Player Grades: OKC Thunder try their hardest, but fail to lose to the Magic
OKC Thunder Best Reserve:
. PG. Oklahoma City Thunder. ALEX ABRINES. A
Alex Abrines played one of his better games of the season tonight. Frankly, without him, the Magic would have stolen this one. He provided spacing, energy, and (gasp) even rim protection. It’s very apparent at this point that Abrines requires consistent playing time to thrive. Give this man his minutes.
Coach. Oklahoma City Thunder. BILLY DONOVAN. Y. As in: Why are you still playing Ferguson? Or maybe Coach should get a “K.” As in: ¿Por “qué” no juegas Abrinas más? That’s “Why don’t you play Abrines more,” for those who don’t speak the Spanish sharp-shooter’s language.
Best Opponent:
NIKOLA VUčEVIć. B-. . C. Orlando Magic
Nikola Vucevic was fine. He was just fine. He hit 3 threes in the first quarter, and then Adams got him back under control. The fact that he was the the stand-out player for the Magic, and he was again, fine, should tell you a little about the basketball the Thunder played tonight.
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- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
Final Thoughts
- 75 percent of the credit for this win goes to the Thunder defense, since they decided to play defense for 75 percent of the game. The Magic scored only 67 points in the final three quarters, after the 38 they put up in the first.
- 20 percent credit goes to the bench, headlined by Alex Abrines (final stats) who had one of his best games in recent memory.
- The remaining 5 percent goes to Steven Adams, because that guy is just the best.
The next game the Thunder have, and the next game the Thunder should win, is Wednesday in Phoenix.
For the full box score, click this link. Thanks for reading. This article was written with only the most Thunderous of Intentions.