Struggling OKC Thunder out of Excuses and Other Wednesday NBA Takeaways
Remember how the Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to take the NBA by storm once Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were reunited in health? Remember how this terrific tandem was going to carry OKC back into not only the Western Conference playoff picture, but the thick of the championship conversation as soon as they were ready to play?
Yeah…about that.
The Thunder got swept—nay, spanked—up in the Bay to start their first full week of the 2015 calendar year. First came a 117-91 annihilation in the house of the Golden State Warriors, who've now won 13 in a row at Oracle Arena in support of the league's best record.
Any blowout is bad, but against the Dubs? That's business as usual for pretty much any visitor to Oakland these days.
The same excuses don't apply quite so readily to the 104-83 thrashing OKC suffered against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. It's one thing for Durant and Westbrook to combine to score 36 points on an awful 8-of-37 shooting against the Warriors' league-best defense.
But the Kings? The team that, per NBA.com, came into the night ranked 25th in defensive efficiency?
Sacramento managed to hold OKC's dynamic duo to fewer points (34) than Golden State did on nearly as terrible a field-goal flop (11-of-39). Worse still, the Kings pestered Durant and Westbrook into 11 of the Thunder's 24 turnovers; those two accounted for just four giveaways against the Dubs.
Not that OKC's supporting cast was all that, well, supportive. Serge Ibaka (11 points, 10 rebounds, eight blocks) and Reggie Jackson (14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, four assists) contributed about as much to the cause as they typically do.
But Anthony Morrow missed five of his six trey tries. And Dion Waiters, acquired from the Cavs on Monday, made just 1-of-9 from the floor in his Thunder debut.
Meanwhile, the remainder of OKC's roster (i.e., Steven Adams, Andre Roberson, Nick Collison, Perry Jones III, Kendrick Perkins) filled in the gaps even less than their already specified roles would dictate.
Trouble is, when Durant and Westbrook aren't on their respective games, even while occupying their usual places in the games, there's only so much those other guys can do. When so many touches are devoted to so few players, that puts a ton of pressure on those stars to perform.
That's worked pretty well for the Thunder in the past. Sure, it worked great when James Harden was still what, hindsight being what it is, turned out to be the league's most overqualified sixth man.
But they'd have been in position to capture a Western Conference crown in either of the past two years had the injury bug not bitten one of their key three—Westbrook's knee in 2013, Ibaka's calf in 2014—at the most inopportune of moments.
It's quite possible the Thunder will find themselves in that very same position come spring.
For the time being, though, they'll have to endure the pains, not of a growing bone but of one in repair. Durant and Westbrook were able to spark a seven-game winning streak shortly after the former returned from a busted bone in his foot. Throw an ankle sprain onto that same leg later on, and it's quite possible that rhythm and comfort might fluctuate more wildly in light of that.
But the Thunder aren't about to settle for excuses—no team that's been through as many highs and lows as this group has together would. Nor could they afford to feel sorry for themselves anyway. This year's Western Conference is loaded, with nine other teams sporting records better than their 17-19 mark.
With any luck, OKC will find its usual flow, which is to say, Durant and Westbrook will find theirs. One is the reigning MVP. The other had looked like he could be next in line for a time this season. Both are 26, the age at which superstars tend to find their absolute peaks within a year or two of their reach.
There's no need to panic, but there's also not much time to waste. The seas won't simply part to form a path to the playoffs for the Thunder right around the stretch of the year when the story of Exodus—you know, the one Ridley Scott based his latest set-piece extravaganza on—is typically retold.
As John Wooden, the patron saint of Westbrook's alma mater, would say, "Be quick, but don't hurry."
But, y'know, do be quick.
Kemba to the Rescue
With the reliable Al Jefferson and the erratic Lance Stephenson both sidelined by injuries, the Charlotte Hornets have had little choice but to turn to Kemba Walker for salvation.
Surprisingly enough, that's worked out just fine for Charlotte of late. Walker carried the Hornets to their third straight victory Wednesday, 98-94 over the New Orleans Pelicans, by extending his own streak of 30-plus-point games to three.
