Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

A spot in the Oklahoma City Thunder rotation seems to be up for grabs right now. The Thunder usually go with a 10-man rotation and will play five bench players for stretches of the game as James Harden leads that squad.

Last year, that 5-man bench unit consisted of Harden, Reggie Jackson/Derek Fisher, Daequan Cook, Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed. They came in and out of the game like clockwork until the playoffs started when head coach Scott Brooks shortened his rotation.

Harden and Collison will continue their role as one of the best two-headed monster pick-and-roll tandems next season but there will be some new faces out there with them. Fisher and Mohammed are no longer with the team so Eric Maynor and Cole Aldrich are likely to fill those voids.

Then there’s the backup three spot behind Kevin Durant. Cook was that guy last season playing the role of 3-point specialist. It was a down year for Cook though who averaged 5.5 points per game but shot just 36.8 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three. The season before, Cook shot 42.2 percent from three.

There are murmurs around training camp now that rookie Perry Jones III could take over Cook’s spot in the rotation. Jones III has really impressed everyone in camp with his athleticism and versatility. Harden called Jones III the most athletic player on the team, Brooks has been impressed with the consistency of his midrange shot and Durant has taken the rookie under his wing playing the role of personal mentor. Jones III can play both the three and four positions for OKC and would bring them a type of player they did not have a season ago.

“It’s too early right now, but definitely D.C. had a role last year and I thought he did a pretty good job,” Brooks told The Oklahoman. “But there’s games where he’s not going to play many minutes. There’s games he’s only going to play in the first half. You just have to be ready. But we have three or four guys that can play that role and we just have to see which one starts off.”

Cook was said to show a shift in his mood when asked if he would continue playing the role he did last season, perhaps sensing that the rookie would inevitably take over for him some time soon.

“It’s different for everybody,” Cook said. “I mean, it’s different looks for every (practice) team. I’m not really concerned about that right now. I’m more focused on just preparing myself for the season and helping the younger guys out right now.”

The Thunder had the second most efficient offense last season and the main points of emphasis coming into camp and the preseason have been on defense and rebounding. Cook embodies that mindset less than Jones III does.

The sooner Jones III can crack the rotation, the better for the Thunder. They could really use a player like how he is described to become a key contributor on the team. The time is now for the Thunder to win a title and Jones III can help them in that journey. If Jones III can get a lot of minutes earlier in the season then he won’t be considered a “rookie” as much by the time the playoffs come around.

The Thunder already have one of the most athletic teams in the league. Jones III is 6-foot-11 and can run the floor as well as anyone on the team. Imagine a lineup closing out games of Westbrook, Harden, Durant, PJ3 and Ibaka, switching everything on defense, running after every rebound and just relentlessly attacking the mismatch on offense. It’s a dream right now for the Thunder but might be a reality sooner than later.

Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Perry Jones III may very well have been the steal of the draft for the Oklahoma City Thunder, drafting him 28th overall.

The Thunder did not expect to see Jones III on the board at this point but were more than happy to select him.

“We felt very comfortable making this selection at 28,” Thunder GM Sam Presti said. “We looked at all the information that we had available, and we wouldn’t have selected him unless we felt comfortable with all the information.”

Presti went on to say how he saw Jones III in his first ever college practice at Baylor and spoke to his coach there who described Jones III as someone who really cares about what he’s doing on the basketball court and of course, quite the amazing athlete.

The more you think about Jones III on this Thunder team, the more it seems like a perfect fit. His personality should blend right in with the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

“We really see him as a blend player,” Presti said. “We see great value in the fact that he’s incredibly talented, but he’s able to play within a team and understand how he can impact a game. He doesn’t need to be forcing the issue at all times. And with our particular team, we feel like that’s a huge quality that we looked at as a positive for us.”

But how much can we expect from Jones III during his rookie season? There are concerns regarding the health of his knee. Will he make the rotation?

The general consensus right now around the local media that cover the Thunder is that there aren’t a lot of immediate expectations for Jones III and that he may not be in the rotation to start.

“We won’t pigeonhole him,” assistant GM Troy Weaver said of Jones’ future position. “We think he can play anywhere on the front line. He’s a versatile player. The coaches will handle that. But we see his versatility as a strength.”

The Thunder will look to have a 10-man rotation once the season starts and Jones III actually has a very good chance of cutting into it. They will have the same starters as last season with Harden and Nick Collison as the first two off the bench.

Eric Maynor will be back from injury and will take over Derek Fisher’s backup point duties, assuming the Thunder don’t re-sign Fisher. Daequan Cook will continue his role as 3-point specialist leaving one more spot for Jones III to compete for.

Cole Aldrich has been in line waiting to step into the rotation and now with Nazr Mohammed likely gone he may. But Jones III could compete and beat Aldrich for that spot. The best case scenario for the Thunder would be if Jones III does crack the rotation.

You see, Jones III is exactly the type of player OKC was missing in the playoffs. They needed another versatile athlete to throw on LeBron or be able to grab rebounds while also defending quicker players.

In the playoffs, the Kendrick Perkins trade where OKC sent away Jeff Green started to look like a bad idea, if only Green was healthy. The Thunder were really missing that stretch 3-4 guy who can make some plays, defend a lot of positions and rebound.

Jones III can be exactly that for the Thunder. He won’t be the ball handler that Green was but he is bigger and just as athletic if not more. He’s not going to protect the rim like Serge Ibaka but he’ll be better to have out there than Fisher trying to take charges all the time.

We all keep reminding ourselves that Jones III could have been a lottery pick, this year or the last. That means he really should be getting a solid chunk of minutes for the Thunder next season.

“Everybody looks at his talent and says this guy should be dominant,” Weaver said. “But he plays within a teamwork and tries to blend with players and help his team win ballgames.”

One thing is for certain that the Thunder players will embrace him. Any down feelings Jones III had for slipping so late in the first round will be immediately erased when he steps on the floor with the most exciting team in the NBA.

This may be the typical overreaction immediately following the draft but there’s a few things we know about this Thunder team. One is that they will win a championship whether it’s this next season or soon after. Jones III will be integral in helping them do so.

Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks 95-79 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 31 points in the game and got off to a great start with 15 in the first quarter.

The Thunder led 50-41 at halftime and started the third quarter off great.

Russell Westbrook led the charge knocking down three straight jumpers in the first five minutes of the third. Westbrook after a slow start finished with 20 points in the game.

Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha made back-to-back 3-pointers with 5:53 left in the third to put Oklahoma City up 66-50. The Thunder led 75-57 after three.

Derek Fisher and Daequan Cook gave the Thunder a solid lift off the bench combining for 19 points and five three pointers.

Fisher made a driving layup with 10:41 left in the game to cap a 15-1 run and give the Thunder an 83-58 lead.

Dirk Nowitzki struggled all night going 6-for-15 from the field for 17 points and also picked up a technical foul in the first quarter.

The game felt like a changing of the guard in the West. The Thunder have improved greatly this year and getting by Dallas while they are not the same team as last year is a big step for them.

Now up 3-0 the series seems a lock but you never know. This Dallas team however never seemed to totally have it this season and trying to fight back from down 3-0 seems very unlikely.

Game 4 will be Saturday at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Late in the first of what was expected to be among many playoff games for the Oklahoma City Thunder, they found themselves down seven points.

The defending champion Dallas Mavericks led 94-87 with two and a half minutes remaining in the final quarter. After that point, the Thunder held the Mavs to just four free throws, and forced two turnovers.

A fierce Serge Ibaka dunk while getting fouled gave the Thunder a one-point lead. Dirk Nowitzki took back the lead with two free throws with nine seconds left.

The Thunder set up Kevin Durant with isolation on Shawn Marion. Durant drove to the basket, pulled up from 15-feet out and released what would be the final shot of the game.

The ball arced towards the rim; it hit the back of the iron and bounced for what seemed like forever. Eventually, to the fans delight, the ball dropped through the net, giving the Thunder the 99-98 lead.

The Mavericks failed to get a shot off as the buzzer sounded.

After as close of a game as it gets, the Thunder took a 1-0 series lead. The first round continues on Monday for Game 2 in Oklahoma City.

Kevin Durant- B+     25pts/6reb/4ast/4blk

The reigning scoring champ came up in the clutch for the Thunder like he has all season. Durant did not shoot all that well throughout most of the game, but when it mattered he hit the shot that mattered most. Shooting just 10-27 from the floor did not deter KD from taking shots late in the game. It’s unlikely he continues to shoot poorly in the series, which will help the Thunder avoid close games late.

Russell Westbrook- A     28pts/4reb/5ast/3stl

As expected, Russell Westbrook played really well in this matchup. The Mavericks don’t have the defense at the guard position to contain Westbrook, and it showed. He was able to shoot over 50% while navigating through the Dallas guards. On another note, Westbrook did turn the ball over five times, but that can be expected when he handles the ball as much as he does. Look for Westbrook to continue to play well throughout the series.

James Harden- A-     19pts/6reb/3ast/1stl

It looked like the Mavericks didn’t know how to defend James Harden. Unfortunately the same can be said for Harden guarding Jason Terry. The battle of 6th men turned out to be pretty even. Terry scored 20 to Harden’s 19, both very efficiently (Harden had 7 FGAs, Terry 10). One of the reasons James has been so good this season was because he got to the line often. This game was no different as he attempted 10 free throws, making 9 of them.

Serge Ibaka- B     22pts/6reb/1ast/1stl/5blks

Quite the unusual game for Ibaka. On defense he did manage to block five shots, but was pretty poor in guarding Dirk. He still struggles outside of the paint, and may not be put on him for a majority of the series. Oddly enough, Ibaka was pretty dominant on offense. He scored 22 points on 9-12 shooting, including a 3-pointer to end the first half. Also he showed flashes of post moves that we really haven’t seen all season, which was a nice surprise. A performance like this, offensively at least, is what the Thunder need to win this series.

Kendrick Perkins- A     0pts/8reb/1stl/1blk

Looking at that statline you wouldn’t think Perkins played well. That was definitely not the case in Game 1. I actually love that he didn’t score, it’s not what the Thunder want or need him to do. He played BEAUTIFUL defense on Dirk down the stretch, one of the biggest reasons OKC won the game. Hopefully Perk is guarding him whenever he is in the game, because if he can shut down Dirk for the most part, the Thunder won’t have a hard time winning.

Rest of the Thunder- C

Only five members of the team scored, all starters except for Perkins, adding Harden. Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison, Derek Fisher, and Daequan Cook all played fewer than 20 minutes and had little offensive impact. Thabo spent put in some solid defensive minutes on JET and Delonte West while Collison did the same with Nowitzki. Nazr Mohammaed, Royal Ivey, Lazar Hayward, and Cole Aldrich didn’t see the floor.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

It’s been quite a season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coming off a Western Conference Finals berth, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were looking to take the next step as they gained another year of experience.

The lockout halted all basketball action for a while until the new CBA was settled. Finally, ten teams including the Thunder, opened up the season on Christmas Day relieving the six-month wait for basketball fans across the country.

The excitement in Oklahoma City was greater than it has ever been. For the first time since moving from Seattle, this franchise was a favorite to represent the West in the NBA Finals. They got off to an incredible start, winning 16 of their first 19 games and solidifying themselves as championship contenders.

The Thunder hit an early speed bump when backup point guard Eric Maynor went down for the season with a torn ACL. An already shaky bench situation was thrown for a loop. Reggie Jackson had to suffice as Westbrook picked up more minutes.

The season went on and the Thunder won more games. Then Thabo Sefolosha went down for around six weeks, forcing Daequan Cook to start while James Harden continued to come off the bench.

Both Durant and Westbrook gained All-Star nominations, with Harden just missing out. The Thunder went into the break at 27-7 and were on their way for the #1 seed in the conference.

A 7-5 start once the season resumed brought the team back down to Earth. Wins against the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Chicago Bulls in an eight-day period were the peak of the season. Kevin Durant looked like the MVP and the Thunder were settled in the top spot in the West.

Unfortunately, they lost their next three games leading to a 7-7 finish in which they ended up as the #2 seed in the conference. Still, 47 wins in a shortened season isn’t half bad and the Thunder have a great shot at making the NBA Finals.

Their road to the Finals begins on Saturday against either the Denver Nuggets or defending champion Dallas Mavericks, whom they beat 2-1 and 3-1 in the season series, respectively.

Now let’s give these guys some grades.

Kevin Durant- A+     28.0pts/8.0reb/3.5ast/1.4stl/1.2blk   26.2 PER

Having established himself as one of the elite players in the league with many individual awards, Kevin Durant is ready to take his achievements to a team level. He quickly turned the Thunder into a legit Finals contender with an MVP-type season.

Unless Kobe Bryant scores 38 or more points tonight, KD will win his third straight scoring title, and will most likely be selected to the All-NBA team again.

