Tag Archives: Oklahoma City Thunder

NTTB Rumblings – 16 April 2018

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img_4063Royce Young (ESPN) on Paul George’s performance in Game 1: “And in a matchup against the Jazz, a team centered on a rookie, the Thunder entered with the two best players in the series. That’s normally a pretty good indication of who should win, but with inconsistency being the buzzword that has followed the Thunder all season, nothing was clear. There was always this idea that they were built for the postseason, with top-shelf talent ready to shine when the games mattered most, but the Thunder never established anything steady. They entered the playoffs a wild card — dangerous but unknown.”

Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) recaps the Thunder’s Game 1 victory: “The Thunder also couldn’t have scripted a better first possession of the game. A trap down on the baseline led to a desperate Jazz pass back into the middle of the floor, and George was there to pick it off cleanly. George was off to the races and it resulted in a Russell Westbrook 3-on-1 fast break dunk. For the next 5 minutes after that, however, nothing went right for the Thunder. Some mediocre shot selection, some mismanaged transition defense and hot shooting by the Jazz led to a quick 16-4 start for the Jazz, forcing a Thunder timeout.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 16 April 2018 →

Jazz vs. Thunder Preview (Game 1)

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utah jazz vs okc logo

  • When: Sunday, 15 April 2018 at 5:30 pm CST
  • Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: TNT/FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -4.0 | O/U – 204.5

Five Things For This Game Continue reading Jazz vs. Thunder Preview (Game 1) →

First Round Preview vs. the Utah Jazz

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westbrook mitchell

I’ll be honest with you. These last few days have been refreshing. I haven’t had to worry about the Western Conference standings. I haven’t had to worry about not knowing what Oklahoma City Thunder team was going to show up on a night to night basis. I didn’t have to stress about a Paul George shooting slump. Or worry about Carmelo Anthony aging exponentially before our eyes. Or any other plethora of things I’ve worried about this season.

All season long we’ve heard this would be a work in progress. That this process would take time. And with how this team was pieced together over the summer, that request for patience was not a far-fetched one. Many fans view NBA transactions like they view transactions on NBA 2K. If you put Good Player A together with Good Player B, then both players will be good on the same team. But in reality, that’s not always how it works. The process of putting three alpha dogs together and telling them to play as a team is not something that happens instantly. There’s a chemistry that needs to naturally develop, especially when you think of the other variables on the roster.  Continue reading First Round Preview vs. the Utah Jazz →

NTTB Rumblings – Friday the 13th (of April 2018)

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img_4063Brian Davis’ bag of quotables finally got him in trouble (although I don’t think he had racial intentions while saying it): “We think, obviously, the use of that term was offensive and inappropriate, and I expressed that to Brian last night,” Dan Mahoney, the team’s vice president of broadcasting, told The Norman Transcript on Thursday. “Brian assures me that it was not meant in any derogatory way, and he apologizes. But again, we feel strongly that it’s inappropriate and offensive.”

And now he’s been suspended for Game 1.  Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – Friday the 13th (of April 2018) →

NTTB Rumblings – 12 April 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) on Russell Westbrook achieving hist0ry for a second straight season: “After accomplishing something that no one had done in 55 years by averaging a triple-double in 2016-17, Westbrook followed it up by doing it again. On Wednesday night, Westbrook became the first player to ever average a triple-double more than once. Even more incredibly, he did it in back-to-back seasons.”

Royce Young (ESPN) with another perspective on the Westbrook feat: “Westbrook grabbed eight rebounds in the opening 11 minutes and hit double figures before halftime, heading to the break with an interesting stat line of 1 point, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. With the game in hand, Westbrook grabbed five rebounds in the opening three minutes of the third quarter. Early in the quarter, a loose ball rebound bounced a few times and Carmelo Anthony ran it down, turning around to yell “Russ!” with a big smile.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 12 April 2018 →

Grizzlies vs. Thunder preview (Game 82 of 82)

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grizzlies vsokc logo

  • When: Wednesday, 11 April 2018 at 7:00 pm CST
  • Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -16.5 | O/U – 211.5

