OKC Thunder in the news: Brawl, suspensions, Steven Adams historic night and guarantee for Donovan

The recent brawl between the OKC Thunder and Chicago Bulls captured headlines, along with Billy Donovan’s contract guarantee and Steven Adams’ record-breaking stats against the Kings.

Aftermath of the Bulls:

In a redemption match with the Chicago Bulls Monday night, as the OKC Thunder lead grew so did the tension.

Following a foul committed on Terrance Ferguson, Kris Dunn shoved Russell Westbrook and players from either team rushed in to the rescue but only made the situation worse.

Scott Polacek reported on the breaking news of the individual fine amounts for BleacherReport.com. The aftermath of the brawl left three players paying big bucks: Robin Lopez, $25,000 for his involvement that included a brisk headbutt to Jerami Grant, Kris Dunn, $15,000, and OKC’s Jerami Grant, $20,000 for his involvement with Robin Lopez.

The consequences for OKC didn’t stop there, though. Also facing repercussions were Dennis Schroder and Raymond Felton, each faced a game suspension for coming off the bench during the altercation (last night’s match with the Kings).

Of great controversy was Chicago Bulls’ head coach Jim Boylen. Many fans were outraged seeing Boylen carry Grant away from the action in a near choke-hold. A questionable decision, to say the least.

The biggest setback for OKC would presumably be the absence of Schroder and Felton on the court. Polacek highlights this impact nicely:

"There will be more onus on Westbrook as a ball-handler in the game Schroder and Felton sit out, seeing how they are his two primary backup point guards. Westbrook is averaging 34 minutes a night this season and notched a triple-double in the game against the Bulls with 13 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists."

However, in OKC’s battle with Sacramento last night they didn’t feel much pain without them. We saw a big night from Terrance Ferguson and Alex Abrines to compensate for Schroder’s usual offense. Ferg set a new career high of 14 points paired with three rebounds. Abrines had some big time three’s to end the night with 9 points. Of course, when PG puts up 43 points at his assumed role of backup point guard, not much more help is needed.

Donovan’s contract continues:

OKC Thunder head coach Billy Donovan has been confirmed to finish his five-year contract with the franchise. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news three days ago.

He has been faced with much turmoil and turnover in his first four seasons with OKC, losing star players like Kevin Durant and James Harden, and seeing far less-than-expected results out of the “dream team” OK3 comprised of Westbrook, George, and Carmelo Anthony.

Despite the odds, he still ranks in the top-five of winningest coaches with the same team in the league. Though his contract was probably never in question due to his strong relationship with general manager Sam Presti, the guarantee was likely due to the successful turnaround of this season according to DJ Siddiqi of CBS Sports.

"As Wojnarowski mentions in the article, Donovan has the fourth-best record with the same team since he was hired in 2015.While Donovan has led the Thunder to three consecutive playoff appearances, there is no doubt that this contract guarantee came after Oklahoma City’s impressive start. This is a team that started out 0-4 and had clear weaknesses when it pertained to 3-point shooting. However, the Thunder have since rebounded and have gone 18-6 ever since."

History made for Steven Adams:

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In a game that could have easily gone awry, the OKC Thunder put together a strong showing from nearly start to finish. Without the dependence on Schroder’s usual double-digit offensive contributions, Paul George stepped up to compensate just shy of a triple-double, 43 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists. However, it was Steven Adams who made this game so special.

Adams had a record-breaking first half, besting his career high of rebounds in a half with 15 rebounds. But, he didn’t stop there.

He picked up 9 offensive rebounds, a few of which came off Russ’s five consecutive, painful misses at the free-throw line, to climax with 23 rebounds on the night coupled with 20 points. Adams has developed into a successfully well-rounded player for OKC this season, one of the most vital cogs in this thunderous machine.

Adams bested his career high rebounds, paired with his insane offensive impact to make history with the first 20-20 game of his career. A performance that garnered a perfect A+ in Tamberlyn Richardson’s post-game Player Grades.

"I wish there was a grade higher than A+ to administer the Big Kiwi who was an absolute beast on the boards tonight. He made history in the first half pulling down FIFTEEN boards and on the game snagged 23 with nine coming on the offensive glass."

In case you missed the game or just want to relive the booming night for OKC Thunder in Sacramento, check out Richardson’s player grades and game recap. Stay connected with ThunderousIntentions.com for OKC’s back-to-back headers this weekend!