He set career highs in rebounds, assists, and FG%. What really made this season different for Durant was his improvement defensively. His isolation defense is ranked 20th in the league, at 0.57 points per possession compared to 0.74 last season.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The main reason that Durant most likely will not win the MVP is because of LeBron’s defensive advantage. Even so, the gap is closing, with his athleticism and length Kevin can be a top notch defender which will lead to a few MVPs and hopefully some NBA titles.

Quite possibly the high point of the season for the Thunder star was scoring a career best 51 points against Denver in February. He had four 40+-point games to go along 18 double doubles. Missing that elusive triple double, Durant came within three assists three times.

Now, all of these stats and awards will mean nothing if the Thunder get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. Basketball is a team game, and Durant will need to be a leader to take his team all the way.

Russell Westbrook- A     23.6pts/4.6reb/5.5ast/1.7stl   22.9 PER

Another great season for Russell Westbrook. Coming off a playoff run where he gained a lot of criticism for his shooting tendencies, Westbrook put that all behind him and played wonderfully.

He was rewarded with a second straight All-Star appearance while he continues to improve his play.

Shooting the ball at a higher rate, he raised his FG% 15 points. Although this led to a pretty significant drop in his AST%, his turnover rate dropped from 15.9 to 14.2.

As Westbrook continues to cutback on the turnovers, his play will get much better and more efficient. The Thunder run one of the most isolation dependent offenses in the league, which will lead to a lower Assist/Turnover ratio. Just over thirteen percent of the plays run are isolations, usually by Durant, Westbrook, or Harden.

For a point guard on one of the top teams in the league, you would think it’s surprising that Westbrook only had four games with double-digit assists, and none with more than 11. Honestly, I don’t see that as a problem for the Thunder. They are going to score at any rate, and he is really more of a shoot first point guard.

What to look for from Westbrook going into the playoffs is how spread out the scoring is. The Thunder will be under a huge spotlight due to their star power, and people will pay attention to how many shots he takes in relation to Durant. As long as they are both in the upper teens-20s, and are making shots, it shouldn’t be a problem.

James Harden- A     16.8pts/4.1reb/3.7ast/1.0stl   21.1 PER

Five days ago the Thunder were in great shape going into the playoffs. Nobody was injured and the players were getting ready to make a playoff run. Then Harden took an elbow to the head from Ron Artest (he was suspended 7 games), missing the final two games of the season while recovering from a concussion.

Now, Harden is cleared to play in the first round, but concussions are always a touchy subject. It’s hard to tell how effected a person is by a hit to the head, whether they can play to their full ability or not. We’ll see how he reacts to the injury when he plays this weekend.

Besides this unfortunate incident, James Harden has had an incredible season. After a great showing in last year’s playoffs, he was met with expectations of becoming that third All-Star caliber player for the Thunder.

He did just that.

Harden is a shoe-in for 6th Man of the Year, along with being a candidate for Most Improved Player. He could start for pretty much any team that isn’t the Heat, Lakers or Spurs, but coming off the bench is what the Thunder need from him. When Durant and Westbrook are out of the game, he gives the team multiple ways to score.

For a while now I have been saying that James Harden is the best passer on the Thunder. He is able to run a quality offense with what little offensive talent the Thunder bench holds, and is given the point in many clutch situations.

Once Eric Maynor went down, Harden was on his own in the backcourt. He either assisted or scored a majority of the points while the bench unit was in the game. Nick Collison was the only other person on the bench to play significant minutes and be productive.

Averaging 16.8 points while shooting 49.1%, Harden just missed out on an All-Star berth. Surely he will make plenty in the future if he keeps on improving at this pace.

In just his third season in the league, Harden has become one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA. His points per possession of 1.12 ranks seventh in the league, his .660 TS% is the best for a backcourt player in the league’s history. True Shooting percentage incorporates FG%, 3P% and FT%, which means he gets to the charity stripe often, and can hit shots from anywhere on the court with consistency.

A prime example of his efficiency is the stat line Harden put up against the Phoenix Suns eight days ago. In one of the most exciting games this season, James Harden scored a career high 40 points on just 17 shots. He hit five of eight 3-point attempts, and all 11 free throw tries.

This type of play is the reason why he will be the X-Factor for the Thunder going into the playoffs. If Durant or Westbrook struggle, they can count on Harden to score and take over the game if necessary.

Serge Ibaka- B+     9.1pts/7.5reb/0.4ast/0.5stl/3.7blk   19.0 PER

IBLOCKA!

You may have heard this a bit this year. Serge Ibaka has become the blocking king of the league. Averaging close to four blocks per game, he became the first person to block 241 shots since Marcus Camby in 07-08, and that’s even with the shortened season.

The breakout game for the 22(???) year old big man came on a day where the Thunder had two 40+-point scorers. Ibaka collected his first triple double by blocking 11 shots to go along with 14 points and 15 rebounds.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

When someone is that dominant in the paint, they usually get looks for Defensive Player of the Year. Certainly people will give Serge votes, but it’s not time for that, yet. He really needs to improve all of the other parts of his defensive game, including pick and rolls, guarding smaller players, and not biting on pump fakes.

What I was really impressed with was Serge’s production on the offensive end. He may have dropped around a point per game from last year, but that really isn’t what matters with all of the scorers on the team.

The way he advanced his game was by adding more ways to score. His post moves are improving at a nice rate, and he has found a mid-ranged jumper. He hit shots from 16-21 feet at 45.5%, up from 41.8% last season. With more practice, his shot selection will improve, increasing his FG% and scoring average.

Against some of the smaller teams, we have seen Ibaka’s minutes go down under 20 due to his struggles guarding players outside the paint. With more time, he will be fit to play 30+ minutes every game.

We will see what Scott Brooks does once the playoffs start. Will he trust Ibaka to play a majority of the game with the season on the line?

Kendrick Perkins- C     5.1pts/6.6reb/1.2ast/0.4stl/1.1blk   8.7 PER

I don’t have a problem with Kendrick Perkins starting and only scoring five points, IF the only shots he gets are off offensive rebounds and the occasional wide open dunk. The worst thing the Thunder can do, is give the ball to Perk in the post, because he has ZERO post moves. It’s painful watching it.

Now on the defensive end, Perkins is really good. He is a solid pick and roll defender, and very good in isolation. That is how the Thunder will get the most out of the former Celtic. Keep him out of the offense and let him do his thing on defense.

This season, Perkins only scored double digit points eight times this year, with all but two of them coming after March 22nd. He also led the league with 13 technical fouls.

Kendrick Perkins doesn’t fill up the stat sheet, but he is still an above average NBA player, and is an able start for a championship contender.

Thabo Sefolosha- B     4.8pts/3.0reb/1.1ast/0.9stl/0.4blk   9.8 PER

Thabo played about just under 2/3 of this shortened season. His foot hindered him; he missed six weeks at the end of January into early March. The Thunder’s defense was affected by his absence, as Sefolosha is one of the premier wing defenders in the league.

Against smaller, faster teams, like the Nuggets, Sefolosha plays a more important part. When he is in along side Durant, Harden, and Westbrook, the Thunder’s defensive rating is better than normal at 1.01 ppp.

Thabo can hit 3-pointers at a nice rate. He shot 43.7% from beyond the arc, shooting 1.7 per game. His FT% is also in the upper 80s, so he isn’t a problem late in close games.

Defense wins championships, so Thabo will be an integral part in the Thunder’s run to the Finals.

Nick Collison- B+     4.5pts/4.3reb/1.3ast/0.5stl/0.4blk   12.1 PER

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

I have really enjoyed watching Nick Collison come off the bench. He has good chemistry with James Harden, and is a stickler on defense.

When the bench comes in, the main offense run by the unit is either Harden isolation, or the two-man game with Harden and Collison. He may not score much, but he is very effective in running a system and helping players get open shots. Evidenced by his 121 offensive rating (basketball-reference).

I like to think Collison is a similar player as Joakim Noah. He may not have the same talent, but they play the same type of game. Both players have high motors, will do the dirty work necessary to be a factor in the game. Every team needs that guy who hustles 100% of the time, and Nick is that guy for the Thunder.

Daequan Cook- C-     5.5pts/2.1reb/0.3ast/0.4stl/0.2blk   9.2 PER

The thing with PER is, it only takes into account quantifiable stats. So the only defense it uses is blocks and steals, that’s why Perkins and Sefolosha have a lower PER, their defensive skills are more than just statistics.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Daequan Cook. He is nowhere near a quality defensive player, and really isn’t even that good on offense.

Cook is supposed to be a 3-point specialist, that is why, of his 5.2 shots per games, 4 of them are 3-pointers. The best 3-point shooters are in the mid-40% range, above average shooters are in the upper-30s. Generally, if you are only on the team to make 3′s, you should be in one of those two categories.

Daequan Cook shot just 34.6% from range this year. That is not good. It’s not even like he just had a down year, he is a career 36.5% 3-point shooter.

When Thabo went down, and Cook had to step in and start, that’s when it got bad. There was a stretch of six games in the middle of February, where Cook made 4 of 34 attempts from beyond the arc. That is not good.

His minutes will be way down for the playoffs. I would be surprised if he got more than 10 minutes in any game that isn’t a blowout.

Eric Maynor-        pts/ reb/ ast/ stl/ blk   PER

In case you couldn’t tell, talking about Eric Maynor makes me sad. He was one of the best backup point guards in the league, and was really fun to watch. He would’ve helped this Thunder team out a bunch, by taking some of the load off James Harden with the bench unit, and also spelling Russell Westbrook at times.

Most of all, if Eric Maynor had not torn his ACL after nine games, the Thunder WOULD NOT HAVE DEREK FISHER. More on that coming later.

We can only sit and wait until next year to see Maynor play again. It should be a joyful time, and very Fisher-less.

Nazr Mohammad, Royal Ivey, Reggie Jackson, Cole Aldrich- C

This bench unit was not very productive this year, outside of Harden and Collison. Reggie Jackson was getting some minutes until Fisher showed up. He showed some skill, but apparently not enough, as he hasn’t played much since the Thunder brought in the 5-ringed veteran.

Nazr Mohammad appeared in most games, yet had minimum impact. He scored just 2.7 points and grabbed 2.7 rebounds.

These guys won’t get more than five minutes in any playoff game, barring injury, and shouldn’t have an impact on how the Thunder’s season turns out.

Derek Fisher- D     4.9pts/1.5reb/1.4ast/0.6stl/0.1blk   5.9 PER  (20 games for OKC)

Halfway through writing my feelings on Derek Fisher, I decided to quit and save it for another time. It was getting too long, and it needs to be justified.

So I’ll just give some quick little notes on Derek Fisher’s season with the Thunder.

The positive impact Fisher brings to the team is purely his veteran leadership. He has been to the NBA Finals multiple times, and if the Thunder happen to end up there this season, that’s where he will help.

On the court, Fisher has not played well at all. He shot 34.3% from the floor on 5.4 shots. Any respectable player, playing over 15 minutes a game, should be shooting much better. That isn’t even that good for a 3-point%.

His defense isn’t much better. Fisher gets beat by quicker guards all of the time, and doesn’t have much to give on the defensive side of the ball.

I’m not a fan of giving Derek Fisher minutes, but if Coach Brooks isn’t going to play Reggie Jackson, then somebody has to do fill that backup PG spot, and it might as well be him.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant scored 32 points to go with nine rebounds and did not play in the fourth quarter as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Sacramento Kings 118-110 Tuesday night.

Durant came into the game leading Kobe Bryant in the scoring department by 0.4 points per game. Durant is now averaging 27.97 points per game on the season while Bryant is at 27.86. Both players have one game left to play in this season.

The Thunder trailed at halftime and trailed by four entering the fourth quarter. Without their starters they came back led by Daequan Cook who scored a season-high 19 points in the game and made four three-pointers.

The defensive intensity was nonexistent in this one with the Thunder allowing 58 percent field goal shooting by the Kings in the first half and over 52 percent for the game.

The difference for Oklahoma City was getting to the line as they made 33-of-36 free throws in the game with Durant leading the way going 15-for-16.

Russell Westbrook only played 27 minutes and again didn’t have his best shooting night making 4-of-13 from the field and scoring 13 points. He did however add six assists and eight rebounds.

The Kings were a mess all night despite being in the game throughout. They got 32 points from DeMarcus Cousins who did not however provide the same results on the defensive end of the floor.

The Thunder will close out the regular season at home tomorrow night against the Denver Nuggets.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook stole the show tonight with this thunderous alley-oop finish in the second quarter on lob pass from Kevin Durant in transition.

The dunk electrified the crowd and set the tone for the rest of the night as Oklahoma City cruised to a 115-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Durant led the team with 29 points and nine rebounds and needed to play just 30 minutes. Durant also turned the ball over seven times.

Westbrook scored 22 points to go with five assists and six rebounds. The two combined to shoot over 50 percent from the floor and needed to as the Thunder were without James Harden for the night.

