The Thunder looked like a team that had been playing together forever while Portland looked like a bunch of guys playing together for the first time.

Kevin Durant scored 25 points in the game on 10-of-14 shooting. He didn’t miss a shot in the first half.

Durant is one of the purest shooters in the league from anywhere on the basketball court. One thing that you will always notice about the best shooters in the world is how effortless and automatic they can make certain shots seem. Durant does this with his midrange game. He makes 16-footers look like layups and a good look from that distance is one of the best shots the Thunder can work for.

In the first quarter against Portland, Oklahoma City ran a simple pick-and-roll for Durant that was designed and executed perfectly to get him this kind of look.

The set begins with Russell Westbrook bringing the ball up the court then handing it off to Durant at the top of the key. Kendrick Perkins is set up at the left elbow, Serge Ibaka at the right elbow and Thabo Sefolosha in the right corner.

After handing off to Durant, Westbrook runs off a Perkins screen toward the baseline. Westbrook sets up his man, rookie Nolan Smith, well and runs hard to quickly get into position and forces the Portland defense to help on him.

After Westbrook clears, Perkins comes up to set a screen for Durant at the three-point line. Meanwhile, Perkins’ man, Joel Pryzbilla, is still on the bottom block helping on Westbrook.

Durant waits for the screen and dribbles hard off it knowing that he is going to get an open shot because Perkins’ man isn’t coming up to hedge.

Durant easily drains the pull-up jumper with essentially no one contesting the shot.

I love this play for the Thunder because it is simple and a quick way to get a great shot for Durant. Using Westbrook to act as a decoy cutting to the rim and forcing help defense is very effective in creating for some extra space for Durant to get an open shot.

Perkins is also one of the best screen setters in the entire league and does a great job on this play setting both screens.

Oklahoma City has three of the best scorers in the NBA this season and doesn’t need to do a lot to help them score. But running plays like this early in the game to get someone like Durant into a nice rhythm could be very valuable come playoff time.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

The Thunder are playing their best basketball of the season right now. In their last game they beat the Miami Heat 103-87 and tonight they go on to the road to beat Portland 109-95.

Oklahoma City looked like the best team in the West tonight while Portland looked like a bunch of guys who haven’t been getting much run lately. The Thunder did anything they wanted and got good looks every possession it seemed.

In the first half, Oklahoma City shot 65.9 percent from the floor and led 65-48. Kevin Durant and James Harden did not miss a shot in the first two quarters and had a combined 26 points. Harden also had five assists.

It was the Russell Westbrook show in the next half and especially the third quarter when he put on quite a display scoring 10 points in a three minute span making five straight field goals.

Last game we saw Westbrook struggle some in his matchup with Dwyane Wade but tonight whatever defense Portland put on Westbrook was irrelevant. He finished with 32 points to go along with eight assists, seven of which came in the first half.

Durant finished with 25 points and Harden had 21. Harden has scored 40 points in his last two games and gone 12-of-14 from the field.

Oklahoma City’s offense has been on another level lately. They scored 149 points against Minnesota last week, shot 66.7 percent in the first half versus the Miami Heat and tonight shoot 57 percent for the game in Portland. Their assists are up and turnovers are down.

Serge Ibaka anchored yet another solid defensive attack tonight for the Thunder, blocking six shots and pulling down 12 rebounds.

Scott Brooks spoke of how much better the Thunder look defensively when they simply get into their defensive stances. The return of Thabo Sefolosha and signing of Derek Fisher may be helping this because the change in their defensive intensity these past few games has been noticeable better.

Oklahoma City (38-12) will be off tomorrow night before traveling to take on the Los Angeles Lakers (30-19) in Staples Thursday night. The game will air on TNT at 10:30 p.m. EST.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (3-game winning streak)
107.6 Offensive Efficiency (1st)
100.2 Defensive Efficiency (12th)
95.9 Pace (5th)
57.3 True Shooting % (1st)
51.4 Rebound Rate (5th)

Blazers (1-game winning streak)
102.0 Offensive Efficiency (15th)
101.4 Defensive Efficiency (14th)
93.9 Pace (16th)
52.9 True Shooting % (11th)
49.2 Rebound Rate (22nd)

The Thunder might be playing their best basketball of the season right now and tonight will look for four-straight against the tanking Trailblazers.

Oklahoma City capped off a very successful week Sunday beating the Miami Heat 103-87 and shooting over 52 percent from the field in that game.

