Thunder Escape Sacramento, Barely

The first night of a back-to-back against a team that is no good should not have looked this difficult. Other than Tyreke Evans, the Kings don't really have that much. DeMarcus Cousins has potential but is way too immature and unpolished to be considered a nightly force. Omri Casspi has some nights where he is a outside threat but this was not one of them.

Unfortunately for Casspi, he also had the near impossible task of slowing down Kevin Durant on the other end. Durant torched him for 35 points shooting better than 50% from the field. However, Durant didn't feel like rebounding which could have potentially lost us the game. What irks me is that when he wants to rebound, he can grab 10+ boards. Russell had an average game by his standards. Every point he provided ended up being essential for OKC to get the win.

That reminds me. Thabo has a long road to go before he gets back to providing anything beneficial to the starting lineup. I know he is coming off of an injury so I'm willing to show patience while he recovers. But having a player on the floor that can be literally no threat to do anything on offense really holds back our team. If he was playing shut-down defense then at least he would bring something of value. This is probably as close James Harden has ever been to becoming a regular starter.

There has also been some talk about possible acquiring Samuel Dalembert for his defensive presence in the paint. I didn't see anything overly magnificent from him against the Thunder but I will need to see a lot more film of him before I make a decision.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: @ Golden State Warriors, February 13 at 7 pm CT.

AOL and Huffington Post Join Forces

AOL just spent a ton of money to have HuffPo take over the content operations. You would think that when this much money is spent, the company doing the spending would have done its research in order to ensure profitability for the years to come. From my viewpoint, it seems as though AOL has gone the big risk big rewards strategy. We'll see if AOL comes out smelling like a rose, or something that fertilizes roses.

Here is the story. Enjoy.

Grizzlies Beat Thunder in OT

With Rudy Gay not playing, I thought that this game was a guaranteed win. I'm sure my assumptions were the same thing Boston was thinking when they played sans Durant. Unfortunately, the outcome for the team doing the assuming does not turn out well.

A couple of things happened that I didn't anticipate. The Thunder set a record high for turnovers and Tony Allen had what might be one of the top games of his career. Zach Randolph abused OKC.....again......by dominating the paint and coming up with key rebounds on the offensive end.

While Durant and Westbrook put up their typical numbers, it was not enough to win the game. Jeff Green got abused on defense and was atrocious on offense. The bench didn't provide the typical spark that they normally bring.

The difference in this game was turnovers. Memphis capitalized off of the turnovers and were able to stay in the game, eventually finishing it out in overtime.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: @ Sacremento Kings, February 12 at 9:00 pm CT.

News Around The Association

There is a lot of stuff going on in the NBA today. Below are a few clips that I found interesting. Read them and learn something. Enjoy.

• According to John Rohde, Serge Ibaka is doubtful for tonight's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Somewhere Zach Randolph just guaranteed friends and family at least 20 points and 15 rebounds.

• Kevin Durant will be competing in the 3-point contest along with the All-Star Game. The other contestants don't seem to pose a huge threat, but then again I thought Jason Kapono wasn't a threat either.

• If you haven't heard by now, the Melo trade rumors have made their way to Hollywood. The Lakers have entered the discussion in acquiring Melo's talents.

• For all you Cleveland fans, I am truly sorry that your favorite team sucks so bad. Making records for how bad you and your teammates are playing probably isn't going to help your confidence either.

Thunder Barrage Silences Jazz

I have watched a lot of Thunder basketball but never have I witnessed what took place last night in Utah. The Thunder, a notoriously bad 3-point shooting team, launched 21 shots from beyond the arc making 13 of them. That's 61% for all you mathematicians out there. The most surprising detail of this long range display was who led the charge. Not Kevin Durant, James Harden, Daequan Cook, or Jeff Green. Russell Westbrook didn't miss from long distance and led OKC in scoring with 33 points. Any avid Thunder fan knows that Westbrook is capable of taking over games. But the way he took over against Utah was something that I can't recall ever happening before.

While I highly doubt Scott Brooks will start calling up plays for Russell to launch a triple, this could be the final weapon in Westbrook's arsenal. If he can develop a decent 3-point shot, it will greatly influence the ease of getting penetration into the lane which he already has no trouble doing. Adding that threat will give opposing point guards all over the league nightmares on the eve of playing OKC.

Even when Russell was out, Eric Maynor came in and provided a hot hand from outside as well. What resulted was our point guard position going 6-6 from 3-point land. That is incredible. Cook and Green also contributed flawless performances from 3 helping the Thunder cruise to a win over a Jazz team that is slumping as of late going 1-7 in their last 8 games. 