The Thunder turned the ball over 23 times and gave up 17 offensive rebounds when they played the Kings two months ago. Tonight, Oklahoma City committed just 14 turnovers and gave up eight offensive rebounds while crashing the glass themselves with 16 offensive boards.

Kendrick Perkins led that charge with a double-double, scoring 11 points and pulling down 11 rebounds – five offensive.

DeMarcus Cousins tried to get established early but Serge Ibaka wouldn’t let him as he blocked seven shots on the night. Cousins scored just nine points and was 3-for-14 from the field.

Derek Fisher and Daequan Cook shot well in Harden’s absence combining for 27 points. Cook hit three threes and had 13 points while Fisher scored 14, though Jimmer Fredette was covering him most of the time.

The Thunder (43-16) play tomorrow night in Minnesota (25-35) in what will be the first of five in a row on the road for them. Kevin Love suffered a concussion against the Denver Nuggets and likely won’t play tomorrow night or at all the rest of the season.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

When Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook struggle, the Thunder aren’t going to win against quality teams like the Los Angeles Clippers.

They combined to shoot 10-35 from the floor, for 44 points.

Oklahoma City was leading throughout most of the game until they scored just 18 points in the 4th quarter. Durant hit a 3-pointer with 32 seconds to go to tie it up at 98, but Chris Paul followed with a layup to put the Clippers up for good.

The Thunder drop their 16th game of the season, which is tied with the Spurs in the loss column for first in the West.

Oklahoma City continues their chase for the #1 seed on Friday, when they face the Sacramento Kings.

Kevin Durant- C+     22pts/9reb/3ast/2stl

That last shot by Kevin Durant wasn’t the best available, but he loves that shot. Surprisingly, the Clippers managed to play quality defense against the MVP candidate, which goes against everything said about them this season. In the playoffs, Durant won’t have more than a game or two like this, so there isn’t much to worry about.

Russell Westbrook- D     20pts/4reb/7ast

Going up against on of the best defenders among point guards, Westbrook struggled to make shots. He shot more free throws than he did field goals, and had four turnovers. Not a very good game for Westbrook, overall.

Serge Ibaka- B+     12pts/7reb/1ast/3blk

Ibaka has been one of the bright points of this Thunder team throughout the season. He doesn’t seem to have many bad games, and is a consistent presence in the paint. He, along with Perkins and Collison, held Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to just 24 points.

Kendrick Perkins- C     8pts/5reb/3ast/2blk

My HUGE pet peeve with the Thunder offense is that they, for some reason, think that giving the ball to Kendrick Perkins in the post, is a good idea. In no game, should he get nine shots. Otherwise, his defense was fine, and didn’t get in the way too much on offense.

James Harden- A-     17pts/5reb/2ast/1stl

After a little sloppy play early in the game, Harden settled in and was a good for the rest of the game. He hit 50% of his shots, and got to the free throw line seven times. It seems like the players are still recovering from the tough game in Miami.

Rest of the Thunder- B-

Derek Fisher managed to hit a couple shots early in the game, but didn’t play much in the second half. Nick Collison has become one of the best screen setters in the game, giving the Thunder open shots. Overall, it was not a very well played game by the Thunder, and they were still in it all the way through. They’ll be a top two seed in the West, so these games don’t mean too much right now.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder snapped their three-game losing streak beating the Toronto Raptors 91-75 Sunday night.

The Thunder led Toronto 58-55 with 6:05 left in the third quarter and would then go on a 24-0 run that lasted into the fourth quarter. The Thunder starters did not have to play in the final period.

Kevin Durant led the way for Oklahoma City scoring 23 points and making 4-of-6 threes. Russell Westbrook looked like he might be on pace for a triple-double early and finished with 15 points, six assists and six rebounds.

The Thunder bench was the difference in this one, along with the fact that the Raptors might have the worst roster in the NBA. James Harden, Nick Collison, Daequan Cook and Derek Fisher were all plus-16 or better while on the floor.

Harden had only five points through three quarters but turned it up in the fourth and finished with 17 points and four assists. Collison was a beast on the glass with nine rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. Cook had his highest scoring output since early March with eight points including two treys.

The Thunder were going through a tough stretch losing their last three games and they really didn’t look all that great tonight. They scored just 91 points which is right around what they’ve been averaging in their losing streak. The Thunder also committed 16 turnovers in the game tonight.

Three-point shooting helped Oklahoma City out tonight as they made 10-of-23 attempts. On defense they held Toronto to 37.2 percent shooting with Serge Ibaka spearheading the attack with five blocks.

The Thunder (41-15) will travel tomorrow to play in Milwaukee (28-28).

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The big news these last few days for the Oklahoma City Thunder was the signing of veteran point guard Derek Fisher. Fisher played in his first game with the Thunder last night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder were in need of a solid backup point since the Eric Maynor injury and Reggie Jackson hasn’t exactly been exceeding at the job. Fisher brings with him a lot of experience, five championship rings and leadership.

How will the signing play out? The staff at Thunderous Intentions is here to break it down.

We know one area the Thunder weren’t strong at this season was a backup point guard. How much does Derek Fisher help this?

Andrew Kennedy: I think he helps a lot. The Thunder were getting basically nothing from Reggie Jackson’s minutes and it seemed like kind of a weakness for OKC. While I don’t expect much scoring or assists or even great defense from Fisher, I do think it is a significant upgrade.

Cody Brees: Since James Harden will be the primary ball handler with the second unit, the backup point guard for the Thunder is mostly a spot up shooter. Fisher is having a down year only shooting 33 percent from behind the arc this year. But that is an improvement over Reggie Jackson’s 22 percent.

Blake Potash: The impact Fisher may or may not have will not be on the court. I think Reggie Jackson has been better than Fisher this year, especially on the defensive end. Things shouldn’t change much for the Thunder at the point guard position.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

How big of an impact do you think Fisher will make in terms of intangibles, experience and in the locker room?

AK: This is going to be the biggest impact that Fisher will bring to the Thunder. I think having him in the locker room has to help players like Russell Westbrook and I think his experience and leadership will have a positive effect on the entire team.

CB: I believe this will be the biggest impact Fisher makes, if he truly buys into the Thunder team. The Thunder’s best players are still very young, with no real teacher at the guard position. You noticed the impact Kendrick Perkins made on the defensive end on and off the court with his championship experience. Hopefully Fisher can provide some of the same.

BP: I would like to think Fisher is going to help a bit with this young locker room. He has been a part of a championship atmosphere, and knows the mentality of an NBA Finals contender. Generally I’m not the biggest fan of bringing in veteran leadership, it only helps in certain situations, but after last nights’ game, it looks like it may work out.

How many minutes should Fisher play?

AK: This is the area where I am a little concerned with the Fisher addition. I can totally see Scott Brooks loving him a little too much and playing him 18-20 minutes when he should be playing 15 or less. And once the playoffs come around, Westbrook should be playing 40-plus minutes which means unless Fisher is going to be playing alongside Fisher, we shouldn’t see more than 10 minutes a night from him.

CB: Regular season I wouldn’t mind him playing around 15 minutes once he learns the system. I think in addition to the backup point minutes, I would love (really, really love) for him to take some minutes away from Cook when the Thunder play small. Once the playoffs roll around we will see how well he is doing, then decide how much we want him playing.

BP: 10-15 minutes. With Daequan Cook now out for a few weeks, Fisher should take all of his minutes, and some from Royal Ivey and Reggie Jackson. Jackson’s play warrants as many minutes as Fisher, but it looks like Coach Brooks will give the veteran a majority of the minutes behind Westbrook.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Will we see Fisher playing crunch time and will that be a good thing?

AK: I think in some games we will see him playing crunch time obviously when the Thunder decide to go small, which they do a lot in the fourth quarter. Before it was Daequan Cook who played alongside Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka. We’ve yet to really see Westbrook out there with another point and it will be interesting to see if it’s a good match. I personally like Westbrook playing off the ball some and if that is the case with Fisher in, it may be a lineup that works well for the Thunder.

CB: Only if the Thunder go small, and there is an un-athletic guard on the court. The Thunder go small a lot at the end of games, so I wouldn’t be surprised there, but against teams like the Lakers and Clippers with multiple athletic guards I wouldn’t expect to see him much.

BP: Hopefully not. Fisher should be nowhere near the ball with the game on the line, leave that to the Durant, Westbrook, and Harden.

Are the Thunder significantly better with Fisher?

AK: I guess the jury is still out here. They probably aren’t significantly better but are improved overall. I really like the move overall and think it will benefit the Thunder in multiple ways as the season progresses.

CB: I would say no. I am not even sure if they are better with Fisher at this point. Fisher is having a terrible year. He is 54th among point guards in PER. That being said, Jackson is only .5 better. On paper the improvement is minimal. In the locker room will be the most significant improvement.

BP: I would say they are marginally better, at best. The Thunder are a pretty solid team at the moment, and didn’t need to make any moves to remain the favorite in the West. If Fisher can keep the player’s heads in the right direction going into the playoffs, this will have been a successful transaction.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Following the big news that Derek Fisher was coming to town, the Thunder run over the Los Angeles Clippers 114-91.

Durant led the way with 32 points on just 18 shots.

Surprisingly, Scott Brooks gave Fisher 20 minutes after joining the team today, also getting a standing ovation when entering the game for the first time.

The Thunder shot 54% from the floor, and went 21-22 from the charity stripe.

They continue their three-game stretch at home when Minnesota comes to town on Friday.

Kevin Durant- A+     32pts/9reb/5ast/2stl

Another MVP-esque game for the Thunder’s superstar. Durant was very efficient tonight, getting to the line 11 times, making them all, and only taking 18 shots. He had an advantage, due to the Clippers’ lack of defensive ability, with Nick Young having to guard him at times. Durant used his postgame very well, getting fouled and hitting jumpers over smaller opponents.

Russell Westbrook- B+     19pts/3reb/4ast

Russ started off hot for the second straight night, hitting his first three shots, and scoring nine first quarter points. The real story tonight though, was Westbrook’s defense on Chris Paul. He held the All-NBA point guard to just 13 points.

Serge Ibaka- A     15pts/8reb/3blk

I’m really loving Ibaka’s play as of late. He is doing everything right on both sides of the ball. Serge added another three blocks, which isn’t unusual and also helped hold Blake Griffin to his lowest career point total, 7. He is also getting much better on the offensive boards, which helps get some key points in the paint that the Thunder lack.

Kendrick Perkins- A     6pts/8reb/1ast/1blk

Finally, here’s a game where I don’t have anything bad to say about Kendrick Perkins. He played wonderful defense on the Clipper bigs, and made all three of his field goal attempts. I want to see this more often out of Perk. Well I have one bad thing, he got another technical, but it’s Perkins, what can you do?

Thabo Sefolosha- B     5pts/3reb/1ast/1stl

The Thunder got 15 more quality minutes out of Thabo tonight. Sure Randy Foye caught fire in the first half, but you can’t really blame a defender when someone shoots lights out. Thabo added a 3-pointer and two free throws, and you have a solid game.

James Harden- B+     10pts/6reb/5ast/1stl

While James Harden didn’t score that much, he did dish out five assists. He has been a very good passer, maybe the best on the team, and is involving the rest of the second unit.

Rest of the Thunder- A

The bench unit played a great game tonight. Maybe it was because of Derek Fisher, maybe not. They scored 26 points, including back to back Lazar Hayward 3’s, and seven from Nazr Mohammad. Fisher got most of Daequan Cook’s (who has been ruled out for 2-3 weeks) and Reggie Jackson’s minutes, and played some solid ball. Nineteen minutes was a little more than expected for his first time out, but I was not disappointed with Fisher’s play.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat are the front-runners for signing veteran point guard Derek Fisher.

Fisher was traded from the Lakers after 13 seasons with the team to the Houston Rockets at the deadline last Thursday along with a first-round pick for Jordan Hill.

The Rockets have since waived Fisher making him available to anyone other than the Lakers once he clears waivers on Wednesday.

The Thunder have a sure need for a backup point guard since losing Eric Maynor earlier this season with an injury. Rookie Reggie Jackson has been playing in his place and has been unable to produce very much.

Fisher seems like an obvious upgrade at this spot for the Thunder. Fisher also has the same agent as Kevin Durant now.

The Thunder’s best four players are either 23 or 22. Fisher could definitely bring some leadership and experience to the team with the best record in the Western Conference.

The only concern for Thunder fans would be exactly how much Fisher would play. He averaged over 25 minutes per game with the Lakers this season but would likely be getting 15 or under with the Thunder.

Scott Brooks seems to have an affinity for players like Fisher and may even be prone to play him more. That might not be a great thing for the Thunder. It’s not like they’d want Fisher in their crunch time lineup.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook routinely plays over 40 minutes per game especially with Jackson as his backup. Westbrook really has no problem doing this and when the playoffs come around will probably be asked to play over 40 minutes per game.

It is unlikely that Fisher would do anything to interfere with a title run for the Thunder and may even extremely benefit it tootling Westbrook to some degree.

