Gokuatruehero's Oklahoma City Thunder Blog

Hey guys, I hope you enjoy my little blog here concerning the NBA's Rising team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hope you'll like it. My first entry down below. C&C away people! You are free to comment!


As some of you may know, the NBA lockout has officially ended after 150 days of no professional basketball, and after that, the league has announced a 66-games season that started this morning in our time. Yes, and a team has always caught my eye. It's the Oklahoma City Thunder. 4 years old. Rising team, with rising stars.

Oklahoma City Thunder Roster:

And this team, I'm positively sure that they will have a heck of a season. So, I guess they'll start the season by having a 16-5 Record, 21 games, from December 25 up to January 30. It's pretty much resting up, cause they don't have a lot of tough games. Then, trade players. By this time, Cole Aldrich can secure a spot and take over Nazr Mohammed for a while. He's athletic and defensive. Seeing that they need an offensive presence down at the power forward spot, and a good backup for my man Kevin Durant, they should try and acquire Austin Daye of the Detroit Pistons.

The guy can score, the guy can block, and most importantly a hard worker. Simply a Sam Presti guy. My take on this, trade Lazar Hayward and a 2012 2nd Round Pick for him. That's all they need, for now. February is what I'd like to call, "explosive month", seeing that they have a number of tough games this month. Then it's off to the All-Star Weekend. Serge Ibaka will be a competitor in the 2012 Sprite Dunk Contest, Westbrook would probably be this year's skills challenge champion, Harden will be performing in the 3-Point Shootout and come in third. Durant and Westbrook will be selected to perform in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando. Should they win, KD will be selected as All-Star MVP.

By the time February is finished, they already have a 25-11 record. Their 4 loses coming from the legendary Lakers, the champion Dallas, the old Celtics, the young Denver, the aging explosive Spurs and last but not least, the hard working Grizzlies. Kendrick Perkins probably has 6 technical fouls. Reggie Jackson is the bench scorer because Coach Scott Brooks made the choice to start the beard. Then, the Thunder trades away Royal Ivey and Ryan Reid for Tony Allen, again the team being provided with a defensive player off the bench.

Here comes March, where teams would chase off and wanting to secure playoffs spots. The team will be loaded with a lot of Los Angeles action, but they would go past it and end the season with a 48-18 record, the league's best. If that's the regular season, they probably have a 58-60 record. Then, they would be the Northwest Division Champions, and the No. 2 Seed in the West, with Dallas being the No. 1. KD will win his third-scoring title, averaging 28.3 Points per game and an MVP award. James Harden would get selected as the Sixth Man of the Year, Scott Brooks is the 2nd Runner up for Coach of the Year. Westbrook will again be in the All-NBA 2nd Team and Ibaka in the All-NBA Defensive Team.

PLAYOFFS TIME! The Thunder will be facing off the Denver Nuggets in the first round for the second time. And I say Thunder in 5 games. Westbrook probably caused a lot of turnovers due to his explosiveness, since KD is tightly guarded. Then, it's the Western Semi-Finals, with the Thunder facing off against the Los Angeles Lakers. I tell ya, there will be a lot of technical fouls given here because Kendrick Perkins and the Lakers's big men don't get along. But, again, Thunder would take their revenge on the Lakers because they eliminated the Thunder in the First Round two seasons ago, and I think the Thunder would sweep them.

Western Finals. The Thunder again fight with the champions from last year, the Dallas Mavericks, this time around though, the Thunder would come out as Western Conference champions in 6 games and represent the conference in the NBA Finals. In the NBA Finals though, they would get beaten by Last Year's runner up, the Miami Heat. Why? Because they still lack experience. Westbrook again took the ball around because KD cannot get out from the clutches of Lebron. Ibaka would be beaten by Bosh's scoring ability. LeBron has already set his eyes on getting a ring. But, the Thunder would not go down without a fight, the playoffs will end with Miami as the champions but the Thunder has forced the series to seven games.

The Finals MVP will be Lebron James.

