NBA
Thunder Pull Away in the 4th Quarter, Defeat Suns 118-102
In a game where Russell Westbrook needed to shine, he did just that. For three and a half quarters of play, the game was back and forth. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder outscored the Phoenix Suns 37-18 in the fourth quarter to pull away 118-102.
This is a Suns team who came into the game winning five of their last seven and didn’t let up against a Thunder team who lost their last two games. Obviously, with Paul George out with a quad injury, it wasn’t going to be an easy game. Thanks to Westbrook and his fourth quarter surge, the Thunder were able to get the better of the Suns.
Russell Westbrook is Alive
For the first time in a couple of weeks, Westbrook shot the ball extremely well. He ended the night with 40 points on 17-29 shooting from the field. He also sliced and diced this Suns defense with his jump-shooting and attacking the rim ruthlessly.
Westbrook also ended the night with 12 rebounds and eight assists. We haven’t seen this side of him in quite sometime with this type of ferocity on the offensive end. He sacrificed a bit of his defensive game, and you can see it was hurting for the first three quarters. However, the team was able to come together when Westbrook needed a breather. Once he returned, it was lights-out in Phoenix.
The game was capped off when Westbrook nailed a three-pointer and waived at Kelly Oubre Jr. Classic Westbrook to go out that way.
Unsung Hero off the Bench
One surprising name was brought to my attention to help get the victory, and that name is Abdel Nadar. Yes, Nadar, the man who once missed four consecutive free-throws with the Boston Celtics came and scored 18 points off the bench.
This was a man who seemed to lose all confidence in his game, and now he is helping secure the win for the Thunder. He shot 7-12 from the field and outscored his season total points (16). This may warrant some more playing time for the second-year player and could be huge for the scoring aspect of the game.
Getting it Done Without PG13
George has definitely been the best player for the Thunder this season. Night after night, he has put up huge numbers for this team and been fantastic on both sides of the ball. Without him, they’re going to need all the help they can get to replace the MVP candidate.
Guys like Jerami Grant, Dennis Schroder, and Steven Adams all had very solid nights on the road to victory. Schroder was a big reason for the Thunder controlling the fourth quarter as he scored 10 of his 20 points there and was relentless. Adams also had a few assists to Westbrook to help end the game. He also ended with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Grant played his usual role of 12 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Against a recently hot team like the Suns, this was one they didn’t want to lose.
Suns Staying in the Game
The Suns were not going to go down without a fight at home. The lead changed time-and-time again with the starters putting in big games. Devin Booker ended with a near triple-double; 25 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. He also was everywhere Friday night, despite not shooting extremely well from the field.
DeAndre Ayton finished the night with 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals. He also battled tough with Adams down in the paint and held his ground. TJ Warren and Mikal Bridges also had really good shooting nights as well to help the team through the first three quarters.
However, missed shots from Jamal Crawford, Oubre, Bridges and Booker killed momentum and the Thunder were able to take advantage.
Going Forward for the Thunder
George’s injury is something that’s not serious. However, with him possibly out for a few games, the Thunder will have to come together as a unit if they want to stay at the top of the Western Conference. The next four games are against teams that are fighting for a playoff spot in the West.
The Thunder advance to 22-12 and will face the Dallas Mavericks Sunday at 7:00 PM.
Photo Credit
Highlight Store via Flickr
Writer Brandan Verrastro