You know what else comes in threes for Walker and Charlotte? Game-winning shots. Walker put the Hornets ahead for good with (you guessed it!) a three-point play at Jrue Holiday's expense with 1.4 seconds to play.
"As soon as we get in those situations, they're like, 'Kemba, win the game,'" Walker said afterward. "When you have a bunch of guys that have that much confidence in you, of course you want to take that shot."
Walker's four-year, $48 million extension doesn't kick in until next season, but he's not wasting any time putting his money where his game is, especially with two of his top teammates tethered to the training table.
Derrick Rose's Shooting Woes Continue
The Chicago Bulls would do well to procure a few gallons of whatever Walker's been sipping of late for the benefit of their own scoring point guard.
Derrick Rose's shooting woes continued Wednesday, this time with the Utah Jazz limiting the former MVP to 3-of-15 from the field in a 97-77 Bulls defeat. It was Rose's sixth straight game shooting under 40 percent from the field but only the second loss for Chicago in that span.
Yet as Bleacher Report's Sean Highkin surmised when Rose's struggles were just beginning, his brickiness could become a serious concern for both his game and the Bulls' success if it persists:
"The Bulls have no shortage of three-point weapons without Rose jacking up misses. … Rose is a threat at the rim and a better passer than he’s given credit for. But now that the novelty has worn off his comeback, teams have figured out that if they leave him open from deep, he isn’t going to make them pay.
"
If Rose can't command defensive attention on the perimeter, those lanes to the hoop will shrink even more—and Chicago's overall results could suffer.
A New Low for the Knicks
THIS JUST IN: The New York Knicks are terrible…like, all-time terrible.
OK, so maybe this isn't really news. The Knicks have been abysmal since the season's opening tip and have only slipped further into the tank since, with Carmelo Anthony resting a bum knee, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert shipped off to Cleveland (more on them in a bit) and The New York Times crowdsourcing less miserable assignments for Scott Cacciola, their Knicks beat writer.
But, as The Wall Street Journal's Chris Herring noted, even Wednesday's 101-91 loss to the Washington Wizards was unique in Knicks history for all the wrong reasons:
Such historic futility would be tough for any fanbase to swallow, no less for the legions of hoops heads in the Big Apple who shell out top dollar—both at Madison Square Garden and on TV—to see their sorry squad play.
In the opinion of Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, though, this degree of futility is not only necessary, but long overdue. He wrote, "This isn't a rebuilding effort, at least not yet. This is a purge—a swift, emphatic push to flush the bad contracts and the bad attitudes, to give Jackson a fresh canvas on which to sketch out the Knicks' future."
Recent Arrivals Trade Troubles in Cleveland
Josh Smith's debut with the Houston Rockets had been, well, rocky. Through his first seven games in red, Smith had managed a mere 10.7 points on 42 percent shooting, with Houston losing four of those outings.
Apparently, all Smith and the Rockets needed was another opponent in even greater transactional flux. Enter the Cleveland Cavaliers, who got zip from J.R. Smith (zero points, 0-of-5 from the field) and zilch from Iman Shumpert (did not play—dislocated left shoulder) in a 105-93 home loss that dropped them to 19-17, just a half-game ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings. Even a 38-point explosion from Kyrie Irving couldn't save Cleveland.
Not with Smith chipping in 16 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting off the bench. Certainly not with five other Rockets—including Corey Brewer, another in-season acquisition—scoring in double figures. And, in the Cavs' case, not without Timofey Mozgov, who's on his way from Denver.
Pistons Power Their Way to Seventh Straight
As good as Smith's night was, his old team's was even better. A mere 24 hours after upending the San Antonio Spurs at the buzzer, the Detroit Pistons Texas two-stepped their way to a 108-95 road win over the red-hot Dallas Mavericks.
That result ended Dallas' winning streak at six while extending Detroit's to a lucky seven—all since head coach/team president Stan Van Gundy decided to pay J-Smoove to go away. Of those victories, five have come outside of the Motor City and all but one have been decided by double-digit margins.
