OKC Thunder howl in Twin Cities – 5 takeaways from dominant victory

In pursuit of wings:

Alex Abrines and Deonte Burton also got minutes and both contributed. Abrines played just 15 minutes producing 10 points, 2 rebounds, an assist and showcased enough defensively to merit this analyst keeping an open mind in this regard.

Deonte Burton also got limited burn with 11 minutes, but I’m sold on his overall game. Sure, his stats don’t jump off the page, and yet 4 rebounds in such a short period speak to his ability. Still, other than a pretty scoring play his stand out moment didn’t produce a stat yet it showcased his copious talents. At 7:40 of the second quarter Burton picked up a deflected ball by Noel and sparked the fast break in transition. He avoided an opponent with a behind the back move and barely brought the ball forward before whipping it to a wide open Jerami Grant on the wing. Grant drove the paint drawing a foul and free throws.

The stat sheet won’t register anything for Burton, but that one segment showcased the skill set of Burton and why many at TI are keen to see more of him on court.

https://twitter.com/okcthunder/status/1048394651814842368

Heading into the match I thought we might see K.J. McDaniels get some run especially with the Roberson news. But he along with Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot were two of the DNP CD (did not play – coaches decision) players of the night. Potentially Billy Donovan will take a better look at McDaniels on Sunday when the team face the Hawks. TLC is also likely to get some run in the Sunday matinee.