Russell Westbrook’s Clutch 3 Pointer Leads OKC To Victory Over The Hawks (120-117)

Russell Westbrook’s Clutch 3 Pointer Leads OKC To Victory Over The Hawks (120-117)

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by | Dec 23, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder have been hot as of late and they seem to have find the chemistry that everyone has been waiting for all season. Oklahoma City played the Atlanta Hawks who played without their best player Dennis Schroder tonight because he was out with a left ankle injury. The Atlanta Hawks played like they didn’t need him tonight. The Hawks were able to play smoothly without their very good point guard and make the best of the players that were on the court tonight. It was tough for the Thunder to slowdown Ersan IIyasova and Marco Belinelli as they both were hitting off balance shots and also making shots that were guarded very good. The both of them combined for 49 of the Hawks points and were able to keep the game close for them throughout the game. The Hawks showed a lot of fight tonight as they were down by 16 points and kept clawing back into the game. One of the reasons they were able to get back into the game was the fact that Billy Donovan had his starters on the bench and when they came in it took some time for them to ease back into the game. The Thunder were able to get any shot that they wanted tonight but just didn’t connect on them until the moments that mattered in the game.

Russell Westbrook led the charge for the Thunder as he was able to set the tone from the jump. Westbrook was able to take advantage of the mismatches against Malcolm Delaney & Isaiah Taylor. Westbrook finished the game with 30 points, 15 assists, and 7 rebounds tonight. When Russell plays like that and gets the whole team involved and also can attack at the same time this team is unbeatable. Paul George and Carmelo Anthony added a combined for 41 points on the night. The good thing about this team is the fact that Paul George started off with the hot hand and as the game played itself out the others joined along.

When George is in the zone like he was in the first half no one can guard him. George was able to get to the basket and get layups, shots, and get the team involved. Paul George has shown that he’s a playmaker and can get people the ball in big time moments and clutch moments. Carmelo Anthony went 7-12 from the 3 point line tonight and has been able to find his role on the team as the Atlanta Hawks didn’t know where he was on the court and made them pay. Melo has been able to flourish throughout the season but is now figuring out what the team needs him to be. Melo is going to be that catch and shot player and that’e what OKC needs him to be so that the ball can continue to move like it has the last two games.

Russell Westbrook was able to turn into Russell Clutchbrook as he had the ball with 11.1 seconds left and hit the game winner. Westbrook loves the big moments and embraces putting the team on his back. Everyone else looks at Westbrook as the leader and he responded by making sure they were able to get the win through all the ups and downs tonight.

The Thunder will head to Utah as they will be playing the Jazz again for the second time this week. The Thunder will need to continue this stretch of games where their chemistry has looked unbreakable.

Dec 23, 2017 No Comments
The OKC Thunder Steam Roll Utah (107-79) Westbrook, Anthony, George Combined For 60 Points

The OKC Thunder Steam Roll Utah (107-79) Westbrook, Anthony, George Combined For 60 Points

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by | Dec 21, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder came into this game winning the last 7 of 9 games this month. With OKC in a groove during this month they were able to get Steven Adams back from his concussion absence. Right away the Thunder wanted to set the tone in this game as Russell Westbrook went 6-6 from the field with 14 points in the 1st quarter. Westbrook set the tone for the whole team and the whole game as the Thunder flourished on both ends of the floor. The Utah Jazz played without Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert but the way OKC was clicking tonight as a whole it didn’t matter who you put in front of them. The defense from the Thunder was swarming and when they play like this as a whole holding Utah to 35.6% shooting from the field the skys the limit for this team.