Portland is just 4-9 in the month of March and has fallen almost entirely out of the playoff hunt since the trade deadline. The Thunder have played Portland three times already this season, winning the last two times.

The Thunder are 3-0 since acquiring Derek Fisher although that probably doesn’t have much to do with his play on the court. The win streak involved the Clippers and Timberwolves in addition to the Heat and some great play from Kevin Durant.

Durant is averaging 33.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in the last three games as the Thunder as a team are averaging 122.0 points per game during the stretch.

Portland previous to the trading deadline was a sort of bad matchup for this Thunder team. That is not so much the case anymore and avoiding a letdown, Oklahoma City should take this one tonight.

The game promised to be an easy one and delivered as such. Oklahoma City easily dismantled the Portland Trailblazers 111-95 Sunday night.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led the way combing for 54 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

James Harden was effective off the bench despite shooting 1-for-7 from the field because he got to the line a ton and made 11-of-14 free throws to go along with a team-high seven assists.

The Thunder were hot from deep last night which is always a testament to how tough an opponent plays them. Oklahoma City made 11-of-18 threes in the game as Durant made 4-of-5.

Thabo Sefolosha looked the best he has so far since returning from his injury as he made 4-of-5 field goals and scored 11 points and grabbed five boards.

The Thunder are among the worst in the league when it comes to assists per game but held a 24-to-15 advantage last night over Portland.

The Blazers did not seem to have the energy having just traded away Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby and now clearly in the mode for having a higher draft pick.

The Thunder are off tonight and will return to action Tuesday night at Utah.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (1-game losing streak)
106.6 Offensive Efficiency (2nd)
99.8 Defensive Efficiency (12th)
96.1 Pace (4th)
56.8 True Shooting % (1st)
51.1 Rebound Rate (6th)

Blazers (1-game winning streak)
102.2 Offensive Efficiency (11th)
100.4 Defensive Efficiency (13th)
94.0 Pace (16th)
53.1 True Shooting % (10th)
49.5 Rebound Rate (20th)

The Thunder have been through a tough stretch lately losing most recently to the San Antonio Spurs two nights ago. Tonight they will face Portland for the first time since the trade deadline when the Blazers made it clear they weren’t in it to win it anymore this year.

The Blazers traded away Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby at the trade deadline in return for very little.

At the beginning of the year, Portland was looking like the potential worst matchup for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a series. While they still have a decent lineup that is certainly not the case anymore.

The Blazers however beat the team with the best record in the NBA in their last game, winning against the Chicago Bulls who were without Derrick Rose for the game.

Tonight they will contend with the Thunder who will have all of their big guns. Kevin Durant will not have to deal with Wallace who was a tough cover on him in previous meetings. The lane should also be cleared some without Camby for Russell Westbrook and James Harden to take it to the rim.

The Thunder have been in cruise control lately and we’ll see what kind of Portland team shows up tonight. They might either be motivated to still play strong or a depressed type that is just mailing it in.

Normally I’d say the Thunder were a sure bet at home to get the win but they have not been playing their best basketball lately and until then it seems anyone has a fighting chance to beat them.

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

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.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

The NBA announced yesterday that the goaltending call on LaMarcus Aldridge blocking Kevin Durant in the final moments of the Thunder-Blazers game Monday night was the wrong call.

The call tied the game for the Thunder and eventually would send the game into overtime where the Thunder pulled out the victory.

The NBA is able to review plays at the end of games when making a decision on who hit th ball out of bounds but they cannot review goaltending.

It will be interesting if this play will become a reviewable type of play int he future since it did help swing the game.

One thing to be remembered from the play is that the Thunder did retain possession following the block and would have had another chance to score in the final six seconds and send the game into overtime or possibly win the game.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

LaMarcus Aldridge torched the Thunder for 39 points Monday night as the Portland Trailblazers hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder. Aldridge couldn’t miss for most of the game but missed his last six shot attempts.

Oklahoma City can thank Kendrick Perkins for that as he led the Thunder to a 111-107 overtime win.

Perkins guarded Aldridge down the stretch in the fourth quarter and all throughout overtime and made sure he didn’t get anything easy and made him work for every touch.

This is the value that Perkins brings to Oklahoma City. He is their tough guy. He can go out and rough up the other team’s best player and that’s what he did tonight.

You can look in the box score and see Aldridge had a great game or you can watch the game and know that Perkins dominated when it counted.

With 12 seconds left in regulation, Oklahoma City found themselves trailing the Trailblazers 103-101. The Thunder inbounded to Kevin Durant at the top of the key and Aldridge switched out on him.
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