Imagine a lineup with Westbrook playing off the ball next to Fisher-Harden-Durant-Ibaka. That’s a decent closing lineup if the Thunder can afford to go small. I think I’d rather see Fisher on the floor instead of Daequan Cook in some cases.

I’m just not totally in love with the Thunder closing games by going small and if they add Fisher, I feel they will always do this. I love what Kendrick Perkins or Nick Collison can bring on defense and I don’t know if it is worth it to exchange them for smaller players who stretch the floor on offense.

I’m still more excited about Thabo Sefolosha becoming the fifth crunch time player because of his defense and ability to let the Thunder switch on perimeter players on defense.

We will find out Wednesday if Fisher chooses Oklahoma City. Miami is obviously another place he will consider and would probably be a better fit for him.

Soobum Im-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (1-game winning streak)
106.7 Offensive Efficiency (2nd)
99.5 Defensive Efficiency (11th)
95.9 Pace (4th)
56.9 True Shooting % (1st)
51.3 Rebound Rate (5th)

Spurs (2-game winning streak)
105.6 Offensive Efficiency (4th)
101.6 Defensive Efficiency (16th)
94.0 Pace (16th)
54.7 True Shooting % (4th)
49.9 Rebound Rate (17th)

The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off an impressive 103-90 win last night over the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder made a season-high 12 three-pointers in the game.

Yesterday was the NBA trade deadline and while the Thunder stood pat with their roster, San Antonio did not trading away Richard Jefferson and a first-round pick to Golden State for Stephen Jackson.

Jackson previously played for San Antonio from 2001-03 and won the title with the team in the 2002-03 season. Jackson will bring some added offense to the Spurs who currently sit second in the West in terms of record behind only the Thunder.

The last time these two teams played Tony Parker put on a clinic scoring 42 points and dishing out nine assists. The Thunder had no chance in that game being played in San Antonio.

Tonight the Thunder will look for payback at home only this time the Spurs will also be with Manu Ginobili who has returned from injury and continuing his fine season.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Thunder also have a player back from injury in Thabo Sefolosha who played his first game last night after missing the previous 23. Sefolosha brings back some athleticism and defense to the starting lineup and allows for the Thunder to return to their original rotation from earlier this season bringing Daequan Cook off the bench.

Kevin Durant did not play very well against the Spurs last time scoring only 22 points and neither did Russell Westbrook who scored 18.

The game was only kind of close because of the Thunder bench which made runs with Parker out and kept the score respectable.

The Thunder have been prone to slow starts this season and can’t afford that against a quality team like the Spurs.

It is unlikely that Jackson will play tonight but the return of Ginobili should present a bigger challenge for the Thunder tonight. They are going to need to be clicking on all cylinders to make sure they come away with a victory.

Westbrook should be motivated to take on the challenge against Parker tonight and hopefully that results in a good thing for the Thunder.

James Harden went 0-for-3from three against the Spurs last time but hit four threes last night. The Thunder will need Harden and the rest of the second-unit to play well as the Spurs get a lot of production from their bench.

The game will tip at 9:30 p.m. EST on ESPN.

From the words of the Nuggets announcers last night: “Add Al Harrington to the list of Kevin Durant posters.”

That’s the kind of night it was for the Denver Nuggets. They just didn’t have the motivation it seemed to come out and match the Thunder’s intensity.

Oklahoma City cruised to a 103-90 win last night never breaking stride along the way.

Durant led the way scoring 24 points. He made all four of his shots at the rim and went 2-for-2 from 16-to-23 feet. Durant’s only blemish was making just 1-of-5 treys.

Russell Westbrook didn’t have his cleanest night with seven turnovers but had nice touch from deep making 2-of-3 threes and 3-of-7 long twos.

Thabo Sefolosha returned to the starting lineup after missing the last 23 games for the Thunder. The Thunder defense returned to their old ways last night too now that Daequan Cook could start coming off the bench again.

Last year, Oklahoma City’s defense was one of the best in the league but they have struggled somewhat in that department this season. It was good to see them show glimpses of their potential on the defensive end last night.

The Thunder may be the best in the NBA at turning good defense into quick-scoring offense. We saw a great example of that last night after a Serge Ibaka block on Harrington quickly turned into a fast break alley-oop from Westbrook to James Harden.

That was Harden’s only bucket at the rim last night as he comfortably lit the Nuggets up from three instead. He made 4-of-6 threes in the game as the Thunder made a season-high 12 threes as a team last night.

Another big component to the return of Sefolosha is the Thunder getting back to their normal rotation. Cook seemed more comfortable coming back off the bench to the tune of making three three-pointers last night.

Reggie Jackson also played well with five points and four assists. There were some rumors just before the trade deadline about the Thunder possibly pursuing D.J. Augustin from the Charlotte Bobcats. The potential deal likely would have included Jackson, who seemed possibly relieved to still be with the Thunder last night and it was reflected in his game.

Tonight we will see the top two teams in the West do battle as the Thunder will host San Antonio. The Spurs made some noise yesterday trading away Richard Jefferson to Golden State for Stephen Jackson.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a season-high 12 three-pointers on their way to a 103-90 victory on the road against the Denver Nuggets Thursday night.

It was a day that featured many other headlines and the intensity from either team seemed on cruise control.

The Nuggets came into the game having just traded away Nene to Washington for JaVale McGee. Nene would of course not play in the game and McGee wouldn’t be arriving until Friday morning.

The Thunder got Thabo Sefolosha back after he missed the last 23 games with a right foot injury. Sefolosha looked good in his return especially on defense and the Thunder looked more comfortable in their rotation.

Kevin Durant would lead the team with 24 points and eight rebounds. Russell Westbrook scored 23 points but also had seven turnovers. James Harden poured in 18 off the bench including four three-pointers.

Daequan Cook did not have to start for the first time in a long time and looked more comfortable returning to his bench role. He came in and made three three-pointers for the Thunder and scored 11 points.

The Thunder would close with Reggie Jackson in the fourth quarter going small with Durant at the four. Jackson had a fine game with five points and four assists and the Thunder were plus-13 with him in the game.

The Denver Nuggets actually led this game at halftime 51-50 but would score just 39 points in the second half and just didn’t look like they had the legs to give enough effort to challenge the Thunder seriously.

Oklahoma City shot 48 percent from deep and made 12 threes while Denver struggled making only five treys out of 22 attempts.

The Thunder (33-10) will return home tomorrow night to host the San Antonio Spurs (28-13). The game will air at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha will return to the starting lineup tonight with the Thunder traveling to take on Denver tonight at 8 p.m. EST.

Sefolosha missed the last 23 games due to an injured right foot. James Harden started two games in his absence and Daequan Cook the other 21.

Sefolosha was missed in a lot of instances. He is one of the premiere perimeter defenders in the league. Being matched up with opponent’s starting twos was a tough task for Cook these past weeks.

The Thunder will also be able to get back to their original rotation using Cook off the bench. Cook was forced to play a lot of minutes starting and then remaining in the game with the second unit with Sefolosha out.

Royal Ivey has been getting a lot of minutes lately as Cook has struggled.

Sefolosha should also be helpful when the Thunder go small and need more defense at the end of games. The Thunder struggled in some games during his absence playing Cook late and did not have enough defense and rebounding on the court.

Thomas Campbell-US Presswire

Thunder (1-game winning streak)
106.6 Offensive Efficiency (2nd)
99.4 Defensive Efficiency (12th)
96.0 Pace (5th)
56.9 True Shooting % (1st)
51.3 Rebound Rate (6th)

Rockets (1-game losing streak)
102.6 Offensive Efficiency (10th)
101.7 Defensive Efficiency (17th)
94.5 Pace (11th)
53.2 True Shooting % (7th)
50.4 Rebound Rate (13th)

The Thunder are coming off one of the easier wins of the season beating the Bobcats 122-95 two nights ago. James Harden scored a career-high 33 points in the win.

Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined to outscore the entire Bobcats team 55-40 in the first half of Saturday night’s win. That has been the trend of late from the Thunder, their Big Three carrying the scoring load.

The Thunder have played the Rockets three times already this year beating them the first two then losing 96-95 the last time. In that loss Durant had three chances to put the Thunder ahead in the final minute and failed to do so.

The Rockets are an overachieving team by old statistical measures and played the Thunder very tough. Rookie Chandler Parsons did a very nice job on Durant last game.

Kevin Martin had a big game scoring 32 as he torched Daequan Cook early and had the hot hand for most of the night.

The Thunder turned the ball over 21 times in Houston that night and got almost no production from anyone outside of the Big Three.

At home tonight expect better role player production and we’ll see if Harden continues his stellar play. Harden scored 17 points and had five turnovers in the last meeting.

With two days of rest the Thunder should be fresh while the Rockets have been in somewhat of a slump of late dropping six of their last seven. They’re battling injuries and will be without starting point guard Kyle Lowry for tonight’s game.

This is not a game the Thunder should lose. Expect to see them come out on point and play well. The emphasis early should be containing Martin and getting out on the fast break for some easy buckets.

The Thunder are favored by 11.0 as they close out their five-game home stand tonight.

This may or may not be common knowledge but I’m here to tell you know that the Oklahoma City Thunder may have the best zone offense in the NBA.

Keys to beating a zone include: good perimeter shooting, ability to penetrate, good ball movement and hitting the offensive glass. The Thunder demonstrated the ability to do all of these against the Suns.

Kevin Durant and James Harden took care of the three-point shooting, Russell Westbrook slashed and dashed through the Suns zone and Serge Ibaka pulled down nine offensive rebounds.

Here are some of the best possessions Oklahoma City had against Phoenix’s zone.

Early in the third quarter the Suns come out in a matchup 2-3 zone. Westbrook advances into the front court then swings it to Daequan Cook on the left wing with Durant in the left corner.

Durant comes up to get the ball at the wing and Ibaka comes over to set a screen on Jared Dudley. Durant uses it and Steve Nash comes over to help and Durant kicks out to Westbrook on the wing. Grant Hill then has to decide now to run out to Westbrook and leave Cook open in the corner.

Hill jabs at Westbrook then retreats and Westbrook immediately penetrates at Marcin Gortat. This is usually where we’d see Westbrook try and take on Gortat and draw a foul and finish at the rim. Westbrook collectedly gets into the paint and sees Ibaka now rolling to the rim.

Westbrook dumps it off to Ibaka who gets a pretty easy dunk. The Thunder made all of the right reads here and moved the ball quickly and efficiently to get the easy dunk.

The next play is at the end of the third quarter with Phoenix again in a 2-3 zone. The Thunder try a set play here with Westbrook bringing it up on the right wing and Durant is looking to set a back pick on the opposite guard for Harden to get a three on the left wing.

Harden catches on the wing but doesn’t have the shot as Dudley helps up for Nash. The Suns zone is already in trouble here and way out of position.

Harden quickly hits Durant at the foul line as Nash and Dudley converge on him. All of the focus then goes to Durant who now has the ball in the middle of the paint.

Durant makes a great read here seeing Ibaka diving on the left block with no one on him. Ibaka finishes quickly and strongly with another dunk.

The final play comes with 4:00 minutes left in the game. Oklahoma City has gone small to close the game and is using Durant around the free throw line to beat the zone. Phoenix is again in 2-3.

Durant comes up to set a pick for Westbrook then flattens out to the right wing. Nash goes with Durant and Westbrook sees the slight opening in the middle of zone and drives hard at Dudley.

Once Westbrook gets into the paint like that it’s all but over for the Suns’ zone. All of the attention goes to him and he makes the easy pass kicking out to Harden in the corner for the three which he drills.

The Thunder, like the Miami Heat, may see a lot of zone once the playoffs start because a lot of teams can’t really match up with them man-to-man. But the Thunder are better put together to beat the zone than the Heat are.

The Thunder’s zone offense may prove to be an integral weapon to their road to the NBA Finals this season.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (1-game winning streak)
106.1 Offensive Efficiency (2nd)
99.1 Defensive Efficiency (12th)
96.0 Pace (5th)
56.7 True Shooting % (2nd)
51.6 Rebound Rate (4th)

Suns (3-game winning streak)
100.2 Offensive Efficiency (16th)
101.9 Defensive Efficiency (18th)
94.4 Pace (13th)
52.4 True Shooting % (13th)
48.7 Rebound Rate (24th)

The Thunder are coming off a nice win against Dallas two nights ago. The win gave Oklahoma City the season series at 3-1 and they came from behind in the final minutes to close out the defending champs.

Phoenix has won their last three games and five of their last six. They have been inconsistent this year despite the amazing play of Steve Nash and his new pick-and-roll partner, Marcin Gortat.

The Suns can still win a lot of games in this league playing their style. Their style just doesn’t bode well when matched up with the juggernaut Thunder.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Nash will have to contend with one of the best defenders in the league in Russell Westbrook as well as somehow try and slow Westbrook down at the other end. When Westbrook has matchups like this where he truly overmatches his counterpart in athleticism, he has really tried to take advantage of it this year and pretty much gets to whatever spot he wants.

