OKC Thunder: Five Takeaways from Third Straight Home Loss

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The OKC Thunder ended their five-game homestand with a 119-117 loss to the Orlando Magic. It was not pretty.

That was bad. Like really bad. Like so bad that the OKC Thunder looked like the worst team in the NBA at one point. Seriously.

Nov 13, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play against the Orlando Magic during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

And stop saying Russ played great. 41-12-16 is a stupid stat line. Congratulations. But there’s a reason why the Thunder gave up 119 points and Elfrid Payton scored 23 points. And hit three threes in the fourth quarter. Did you know Payton had never hit three three’s in a GAME before tonight? Well he did it in one quarter tonight.

So you’re probably thinking I’m angrily typing and thinking irrationally. I’m not. I’m actually happy this happened. This team needed a wake up call and hopefully the first quarter was a nice 20 oz cup of coffee. They played with a greater sense of urgency, especially in the third quarter. But they have to play like that for 48 minutes.

They lost. They played terribly. So what? Now Billy Donovan has a whole lot of ammunition to throw at his players during film. But what exactly does Donovan need to focus in on? Well let’s take a look at the five biggest takeaways from tonight’s loss.

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