OKC Thunder grades: Russell Westbrook magnificent as he rocks Nets to sleep
Final Thoughts
Nets blast from deep:
The Nets mix up their offense well with numerous perimeter shooters and then utilize their bigs and dribble penetration on teams cheating too much to protect the deep ball. Tonight (at least early) was a perfect example of how Brooklyn can feast inside when that happens.
Nets have an identity:
This Nets team is no throwaway squad, as they function well under Head Coach Kenny Atkinson’s system. Brooklyn is a great example of a team who understand their roles, have bought into them and excel within them.
More than anything this club exudes a togetherness and it’s clear watching them they like each other. In a year with so much locker room angst seeping into elite clubs ability on the court, this factor is helping the Nets stack up wins.
Is Adams dealing with an injury?
Steven Adams hasn’t looked right for a few games in a row. I’m not particularly concerned if he’s not scoring (although I’d like to seem him take the ball up with more force) but not getting boards or affecting the defense like he usually does makes me wonder. if like George, he’s nursing some nagging injury. This becomes a greater factor when you scan the upcoming opponents the Thunder will face and their desire to nab the three seed.
Although every player is dealing with some sort of nagging injury I wonder if it wouldn’t behoove Donovan to give Noel a bit more run down the stretch. OKC may not want to sit Adams but if he is injured they need to get him rest, one way or another.
A frightening backcourt dynamic:
Watching Dennis Schroder and Raymond Felton on the court together was a comedy of errors. Both prefer to take their own shot over passing. Imagine being one of their three lineup mates knowing you won’t likely even get to touch the ball.
Defense Rules:
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The OKC Thunder demonstrated just how vital their defensive effort is in the third quarter. What had been a five to three edge in fast break points shifted to a 15-13 margin. Most of which was thanks to deflections, rebounding and aggressive defense.
Notably, by game end, the Thunder had won the fast break scoring margin by a single point (20-19) but that was also partially assisted by Joe Harris pulling up for two quick transition triples in the closing minutes of the game connecting on both.
Likewise, the paint battle which the Nets were dominating got shifted in the second half with the OKC Thunder outscoring them 30-10.
Kurucs will make a future mark:
Rodions Kurucs (put that name in your conscious and commit it to your memory bank) was a pest bothering everyone he got near whether it was Steven Adams, Paul George, Jerami Grant or Terrance Ferguson, especially early.
The kid has a talent for bothering opponents, but more importantly, he comes with a plethora of tools. By the end of the first Kurucs had accumulated seven points, two rebounds, two steals and a block.
His game end numbers seem more pedestrian given he only added a single point (8) to his tally. Still, I see a bright future for him as a very solid role player. Kurucs finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block.
Next. Westbrook altercation punctuates need for stricter fan rules. dark
For the full box score visit ESPN and for game highlights, click the video above. Check back tomorrow for takeaways. The OKC Thunder are back at it tomorrow in Paul George’s former city playing the Indiana Pacers. Hopefully, the OKC Thunder can extend the win streak to three in a row and help bolster their attempt to reclaim the third seed.