Thunder in the News: Keep celebrating squeaking by

As long as the OKC Thunder keep winning, we’re going to keep celebrating. That’s all we can do in this crazy Western Conference stretch run.

If you use the Western Conference standings as your source of happiness, I feel for you and your sanity. In a matter of a week OKC Thunder Nation has flipped from a fear of missing the Playoffs to the possibility of homecourt advantage in round one. As Lil Uzi Vert would say, that’s just The Way Life Goes in the year 2018.

We’re not going to recap last night’s game in today’s ITN – I’ve got a full report card if that happens to interest you. Instead we’re going to touch on the biggest storylines that came from Monday night. A couple of them are incredibly positive. The middle one…not so much.

Oklahoma City’s favorite new son speaks

Corey Brewer has taken the state of Oklahoma by storm. In five games with the Thunder he’s averaging 11 points on 47.4%-38.9%-100% shooting splits while also grabbing 3 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game. He’s doing the perimeter dirty work that we’re accustomed to with Andre Roberson, with the addition of a little floor spacing.

Will that shooting stroke continue? Probably not – Brewer is a career 28.2% shooter from behind the arc. But this interview with Alex Kennedy of USA Today shines light on how he’s already fitting into OKC’s system, mostly because he’s allowing the other four starters to facilitate while he sits back and waits for opportunities.

"Corey Brewer feels right at home with the Oklahoma City Thunder."

Let’s just hope Steven Adams is okay

I jinxed Steven Adams and I’ve never been more upset with myself. Adams left last night’s contest for the second time in as many games, this time with a hip contusion. At the time of writing this there haven’t been any updates on his condition – as a random bystander I’d be willing to guess he’ll sit out tonight against Atlanta.

Without Adams this team has zero chance of making noise in the Playoffs. The Thunder need his physical presence in the paint; Dakari Johnson is their only true center if he cannot play. The emphasis should be on resting the Big Kiwi until he feels relatively healthy. They simply can’t afford him to continue having him leave games due to minor injuries.

"Adams missed a handful of games last season because of a concussion and calf contusion, but neither injury proved significant. That’s good news for the Thunder, who have watched him develop into one of the league’s premier two-way bigs."

Reason to feel better about Playoff chances

I know what will make you feel better…this tweet! For now Oklahoma City sits in sole possession of first place. A half game separates them from the Timberwolves and Pelicans (who both hold the tiebreaker), so it’s incredibly important that the Thunder continue to win the games they’re supposed to. AKA, tonight is a must-win to keep possession of much-needed homecourt advantage in round one.

Next: Previewing tonight's visit in Atlanta

That’s it for today’s issue of Thunder in the News. Make sure you’re checking our full site for all of our great content, including updates on Andre Roberson’s recovery process. See you tomorrow as we (hopefully) celebrate Oklahoma City’s fourth straight win!