After losing four consecutive games, the OKC Thunder have now won their last two. The Thunder beat the Utah Jazz 112-104 at the Peake.
Of course, for the thirty-second time this season, Russell Westbrook finished with a triple-double for the OKC Thunder. Westbrook would finish with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists.
The Thunder were in the driver’s seat from the get-go in this one. Utah was severely crippled by the last minute scratch of their big man with many nicknames: the French Rejection, the Stifle Tower, Rudy Gobert. Gobert was ruled out around twenty minutes prior to tip-off due to a minor leg injury; Derrick Favors sat as well. The five Jazz starters were limited to 29 points by the Thunder.
Andre Roberson was his usual stifling self on defense, limiting Gordon Hayward to 9 points on 3-9 shooting. Taj Gibson scored 15 on 7-9 shooting to go along with 6 rebounds. It’s worth noting that Gibson left the game after a fall during which he appeared to injure his hip. After a brief trip to the locker room, Gibson returned to the bench, but did not return to the game.
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Steven Adams added 11 points and 9 rebounds, and Enes Kanter chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds off the bench. Finally, Victor Oladipo had his second consecutive solid game, finishing with 22 points. Dipo has looked sensational upon his return from his recent injury.
Without the steadying impact of Rudy Gobert on defense and on the glass for the Jazz (who entered the game with the league’s best defense), the OKC Thunder dominated the Jazz in most facets of the game. For starters, the Thunder were able to get to the rim seemingly at will, outscoring the Jazz 58-44 in the paint. Also, the Thunder out-rebounded the Jazz 43-36 (12-7 on the offensive glass). Finally, they shot better from the field, and had 8 more assists than the Jazz.
What’s Next for the OKC Thunder
As a result of today’s victory, OKC improves to 37-29 on the season. They remain the 6th seed of the Western Conference, and now trail the Jazz by only three games for the lead of the Northwest Division. The Thunder have the next two days off before traveling to Brooklyn to take on the Nets, who currently own the worst record in the NBA.
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