NBA
They Had it… and Then Lost it
The Thunder found themselves down 16 in the third quarter, and with Paul George struggling and the Nuggets taking advantage of every mistake, it seemed like a blowout. If there is one thing we know about this Thunder team, it’s that they don’t give up. Somehow, they found themselves up for the first time since early in the second quarter. With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Russell Westbrook hits a three to take the lead 100-97.
It seemed like the Nuggets were going to fold. Nikola Jokic got sent to the free-throw line and missed both of them, but Paul Millsap came to save the day. He grabbed the offensive rebound and hit his two free-throws. Then Jamal Murray hit a three to take back the lead, and that was all she wrote for the Thunder. Oklahoma City Thunder fell to the Denver Nuggets, 121-112.
Denver’s Superior
For whatever reason, the Thunder can’t match up against this Nuggets team. The Thunder have the better star-power, and yet the Nuggets have won the last five matchups. Why is that? Well for starters, Jokic is a mad-man this year. Throughout all the MVP talk between George, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and James Harden, Jokic’s name doesn’t seem to be thrown in there. The thing is he should be in consideration! Jokic is averaging 20.7 points, 10 rebounds and 7.7 assists on 50 percent shooting. That is bonkers!
Last night proved yet again he deserves to be in that conversation. Jokic finished with 36 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds — not to mention he hit four three-pointers. Steven Adams had his hands full all night long; he could not stop him from scoring or making plays. That is a major concern for the Thunder. They seem to match up awfully against the Nuggets.
It also helped that Will Barton and Murray had 23 and 20 points, respectively. Murray isn’t the most consistent player on the team, but when he gets going, no team can beat them. Millsap seemed to grab every offensive rebound in the fourth, and that is what buried the Thunder.
Thunder Have Issues
Well, they don’t have issues necessarily, but they have some things to work on. Especially since the Thunder have the hardest schedule in the NBA to finish off the season. When they had the opportunity to win this game, they should have taken it. Jokic choked on those free-throws, but the Thunder didn’t hustle, and Millsap made them pay. If they want to keep the third seed or move up, they are going to have to stay focused.
One concerning issue could possibly be George. It’s unlikely he’ll be shooting this badly the rest of the season, but the past two games he has struggled. Against the Kings, he ended up with only 14 points on 19 shots. This past game, he only had 25 points on 24 shots and shooting a woeful 3/14 from three-point range. Those are Westbrook numbers. They don’t stand a chance if George is going to continue this streak.
Currently, it seems like the Thunder can match up against anyone in the Western Conference, except for the Nuggets. For whatever reason, Adams gets destroyed by Jokic every time. That needs to change. Nerlens Noel seemed to have an easier time guarding him, mostly because he is a better perimeter defender than Adams. If they can make that switch, things can get very interesting.
Westbrook Hitting Shots???
Yes, you read that right. Westbrook has been shooting the ball at a much better efficiency these past few games. Last night, he ended up with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists and shot 8/14 from the field. He is making his layups and seems extremely confident now — more than ever this season. Now, that doesn’t excuse his game completely.
He is still shooting poorly from the free-throw line. Westbrook went 4/8 from the stripe; that is all mental, not physical. He has to figure it out soon for the Thunder’s sake, and it’s unknown why he has been this bad. Maybe his free-throw line ritual is not allowed and that is screwing him up? Also, the turnovers are becoming an issue. Last night, he had seven turnovers and one at the end of the fourth quarter, only down three points. He has some sort of mental block when it comes to late-game situations, and it is incredible and cringy to watch.
All-in-all, Westbrook has been somewhat impressive, but he could still be better. He needs to take over games and stop having mental blocks down in the stretch where it ends up costing his team.
Isaiah Thomas is BACK
It was nice seeing Isaiah Thomas back in action for his fourth game. He ended up with 11 points on 3/5 shooting and hitting two three-pointers. Thomas missed three free-throws, so that hurt, but it was awesome to see him back on the court after essentially two years of absence from the game.
He was the star of the Boston Celtics and got a pretty raw deal out of it. However, I.T. is back and ready to help the Nuggets make a run in the playoffs. He still has a ways to go. Thomas can’t jump like he could in his MVP-like season, but give him some time. He is still making big plays and draining threes.
What is Next
The Thunder have dropped the last two games after a miraculous double-overtime win against the Utah Jazz. In that game, George and Westbrook each dropped 40+ points. The remaining schedule will be a huge test for the Thunder, and if they want to move up in the standings or keep their third-seed, they will have to re-focus and take their next game.
They play the Philadelphia 76ers tomorrow, and the 76ers will be missing their best player in Joel Embiid. The Thunder should take full advantage of that while they have the chance. Stock-pile those wins and try to grab home-court advantage while you can.
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Photo Credit
@okcthunder via Twitter
Writer Brandan Verrastro