The Suns have a ton of small forwards t throw out on the court but none are much match for Kevin Durant who is coming off a few recent games where he did have to face tough defenders.

The Suns can be at their best running and moving the ball around for open shots but that pace tonight will favor the hyper-athletes that the Thunder strut out onto the court.

Gortat has been a pleasant surprise for Phoenix this year but it doesn’t get much tougher than Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins protecting the paint.

Oklahoma City is susceptible to upsets from teams that hit the offensive glass and play great defense that forces turnovers. The Suns aren’t that team and with the game being played in Oklahoma City, the Thunder should walk all over Phoenix tonight.

These two teams met once earlier this season on New Year’s Eve with the Thunder winning 107-97. In that game Nash was held to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. Durant only scored 12 and Westbrook 18 but it was the Thunder bench that really came through with 53 points.

James Harden had 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and Daequan Cook played especially well knocking down four treys.

Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

So comes the end of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s run as the top team in the NBA. The night after the Miami Heat lose to go down one game, Oklahoma City takes a loss to the Atlanta Hawks, 97-90.

Josh Smith dominated the post, revealing a weakness in the Thunder’s game. Smith scored 30 points for the Hawks, 13 of which were in the 4^th quarter, pulling the Hawks ahead of the Thunder for the win.

Kendrick Perkins was in foul trouble the entire 2^nd half, so Coach Brooks resorted to having Kevin Durant guarding Smith at times, which was not very effective.

Durant led the team in scoring, putting up 35 points on 23 shots. Westbrook followed with 25, nobody else had more than 10.

Kevin Durant- A     35pts/8reb/2ast/3stl

Durant got to the line 17 teams, making 14 of them to keep the Thunder in the game. At the end, Durant just couldn’t do enough, missing his final four shots. Durant did turn the ball over four times, which the Thunder have been known to do a lot this season. The team had 21 for the game.

Russell Westbrook- A-     25pts/0reb/4ast/0stl

Of course the game where the Thunder turned the ball over a bunch, Westbrook only has two. He played a very nice game against a tough defender in Jeff Teague. Westbrook and Durant didn’t get much help from the rest of the team, leading to them taking 44 of the teams 73 shots.

James Harden- B-     10pts/6reb/2ast/2stl

It’s not that Harden had a bad game, he just didn’t shoot the ball that much. Durant and Westbrook barely sat out tonight, so he didn’t touch that often. He hit of four of his eight shots, but missed all three of his attempts beyond the arc. Towards the end of the game, Harden was given ball handling duties instead of Westbrook. This can work, giving Westbrook some time off the ball, and have Harden distribute.

Daequan Cook- C     0pts/3reb/0ast/0stl

Honestly, I don’t even remember Cook touching the ball during this game. He didn’t take any shots, and only played 14 minutes. When the Thunder are losing, Daequan isn’t going to play much.

Kendrick Perkins- D+     2pts/5reb/1ast/1blk

Fouling out early in the 4^th quarter didn’t help a team that was struggling to guard an All-Star caliber power forward. In foul trouble all night, Perkins was not able to produce any significant numbers. He hurt the Thunder by forcing them to go small after he fouled out.

Serge Ibaka- B+     10pts/6reb/0ast/3blk

Ibaka has really shown improvement over the past few weeks on the offensive side of the ball. His only missed field goal was an 18 ft. jumper in the 4^th quarter. He did get obliterated by a Josh Smith dunk midway through the game, but other than that, Serge played a really nice game.

Rest of the Thunder- C

Nick Collison and Cole Aldrich got increased minutes in Perkins’ absence. Aldrich gave the Thunder a good showing, blocking three shots and scoring six points. Nazr Mohammed was the only other non-Harden bench player to score, hitting a jumper in the 1st quarter. When both of the benches went in, the game became very sloppy and hard to watch.  

Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had their best start to the season this year since the Kevin Durant-era began. Oklahoma City has the best record in the West and tied for best in the league with Miami at 27-7 this year.

But the Thunder are far from perfect. There are many questions that need to be asked and answered about this team.

The staff at Thunderous Intentions is here to answer these questions for you. Below are the 10 most pressing questions about the Thunder this season and our responses:

What is Oklahoma City’s biggest weakness?

Andrew Kennedy: Post offense. I don’t see it as much of a weakness but rather that they just don’t do it enough. Durant is great in the post but just doesn’t go down their enough. Posting Durant and Westbrook needs to be a staple of the Thunder’s crunch time offense if they’re going to win a title.

Cody Brees: Turnovers. Offensive rebounding isn’t a good area either, mostly because the Thunder like to get out and run and Ibaka tries to flatten every ball that is shot in the paint. If the Thunder can at least limit their live ball turnovers that should give them a better chance to set up the defense being the playoffs become a much more half court game.

Blake Potash: The offensive post play is by far the Thunder’s weakest point. They can’t score in the paint against teams with two above-average big men. Kendrick Perkins is not the player he once was, and Serge Ibaka is still young, and developing post moves.

Are the Thunder going to have the same problems in the playoffs this year as they did last year?

AK: I don’t think so. I’m not as worried about the turnovers this year and definitely not as worried about Westbrook. I think the criticism he got for not getting the ball to Durant was too harsh and untrue. The OKC offense was very stagnant last postseason and has since improved. Durant and Westbrook are great friends too so I don’t think they will have any issues sharing the ball even in crunch time.

CB: Depends on the match up. If the Thunder play the Lakers and Westbrook has to watch Durant try to get Metta World Peace off him for 15 seconds before blowing by Derek Fisher, then yes. Durant has been a lot better at getting to his spots inside the arc which should help him get more shots. But I could see a stronger physical defender still giving Durant a lot of problems come playoff time.

BP: It looks like the ball movement has improved a bit this year, but the offense still seems rather one-dimensional. Still, that one dimension is very good, and can get the Thunder to the NBA Finals, depending on matchups. Westbrook needs to be more of a point guard than a scorer to be more successful when the playoffs come around.

Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

How much does Oklahoma City miss Eric Maynor?

AK: They miss him a lot. If Maynor never got injured than this Oklahoma City team may have won a few more games already and definitely more this season. There are a lot of games now where Westbrook has to come back very quickly after coming out of the game because Reggie Jackson isn’t Eric Maynor. Maynor was one of the best backup points in the league and the only actual point guard on the Thunder roster. If not for James Harden’s emergence as the second unit playmaker this injury could have been drastic for OKC.

CB: About as much as LeBron misses his hairline. I wrote an article earlier about the struggles of rookie point guard Reggie Jackson and how the Thunder miss Maynor, and unfortunately Jackson hasn’t improved too much. The one diamond in the rough is that this might prevent a team from throwing Mike Conley money at Maynor next year when he’s a restricted free agent.

BP: Eric Maynor was a key part of the bench unit with James Harden, giving the Thunder two options off the bench. Since his injury, the non-Harden bench has been failing to make impacts on games, and Harden has had to dominate the ball when Durant and Westbrook aren’t on the floor. Maynor’s absence may not be the reason the Thunder don’t win the Finals, but he sure is missed.

What would be the best addition the Thunder could make?

AK: The Thunder need to figure out their fifth guy for crunch time. Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka is great but between Perkins, Cook and Sefolosha it may not be enough to win a title. A better spot-up shooter than Cook or athletic slasher of some sort would be great for this team.

CB: Probably Eric Maynor. Once the playoffs start teams won’t be forces to go to their bench so much with actual days off between games. I still wouldn’t mind a 1-2 combo guard off the bench that can shoot. Mostly because Jackson and Ivey have been terrible.

BP: If the Thunder could make a move to get Pau Gasol, their Finals hopes would become a lot more realistic. I doubt they would want to move Ibaka and/or Harden, so all the Thunder can do is try and get a power forward or center that can give them some depth and scoring in the paint. I can’t see the Thunder making any trades though.

Are Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the most lethal one-two punch in the NBA?

AK: Yes because they complement each other better than LeBron and Wade. LeBron and Wade basically do the same thing as each other. Durant and Westbrook are a little different. Are they as talented overall as LeBron and Wade? Maybe not yet. But I wouldn’t take any other duo in the league right now moving forward.

CB: I would say yes based on the variety of ways those two can score. They can both get to the rim, shoot a lot of free throws, have a good mid range game and can hit you from deep. The other key reason is LeBron and Wade are shooting 35 percent and 33 percent respectively from the field this year in clutch situations. Thunder in the clutch? Durant is shooting at 43 percent and Westbrook an even greater 50 percent.

BP: In a few years this may be the case, but LeBron and Wade are by far the best one-two punch in the NBA. Westbrook still needs to learn how to work well with Durant during clutch moments. The shot distribution is a little off of what it needs to be to make this a very efficient combo.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Do the Thunder have enough scoring options to win a title?

AK: Yes. I wrote earlier last week how the scrutiny about this was a little harsh. They definitely have enough scoring prowess the only issue is if they can score in as many different ways as may be necessary to win a title this year.

CB: Options? Yes. Balance is what I am not sure about. If you watched the finals last year in clutch time it was give the ball to Dirk and get out of the way. Same should be for Durant this year. The problem might be getting to clutch time without running Durant into the ground. The Thunder are going to need about 50 points a game from Ibaka, Cook, and the bench if they want to be an elite offensive team.

BP: Yes, and no. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden can all put up plenty of points, and take control of the game. That can work getting to the Finals, but if they want to win it, Ibaka will need to show a little more offensive prowess.

What needs to happen for Kevin Durant to win the MVP?

AK: If the Heat slip up some and the Thunder finish with the best record in the NBA then Durant has a chance. It’ll be just like Derrick Rose winning last year. Durant has been on the rise in terms of scoring of late too. If he finishes the year averaging 30 a game then he’ll have to average around 33 a night in the second half of the season. That will be impressive and won’t go unnoticed.

CB: LeBron gets hit by a bus.

BP: LeBron James needs to get hurt, or forget how to play basketball. Surprisingly under the radar, LeBron is having one of the best seasons the NBA has ever seen. It doesn’t look like he is going to slow down any, and unless voters penalize him for being on the same team as Dwyane Wade, LeBron is going to win this year’s MVP.

Who is the team to beat in the Western Conference?

AK: The Thunder are and only because Dallas isn’t the same team as last year. People forget how close this Thunder team was to making it to the Finals last year. They have the best record in the conference and deserved to be recognized as the best team in it.

CB: The Thunder, but not by much. If you made me bet I would still take the field, but the improvements that KD and Russ have made this year with scoring efficiency should really make the difference down the stretch.

BP: The Thunder. With the best current record in the West, the Thunder have control of the conference, and are the front-runners to make the Finals at the moment. Durant and Westbrook can both take over games, and are impossible matchups for the other contenders.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

Which team in the Western Conference would be the worst playoff matchup for the Thunder?

AK: Portland. There would be nothing worse for Oklahoma City than having to play Portland in round one. They are such a physical team on defense and when healthy have a lot of tools that give the Thunder fits.

CB: Portland scares me the most. Perkins doesn’t do much since Camby won’t shoot much. Ibaka has problems guarding power forward’s with range. Gerald Wallace is the type of big, strong, athletic defender that could give Durant problems.

BP: The Los Angeles Lakers. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are tough matchups for Ibaka and Perkins, on both ends of the floor. The Thunder big men would struggle to score, and they would have to rely and Durant, Westbrook, and Harden to carry them through the series. Fortunately, the Lakers don’t have a very strong defensive backcourt, and Harden played a great defensive game against Kobe in their last meeting. The Thunder would still be the favorite, but you can never count out Kobe Bryant in the playoffs.

How far will the Thunder go in the playoffs this year?

AK: I think they make it to the NBA Finals. After that it depends who they play if they win or not. I think the Thunder can beat Chicago in a 7-game series but I’m not sure about Miami yet. If I had to pick one team to win the title right now I’d pick Oklahoma City based on the fact that I think they have the best chance of any team in the league simply to make it to the Finals.

CB: As far and Durant and Westbrook take them. Sorry for the cliché answer but it’s the truth. If they are both on their A game the Thunder are unbeatable. Miami appears to be the biggest hurdle right now, but a lot can change before the trade deadline.

BP: The Thunder will make the NBA Finals and lose to the Heat/Bulls. They are just one piece away from taking that next step, but for now, they don’t match up well with either team that will come out of the east. The Thunder won’t fare well against these elite defenses, and don’t have the defense themselves to slow down Rose or LeBron-Wade.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

So far this season no duo has scored more points than Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant is averaging 27.7 points per game and Westbrook 23.4 for a combined 51.1.

The two have both been very hot of late with each scoring 31 in the Thunder’s 101-93 win over the Hornets last night. Two nights ago the duo combined for 91 against the Nuggets.

Is it too much? Do they really need more scoring options to win a title?

The third leading scorer for Oklahoma City is James Harden averaging 16.8 points per game off the bench. Harden is basically a starter however and actually leads the NBA in fourth quarter minutes per game.