Smith's absence was particularly apparent Wednesday. Greg Monroe, who'd been relegated to second-unit duty when Smith was around, posted season highs in rebounds (18) and assists (six) while piling up 27 points. As a result, the Pistons, who won just five of their first 28 games this season, now sit a mere three games back of a playoff spot in the East.
Hawks Swipe Grizzlies to Extend Streaks
The Atlanta Hawks captured a sixth straight win and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 96-86 to cap off the most difficult stretch of their season to date. Atlanta has now won 20 of its last 22 games overall and nine straight against the Western Conference while improving to an Eastern Conference-leading 27-8.
It was hardly the most aesthetically pleasing win of Atlanta’s campaign, but thanks to a flurry of threes (52 percent shooting), 16 fast-break points and 21 forced turnovers, the Hawks were able to outlast a Grizzlies squad that shot 29.4 percent from deep and mustered 36 points in the paint.
Jeff Teague led the way with 25 points (9-of-14 shooting, 3-of-4 from three) and has now scored at least 20 points in a career-best six straight games.
Contributed by Alec Nathan
Blake Griffin, Clippers Punctuate Dominance Over Lakers
It's no great mystery that the Clippers have soared past the Lakers as L.A.'s superior NBA outfit at the moment. The Clips' 114-89 win over the Lakers on Wednesday was their ninth in 10 meetings with their more decorated rivals.
Proponents of the Purple and Gold will point to Chris Paul's redirect as the reason for their demise—and each of CP3's 24 points and 11 assists on the evening served to drive that nail in just a bit deeper.
Not to mention his once-and-never backcourt buddy Kobe Bryant's least productive scoring outing probably ever:
Chances are, though, that Paul wouldn't have rubber-stamped a move from the then-New Orleans Hornets to the Clippers had Blake Griffin—then an All-Star, a Slam Dunk champion, a Rookie of the Year, seemingly a ready-made superstar—not burst onto the scene. DeAndre Jordan had something to do with that, too, and his development into L.A.'s defensive anchor has done plenty to justify Paul's faith.
Griffin, though, has ravaged the Lakers in such a way that, perhaps, Paul might think he made the right choice. Heck, he'd probably say as much himself—and not just because he's always so measured when the media's around.
This time, Griffin pummeled the Lakers' lackluster front line for 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in just under 31 minutes. Last time, he walloped L.A.'s more celebrated residents to the tune of 39 points on Halloween.
Griffin, like the Clippers as a whole, seems to sense what it means to be the hotter ticket in town. They may struggle against some of the league's brighter lights, as they did when the Hawks came to town Monday, but their position will remain unprecedented in Clippers history so long as they can keep their feet firmly on the Lakers' metaphorical throats.
What do you think, Steve Ballmer?
Andrew Wiggins Rising, T-Wolves Still Sliding
Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting, but the Minnesota Timberwolves dropped a 13th straight game in a 113-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Wiggins has now tallied at least 20 points in seven of his last eight games and shot better than 50 percent from the field in six of his last eight outings.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, only Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and LeBron James compiled more 20-point games over their first 34 contests as teenagers.
Contributed by Alec Nathan
Splash Bros Hit Milestones
In watching their beloved Warriors waltz past the Indiana Pacers 117-102, Golden State fans were also treated to significant nights for both members of their top-notch backcourt.
First, Stephen Curry, perhaps the league's most lethal sharpshooter, became the fastest hand to ever can a grand of treys:
Then, Klay Thompson nearly matched his career high of 41 points set earlier this season, though his 40 points were certainly sufficient.
Oh, and Andrew Bogut is back. And the Dubs are still rolling along at an NBA-best 28-5, with a wind-whipping offense and a suffocating defense.
Good luck, rest of the league. You might need it now.
Quote of the Night
Now, Brandon Jennings can no longer accurately say he hasn't been on a seven-game winning streak, either.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report.
