OKC Thunder: Player grades highlight smothering defense in victory vs. Nets

Best OKC Thunder reserve performance:

As mentioned earlier, the bench scoring was a major takeaway from the OKC win. Anytime a team scores 44 points from the bench alone, it typically will prove to be positive. The Nets had 30 points from reserves and still lost by double digits.

The Hamidou Diallo homecoming has been great the past couple of days. Hami was by far the best reserve going up against the New York Knicks in the last Thunder matchup and had no layover in the Brooklyn Nets contest.

Without his contributions, there is no way OKC wins by double digits. Hami was the most aggressive on the defensive end, which translated well into his offensive play.

Shooting 10 of 14 while adding in four steals is what Thunder fans should expect when Hami is anywhere near Brooklyn or the ‘Big Apple.’ Diallo has had some inconsistencies at the free-throw line as of late but went 4 of 4 from the charity stripe. When he has the ball, his aggression and comfort level has been enjoyable to watch as it looks as if Hamidou is thriving in Mark Daigneault’s offense.

Best opponent performance:

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The ex OKC Thunder superstar, Kevin Durant had a monster game against his former team, but his effort alone was not enough to stop this antagonistic OKC core. Durant had a game-high 36 points in 37 minutes of play as the Nets looked as though they were going to dismantle OKC by the end of the 1st quarter.

OKC Thunder fans have watched this scenario play out for over a decade as KD was able to get to his spot down on the elbow and rise over any OKC defender to provide an effortless brand of basketball for Steve Nash and company.

KD saw the free-throw line at will against OKC, where he went 12 of 15. During the second half, Durant cooled off as he tried to fend for himself against a scrappy OKC defense. Darius Bazely did everything he could, apart from tackling Durant as the OKC youngster played exceptional defense on Durant in the second half, which aided OKC to victory.

In closing:

This OKC Thunder team could be too good to tank, and this is a perfect example of why they will continue to be one of the best young teams in the league. The Thunder came out somewhat flat, but Mark Daigneault made a few changes that proved successful as the game wore on.

After Sunday night, the NBA should be aware as this OKC team looks like it will be competing in every outing this season. This team is entertaining and provides some energy moving forward.

For those interested in the full ESPN box score, click here. Watch out as the Thunder looks to extend its winning streak against the Spurs on Tuesday.