Today’s OKC Thunder in the News is solely celebrating a second straight Dub against the Golden State Warriors.
Hahahahahaha – that’s truly how I feel right now. It’s funny to me how the OKC Thunder can lose to four straight then go into the Oracle and throttle Golden State. It’s funny that this team, playing without Carmelo Anthony, was able to keep the Warriors from bringing the game within single-digits. Most importantly, it’s funny to me that people still don’t realize the Oklahoma City Thunder have something special brewing.
Thunder sent a message last night
Regular season wins only count for so much, but after witnessing OKC repeat their December performance it’s completely rational to think this team can make noise in the Playoffs. Like Rohan Nadkarni writes, this doesn’t mean the Thunder are going to beat the Warriors in a seven-game series. What it does prove is that they have a distinct recipe to beat Golden State, one that can attract players to join this offseason.
"Calling the Thunder title contenders would be generous, but on some level, Westbrook and his running mate Paul George are gaining ground on the league’s juggernaut."
Russ believes in his teammates; they responded
NBA fans are starting to see Russell Westbrook in his true light. The guy that truly cares about his teammates, the one that doesn’t disrespect them in the media. Russ was at it again post-game with more remarks that backed up his belief in his teammates. Michael Lee detailed how his “I believe in these guys more than anything in the world” remark is the sign of a united locker room. It’s a must-read for any Thunder fan.
"Westbrook’s passion and intensity are often misinterpreted because he isn’t some angry, tunnel-visioned loner. He is demanding, but he’s also harder on himself, which made the early stumbles frustrating."
And to top it all off, the Lakers are backing off this summer
And finally we celebrate the Thunder’s best two-way player: Paul George. PG was arguably Oklahoma City’s best player last night as his perimeter defense was Roberson-esque in it’s ability to create turnovers. And the best part was this performance came the same day Woj and Ramona reported that the Lakers are shifting their free agency to focus to 2019.
Paul George seems happy in OKC both on and off the court – it looks like he’s here to stay.
"We also can’t rule out the power of Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams and Sam Presti."
Next: Grading the Thunder's demolition of the "Dubs"
That’s it for today’s titillating issue of Thunder in the News! As long as Oklahoma City keeps beating the League’s top teams we’re going to keep believing. Because Why Not?