The final game the OKC Thunder will play in 2021 occurs this evening as they continue the franchise trend of playing on New Year’s Eve.
The opponent this evening is the New York Knicks who are embroiled in trying to regain the success they experienced last season. New York began the season strong posting a 7-4 record in the first 11 games. Then the wheels fell off as they amassed a 5-12 record struggling to find the defensive grit that made them a nightmare matchup in 2020-21.
OKC Thunder face trending Knicks for the initial time this season
Unhappy by how the offseason offensive additions negatively impacted the defensive end of the hardwood, head coach Tom Thibodeau removed Kemba Walker from both the starting lineup and the rotation completely.
Alec Burks was inserted to replace Walker but the results were lackluster (3-7). Then Thibs trusty backup point guard Derrick Rose suffered an injury that required surgery and other members of the roster entered the health and safety protocols necessitating reintegrating Walker.
The veteran made an immediate impact in the initial three games averaging 31.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 44.1 percent from the perimeter on 11 .3 attempts.
Great statistics but only one victory in those three outings.
Through the next three matches, his numbers scaled back significantly to 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while his perimeter shooting regressed to 27.8 percent on 6.0 attempts but the Knicks won all three games. Granted the opposition was the decimated Hawks, Wolves and Pistons all suffering from heavy hits of health and safety.