December 26, the time NBA opens! Game One of the 2011-2012 NBA Season for the Thunder, as they face Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic. As a Thunder Fan, I couldn't be more happy to see a good transition offense and unselfish play. Perkins did a great job of defending the Magic's All-Star Dwight Howard, having only 11 points and 4-12 shooting, but at one time, Perk got tangled up with Howard and a technical foul was called. Kevin Durant boasted a 30 point game and his usual 11-19 FG Stat. But one thing caught my mind, and that is Serge Ibaka finishing with no points. Why? Is this the Ibaka who played with the 2010-2011 Oklahoma City Thunder? It looks like its the Ibaka from his rookie season. He needs to get back into the game, as they are going to face the young and talented Memphis Grizzlies, and on top of that, Rudy Gay is back and is better than ever. But, what's better is that the OKC's bench won this game. They had scored beautifully and didn't let any easy shots go through. James Harden sparked the bench by providing a 19 points performance on the first game of the season. Hopefully they will always play like this. I'm looking forward on the time when Rookie Reggie Jackson and the improved Cole Aldrich will play.

SIDE NOTES:
-We see some of KD's post game, scoring some points on the wing with a jumper.
-Russ has improved his court vision and his passing ability, but was kinda off. Just 6-17 from the field.
-The beard was always outstanding.
-Nick Collison again provided the team with positive mood. +18 Net Points.
-Cook with his usual 50% 3-Pointers.
-Nazr with 2 Blocks and 7 Rebounds. +12 Net Points.

Overall Team Grade: A

BOX SCORE

MINNESOTTA, Dec. 27, 2011 PH TIME - The Timberwovles is not the crappy team from last year. They managed to scare the Thunder, and made them work really hard to gain the lead. At the start of the game, the Thunder struggled, and had a shooting percentage lower than 35%. But, Russell Westbrook and James Harden managed to give a few spark and close the first half with a good lead. Then we go to the third quarter, where everybody was explosive. Perk gave a mean alley-oop to KD. The score on the final minute was 102-100. Minnesota had a chance to tie. Michael Beasley looked to have a game-tying layup but Perk rotated wonderfully to challenge him and force a miss. And then Perk knocked down two free throws to seal the game.

SIDE NOTES:

Durant scored 16 in the third, hit seven straight shots at one point (including this dandy) and finished with 33 points on 12-23 shooting. Westbrook was a tad erratic, but turned in a very Westbrook game: 28 points (10-21), six assists and six rebounds.

Here’s why Westbrook is just… well, Russell Westbrook. He had just picked up his fourth offensive foul of the night — his seventh turnover — and the very next possession he responds by attacking Rubio on a fast break and drawing an and-1. He never stops coming, no matter what the situation.

OKC went 6-22 from the field in the first quarter. Then the Thunder made 7-8 and went on a 14-2 run which was punctuated by Perk alley-ooping to KD on a fast break. So to recap: Perk made two big free throws and led a perfect fast break.

KD had 29 after three quarters and just four in the fourth. Some are already looking at Westbrook, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes. Westbrook did the heavy lifting late, Durant is the reason Westbrook had the opportunity to do it. Why does it matter who does what when, when the team wins?

Classic example late in how Durant sometimes doesn’t know how to get open. Beasley was holding him and clearly KD wanted to post, but couldn’t get free. Westbrook was forced to create something on his own and missed a tough jumper. The problem with this was that Westbrook didn’t have a secondary option.

Luke Ridnour… so sad about your ankles man. Rus, ya better say sorry for breaking his ankles.

Sometimes I wonder if OKC’s best halfcourt offense is the pick-and-roll with Harden and Collison. Just once I’d like to see Brooks try and close a game with that, just to try it out.

Serge Ibaka with just 19 minutes again tonight. I know I said it was a matchup thing in the first game, but I think that was the case again here. The Wolves stayed small for most of the second half with Kevin Love at the 5 and Beasley/Derrick Williams at the 4. So KD played power forward a lot with Perk at center. Ibaka was productive and knocked down a few jumpers though, so it wasn’t like he played bad.

Daequan Cook showed his value in the second half. He played just 14 minutes and scored only six points, but he dropped two very big 3s when OKC was stalling.

The Thunder’s halfcourt offense looks brutal at times. Definitely a weakness right now, but the transition game could run a lot of teams out the building by halftime. When OKC gets rolling on the break, you aren’t stopping them.