After Harden the Thunder scoring really drops off with Serge Ibaka averaging just 8.3 points per game and then Daequan Cook at 5.6.

In a podcast with Bob Ryan last week, Bill Simmons discussed how he felt the Thunder just didn’t have enough scoring options to win a title this year. He suggested adding a piece like Ray Allen — just as an example, not a likely move — would be a perfect fit for the team.

The issue arises in crunch time when Oklahoma City struts out Kendrick Perkins alongside the obvious Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka core. Perkins is not a threat on offense to score at all but does provide an underrated value when it comes to setting screens for Durant and banging for rebounds.

The Thunder will play small sometimes down the stretch with Durant at the four and Cook on the floor instead of Perkins, or Thabo Sefolosha when healthy. This lineup makes the Thunder much weaker on defense but with more spot-up shooters.

But I think Simmons may really be nitpicking with the Thunder this year. Sure you can question things like Westbrook not always making the best decisions or that they are too much of a jump-shooting team but to say that they don’t have enough scoring options simply isn’t true.

There’s only one Miami Heat out there with three true scoring options but the Thunder are now the closest thing to that with Harden’s emergence this year. And who says having three scoring options is even a good thing? Isn’t it better to have one or two guys who are going to create their own shot and then surround them with a bunch of shooters and rebounders? Isn’t that what the Thunder have?

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The real thing the Thunder need to work on is getting more scoring out of the post. They don’t need to look for someone else to give them this but rather have Durant and Westbrook look to score down there more often.

They definitely have done this more often this season but they can still do it more. Westbrook is bigger than almost any point guard that is matched up with him in the league and Durant can get his shot off over anyone. Durant is already trying to emulate Dirk Nowitzki’s game in this regard.

The Thunder have also already figured out how to run one of the better crunch time offenses in the NBA with the Durant-Westbrook pick-and-pop that they go to almost every game now. This play accentuates the strengths of Durant and Westbrook and as long as they make good decisions, is completely unstoppable.

The notion that the Thunder don’t have enough scoring on the floor to win a title is not true. Having Ibaka as the fourth scorer averaging 8.6 points per game is right around where every championship team’s fourth scorer averages.

If Westbrook worked on becoming more of a playmaker and Ibaka started averaging double-digits would the Thunder become a better team? Probably. But right now that isn’t their identity.

Durant and Westbrook are 23 years old. Harden and Ibaka are 22. No one’s questioning that they have time to improve but championship windows can come and go and don’t care how old you are. Only time will tell if Oklahoma City’s formula proves to be the right one.

Nazr Mohammed will start in place of Perkins. Nick Collison will surely play a ton of minutes tonight a he usually does against the Warriors and we may also even be treated to a Cole Aldrich sighting if necessary.

Thabo Sefolosha is also still out tonight and has missed the last 11 games now including tonight. Daequan Cook will remain the starting two-guard and will need to do a better job tonight checking Monta Ellis, who scored 48 points the last time these two teams met.

Thomas Campbell-US Presswire

Kevin Durant had three chances to win it for the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night versus the Houston Rockets. The ball just didn’t agree with that kind of outcome.

Durant missed a running 10-footer over Chandler Parsons and Samuel Dalembert with three seconds left and Russell Westbrook the tip, both of which would have potentially won the game for the Thunder. It was the third miss for Durant in the final 23 seconds.

The Oklahoma City Thunder found themselves trailing 96-95 after Kevin Martin made two free throws with 23 seconds left in the game.

Following a timeout, Scott Brooks drew up a play to get Durant a look from three on the next possession that he missed. The rebound went out of bounds off Kyle Lowry however and Oklahoma City retained possession.

Then on the ensuing baseline out of bounds play, Brooks called the same play that gave the Thunder a victory in Golden State a few games ago but Durant missed that shot as well after getting a pretty good look.

Durant would get the offensive rebound still giving the Thunder another chance to take the lead setting up the final scene.

Durant finished with 33 points on 12-for-26 shooting but was noticeably out of rhythm for much of the night with the credit going to the rookie Parsons.

Westbrook also gave the Thunder a heck of a performance with 26 points on 11-of-25 shooting. The tandem combined for only 11 free throw attempts, possibly the missing ingredient that would have put them over the top in this one.

It was Martin who had the hot hand for Houston with 32 points despite coming off averaging only 7.3 points per game in his last six. Daequan Cook was matched up with him early and Martin got off to a nice start with 12 first quarter points. Let’s remember how much the Thunder are missing Thabo Sefolosha.

The Thunder turned the ball over 21 times and Houston matched Oklahoma City’s free throw attempts.

The Thunder can thank their bench led by James Harden for bringing them back after a first quarter that had the Thunder trailing 29-13.

Harden led a spirited charge by the second unit especially on the defensive end to help get the Thunder back into the game. Harden finished with 17 points and made three from beyond the arc.

Oklahoma City will not like the feeling of this loss with having so many opportunities to win it. The Thunder (22-7) can look to rebound in their next game Friday back at home against the Golden State Warriors (11-14).

Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (1-game winning streak)
105.4 Offensive Efficiency (2nd)
99.6 Defensive Efficiency (14th)
96.0 Pace (5th)

Jazz (1-game losing streak)
101.7 Offensive Efficiency (10th)
101.7 Defensive Efficiency (20th)
93.4 Pace (18th)

The Thunder are finally returning home after a five-game road trip last week and having the past three nights off. The Thunder are for the second straight game matched up with the Utah Jazz, who they beat 101-87 four days ago. Today is also Valentine’s Day and to me that means that Kevin Durant is probably going to go off. He’s returning home, maybe his mom is at the game and nobody loves their mom like Durant does. Combine that with the fact that Gordon Hayward will likely be covering Durant and I’m feeling a big night for him and easy win for the Thunder.

Thunder keys to the game

1. The bench is back home

The Thunder bench always plays better at home and they should be glad to be back tonight. Expect better shooting from the Thunder bench and a big game from James Harden who loves playing at home as much as anyone. Also if Thabo Sefolosha returns tonight, which originally was the plan but now it is up in the air again, we’ll see Daequan Cook coming off the bench again. Cook was 1-for-9 on threes last game so look for him to shoot better tonight too.

2. Scoring inside

The Thunder had a very easy time in their last game scoring in the paint against the Jazz. Al Jefferson is really the only interior defensive presence for Utah and he wasn’t much of one against the Thunder. The Thunder need to continue what worked last game and go to the hole, Russell Westbrook especially. Westbrook had a great shooting night from midrange in his last game and has been hot overall with his jump shot of late but that won’t last forever for him. If Westbrook can wreak havoc at the rim then it will be another long night for the Jazz.

3. Get Durant going early

It feels like forever since Durant had a big game shooting from downtown. Now that the Thunder are back home it’s time to see a big shooting performance from the game’s best shooter. I think Durant comes out of the gates strong tonight and maybe we get to see a 40-point night from him. On this many days rest combined with the matchup combined with the fact that Durant is really due for a game like this, I’m going to go ahead and predict a huge night from the Thunder superstar on this Valentine’s Day.

Prediction: Oklahoma City wins 112-94.

Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

It looked like it was going to be tougher than this. After one quarter the Utah Jazz led Oklahoma City 30-27 and looked like a team that was ready to play tonight.

The Thunder were just too talented, as they so often are for their opponents.

Russell Westbrook had the best game for Oklahoma City scoring 28 points on 10-of-20 shooting. He also had three assists, six rebounds and five steals.

Westbrook was especially efficient with his pull-up jumper in the game and when he’s hitting that shot, he’s just an impossible cover.

A real key to the Thunder victory was the production from their bigs. Oklahoma City usually relies almost entirely on Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden to score but tonight got 36 points from their four big men.

Serge Ibaka led the way with 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. Kendrick Perkins added a rare double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Then Nick Collison and Nazr Mohammed combined for 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
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Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined to score 64 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder held on to beat the Golden State Warriors on the road 119-116 Tuesday night.

The individual headlines really belonged to Golden State though who got a career-high 48 points from Monta Ellis and a triple-double from David Lee.

Ellis had 40 points around halfway through the third and Westbrook did a nice job on him the rest of the game. Daequan Cook started out on Ellis still starting for the injured Thabo Sefolosha and Ellis took advantage and got into a nice rhythm early on.

Lee had six points, five assists and eight rebounds at halftime and would go on to finish with a 25-10-11 stat line.

The Thunder needed 44 and 43 minutes from Durant and Westbrook to pull this one off as the two really turned it on late in the fourth. They combined for the final eight Thunder points in the last two minutes of the game.

Durant made the biggest shot banking in an 18-footer with 14 seconds left to put the Thunder up 117-116.
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Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (1-game losing streak)
105.0 Offensive Efficiency (4th)
99.0 Defensive Efficiency (13th)
95.6 Pace (8th)

Trailblazers (1-game winning streak)
101.9 Offensive Efficiency (12th)
95.4 Defensive Efficiency (4th)
95.8 Pace (6th)

Oklahoma City’s last game was a tough one that they dropped on the road to San Antonio. That night belonged to Tony Parker who lit the Thunder up to the tune of 42 points and nine assists. The Thunder were on a back-to-back and had played their stars many minutes the night before. The Thunder were off yesterday for the Super Bowl and return on the road to face the Portland Trailblazers tonight who beat the Thunder 103-93 the first time they met this season in Oklahoma City. The Thunder were without Thabo Sefolosha in that game as well and James Harden started in place off him and led the Thunder in scoring with 23 points. Kevin Durant struggled mightily from the field going 8-of-26 and scored 19 points. The Blazers are a tough, physical team that can rough you up. Portland may also be one of the Thunder’s toughest competition coming out of the West this season once the playoffs come around.
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Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant scored seven points in the final 1:12 to lift the Thunder to a 101-94 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at home Friday night.

Mike Conley made a corner three-pointer to tie the game at 94 before Durant took over.

On the next possession Durant isolated at the top of the key with Rudy Gay on him and drilled a 25-foot three-pointer in his face to put Oklahoma City up 97-94 with 54 seconds left.

Memphis turned the ball over on their next possession and Durant came down again and isolated on Gay at the end of the shot clock. He looked to draw a foul with a pump fake at the top of the key, Gay didn’t bite but Durant still made him pay with a one-footed fall away jumper as the shot clock expired.

O.J. Mayo missed a desperation three with 17 seconds left and none other than Durant came up with the rebound and calmly walked to the other end and sunk two free throws.
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Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Serge Ibaka swatted a career-high 10 shots as the Oklahoma City Thunder went into Dallas and beat the Mavericks 95-86.

Ibaka had a double-double in the game while scoring just four points but had 11 rebounds to go with his 10 blocks. The Thunder were plus-13 in the 40 minutes that Ibaka was on the floor.

Russell Westbrook was the catalyst on offense for Oklahoma City scoring 33 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field and 9-for-10 at the free throw line. Westbrook added four assists and two steals but also turned the ball over six times.

The Thunder were slow out of the gates shooting just 31.6 percent in the first quarter while Dallas jumped out to a 29-21 lead after one and shot 68.4 percent. The Thunder were more aggressive however and got to the line 12 times in the first quarter to keep the score close.
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That was with a roster of Russell Westbrook, Thabo Sefolosha, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic.

Two months later, the Thunder pulled a trade-deadline move to give up two of that starting five in exchange for basically center Kendrick Perkins.

The Thunder went on to make a run to the Western Conference Finals, even though Perkins was largely a non-factor in the playoffs. Nick Collison came back, Serge Ibaka developed and newly-acquired Nazr Mohammed helped on the inside. Perkins was overweight and out of shape, contributing mostly vocal leadership and attitude. So the team shook up 2/5ths of the starting lineup midseason and went to the Western Conference Finals.

Now the Thunder is set with a lineup of Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka and Perkins. Once again, the team is considered a favorite in the Western Conference.

It might be time to look at what that trade did to the flow of the Thunder offense. That problem is largely blamed on Westbrook and has been since late last year. The problem more to do with a lineup that is now way out of balance offensively.

Before the trade, Sefolosha was the only starter with limited offensive abilities. Westbrook could run the show, have Durant as a first option, and also have Green and Krstic spreading the floor as offensive weapons. Defenses had to play everyone straight up, with some doubling off Sefolosha to help with Durant. That left the floor open for Westbrook’s drives and cuts and plenty of places to pass the ball when they needed a bucket.

Now, when Westbrook has the ball he only has Durant who can get his shot. Sefolosha can shoot in streaks, but not create offense. Ibaka has a decent jumper, but can’t create offensively like Green. Perkins is a zero on offense, where Krstic was a decent release valve. Suddenly, if Durant is doubled and can’t get a shot, Westbrook is the only player that can bail out the offense and create a shot. Hello Durant-Westbrook conflict.

Now is the time to do something about this lineup. Something has to give to get more offensive threats on the floor.