The Thunder have showed that they’re getting their rythym as a full unit and they’re playing with a lot more fun now a days. This team has been clicking and gelling at the right time and it’s working. Each night with the Thunder you don’t know who will be the player that will go off from the Big 3 and tonight it was Westbrook. This team has showed that with defense and sacrifice anything is possible especially with this unit. Paul George and Carmelo Anthony got it going after the half as they both combined for 36 points. Paul George had what would be the play of the night when he crossed up Rodney Hood and finished at the rim on Derrick Favors. Russell Westbrook finished the game with 24 points, 7 assists, and 10 rebounds as the Utah Jazz had no answer for him or the Big 3 tonight. Westbrook showed leadership on both ends of the floor and put OKC in a great position to win from the jump.

The Utah Jazz couldn’t stop the Thunder especially on the fast break and in the paint. Russell Westbrook was pushing the tempo and setting up his teammates all night. The bright spot for the Utah Jazz was that Rodney Hood with his 17 points and Thabo Seolosha got his game going also as he had 12 points tonight. Utah put up a fight and tried to hang in there without two of their star players but it just wasn’t enough. OKC dunked on Utah about 7 times without Rudy Gobert in the lineup and the interior defense was not there at all. Overall it was one of those games that Utah would like to forget as OKC was able to do as they wanted inside and out. The Thunder reserves were able to add 30 points off the bench and helped secure the win. Jerami Grant led the way with 11 points off the bench and was giving it everything he has on both ends of the floor. Grant had at least three dunks in the game that would be in the NBA Dunk Contest and I think its time for the NBA to give him that call. The Thunder team used this game to grow and it showed on the floor as they played together as a group and everyone had a chance to contribute.

The Thunder play the Atlanta Hawks on Friday in Oklahoma City as they want to keep the momentum going and continue to grow as a whole.

 

Dec 21, 2017 No Comments
NBA Suspends Shaun Livingston And Referee Courtney Kirkland For On Court Altercation

NBA Suspends Shaun Livingston And Referee Courtney Kirkland For On Court Altercation

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by | Dec 5, 2017 | Featured, NBA

 

The NBA handed down some discipline today to Golden State Warriors guard, Shaun Livingston, as well as referee, Courtney Kirkland. Livingston was suspended for one game and Kirkland was suspended for a week after they essentially headbutted each other during the Warriors game against the Miami Heat.

Livingston was upset with the no call on what he felt was a foul and he wasn’t shy about letting Kirkland know about it. At that point, rather than walking away and just calling a technical foul, Kirkland engaged and walked towards Livingston and was part of the reason their heads touched. Livingston was immediately ejected.

He will miss the Warriors game tonight against the Pelicans, while Kirkland will be suspended from officiating a game until December 11th.

Written by Joe Casey

Twitter: @IamJoeSports

 

Dec 5, 2017 No Comments
Lavar Ball Pulls LiAngelo Out Of UCLA Over Suspension, Plans To Get Him Ready For NBA Draft

Lavar Ball Pulls LiAngelo Out Of UCLA Over Suspension, Plans To Get Him Ready For NBA Draft

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by | Dec 4, 2017 | Celebs, Featured, NBA

 

LiAngelo Ball hadn’t stepped on the court for UCLA this season and now he never will, thanks to his father, Lavar. The Elder Ball pulled his son out of school and there are no plans to try and enroll him elsewhere. The plan, according to Lavar, is to get “Gelo” ready for the NBA draft.

“I’m going to make him way better for the draft than UCLA ever could have,” he said.

“He’s not transferring to another school,” he told ESPN. “The plan is now to get Gelo ready for the NBA draft.”

Lavar is reportedly upset with UCLA for the indefinite suspension they gave to LiAngelo and the other two players who were caught stealing in China.  “I’m not sitting back and waiting,” LaVar Ball told ESPN. “He wasn’t punished this bad in China. We get back over here and the consequences were even stiffer than China. So basically they’re in jail here.”

In fact, Lavar removed LiAngelo from the school without notifying anyone related to the UCLA basketball program.  “I haven’t told any of those guys,” Lavar said. “They didn’t tell me anything, so why am I gonna tell them.”