Overall Team Grade: B

Durant carried the Thunder again. Their record standing at 3-0. This reminded me of the early Thunder seasons, when they had 3-29. The Thunder again improved, taking care of the ball and only had 10 turnovers and shot 10 3-Pointers. But, Russell Westbrook had a bad night, this may be his career-low game. Shooting 0-13 from the field (0%) and four points, all from free throws. Durant nailed big shots after big shots to put away the always pesky Grizzlies, 98-95.

Again, the Thunder were contested, as the Grizzlies caught up to them. I remember last year, when the Griz eliminated the No. 1 Seeded San Antonio Spurs, and won at the Thunder Arena on the Western Semi-Finals on game 1. They pushed the series to Game 7, where the Thunder eventually won and advanced to the next round, only to be defeated by the eventual champions in 5 games, the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant and Westbrook shouted at each other at the Memphis game and had to be separated, but it happens. You guys are teammates and fights can't be avoided.

SIDE NOTES:

Serge Ibaka started with back-to-back jumpers. Then disappeared until the last four minutes, playing a total of 22. Tonight, it felt like more of a Scott Brooks thing than an Ibaka issue. Because Ibaka was pretty productive during his time in the game. It just seems like Brooks trusts Nick Collison (or smallball) more than he does Ibaka in crunchtime, but Brooks came back with Ibaka after Collison picked up a foul and Serge responded with a huge block with 30 seconds left and OKC up four.

KD started the game 3-9 in the first half and went 7-8 for 19 points in the second. Never count KD out. He heats up faster than a seat belt in summer time.

The Thunder had 54 points at halftime. I swear watching the game, it felt like 34. Thabo and Perk for the love of Thunder were keeping OKC in it with 17 combined points.

James Harden, stupidly good. He had 20 points off the bench and seven rebounds in 28 minutes.

Thought it was interesting that the Thunder had Thabo defending Rudy Gay and KD on Tony Allen. Obviously in an effort to save KD for offense. Guess it worked as KD dominated the second half while Rudy Gay went through a really tough stretch late after defending KD all night.

It has to be noted that Mike Conley rolled his ankle on the first possession of the game and sat out for the rest of it. His replacement, Jeremy Pargo, played really well though putting up 15 points and seven assists.

Daequan Cook was just massive in this one. He went 3-4 from deep and would’ve been 4-5 had he not had a heel out of bounds (I feel like I would step out of bounds ALL the time in that short corner). I can’t believe it doesn’t happen more often. . And it’s not just that, but he seems to have a knack for hitting that deflating 3 for the other team. They’re building momentum or it’s a dry spell for OKC and Cook drops a big one. Timely shooting is sometimes as important as 30 points.

One thing I was impressed by from Westbrook: Even though he was playing awful, when he checked back in with 6:21 left, he was energized defensively and never lost his cool. Put yourself in his shoes. You’d be frustrated out the butt. But he kept team first and tried to just play his game and do his job. Some people were yelling, “Stop shooting!” but he took just 13, which is a really low number for him.

There was a though about whether Brooks might stick with Eric Maynor down the stretch for OKC. The Thunder were playing well and had a lead and Westbrook was off. But Brooks came back with Westbrook and the Thunder hit back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers to extend a lead from three to 12. There was nothing Westbrook did in those five minutes to blow the lead though. It was more about rebounding than anything else.

Cole Aldrich saw a little early playing time because of foul trouble and did well enough. Got on the floor, grabbed a rebound and blocked a shot. He's definitely improving.

One thing Westbrook has got to figure out how to control himself around the rim. Like how Derrick Rose will slide seemingly in midair around a defender, Westbrook needs to develop that.

Harden hides the ball so well by dragging it when he enters the paint that when defenders hack, they can’t help but hit his arm. It’s the subtleties of Harden’s game that makes him so good.

Overall Team Grade: B-

Get ready as the Thunder go home and face the Defending Champions on Friday (PH Time).

