that Steven Adams has improved on during this season has been his post moves and his mini hook shot. Steven has been able to bring back the center position and gets high praise from players around the lead. Clint Capela was trying to hold Steven Adams in check in the paint and wasn’t able too. Adams finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds on the night and was able to do as he pleased when given the opportunity. The Thunder played very aggressively and one of the players that were able to set the tone for OKC was Paul George. PG-13 was being aggressive tonight and was attacking the paint when he had the mismatch tonight. Paul George was able to show people why he’s one of the best players in the NBA as he defending James Harden and taking the challenge personally. PG finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and was able to get to his spots and create for teammates. Paul was the clear-cut leader and was able to show his leadership tonight as he was setting the tone on both ends for the team.

Collectively OKC was able to have 6 players that were in double figures. Players on the Thunder have stepped up and picked up their game over this 7 game winning streak. Russell Westbrook wasn’t playing but he was just as much involved in the game as if he was by helping on plays. The energy that Westbrook brought to the team on the bench and his presence helps the team and gives them a boost. Overall this team has been clicking and they were able to hold the Houston Rockets to 26% from the 3 point line on the night. James Harden had 19 points but he had to work for those points with Paul George guarding him. The Rockets missed a lot of shots that they normally make and are still trying to figure out their team on both sides. OKC has already gelled together and they have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA and that has got them to 4th place in the Western Conference now.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday trying to take that seven-game winning streak to eight.

Photo Credit: Sky Sports

Nov 9, 2018 No Comments

Thunder Still Win 5th Game In A Row After Beating The Pelicans (122-116)

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by Travis Singleton | Nov 6, 2018 | Featured

The Thunder were coming into this game on a very hot four-game winning streak. During this four-game winning streak, it seems as if the Thunder can’t do any wrong. The bench has produced at a very high level to help Paul George and Russell Westbrook continue to grow as a dynamic duo. The Pelicans, on the other hand, came into this game not playing their best basketball. The bright spot to the New Orleans Pelicans has always been Anthony Davis who many consider a top 3 player in the NBA.

The Thunder started the game going in the paint to Steven Adams as they tried to dominate the paint early. Steven Adams started out 7-7 from the field before he missed his first shot. The Thunder were feeding Adams in the post since the Pelicans didn’t have a traditional center guarding him. The Pelicans had Anthony Davis but he had his hands full on both ends of the court tonight with Adams. OKC was able to use their muscle in the paint to try to slow down Anthony Davis on the night and it happened for quite some time. Both teams were playing with amazing ball movement and were looking for that extra pass to connect for points. The Thunder were able to continue their good shooting from Washington tonight against the Pelicans as Russell Westbrook was able to get anything he wanted in transition in that first half. Westbrook on the fast break was a true nightmare for Alvin Gentry and his Pelicans. Russell Westbrook was in the passing lanes and was able to create points off of turnovers on the Pelicans. One thing that Westbrook displayed was his explosiveness going to the basket and once he’s in attack mode he’s unstoppable. While Westbrook was getting his game going he was able to get his teammate Paul George more involved looking for him on multiple possessions that turned into 3 pointers for Paul George. The chemistry between Paul George and Russell Westbrook is special and they put on a clinic against the Pelicans defense.

The Pelicans hung around all night and the spark came from Julius Randle who finished the game with 26 points. Every time the Thunder were trying to break away with the lead in the start of the second half Randle would make a big shot. It was a great sign for the Pelicans to see someone else step up to help Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday who both combined for 42 points. The third quarter became very scary for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they witnessed Russell Westbrook try to get a rebound on Anthony Davis’ shot and he came down on Anthony Davis’ foot and turned his ankle. Russell Westbrook was in serious pain and wasn’t able to finish the game as his night ended with 17 points. The whole arena got quiet and patiently waited for more information on the scary fall that Westbrook took. The Thunder, later on, came out and said: “Russell Westbrook has a sprained left ankle”. That gave everyone a sigh of relief because he couldn’t put any weight on the left foot.

