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
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