Thunder in the news: OKC vault to 5th, Adams out, Collison revered

OKC Thunder in the news March 11 revisits the win which pushes the team up to fifth the loss of Steven Adams and the cult hero Nick Collison.

The OKC Thunder gained precious ground in the playoff positioning in the west with their victory over the Spurs. More importantly, they accomplished the feat in a new manner leading to queries whether the breakthrough by the reserves is sustainable.

With the race in the West as tight as ever the victory over the Spurs highlighted how different this season is. For San Antonio the loss means for the first time in 20 seasons the ever consistent Spurs won’t claim a winning record on the road this season.

And, with just 16 games remaining the Spurs will need to win 12 in order to keep their consecutive 50 win season streak alive. Considering how fragile a franchise’s future can be depending on star exits and injuries that stat is sobering.

Huge win for OKC:

As for the game the OKC Thunder seemingly won almost in spite of themselves. This because of the big three only Westbrook truly showed up. Carmelo Anthony and Paul George certainly were more negative than positive.

I hate to get stuck on this point, but as Westbrook grinned from ear to ear witnessing Nick Collison score to the pleasure of the Peake and the bench erupted the lone player who remained sitting was Paul George.

Perhaps I’m reading too much into it. Certainly there is emphasis on George turning around his cold shooting streak. The fact Carmelo Anthony passed up an open shot speaks to the teams concerns about his slump as well.

I covered that and more in the post game player grades and analysis of the win.

"In the second half tragedy struck early as Steven Adams tweaked his ankle heading straight to the locker room, not to return.  But, like the narrative of this evening the OKC Thunder role players stepped up into the spotlight delivering arguably their best, if not most important results of the season."

Bench unit busts out:

But, the Thunder got a shot in the arm via a very unlikely source as the reserve unit came through. Each and every player who stepped on the court made a positive contribution. This unit scores 26 points on average per game, ranking the lowest in the Association. Yet, on this night they compiled 50 points registering 24 by the half.

When Steven Adams went down early in the third quarter, first Patrick Patterson followed by Jerami Grant later in the game.

But the man who had OKC Thunder fans screaming and chanting MVP at the Peake was Nick Collison. In his brief time on court (six minutes) he produced a stat line of 7 points on 3 of 5 field goals, got to the line and grabbed 2 rebounds (1 offensive). Pretty impressive for a guy who rarely sees action.

‘When I get in, [fans] go nuts. I really appreciate it. Sometimes, I feel like the walk-on in college games.’ – Collison

Steven Adams injury:

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With Adams going down early in the third quarter there were some anxious moments. The big kiwi handled LaMarcus Aldridge with dexterity holding the Spurs star to just three points in the half.

Related: Ultimate kiwi bible – comprehensive guide to Steven Adams

After leaving the court Adams didn’t return and there was no further updates after the game. On tap is a back to back this week thankfully against two lottery seeds. Still, the depth upfront is an issue TI has pointed to all season.

With Donovan unwilling to give his reserves consistent minutes that’s been an issue. At least with the Sacramento and Atlanta the Thunder should be able to maneuver the games utilizing Patterson, Grant  and Dakari Johnson.

If Adams requires some time it’s best he gets rest now. After the back to back set the Thunder will play 11 in a row against teams who boast records of five (or more) games above .500. So, letting him heal now for the long haul may be wise.

Additionally, it’s likely the team will rest tomorrow with the impending back to back, so odds are there won’t be any updates until Monday.

Andre Roberson Update:

Speaking of injuries, Andre Roberson made his first public appearance since suffering a torn a torn patellar tendon. Alex Mcewen provided the top takeaways from ARob’s media session.

"Prior to Roberson going down on January 27th, the Thunder held a defensive rating of 103.1, fifth in the NBA. In the 18 games since Dre’s injury the defensive rating has declined to 107.5, 17th in the NBA.Dre met with the media for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. I have compiled a list of his most most noteworthy quotes."

That wraps up in the news for March 11th. Enjoy the last day of your weekend and be sure to make Thunderous Intentions a daily stop.