After Westbrook left the game with the sprained ankle in the 3rd quarter the Thunder played extremely inspired. Dennis Schroder came in the game taking over for Westbrook and made the best of the moment. Dennis was able to get the team in a position to keep the lead and made some crucial plays that gave OKC the win. Dennis Schroder has improved his shooting from the 3 point line and was even able to slice through defenders for a couple of floaters. Paul George and Dennis Schroder helped pick up the slack when Russell Westbrook left the game and they were able to feed off the crowd energy. The bench continued to play amazing as rookie Hamidou Diallo came in the game and ignited the Thunder with back to back steals for dunks. These type of games when OKC faces adversity always get the best out of everyone it seems like. The Thunder haven’t given a timetable for Russell Westbrook but check back soon as we will have more information soon. The Thunder will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and we will see if he plays or if he will be recovering from the ankle sprain still.

Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

Nov 6, 2018 No Comments

Paul George & Russell Westbrook Combine for 64 PTS To Beat The LAC (128-110)

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by Travis Singleton | Oct 31, 2018 | Featured

The Thunder were coming into tonight’s game against the LA Clippers with a record of (1-4) coming off a win against Phoenix. In that game, the Thunder put on a clinic and was led by some names we usually don’t hear too much of like Nerlens Noel and Patrick Patterson. Oklahoma City wanted to ride that wave that those two had going on Sunday into tonight’s game. The start of this game was not what OKC expected as they were missing shots and getting called for a lot of silly fouls. Foul trouble and chippiness were two major parts in this game as both teams wanted to prove dominance in Chesapeake Energy Arena. The first half belonged to the LA Clippers as they shot 55% from the field and were leading the majority of the half. The Thunder weren’t able to put a stop to Danilo Gallinari as he was getting to the basket, foul line, and getting his 3 point shot anytime he wanted on the Steven Adams switch. Gallinari finished the half with 23 points and looked pretty much unstoppable. On the Thunder, Russell Westbrook had 20 points and was getting to the basket anytime he wanted at will. Patrick Beverley was guarding Westbrook and it didn’t stop him one bit as Westbrook had the bank shot working and his quickness on Beverley. Heading into that second half the Thunder needed to find a way to stop Gallinari and make some key defensive stops which they did.

The Oklahoma City Thunder came out on fire and looked like they couldn’t be stopped. Paul George had 11 points in that quarter alone and got his offense going. Paul was able to use his length to shoot over defenders that were guarding him. Once Paul gets his game going and the offense is flowing its tough to beat the Thunder. The whole team combined for 70% shooting in the 3rd quarter and scored 39 points total. The Clippers didn’t know what hit them and were suddenly down by 16 heading into the 4th quarter. When the Thunder trust in their offense and play within together greats things have happened. Another bright spot for the Thunder tonight was the defense of Terrance Ferguson he was aggressive and wasn’t letting anyone get past him or the ball either.

The fourth quarter was the start of what had already been brewing with Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley. Both have a history and dislike each other but it got out of line again tonight. The Thunder were up by 17 with 6:20 left in the game when Beverley dived at Westbrooks’ knee. Both players had to be separated by officials and teammates before it got ugly. This happened the first time back in the 2013 playoffs and it brought flashbacks for the Thunder fans/Westbrook with tonights.

After that play, the Thunder started to turn it up defensively as the team was playing with Westbrooks intensity. Terrance Ferguson had a steal that resulted in one of the most explosive alley-oops you will ever see from Russell Westbrook. It looked like he was going to go through the backboard he was so high. The altercation with Beverley and Westbrook will be what’s talked about tonight but the Thunder got the win in dominant fashion. Both Russell Westbrook and Paul George had a combined 64 points tonight and led the team to the victory with great execution and scoring within the flow of the offense.