Yes. Kevin Durant did it last year against the New York Knickerbockers. And this time, he did it again. It all started when Jason Terry shot the ball from 3 and scored with 39.7 seconds left. Then, the Thunder came up short to increase their lead, leaving the ball to the Mavs. The Thunder played intensely, guarding every man. But there was one man they forgot. Vince Carter. He received the ball from Dirk Nowitzki and shoots a 3 pointer. It's in. Check the clock? 1.4 seconds. Thunder timeout. Then we move on to the Thunder's court. Harden sets a screen for Durant to get open, Sefolosha inbounds the ball and KD catches it, with less than half a second, he fires from long range and walks away with a W. The ball goes in as soon as the buzzer sounded. Oklahoma City has one against the defending champs. “I just tried to shoot a good one,” Durant said. “I’m just glad I made it, man. I’m glad I made it.”

And again, this is the fourth consecutive time Kevin Durant scored 30. So, he's currently averaging 30.8 points per game. But let's get over that and proceed to the next topic. The entire Thunder roster shot 58.7% this game. That means good shot selection. Good points for the Thunder. Russell Westbrook had the arena chanting his name. He gad everyone inside Chesapeake Arena behind him, believing in him, supporting him. Westbrook appeared to have re-discovered what makes him such a major part of the Thunder though, which isn’t to be overlooked. Westbrook carried the Thunder to the finish line, but Durant pushed Oklahoma City over. That’s a team.

Call it revenge, but this win tastes sweet for the Thunder. The Mavericks weren’t only a major problem in the Thunder’s playoffs journey, but beat Oklahoma City in the most painful ways possible. A Game 4 upset and then a crushing Game 5 loss left the Thunder emotional about the series. Durant’s shot did a lot of things. One, it beat the Mavericks, finally. But it also helped cleanse the last 24 hours a bit. Nobody is going to be talking about him and Westbrook shouting at each other, at least not for now.

“That was about as hard as we can play,” Scott Brooks said. “At the end of a game you want everybody on your team to have an empty gas tank and everybody was empty.”

SIDE NOTES:

Ibaka is definitely A-OK. In 37 minutes, three blocks, 16 points and eight rebounds. And he nearly killed Vince Carter.

Harden, quietly terrific again. He finished with 15 on 4-8 shooting and did most his damage in the first half.

Westbrook bouncing back was really a special thing to see. I honestly have a funny taste in my mouth over the way this game ended, because it seemed like it was going to be Westbrook’s night. He was going to be the story. But then Durant came in and stole all the glory from him again. This could almost be a tougher thing to cope with than the issues of last night and today. It’s another character test for the young point guard.

Another sold-out game.

Overall Team Grade: A+

This is the best NBA game I have ever seen.

BOX SCORE

CHESAPEAKE ARENA - It's 2012! and the Thunder again pulled off a win. Record? 5-0. Everybody contributed something great. Lazar Hayward and Rookie Reggie Jackson officially scored their first points today. It was a team effort. The match had ended with the score 107-97. The Phoenix Suns looked miserable. Offense was terrible, Defense was mediocre. They did not look like the Suns who made the playoffs two seasons ago. Poor Steve Nash, we don't want him to end his career ring-less.

OKC started the game on a quick 7-0 run and then the bench took over, piling up 33 of the Thunder’s 60 first half points. James Harden was terrific, dishing out eight assists with six in the first half. Daequan Cook went 4-5 from 3. Daequan Cook is shooting 3s with next level confidence right now. You can tell each one he lets fly, he’s completely sure it’s hitting bottom. He went 4-5 from deep in the first half but didn’t play any in the second because of flu-like symptoms. Russell Westbrook had a great night. Scored consistently and his season-low, two turnovers was awesome. “I’m just trying to stay positive man, and play for the fans,” he said, unprovoked about the chant. “They did a lot for me, whether they know it or not.”

Thabo certainly looked great with his offense. He lobbed two three pointers over three attempts. That's 66.7%. Serge Ibaka showed off a smooth post play, a beautiful turnaround baseline jumper. Nazr Mohammed scored nine and made a number of nice plays, including a sweet fake pass and-1 layup. This game really was just a clinical performance from a Thunder team that should do exactly what it did. Durant had 12 points in 26 minutes. So, that proves that even without Durant, the Oklahoma City Thunder are deadly.