The obvious option is starting James Harden over Sefolosha. Then you at least have three scoring options, one on each side of the floor to open it up for Westbrook. The Thunder got a look at that last night in the loss to Portland. Harden was the saving grace for the starting five. With Durant and Westbrook both having rough nights offensively, Harden was the only reliable scoring option on the floor. Sure it was a loss, but consider how lopsided that game would have been if Sefolosha was getting those starter minutes. The Thunder would have had zero offensive options in the starting unit with Durant and Westbrook struggling. In the past, Green and Krstic were talented enough offensively to drop 20 points on those nights. Green had enough offensive talent to fill in stretches when Durant couldn’t play. If Durant is out now, Harden has to start out of position at the three.

The trade last year has left OKC with only three scorers on the team. Daequan Cook can help in spurts, but is limited. The Thunder have Durant (26.1 points a game), Westbrook (17.1) and Harden (17.0), then no one until Ibaka’s 7.4 scoring average. Starting Harden helps the starters, but leaves the bench short a scorer. It might be time for the Thunder to look for another trade or a free agent scorer to balance out the floor.

Kevin Durant left all the Thunder fans smiling

Russell Westbrook finally had his moments. Serge Ibaka had a stretch of dominance. But with 1.4 seconds on the clock, Kevin Durant stole the show and added another highlight to his legend in Oklahoma City.

With the Thunder down a point, Durant curled around a screen and nailed a long three-pointer at the buzzer to give OKC a 104-102 win over the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. The shot answered a long three-pointer by Dallas’ Vince Carter that stunned the crowd and gave the Mavericks a late lead. The Thunder were a point behind and only a prayer left, but Durant has a way of coming through in those clutch situations. KD let his teammates have their time, he let the Mavericks think they were going to steal a win, then he pulled the rug out on the Mavs to keep the Thunder undefeated and the Mavs winless.

The shot gave Durant 30 points, putting him over 30 for all four games this season. He added 11 boards and six assists.

Until the last two minutes, the game looked to be a story about Russell Westbrook coming out of his slump. For three and half quarters the living hell of Russell Westbrook’s season continued. Missed shots, turnovers and charging fouls all left him slumped on the end of the bench. Then with one fast-break dunk, the heavens opened. Westbrook took a foul on one arm and still elevated to finish with a dunk to give the Thunder a 93-91 lead and his season the kick-start it needed. In the last 3:17, Westbrook hit three out of four shots, pulled down a rebound and hit a free throw. The pressure seemed to release and send everything back to normal for the all-star point guard. Westbrook finished with 16 points, four assists and two steas. If not for Durant’s miracle at the buzzer, the story of this game would be Westbrook’s late dominance and his return to the good graces of the Thunder fans.

Ibaka also has had a slow start to the season, but came alive in this game after a scuffle with Carter resulted in double technical fouls with 7:44 left in the game. Ibaka came out of that and blocked a Dallas shot out of bounds, hit a 17-footer and a free throw to help the Thunder to a late three-point lead. He finished with 16 points, eight boards and three blocks, his best numbers of the season.

The Thunder move to 4-0 on the season going into a home New Years Eve game against the Phoenix Suns. The defending champ Mavs are 0-3.

Russell Westbrook has been getting some unwanted attention early this season.

The game was supposed to be the first real road test for the young Thunder this season. A matchup against another up-and-coming Western Conference contender that took the Thunder through a brutal 7-game series in the playoffs last year.

The Thunder answered that challenge with a convincing win on the road without ever really trailing, but no one is talking about the game. Instead two major story lines emerged to create drama for the Thunder.

Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant — the Thrilla in M…M…Memphis?

Westbrook and Durant were involved in a major argument on the Thunder bench in the middle of the game. The two had to be separated and were so heated the first few rows of the Memphis crowd stood to get a better look at the throwdown.

Russ was in the middle of one of his worst nights of his career on the court. He finished 0-for-13 from the field. He was beyond frustrated and KD stepping up as a leader didn’t set well with him. Give the two credit for brushing it off and finishing the game strong to get the win. KD was unstoppable and Russ manned up to take the last in-bounds pass knowing he’d have to hit two free throws to seal the game, which he did.

But the two will be something to watch going forward. They say everything is fine, it’s just two competitive guys. That could be true. It could be one or the other will eventually get tired of it also. All the other guys are talented and competitive and we don’t see them getting into yelling matches in the huddle. Makes that Westbrook/Perkins for Howard trade idea seem a little bit better now.

Kendrick Perkins vs. Chris Webber

In his new role on TV, Webber has been opening critical of Perkins’ defensive skills. He’s called him an overrated defender. He’s said his reputation is in the media and not with the players. He’s said he has no lift so offensive players are confident they can get their shot off over him. Webber played against Perkins, so he’s speaking from experience.

Perkins fired back on twitter saying, “and im tired of chris webber hatin on me get a ring first and then i can respect ya comments other wise keep my name out of ya mouth.”  To be fair, Webber was always the best player on those Kings teams that he got pretty close to a ring, while Perk had the benefit of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett at his side to get his one ring in Boston.  Perk should address the comments as a challenge and not distract with a poorly backed insult.

Last season Perkins was overweight and out of shape. He’ll admit that. The knee injury is the reason, but there is really no good reason for that for a professional athlete. Even with a knee injury you can work out and eat right. The team was making a run to the Western Conference Finals. That should have been motivation. He was an non-factor against Memphis and sat on the bench mostly through key stretches, while Collison came in to spark the team in the middle. He absolutely couldn’t finish offensively.

This season, Perkins has lost 30 pounds and we’re told he’s at 100%.  The man in the middle for OKC had four rebounds in the win last night. He’s averaging 5.3 rebounds a game. The guys he was guarding last night at different times, each had 12. He still having stretches where he doesn’t run the floor because he’s out of breath. There aren’t many practices in this condensed season to work on conditioning, so Perk has to address this on his own. It’s not “hatin,” it’s an issue.

Kendrick Perkins defending against Dwight Howard in the game Sunday.

As the season goes on, Perkins performance will get more attention. This is his season to prove things have changed. It’s only three games in, so he can’t expect everyone to be sold just yet. He addressed the issue again this morning on twitter in two tweets saying, “…But to say on TV that I’m not a one on one defender was very disrespectful when I defend night in and night out, one on one…So that’s just it I felt real disrespected about that when I do this every night from my Boston days to my OKC days.”

Perkins has not been a one-on-one defender down low last year or this year in OKC. Not too many people in the NBA are really.

Against the Magic it was a team effort against Dwight Howard as expected. Last night, he was getting double team help with either Zach Randolph or Marc Gasol. Memphis isolated Z-Bo twice late in the game to go at Perkins guarding him, OKC brought help. Dallas helped the cause by getting rid of Tyson Chandler, so tonight it should be a good night for Perk. But he has something to prove to everyone this year. He can do it, or people will be agreeing with Webber as the season goes along.

Russell Westbrook reacts to a Kevin Durant dunk in the Thunder's season opening win over Orlando.

Everyone has seen the spoiled kid at Christmas. All the presents are unwrapped, they are sitting there with every toy on the planet and every electronic gadget known to man. Somehow there is always one thing they didn’t get that has their total attention and ruins their entire holiday.

Today, this blog is that kid.

The Thunder are 2-0 with a foundation of the youngest talent in the NBA. There isn’t one single NBA team right now that wouldn’t trade roster for roster with the Thunder. None.  That said, in the spirit of constant improvement, here’s a few things Thunder fans didn’t get for Christmas:

OKC didn’t try to trade for Dwight Howard
Sure, the Thunder just held Howard to less than a dozen points, but Howard is clearly the best center in the NBA and he’s most likely going to be traded somewhere. Why not OKC? Perk has a reputation as a defender, but Howard is a multiple Defensive Player of the Year. Plus he’s about the same age as Kevin Durant. With Howard, Ibaka, and Durant on the same team the Thunder might have one of the best front court’s of all time and easily the most marketable.

So how do you get Howard in OKC? How about trading Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins for Dwight Howard? Westbrook is a GREAT young player, but Howard is the only player of his talent level at his position in the NBA. Orlando could build around Russ and let him have full control of the offense. He could be their Derrick Rose. Perkins would be an adequate center to replace Howard. OKC could throw in a pick if it helped. If push came to shove, OKC could throw in Thabo and start Harden. Westbrook is already going to be a max-contract guy. Wouldn’t it be better to pay a max contract to Howard? He wants to win, the Thunder would be instant favorites for the next 10 years with Howard and KD on the same team. The marketing of those two together in OKC could draw national-level attention without being a huge market like LA or NY. On the court, a legitimate inside scoring threat drawing attention while KD and the other Thunder shooters camp out for 3s? Unstoppable. It also solves the Eric Maynor issue for the Thunder. Right now, he’ll probably be lost as a RFA at the end of this year. With the trade, OKC signs him long-term as the starter. He’d be hard pressed to find a better position.

Of course, the thought is that the Thunder have a young team and just need to hold steady and let them develop. No need for upgrades. Don’t mess with chemistry. That’s exactly what fans thought before the trade for Perkins. No one wanted to mess up the starting five of Krstic, Green, KD, Thabo and Russ. Where would OKC be with that lineup right now? Not the expected top seed in the West. Trading for Howard would make OKC the favorites in the NBA, not just the West. Every other team the Thunder is competing with has attempted to upgrade. Trading for Howard might be the only way to keep him away from the Lakers or Mavericks also. That’s another huge benefit.

No Free Agents were pursued, except OKC free agents
With Durant getting a bump up in salary from the the new CBA the Thunder were up against the salary cap. Guys like Shane Battier, who Durant actively recruited on Twitter, were never called by OKC. Thunder fans can be glad Battier isn’t in Memphis anymore to hassle Durant in the Western Conference playoffs, but now he’s waiting in Miami if both teams live up to expectations and make it to the NBA Finals. Battier ended up being a bargain for the Heat with his three year deal for a total of around $9 millon. Having Battier would have been a nice luxury, but with the Thunder depth he might not of had an interest. Maybe if the Thunder were involved with the talks Miami would have had to pay more. Any chance to stick it to the Heat or Lakers should not be skipped.

Cell Phone Service in The ‘Peake is still horrible
According to a report in NewsOK.com, the Chesapeake Energy Arena installed a new antenna to boost cell phone service inside. AT&T is lagging on hooking into the antenna, so everyone with an iPhone is still out of luck. For an NBA arena, this should not be an issue. If it’s the arena’s fault, the cell phone company’s fault or the Thunder’s fault, it really doesn’t matter. They each should be pushing each other to make this happen before the end of the home game with Dallas. There is no reason it can’t work. The arena went through millions of dollars of improvements in the off-season and all the talk is about not being able to text.

The Thunder have such great community relations outside the arena and on the court, then the fans are frustrated in their seats with no way to text, facebook, or tweet about the amazing experience. It’s good word-of-mouth advertising completely missed and replaced by frustration. Wi-fi could be set up TODAY if they made it a priority. If the cell phone companies are the holdup, then the Thunder should push The ‘Peake to do that now. At least as a stop-gap and keep it up while they see if the additional antenna works. In today’s world, fans expect to be able to stay connected and it benefits everyone to make sure that is the case.

Here’s a break down of the Thunder roster that has many experts picking OKC to be in the NBA Finals this year against the Miami Heat:

Starting Five

PG: Russell Westbrook. No one takes more grief for the Thunder losses in the playoffs. For the most part, it’s undeserved. Sure he has some bad plays. Every PG in the league does. Westbrook is one of the few starters who can get a shot whenever he wants one, so that puts him creating shots more often than some people would prefer. It’s perfectly fine with the Thunder players and got him to be All-NBA second team in just his third season in the league. Expect him to be even more reliable, fewer mistakes and better defensively this season. Russ is a bonafied superstar.

SG: Thabo Sefolosha. The most questionable of the Thunder starters and the one backed up my a rising star in James Harden. Thabo will need to improve over last year to keep his spot. He built is starting reputation on great defense for a team that had other scorers in the starting lineup. Now, with Nedad Krstic and Jeff Green no longer scoring for the starters and replaced by weaker offensive options in Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka, Thabo’s defensive only spot is more glaring. The defense improved with the change, but a shooting guard that doesn’t score puts you behind the curve in the NBA. Fans didn’t want to replace Krstic and Green in the starting lineup, but sure didn’t miss then when they left after seeing the improvement. Thabo is the same type of starter. Harden is an instant upgrade just waiting to happen.

SF: Kevin Durant. The cornerstone of the franchise just keeps getting better and better. The Thunder get by with basically three defensive players in the starting lineup thanks to the offensive brilliance of KD and Westbrook. KD is set up to lead the league in scoring again, first team All-NBA again, and if the Thunder contend for the top playoff seed in the West he’ll be in the hunt for the NBA MVP. Al while being one of the most fan-friendly players in any pro sport. It doesn’t get any better than KD. Now if he just didn’t like the Longhorns.