Eventually coach Steve Alford was made aware of what’s going on and released a statement. “We learned today of LiAngelo Ball’s intention to withdraw from UCLA,” Alford said. “We respect the decision he and his family have made, and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Lavar seems somewhat delusional with the whole process of his son being suspended. Sure it was just a young, dumb mistake by LiAngelo, but for Lavar to think the whole thing was just going to go away soon and his son would only be suspended a few games is not realistic.

As part of his suspension, UCLA took away his meal card and he hasn’t been allowed to practice or travel with the team. Even before all of this happened, it was clear that LiAngelo was going to be coming off the bench for the Bruins, which was also something that didn’t sit well with Lavar. “They had him there just to use the Ball family name. They were going to keep the best shooter on the team coming off the bench? That’s like telling the Clippers back in the day not to play JJ Redick,” LaVar Ball said.

What happens now with LiAngelo is anyone’s guess. He wasn’t highly rated by any NBA scout, even before the incident in China happened, this according to Adrian Wojnarowski. This will also likely change the plans of the youngest brother, LaMelo, attending UCLA as well, which he had already committed to starting in 2019.

It’s never a boring day when Lavar Ball is involved.

Written By Joe Casey

Twitter: @IamJoeSports

Dec 4, 2017 No Comments
OKC Thunder Drop A Close One Against The Pistons In Statement Jersey Debut (99-98)

OKC Thunder Drop A Close One Against The Pistons In Statement Jersey Debut (99-98)

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by | Nov 25, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder were coming off their best performance of the year against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. They wanted to continue that momentum and make a statement on Friday against the Detroit Pistons. The Thunder organization announced that the Thunder will be debuting their new jerseys against Detroit. The “Statement” jersey that OKC wore was apart of the Nike Connect program that was incorporated this year once Nike took over the jersey licensing. The jersey lets you connect to the players iPod and music to see what he listens to before and after games via Nike App. The way the techonology is heading there is no telling what could be next for jerseys. What I can tell you is that the OKC “Statement” jersey is one of the best in the NBA that were debuted and the way the orange pops out it makes a bold statement.

The Thunder played a great game on both ends of the floor in the first half and looked to keep it rolling like they did against Golden State. The Pistons had other plans as tonight against OKC. Andre Drummond wasn’t able to get things going in that first half but came out in beast mode in the second half. Andre Drummond finished the game with 17 points and 14 rebounds on the night. The way that he played in the paint tonight against the Thunder bigs was very impressive. The thing that was impressive for the Pistons is the way they hung in the game and competed.

Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony were getting anything they wanted on the offensive end tonight. Carmelo was able to bully anyone that guarded him on the Pistons whether it be Tobias Harris or Avery Bradley. Melo was able to finish the game with 20 points and he was aggressive on the defensive boards and was defending at a high level. When Carmelo has the help like he does now in OKC he can take advanatage of playing defense and offense while taking breaks. When Melo was in NYC he had to carry the load majority of the time and the way that OKC is clicking on all cylinders now he doesn’t have too. The Thunder may have lost but Melo getting in a groove like he’s been on lately is a great sight to see.

The Pistons were able to get everyone involved in this game as they had 6 players in double figures. The bench kept them in the game and was able to score when the Thunder had some defensive breakdowns. Detroit made this a team effort as everyone stepped up but it also took for the Thunder to miss some big shots in order for them to succeed. Reggie Jackson had 12 points on the night but was able to get the ball to his teammates in the right spot and he picked his moments to be aggressive on offense. Reggie Jackson was a true vocal leader tonight and was able to make some tough plays down the stretch against the Thunder. He talked about his time in OKC and how it made him grow as a player and that showed out there on the court tonight.

