After losing 104-94 against the OKC Thunder on Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs will officially conclude this season with a losing road record for the first time in 20 years.
The OKC Thunder claimed a much-needed win on the strength of a vintage triple-double by Russell Westbrook and a rare strong outing by the bench. Put the emphasis on the bench, specifically their work on the defensive end. The reserves’ defense was key for Oklahoma City as Jerami Grant and Patrick Patterson both held their own in the absence of Steven Adams, who sprained his ankle halfway through the game.
Grant and Patterson combined for 25 points and finished with a +/- of 17 and 15 respectively in 20 minutes of play. Nick Collison also got into the act, scoring seven points and grabbing two rebounds in seven minutes on the floor. This came as a pleasant surprise to most of Thunder Nation.
Bench scoring has been a black eye for the Thunder all season long, a unit that’s among the League’s worst. However, a late addition in Corey Brewer and a bounce-back win over San Antonio could be the confidence boost they’ve been looking for. With a slim 1.5 game lead over eighth and ninth place in the conference, production off the bench is going to be key down the stretch.
The Spurs' loss at the Thunder gives them 21 road losses on the season, clinching their 1st losing record on the road since 1996-97.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 11, 2018
Per @EliasSports research, San Antonio’s 20-season streak of winning road records was the longest in NBA history.
Oklahoma City wraps up the season with road trips to Toronto, Boston, San Antonio and Houston – things are about to get interesting. For now we can all feel good about gaining some momentum with an all-around win on Saturday. Especially considering it came with the added bonus of ending one of the most impressive franchise achievements.