OKC Thunder grades: Comeback too late vs Dame time
OKC Thunder starting lineup grades:
. F. Oklahoma City Thunder. KENRICH WILLIAMS. C
Kenrich Williams had a quiet performance against Portland. With three points, an assist, and a steal to his name, he did however make an impact on the boards with eight rebounds.
Williams continues to show his grit and determination which has led him to be a trusted figure in the starting lineup. His performances over the last few weeks have been impressive.
G. Oklahoma City Thunder. LU DORT. A.
Dort was marvelous. He thrives against big competition and especially superstars.
He led OKC with 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal. One highlight from the game was a steal he made in the third quarter as he proceeded to dunk on Simons.
There were some great tweets during the game that describe the whole nation’s love for the Canadian. As one tweet said, “I’m always thinking about Lu Dort.” And Thunder Nation couldn’t agree more.
Also, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year leaders has just been announced with Dort ranked fifth. And like against Portland, every game is just another chance to see him shine.
C. . PG. Oklahoma City Thunder. THEO MALEDON
Maledon had a challenging game. He recorded seven points, three assists, two rebounds, and a steal. He wasn’t able to knock down any shots from beyond the arc and went two of seven from the field. But this was in large part due to the mastery of Lillard. The promising rookie will learn from this and has so much more to give.
. SF. Oklahoma City Thunder. DARIUS BAZLEY. B+
Bazley was hitting his shots early and filled the stat sheet. He scored seven of the Thunder’s first 10 points and finished with 14 points, six rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block. Great starts for Baze is something he can consistently do but strong opposition on the boards from Portland was too much in the end.
Oklahoma City Thunder. AL HORFORD. C. . C
Horford finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds, and three assists. It definitely was a struggle in the paint trying to overcome the offensive rebound juggernaut of Kanter.
And Horford was left to watch as the Thunder couldn’t match him. He’ll look to help lead OKC in their next encounter to improve these deficiencies.