Deron Williams seemed to be uncomfortable with the tape on his wrists. The only thing Utah had going for them was Paul Millsap. Millsap scored 34 points in 36 minutes missing 5 of his 20 attempts. That, ladies and gentlemen, is efficiency. Had the Jazz won this game, Millsap would have been all over SportsCenter for the next day and a half.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: Memphis Grizzlies, February 8th at 7:00 pm CT.

Suns Down, Jazz To Go

When I first saw this back-to-back on the schedule, I thought that the Suns game was the easier of the two. With the recent slide the Jazz are on, it appears to be the opposite. The Suns came into this game with the same offensive game-plan they have used all season. Drive, kick, shoot a 3, repeat. Unfortunately for OKC, they are in the bottom third in defending shots launched from beyond the arc. I had a lurking fear that if the Suns caught fire, this game could be over by the 3rd quarter. On a side note, if this game took place 10 years ago, the Thunder would have no chance. Grant Hill, Vince Carter, AND Steve Nash? We would have had a much more difficult time. However, time travel is still not a reliable alternative to the present so let's continue.

Little did I know that Kevin Durant (24 points, 11 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (19 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds) would be overshadowed on this particular night. The towering figure casting that shadow while having his best offensive game of the season was "Double-Deuce," a.k.a. Jeff Green. Playing a game high 43 minutes, Green (28 points, 5 rebounds) made 3 pointers, free throws, lay-ups and jump shots. To put it simply, the guy was feeling it. Now before all of the Jeff Green fanboys out there start high-fiving and chest bumping, let reality sink in just a bit. The performance he delivered against Phoenix is not consistent enough to validate the minutes he is currently receiving. While I do like Jeff and the versatility he brings, I would STILL like to see him moved to a 6th-man role. But I tip my hat to the man for showing off what he can be capable of, so well done.

Green's back-up also played well. Serge Ibaka made two HUGE tip-ins late in the game to give the Thunder a two-possession advantage and providing a little bit of breathing room. 

Vince Carter showed a blast from the past by reigning down shots from all over the floor. For a second, I thought we were in Toronto following all of the Y2K hype. Luckily, Carter's luck ran out when the Suns needed it the most and ultimately gave way to the come-back the Thunder had been mounting throughout the 4th. With this win under their belt, they need to get some rest and prepare for Utah. Back-to-back road wins could give all of the nay-sayers out there a glimpse of how tough the Thunder can be.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: @ Utah, February 5th at 8:00 CT.

Thunder Swat Hornets, Take Season Series 3-1

After providing me with my first taste of NBA action in my hometown, the Hornets flew back to New Orleans leaving me with a burning desire for a team to call mine--permanently. Everytime we have played them since their departure, I have slowly gotten over my petty crush. At this point, my petty crush has turned into a feeling very similar to hatred. Chris Paul flops, and it drives me crazy. The softest player we have is Nenad Krstic, but he's from Europe, the birthplace of miniscule contact resulting in grenade-esque reactions. Also, Trevor Ariza is overrated. He got paid for being a role player on the championship Lakers. And David West's game-winner against us pushed me over the top.

Emeka Okafor wasn't playing tonight which was a blessing because he habitually destroys us on the boards. Thabo Sefalosha was listed day to day which resulted in another start for James Harden. My emotions concerning him are as inconsistent as his 3 point shot. I like the guy but he needs to fill the role that we drafted him for. If that can't be done then another solution needs to be found. Settle down, Presti groupies. I know it is his 2nd year which is why I'm not demanding to trade him for a basketball rack...yet.

Early on, Kevin Durant was absolutely on fire. He scored 21 in the 1st half which had me dreaming of witnessing his first 50 point performance. When the 2nd half got underway, I was happy to see that halftime didn't cool him off. As KD continued to rain down jumper after jumper, I thought the basketball gods had heard me. But then something amazing happened, because it is the NBA: Where Amazing Happens (Ka-Ching). With 6 minutes left, KD had an open look on the left side. Instead of stroking yet another bucket, he made the extra pass to Jeff Green. You just don't see that stuff. Our superstar was lights out all game and was easily in reach of a career milestone. Instead of striving for a personal goal, he was focused on getting his teammates involved and securing the win. Granted, the win was never in jeopardy at or past this point, but to see him play unselfish basketball really caught my attention.

OKC went on to win the game playing virtually the entire 4th quarter on cruise control and clinched the possible playoff tiebreaker against the Hornets. Durant was on a different level than everyone else tonight and it wasn't even close. If Durant's stats are any indication, and they have been so far, he is going to continue on this scoring tear through February.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: @Phoenix Suns, February 4 at 8:00 CT.