Overall Team Grade: A

Game time tomorrow at Dallas.

BOX SCORE

100-87. SLOPPY AND DISASTROUS. Those are the words to describe the Thunder during the game. Westbrook and Durant handled the ball poorly. 2 and 3 turnovers respectively. Perk and Thabo were the only Thunder players that has a positive net point. Everybody else had negatives. Durant had 27 points, 10-21 shooting. Harden tried to make his team wake up, but to no avail. The Thunder's biggest lead? 2 points or one bucket. Daequan Cook and Thabo are sick but Thabo still started.

All I saw was poor defense and no hustle. Westbrook again became selfish and refused to pass the ball to an open teammate. Perk and Ibaka were like two sleeping bulls, not defending their place. The Mavericks outscored the Thunder in Points in the paint, 56-42. Despite outscoring the Mavs in fastbreak points, the Thunder was slowly eaten by the defense. The Mavericks fans lit up the team and made them win. They're desperate I guess. Being the world champs and your record is 1-4 for the first five games, you would want to win.

I think it's about time Harden started, we have Reggie to take over the bench scorer role. Russ needs to realize that he needs to share the ball and make some good plays. Durant needs to work on getting outside his defender.

Overall Team Grade: C-

Yes, Dallas is good. But they didn't play well this time, yet the Thunder still lost due to the fact that they were not playing consistently.

Tuesday at home versus Portland.

1. Durant is kinda off. I was so happy when he was selected as the MVP of the lockout, but when the season started, he became Durant 2.0 again. The passive one. When are we gonna see you pull off something like this KD? We wanna see this Durant. I know, this is just streetball, so it's easy. But in those moments, Durant showed how explosive he can be and can stab you in a game.

2. Westbrook needs to snap back to reality. He needs to know that he's not the best player in the team. He's lacking in assists now. 5.2, last year was 8.2. Yes, it's still the start of the season but I'm getting worried. But he's getting better. He's improving his turnovers and shot selection. Also his Field Goal Percentage became higher.

3. Brooks needs to start Harden. I don't care if the lockout is to blame. Harden is needed. When KD and Russ are off, he's the next option to carry the team. “He’s fine where he’s at,” Brooks said. “I look at him as a sixth starter. He’s going to play enough minutes that he’s going to help us win games. And he’s fine with that. He’s about the team and it’s good to have that because he’s good enough to start.” *Facepalm*

4. Thabo needs to shoot the ball. This is the reason why Durant and Westbrook shouted at each other. On the Memphis game, Westbrook passed the ball to him, he was open, he has a good offense. But, he passed it, leading Westbrook to shout "shoot the &%&@!*&^ ball!".

5. Ibaka needs and offensive threat. Yes he's good defensively, but one thing he lacks is an offensive game. Westbrook always sets him up but he misses. We are dealing with Serge Ibaka 1.0. We need the 2.0 man, the monster from last year.

6. Maybe we need new members. We have too many guards. I say trade Ivey, Reid and Hayward for big scoring men and draft picks. Those men are: Reggie Williams (Bobcats), Austin Daye (Pistons), Chuck Hayes (Rockets), Shane Battier (Heat) and Jeff Green (Celtics, INACTIVE). If I were Sam Presti, I'd definitely look into these men since they can be suitable backups for KD and can take over the bench scorer role.

7. We need a defensive assistant coach. We really have poor defense even though 2 big defensive men are in our frontcourt.

103-93, The Portland Trailblazers officially made a statement around the league. Even though losing All-Star Brandon Roy, the Blazers are the only team who doesn't have two losses this season. They had out-rebounded the Thunder, 40-46. But, the Thunder had 43.7% FG? Why did they lose? Well, it's because of early foul trouble. The Blazers had 36 attempts from the free throw line and made 29, or 80.6%. In these last two games, James Harden and Westbrook carried the Thunder until the last moment, but failed to win.

Despite playing 42 minutes, Durant and the Thunder did not succeed in getting a W for the team. Durant just shot 8-26, or 30.8%. His season-lowest or possibly, his career-lowest. Durant was not in the mood tonight. Rough night, just shooting 14.3% from deep. "I'm a scorer, so I can't get down on one game," said Durant, the two-time scoring champion. "I can't let it snowball to the next."

