OKC Thunder In the news: Homecoming, triple OT and taking baby steps
It’s not Norman Rockwell, but the OKC Thunder arrive in the Mecca with Carmelo Anthony dominating the headlines of his homecoming.
Heading into the weekend the OKC Thunder expected tonight’s game versus the Knicks to be the marquee event given Carmelo Anthony’s return to the Mecca. Yet, the triple overtime victory over the Sixers ended up stealing the thunder (no pun intended).
Therefore, OKC arrive in New York fatigued knowing the Knicks have been virtually unbeatable on their home court. That said, there is a good possibility the Thunder won’t face either of the team’s top stars. Both Tim Hardaway Jr. and super star Kristaps Porzingis are expected to miss the game.
Furthermore several OKC Thunder players logged crazy minutes in the overtime thriller in Philly. Still, this is the Mecca and the focus on this game and Carmelo Anthony is sure to provide ample energy inside Madison Square Gardens.
As for the news there is much to choose from as every media outlet is abuzz with Melo’s return. With that let’s dive into to In the news for December 16th.
Porzingis predicts love bombs from MSG:
Writer Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report covers Kristaps Porzingis thoughts on Melo’s return to the Garden. The new Knicks star offered praise of Anthony and anticipates the crowd will serve up a warm welcome. The unicorn also shot down the current narrative that the reason for the Knicks turnaround came about because of Anthony’s departure.
"“Not at all. He was here for a long time. For him, it was also hard. He was trying to do the right things to win, but it was just not clicking. It was not the right pieces around him to make that happen. I know he wants to win. If he didn’t want to win, he would have probably stayed here or went somewhere else besides OKC because he has an actual chance to win.”"
Knicks players offer their thoughts on Melo’s return:
Marc Berman of The New York Post spoke with several Knicks players regarding the homecoming. Most felt the MSG crowd should be receptive. Here’s a sampling of player thoughts from Berman’s article and Anthony’s own comments about returning to New York.
Anthony’s comments:
"“Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to go back and play in the Garden,” said Anthony, who played six-and-a-half seasons with the Knicks. “Play in front of those fans. Play in front of my family, my friends. But at the end of the day, it’s business to me. But I’d be lying if I said I’m not ecstatic to be going back and playing there. Like I said, I got a different feeling with New York. A different relationship, different bond with the city, with the fans, with the people. It’s a little bit special for me.”"
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Believes the infamous Garden crowd will receive the hometown Anthony well.
"“It’s going to be great for him to be back here,’’ Hardaway said. “He knows the arena [and] the rims very well. We expect him to come out here, no matter how he’s shooting the ball, he’s going to come out and we’re going to treat him like an All-Star. He’s coming back home.”"
Courtney Lee :
Made the most astute observation regarding Anthony, citing the fact Melo could only play on court based on the system the Knicks were running at the time (and imposed triangle request of Phil Jackson).
"“I think it will be a mixed reaction — more cheers than anything,’’ Courtney Lee said. “You can’t fault the guy for just playing hard and leaving it all out on the court. He tried to help the team win whether it was the style some fans want or didn’t want but he competed night in and night out. I think it will be more cheers.’’"
Lance Thomas:
Probably the closest player to Melo suggested fans shouldn’t boo).
"“I don’t think he deserves to be booed,’’ Thomas said. “You never know. Regardless, he’ll bring his ‘A’ game. We’ll bring ours.’’"
Porzingis
Mirrored the above sentiments:
"“I think he was as professional as he could be in his time here in New York,’’ said Porzingis, who considers Anthony his mentor. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t receive him with love.”"
The Triple Overtime Thriller:
Reflecting back on the night in Philadelphia it may have been cold outside, but the action inside was hot. Fans were delayed arriving to the game due the snowstorm. Once more however, the OKC Thunder gave up a lead late in the game punctuating the fact there is still work to be done in terms of finding that ever elusive offensive cohesion and efficiency.
If you happened to miss the TIP3 yesterday it’s worth taking the time to go back and give it a view. Christopher Kline served up quality insight about Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and the status of the Sixers.
As for the post game grades, my cohort Tony Heim was so excited he served up a jam packed roundup of the OT win along with player grades.
"Oklahoma City let the Philadelphia 76ers virtually the entire contest, but a scoreless final 5:21 minutes allowed Philly to claw their way back and send it to overtime. Solid defense by the Thunder sent it to a second, an Andre Roberson missed layup sent it to a third. When it mattered most, Roberson and Patrick Patterson proved to be the unlikely heroes in triple OT."
Moving into Saturday night we’ll have to see if the Melo narrative brings the energy to the Garden. Hard to say how this one will turn out given the fatigue of the Thunder and potential for absent Knicks stars dealing with injury.
Regardless, we’ll be dialed in to catch the night and hoping the OKC Thunder can extend their current success to 7-3 in their past 10 games.
That wraps up in the news for December 16. Make sure to check in with Thunderous Intentions daily as our talented team of scribes keeps you up to date and your favorite team and players.
Make sure to prep for Melo’s homecoming via Yams Game Day Preview, visit us on Twitter during the game and drop in after the game for the post game grades.