Russell Westbrook has shown that he can lead this team as a vocal leader and also as the points/assists/rebound man if they need it. Westbrook has shown that whatever the Thunder need him to be on a nightly basis he will do it no matter what and that’s very clear. Russell Westbrook proved that tonight as he was able to punish the Pistons and get to the rim whenever he wanted too. When Westbrook had his moment to takeover he missed some shots that he usually makes in the clutch. The Pistons put Avery Bradley on him for that last stretch and made him for work the 3 pointers that he didn’t make at the end. Russ struggled from the 3 point line going 1-10 from long range but still had the trust from his teammates. Russell Westbroo finished with a triple double of 27 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds. Paul George didn’t have the best night as he was getting bad calls against him and he wasn’t able to get back in the flow of the game. Paul George had 16 points and was able to defend and get in the passing lanes to help but it wasn’t enough to get the win tonight. PG was talking about defensive breakdowns and what they needed to do better in order to win tomorrow against the Mavs.

 

Photo Credit: (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

Nov 25, 2017 No Comments
OKC Thunder Beat The Mavs On Russell Westbrook’s 29th Birthday (112-99)

OKC Thunder Beat The Mavs On Russell Westbrook’s 29th Birthday (112-99)

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by | Nov 13, 2017 | Featured, NBA

The Thunder were coming into this game tonight without Steven Adams for a second game in a row. What the OKC Thunder and the fans didn’t know is that they would be without Carmelo Anthony who was nursing a sore back. With Melo sitting out tonight it was all up to Paul George and the birthday boy Russell Westbrook to carry the load against the Dallas Mavericks. Russell Westbrook celebrated his birthday by rocking his Air Jordan 10 “Why Not” PE that Jordan Brand made for him after winning the MVP.

Paul George also wore a special pair of Nike PG1s that he labed “The Westbrook Party Joints” tonight.

Russell Westbrook and Paul George both went off on the Mavericks tonight and were able to get into a ryhtym for the second time in a row. Both PG-13 and the Brodie combined for 64 points tonight and took it to the Mavericks. This stretch of games have been really good for Paul George as he follows his 42 point performance with a 37 point performance. This is the Paul George that everyone envisioned touching down in OKC and now that Westbrook is learning his sweet spots the offense is flowing the way that it’s supposed too. Russell Westbrook was being his usual self and wasn’t let anything stop him from getting to the rim whenever he wanted. Westbrook had 9 points at the end of the half and ended the game with 27 points. Westbrook has used his leadership and his will to bring the Thunder team together and you can tell that the team is finding their niche right away. The bench has been able to step up as well and without Melo in the lineup Jerami Grant got the call to step up in place of the All Star. Grant had 10 points and 8 rebounds but had some thunderish dunks that has everyone wondering if he will be in the NBA Dunk Contest in February. Overall Grant has been able to step up his play and has shown that he can grow and be reliable in this system. Overall the Thunder played the way that everyone has expected them even if it was against the Mavericks. OKC has used these last couple of games to gel into what they need to be as a whole. The Defense was able to force a lot of turnovers and that turned into fast break points for the Thunder on numerous occations in the game.

The Mavericks have a special talent in Dennis Smith Jr as he poured in 15 points in his first career matchup against Russell Westbrook. Dennis Smith Jr is extremely talented and has shown that he has what it takes to get his team involved and also he’s showed that he can take over a game offensively. Most night Dennis Smith Jr is able to do as he pleases and get to the rim at any moment but the Thunder interior defense slowed that down tonight. Harrison Barnes played a great game tonight and was able to score when the Mavs needed a bucket but the offensive performance from OKC was too much to go back and forth with as they found themselves down by 21 really quick. The future for the Mavericks is very bright with Smith and Barnes running the show for the next couple of years. One thing that the Mavericks fans can bank on is that Dennis Smith Jr isn’t intimidated by Russell Westbrook and always looks forward to a matchup.

The Mavs took the loss and will look to bounce back in their next game. The Thunder will be playing against the Bulls as Cameron Payne makes his return back to OKC the team that drafted him.

 

Photo Credit: Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images

Nov 13, 2017 No Comments