You may be wondering? What happened to the all-powerful Thunder who won 5 straight games? The Thunder weren't sloppy. Just Durant maybe. His shots that usually go in didn't go in this time. The Thunder also tried to score on the paint a lot of times but the Blazers's defense really got the best of them. The Blazers are back and better than before. They just outplayed the Thunder in a lot of different ways.

"I think sometimes you need losses to remind you that you've got to get better," Nick Collison said. "You wish it wasn't like that. You wish you could always realize the need to improve but human nature, sometimes you get a little (re)lax when you're winning.". "It seems like we're 40 feet from the basket trying to create something a lot," he said. "Our overall offense needs to get better." he added.

Player of the Game: LaMarcus Aldridge: 30 Points, 8 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Block

Overall Team Grade: C+

They really struggled to find a clear shot. Durant had a worse night. They played great defense, but poor offense. Kevin Durant being awesome, Westbrook attacking and scoring and the team getting to the line and making their shots. That's what the Thunder usually is, but we didn't see it tonight. Instead, we again see Harden making up for their mistakes and tried to carry the team along with Westbrook.

Next game is on Saturday, January 7 PH time. The Thunder host the Houston Rockets.

I've been around Thunder forums and I see a lot of trade assumptions and how they affect the team. So, I'm posting my own opinions about some trades and talk about it's advantages and disadvantages.

1. Rajon Rondo for Russell Westbrook

This rumor started when the Boston Celtics proposed to take Westbrook and Perkins for Rondo and Green, since Green is not playing for this season, its just Rondo and Westbrook. Okay, let's start. First of all, I don't think the Thunder will benefit from this trade. Westbrook's the scoring type and Rondo is the pass-first type. Let's say that this trade happened. Since Rondo is the pass-first type, he looks for the open Durant and passes the ball to him. But what if Durant has an off-night? Harden can carry them but not that much. So, I finish this stating that we need Westbrook's scoring.

2. Dwight Howard for Kendrick Perkins, Thabo Sefolosha and Russell Westbrook

If we make this trade, who would be at the Point Guard Spot? Eric Maynor? Reggie Jackson? Royal Ivey? These guys certainly can't handle starting and they do not have the explosiveness that makes Westbrook special. Yes, of course we would have the best defensive frontcourt, but what about the offense? Since KD is the better star, DH12 won't get a hold of the ball that much. DH12 can also be shut down, like what Perk did to him on the season opener. Much more important, can Howard and Durant share the spotlight? Also, without Sefolosha, we don't have a perimeter defender.

3. Stephen Curry for Russell Westbrook

You may be thinking, this could actually work well! And I tell ya, it works well too in my opinion. But what does Curry lack that Westbrook has? Assist per game respectively, 5.8 and 8.3. Points per game respectively, 18.6 and 21.9. Sure, Curry chooses shots thoroughly, the 48% FG said that, but what about the assists? I thought the Thunder need a pass-first point guard. Westbrook is also more athletic, faster and defends better.

4. Steve Nash for Russell Westbrook

Sam Presti is not stupid.

5. Kevin Love for Serge Ibaka and James Harden

Yes, this would work out! Only thing is Harden, our best play maker and third scorer is gone! The man we call Iblocka is gone too! Hooray for that!

Do you guys remember the duo on the left from the photo above? Yes. That's Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury. Remember the time when the T'Wolves was predicted to be champs? It was because of that duo. Today in 2012, the Durant and Westbrook Duo, we can probably call them now the best duo in the NBA since Bron-bron and D-Wade. Just this month, people have started comparing the Durant-Westbrook Duo to the Garnett-Marbury duo. Durant is very talented, like Garnett years ago before he became the mean lean machine he is now. They also said that Westbrook will deflect from the Thunder and find his own team, much like what Marbury did years ago.

