NBA
Getting Past the Grizzlies
It wasn’t pretty by any means. In fact, it was quite ugly. Without Paul George, the Oklahoma City Thunder struggle to even be a decent team for most games. Last night, the Thunder were down for almost the entire game against a Grizzlies team trying to tank without its two best players in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Mike Conley.
After dropping four in a row to the Spurs, Nuggets, 76ers, and Spurs, they needed to see a win. Even if the win came against a low-tier team like the Grizzlies, they need something. With a minute left in the fourth quarter, Russell Westbrook does something we have barely seen this season — hit the clutch shot. He hit a 27-footer to tie the game at 93 and hit a pull-up jumper to put the Thunder up two.
It was curtains for the game as the Thunder barely got past the Grizzlies, 99-95.
A Win’s a Win
This game was one of the ugliest the Thunder have played in quite some time. As a whole, the team shot 35 percent from the field and 30 percent from three. It was truly a disgusting offensive display and had it not been for a couple of key factors, this game probably could and should have gotten out of hand.
For starters, Steven Adams was the co-player of the game for the Thunder. He ended with 13 points and 22 rebounds, and eight of those rebounds were on the offensive side. He gave the team multiple second-chance opportunities, which is great since he hasn’t had a performance like that in quite some time.
Secondly, the defense of the Thunder was fantastic. The team forced the Grizzlies to turn the ball over 20 times and limited the Grizzlies to 43 points in the second half. The Grizzlies couldn’t get much going in the fourth quarter and let the Thunder make its comeback.
The biggest factor was Russell Westbrook and his delivery in the clutch. Again, it came against the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Thunder needed to see a win. Westbrook delivered in the clutch, and Terrance Ferguson hit both of his free throws to end the game.
Life Without Paul George
George has been an MVP candidate this season and has carried this team’s offense. Without him, this team doesn’t have the slightest clue what to do. They dropped a game to the 76ers, who also didn’t have their best player in Joel Embiid. Then they lost to a San Antonio Spurs team, who not too long ago lost to the New York Knicks.
Westbrook cannot carry the Thunder like he once used to. They aren’t even respectable without George, and having to make a comeback against a lottery team isn’t exactly the greatest look. At the worst part of their schedule and their MVP candidate out for who knows how long, the players need to come together and play much better. It starts with Westbrook. He has to be the leader on both ends of the floor, and if that means he has to get a triple-double, by all means, he has to do it.
Certain guys need to step up as well. Dennis Schroder has taken the starting role for George, and his shot hasn’t been on point. Schroder shot a woeful 6/22 from the field against the Grizzlies. Luckily, every other part of his game was solid. He had 12 rebounds, six assists, and played with a lot of hustle on defense. Guys like Jerami Grant and Markieff Morris have to knock down some shots and be physical defensively. Those are two guys that are more than capable of bringing impact in multiple ways.
Billy Donovan needs to find a game-plan that can work in the meantime while George is out. Maybe keeping Schroder on the bench and starting Morris would help. It will be tough for the Thunder, but they have to stay focused as they go on a four-game road trip.
Some Statistics from the Thunder and Grizzlies game
Westbrook didn’t fill up the box-score like we are used to seeing. He ended the night with 22 points on 7/20 shooting from the field, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. He took 13 threes, which is a lot for someone shooting well under 30 percent. Abdel Nadar had a solid night, off the bench, with 15 points and hitting a couple of threes for the team.
Grizzlies big scorer was Avery Bradley, who had 27 points on 11/19 shooting from the field, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals. You don’t see those kinds of nights from Bradley much these days. Even at his peak with the Boston Celtics, he wasn’t scoring like this. He was a big part of the Grizzlies having the lead.
The Thunder starts its road trip against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
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Photo Credit
@okcthunder via Twitter
Writer Brandan Verrastro