We’ve finally reached the end of the race. The Oklahoma City Thunder still have influence on where they finish, but outside of this game, it’s all dependent on a game that begins at 9:30 PM. As evident by the spread, the Thunder should win this game easily. The optimal word being should. As has been the norm this season, the Thunder have made it a habit of underperforming in games in which they are heavily favored.  Continue reading Grizzlies vs. Thunder preview (Game 82 of 82) →

NTTB Rumblings – 11 April 2018

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img_4063Jon Hamm (Bleacher Report) on the Thunder’s wild ride this season: “In true Thunder fashion, clinching the franchise’s eighth playoff berth since 2008 on Monday night came with requisite drama. Sewing up a playoff spot required OKC to battle back from an 18-point first-quarter deficit against the Miami Heat. It was par for the course for a Thunder squad that stumbled to an 8-12 start then spent the rest of the season playing catch up.”

Ben Mertens and Chris Grenham (WTLC) with a detailed breakdown of the Thunder’s playoff scenarios: “I said in previewing the final stretch of the season that OKC doesn’t deserve to be a playoff team if they can’t even beat a mediocre Grizzlies team with nothing to play for. That’s still true, even though OKC has locked up a spot. Beyond improving their seed, OKC needs to win this game just go into the playoffs with momentum, following the nice wins over Houston and Miami. A deep playoff run starts with taking care of this putrid Memphis team.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 11 April 2018 →

NTTB Rumblings – 10 April 2018

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img_4063We’re officially in the playoffs!!!! On to the second season.

Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) recaps the win over the Miami Heat: “First it was a 12-0 deficit. Then 16-1 and finally 23-5. It was clear from the outset, the Thunder was going to have to earn its playoff berth. Despite missing its first 10 shots with 3 turnovers in the first seven minutes on Monday against the Miami Heat, the Thunder never relented, and scratched its way back into contention in the second quarter.”

Brett Dawson (NewsOK) on Carmelo Anthony making it back to the playoffs: “But the Thunder’s 115-93 win against the Heat Monday at AmericanAirlines Arena assured a postseason berth in his first season in Oklahoma City. For the first time since 2013, the future Hall of Famer is bound for playoff basketball.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 10 April 2018 →

Thunder @ Heat preview (Game 81 of 82)

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  • When: Monday, 09 April 2018 at 6:30 pm CST
  • Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
  • TV: FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -3.5 | O/U – 212

There was a moment on Saturday in which it almost seemed like the future of the Oklahoma City Thunder teetered in the balance. With about 33 seconds left in the third quarter of the Thunder vs. Rockets game, Paul George turned the ball over. On the other end of the court, Chris Paul shot and made a three-pointer. At the same time, George did that thing where you try to over-correct a mistake made on one end of the floor only compound the situation. In his zealousness to make-up the mistake of the turnover, George was overly aggressive on the close out of Paul and fouled him as he made the three-pointer. Four-point play completed and the Thunder found themselves down by 6 in what had been a back and forth affair in the 3rd quarter. Continue reading Thunder @ Heat preview (Game 81 of 82) →

NTTB Rumblings – 09 April 2018

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img_4063Dave Zirin (The Nation) on Russell Westbrook standing with Oklahoma teachers: “These teachers also have an ally in the state’s most famous athlete, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook. The reigning NBA MVP was asked for his opinion about the state-wide strike and he did not mince words, saying, “Education is very, very important to me. The teachers are standing up for something that obviously they believe in—that’s helping the kids get a better education—obviously them getting paid more. More funding for the schools is very, very important. I’m definitely all in for that because I believe education is key for a lot of things going on in society.”

Check out the new episode of the NTTB Podcast!

Tim McMahon (ESPN) on Russell Westbrook praising James Harden, but not making an MVP endorsement: “I’m not sure,” Westbrook said when asked if it was Harden’s turn to win MVP. “Obviously he’s having a good year, a great year. Their team has the best record in the NBA. I’m not sure.”

What to watch for in Monday’s slate of games.  Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 09 April 2018 →