The OKC Thunder survived the night and beat the Charlotte Hornets in a close game that came down to free throws.
Tonight was a great win for the Oklahoma City Thunder. With Hamidou Diallo and Terrance Ferguson out for the game, the Thunder needed another player to step up in the starting lineup and that player was none other than Dennis Schroder, who came out hot and continued shooting well from beyond the arc.
We also got our first look at some extended minutes in the regular season for Deonte Burton and he looked incredible. He has shown and continued to show us that he can hit the three ball, gently roll some sneaky reverse layups off the glass, and can absolutely destroy morale on some vicious dunks that you wouldn’t expect from someone with his height and frame. The Thunder will definitely sign him to a full contract once his two-way deal runs out of games for him to play, assuming he stays healthy.
For the rest of the team, it was a pretty typical night. Russell Westbrook played like a mad dog. Paul George kept playing with confidence on offense and composure on defense. Jerami Grant played well on both sides of the ball. Steven Adams made the opposing center look like a chump with his size. Raymond Felton chucked up a shot when given the opportunity. You know it’s just beautiful basketball (excluding the Raymond Felton chucking up shots part).
The team stayed collected and composed while constantly swarming on offense and defense. I know it isn’t typical to hear someone call an offense swarming, but OKC was cutting and fading all night long.
Tonight showed what the Thunder could do when they are not standing in one place and if they keep the ball moving. Russ set the tone and the rest of the team kept it going throughout the game. There were a couple of miscues, but the effort to become less stagnant and more active is already paying dividends for one of the hottest teams in the league and it should only improve from here!
By the way, I know it’s crazy to think about this, but the Thunder are a top three defensive unit in the league and that’s without Andre Roberson. I’d say a Number 1 defensive unit by the end of the season is not out of the question at all!