PF: Serge Ibaka. A great fit at power forward, all Ibaka needs is a little more offense to start getting all-star attention. Young, athletic and hard-working, Ibaka could be the catalyst for the Thunder improvement this season. All the young players are expected to improve and help the team, but if Ibaka brings more offense to the inside to go with his shot-blocking and transition offense, the Thunder take a huge leap.

C: Kendrick Perkins. The third player in the Thunder starting five that fans either love or question. Perkins dropped 30 pounds over the off-season and does look slimmer. The question is how was he, as a leader, ever 30 pounds overweight to begin with last season? He has ground to make up to show he’s more than just a yeller and a scowler. In the playoffs last year, the Thunder was better when he was on the bench. He struggled against Denver, Memphis and Dallas on defense. Now, he’s slimmer and that isn’t going to happen. At least that’s what we’re told. Chris Webber recently called him out on NBA TV for being an overrated post defender. If center brings little to no offense to the table, he better be an anchor in the middle. Perkins has this season to convince the fans. Everyone is optimistic his work ethic will show benefits. Plus, he’s excellent on twitter. Could he even venture to all-star level thanks to the weak crop of centers in the West? Boom or bust type season ahead.

Bench:
James Harden. He shouldn’t be in this spot for long or at least be getting starting minutes as the sixth man if he is still not starting. Harden has shown maybe the most improvement of all the Thunder players in the preseason. He’s been more aggressive offensively, the low three’s have been rolling, and he’s always fiesty on defense. Harden, along with KD, Russ and Ibaka, also fits in with the athletic young group that loves to run the floor and finish with a dunk over anyone in the way. He’s a legit starter currently on the bench.

Nick Collison. He was missing part of last season and his return sparked the Thunder to a run up the West standings. His defense in the middle saved the Thunder in the playoffs when Perkins was a non-factor. The guy does everything you need him to do to win. Nearly perfect bench player with a great contract situation for the cap.

Nazr Mohammed. The only guy that’s been in the NBA more than 8 years to show the youth of the Thunder team. Nazr bounced around the league some, but in OKC he’s dropped into a great role. He’s not going to score many points, but that’s not expected. He is a 6′ 10″ big man coming off the bench to provide solid defense when Perk sits down. He was just as important as Collison in the playoff run last season. Every team in the league could use a guy like Nazr on the bench.

Eric Maynor. Maybe the best backup point guard in the NBA. Either way, he’s solid off the bench enough to be starter quality on some teams. He’s a RFA after this season, so it might be the last year to have this luxury.

Daequan Cook. Why are the Thunder favorites through a short, condensed season? This is 10 players deep with solid players an almost all of them young and improving. Cook is another player with a great role for OKC. He won’t be a starter in the league, but as a guy coming off the bench to shoot three’s, he’s as good as anyone. If he’s hot, it’s a bonus on top of the other offensive weapons. The more often he’s hot, the more dominate the Thunder offense will be this year.

Cole Aldrich. The tallest player on the Thunder roster and a former lottery pick, Aldrich should be about to emerge as a solid player for the Thunder. Actually last year before Perkins came back from the injury, Aldrich got some minutes and played pretty well against the Clippers for one. If he can follow his fellow KU alum and be a Collison type player off the bench for the Thunder at center, things keep getting better in OKC.

Reggie Jackson. This year’s first-round draft pick hasn’t seen much playing time in the NBA yet and probably will struggle to break this rotation this year. The most minute against NBA talent he’s seen was in KD’s charity all-star game in OKC. He had some moments there and showed the athleticism expected of the Thunder guards. Get him spot minutes, let him develop and he’s ready to cut into Cook or Maynor’s minutes next year.

Lazar Hayward. Doesn’t expect to get much playing time, but will be an athletic young player with potential. The Thunder traded for him, so you never know when Sam Presti might be finding a gem. Maybe he has Byron Mullens’ spot, which is maybe a push with better upside.

Ryan Reid. A rookie behind Ibaka, Collison, etc. at the power forward spot. He might get some trips to Tulsa for the 66ers if the Thunder follow how they treated Aldrich and Byron Mullens last year. All upside that just needs time.

Royal Ivey. Saved him for last on purpose. Seems to be a great guy, but not sure how he fits on the Thunder. This will be his eighth year in the league, He’s not going to get minutes over any of the Thunder guards. He doesn’t have upside to develop. It seems like another young player with potential should be in this spot. Maybe OKC should cut him or trade him to see if he can get to play somewhere else before he gets too old? Maybe he’s a veteran influence on the young players that you don’t see on the court. If he’s the Nate Robinson this year, that’s an improvement.

Kevin Durant and the Thunder will need defensive stops like this on the road to rise to the next level

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play this NBA season is a newly remodeled Chesapeake Energy Arena.  Legends aren’t made in the cozy confines of home though in the NBA. Wins in The ‘Peake may make Loud City even louder, but on the road is where the Thunder will stake its claim for greatness. They earn their reputation when they walk on someone else’s floor and come away with wins, consistently.

Here’s a look at the top ten Thunder road games in chronological order:

1) December 28 @ Memphis: It took the Thunder seven games to eliminate the Grizzlies last year in the playoffs. This season the two rising young teams should be battling again in the playoffs. Memphis gets O.J. Mayo back and has a OKC-level home court advantage. This might be a bigger challenge than the Magic at home on Christmas night.

2) January 2 @ Dallas: The NBA seems anxious to get this OKC-Dallas rivalry fired up for the new season. With two preseason games and one game at OKC in December and opening the new year with this early road trip, we should know just how the two Western Conference favorites shape up.

3) January 16 @ Boston: Only Kendrick Perkins remains from the trade between these two teams last year with Jeff Green sidelined with the heart condition. Perkins against his old team, KG talking junk, Rondo vs. Russ…it all makes for an interesting game for a TNT national audience.

4) January 30 @ Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers are the buzz of LA as much as they will be the buzz when they show up in OKC. The Thunder need to prove they can beat teams on the road. Winning against the Clippers and Grizzlies will also be good statements for keeping the best young team in the NBA label.

5) February 10 @ Utah: The Jazz may or may not be contenders in the West this season. What makes this game one to watch is it finishes off a stretch of five road games in seven days. A brutal trip from San Antonio, across the West coast, then to the Jazz. The Thunder’s young legs will be tested there for all to see on a Friday night national ESPN telecast.

6) March 1 @ Orlando: By this time Dwight Howard might be a New Jersey Net for all we know, but if he’s in Orlando this is a big game for the Thunder to prepare for the playoffs. No one has a big guy like Howard. If they can handle him on the road, the interior defense is ready for the playoffs.

7) March 29 @ Los Angeles Lakers: Two road trips to the Lakers in basically the last month of the season. The NBA either helped the Lakers out by giving them a better chance to finish strong, or hurt the old folks with the Thunder running them ragged. Winning in LA is a statement the Thunder need to make.

8 ) April 4 @ Miami: The capstone of one of the toughest stretches on the Thunder schedule is the only trip to Miami for the Heat. It’s fine to beat contenders at home, but you make your name winning on the road. This late in the season a win here could possible make the Thunder the favorites for the title going into the playoffs.

9) April 29 @ Los Angeles Clippers: Maybe it’s overkill putting two Clippers games on the road list also, but with the talent the Clippers have put together they should be a solid playoff contender. Every NBA fan in Oklahoma will be watching this one with Blake and CP3 playing the hometown favorites.

10) April 22 @ Los Angeles Lakers: A Sunday afternoon ABC game against the Lakers. It doesn’t get any better than that outside of the playoffs. This is the Thunder’s last road game and a huge opportunity to capture the nation’s attention. Look forward to a Kobe smirk on national TV while the Thunder wrap up the top seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook will have plenty of tomahawk dunks for Thunder fans at The 'Peake.

The evil NBA lockout is over. The preseason tease is over. Now Oklahoma City fans are sitting around like kids staring at packages under the Christmas tree waiting for the December 25th home opener at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

It’s a perfect storm for anticipation. The Thunder is coming off the trip to the Western Conference Finals last year. The NBA lockout stretched out the wait. Now, two preseason wins over the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks have the Thunder fans primed to get this season started.

Here’s the top 10 OKC home games on the schedule in chronological order:

1) December 25th vs. Orlando: The Thunder’s position as a marquee team in the NBA is solidified with opening night prime-time ESPN game against the Orlando Magic. Some of the luster of this game was at risk in recent weeks with the Magic attempting to trade all-world center Dwight Howard. Now he appears to be starting the season on the Magic roster, so Thunder fans get to watch one of the most entertaining players in the NBA to start the season. With Howard, the Magic are a contender in the Eastern Conference. It should be an early statement game with the entire country watching.

2) December 29 vs. Dallas: The defending NBA champs back in OKC to set the tone for who will be contenders for the #1 seed in the West. The Mavs won the war last year, but so far OKC has won the battles this year with the two preseason wins. Now Dirk will be back playing, Kidd won’t be sitting on the bench and the Thunder will have to prove the preseason wasn’t a fluke. Dallas lost Tyson Chandler and that pesky JJ Barea in the offseason. They added Khloe and Lamar Odom and some E! TV cameras. Odom looked like he brought his LA attitude to Dallas in the preseason games. When the games count this rivalry might spark to new levels. The biggest question of the night will be if since it’s the TNT primetime game, if Charles Barkley will make his appearance in OKC with the crew. If so, someone arrange a horse and buggy to pick him up at the airport please.

3) January 8 vs. San Antonio: The Spurs were one of the top four teams in the West last season, but that isn’t what makes this game one to watch. Thanks to the crammed schedule this is will be the Thunder’s third game in three nights. The stretch starts with a home game against Houston, then the Thunder fly to Houston the next night, then fly back home to take on the Spurs the next night. Not only three games in three nights, but two flights included. That should help the aging Spurs against the young Thunder legs. Interesting the Thunder’s only other home game against the Spurs is the night following a road game at Denver. The schedule makers made the Spurs games as tough as possible for OKC.

4) January 14 vs. New York: The only OKC appearance of the New York Knicks since trading for Carmelo Anthony. In Denver, Anthony got a lot of credit from the national press for winning his matchups with Kevin Durant. The only appearance ‘Melo has made in OKC since the trade was for KD’s charity game during the lockout. Now with the Thunder as contenders and the Knicks looking solid in the East, the two young superstars will battle it out again for bragging rights.

5) February 3 vs. Memphis: The Grizzlies gave the Thunder a severe test in the opening round of the NBA playoffs last year. Both teams are young and loaded. Both brought all their key players back. Both are set to contend in the West again. This late in the season the Thunder will have already played twice in Memphis, but now the home crowd in The ‘Peake gets its chance to see the two fight it out. It’s the ONLY home game for OKC from January 26 through February 13th stuck between eight road games. The players should be elated to be home and the crowd should be starved for NBA basketball.

6) February 23 vs. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers only appearance in OKC this season, compared to two Thunder trips to LA. By this time of the year the aging Lakers will either be walking dead or killing teams like basketball zombies. With Kobe, Gasol and Bynum still around the Lakers are still the Lakers. By this time of the year, they might have traded for Dwight Howard for all we know. Thunder fans would prefer they just be showing their age and take a beat-down. The NBA scheduled a break for the Lakers here too, giving OKC a home game against the Celtics the night before and the last of four home games in five nights.

7) March 21 vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Finally the best team in LA makes a trip to OKC. Besides Blake Griffin returning home, it’s now a dual homecoming with Chris Paul returning to OKC where he played for the Hornets. The Clippers superstars once owned OKC when they played in the metro area. Now they will get some fans and some applause, but it’s KD’s town. This might be the hottest ticket of the season actually with Blake/CP3 back in OKC. It could be an important game in the West too. The Clips look to be contenders this year. This game starts off the most important stretch of the schedule for the Thunder. In the eight games, the Thunder has the Clippers, Twolves, Heat, Blazers, Lakers, Bulls, Grizzlies and Heat again. Put up a winning record through that stretch and the Thunder are playoff favorites.

8 ) March 25 vs. Miami: The only two games with the Heat are in this 8-game stretch. The one time the Heat play in OKC for the season is a Sunday night national ESPN game. Right now it’s the two teams most experts are picking to play in the NBA Finals. It’s the best of the West against the best of the East.

9) April 1 vs. Chicago: Another game in the defining stretch, the Bulls make their only appearance in OKC for the regular season. MVP Derrick Rose in OKC for April Fools Day. This was last year’s marquee season opener for the Thunder. Now it’s Russell Westbrook vs. Rose for a Sunday noon ABC national audience.

10) April 11 vs. Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers second meeting in OKC. OKC fans would probably rather see Blake/CP3 than even the Heat. This game versus the Clippers is the last big home test, followed by road games against the Clippers and Lakers. The Thunder’s late season schedule should set up some wins with three games against Sacramento in the last two weeks of the season for example. Maybe the last home game against Denver jumps up, but that has more potential to be a rest game than an important game for playoff seeds.