OKC Thunder: 3 takeaways in late surge, eventual loss to Trail Blazers

OKC Thunder takeaway No. 3) Intense battles define this young team

There’s something to be said about the way this OKC Thunder team battles deep into games. It doesn’t matter how much they’re down by or how big their lead is; this team wants to win, and the Thunder are guaranteed to put on a show with each game.

When considering the slow starts the Thunder have had throughout the course of the season, it’s refreshing to see how hard the players are willing to work to get back into each game they trail.

It truly is one of the most exciting times to be a fan of the Thunder.

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• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

This team is being rebuilt with only a handful of well-known players. The rest were either developed within the system or brought over in trades and have since flourished under the Thunder’s leadership.

During last season and now through this one, the OKC Thunder have exceeded expectations of what a rebuilding franchise should look like. Rather than getting blown out, the Thunder are taking the Los Angeles Lakers to overtime and beating teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trail Blazers.

It’s not always pretty, but the experience is invaluable for the players on this team. Just knowing what it’s like to take on someone like LeBron James and nearly come away with the win is huge for a developing player.

It has been said over and over again that this team will be a hard team to beat in the future, but the reality is, the OKC Thunder are a hard team to beat now. This team doesn’t give up, even when all hope appears to be lost.

The OKC Thunder are back in action and on the road tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies at 8 p.m. CT.