Yes, the T'Wolves did succeed with those two, but Marbury, wanting more role, demanded a trade and was eventually sent to the New Jersey Nets. Marbury told head coach Flip Saunders, "Hey, Flip, it's business. Right now, whether it is right or wrong, I have a tough time playing with Garnett and having to play where Garnett makes the amount of money he makes, and I'm only going to make $71 million."

It seems that the peers of OKC predict the same thing happening all because of the altercation Durant and Westbrook had during an off-cam timeout at Memphis. But, I think it's all about Westbrook's ego. Marbury didn't want to play alongside Garnett because he knew that he was just the second man, and that's what everybody thinks what Westbrook is thinking.

But all Durant replied was "Russ is the only point guard for me." and "There's a lot of people that want to see us fail, but I love Russell Westbrook," and he added up with “I love Russ and he loves me back.”

How can you succeed if everybody is friends-friends with everyone? There will be no criticisms. Criticisms that will help you get better.

Yes, history repeats itself but I hope that it will not be in this team.

BOX SCORE

The Thunder came off a win after this day. It erased the memories of the two consecutive losses two days ago. The game was not as thrilling, but was entirely awesome. They came back sharp and in-shape. Everybody had a positive net point except Cole, Lazar and Reggie. These three played at the final minutes of the game. It was very surprising. A good first half, and a better second half.

First half, Serge Ibaka immediately racked up with 2 blocks and a couple of points. There were a lot of fastbreak sightings. Some Westbrook alley-oop to Ibaka and the classic Westbrook dunk. Kevin Durant drove to the basket and ripped an under-handed pass to Kendrick Perkins for a monster dunk. James Harden was great. Westbrook was setting plays. Ibaka, shot a buzzer-beater at beyond the arc, ending the first half.

When the third quarter started, KD took over and shot 14 of his 26 points. He spun and scored, took care of the ball and defended well. Even though he finished with three assists, these assists were beautiful and perfect. He scored aggressively and didn't hesitate to score on the paint. Which is the main reason why the Thunder had dominated the whole game.

They outscored the Rockets in the paint, 54 points, piled up 20 assists and four powered blocks. If the Thunder plays like this every night, it's no wonder they'll get to the NBA Finals, and hey! Maybe they can pull off an upset win and become the NBA Champions.

Player of the Game: Serge Ibaka, 11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists and a steal.

It was a very perfect day for Serge. Complete game. And, it was much more better when he hit that three-point buzzer beater at the end of the first half.

Overall Team Grade: A-

There were some ridiculous turnovers and plays. And some players weren't as effective as they would originally be.

BOX SCORE

Durant and Westbrook does it again! They carried the Thunder along with Nazr's team-high performance and has earned the Thunder it's seventh win of the season. Sure it was sloppy but nonetheless, the Thunder are gradually improving. At first, Durant had an off-night, only averaging 37.5 Field Goal Percentage for the first half and caused 5 turnover, a season-high at the moment. Then Coach Scott Brooks sat him on the bench and Westbrook became the first option.

He sparked the Thunder and eventually starting a 12-0 run in the third quarter and tied the score at 72. It was perfect. His aggressiveness was there and he didn't worry about setting up his teammates. He was 50% from the field. The only bad thing happened is Point Guard Eric Maynor's right knee injury. On the way to the basket, he bent his right knee and stopped his drive. He had to be carried by the Thunder's big men. Maynor played only eight minutes.

Mohammed had 17 points, 6 rebounds and a steal. He played for 18 minutes and led the bench in scoring. This was a good night for the Thunder center. James Harden was the second. Finishing with 16 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds. Nick Collison and Kendrick Perkins also had good rebounding numbers. Nick rebounded five offensive rebounds and totaled 6. Perk had nine, five of them were offensive rebounds. Ibaka had two notable blocks.

At the mid fourth quarter, Durant was subbed in. Westbrook had to rest. He then scored the final 8 points, sealing the win. KD finished with 27 points, 40% FG, 6 rebounds, two assists, one steal and unfortunately, five turnovers and two personal fouls. “We had a choice. It’s the moment of truth in every game,” Brooks said after the game. “Down 12, we beat them the night before, we could have said, ‘Tough, it’s not our night. But our guys are not like that … they love to compete.”

Player of the game: Russell Westbrook - 25 Points, 4 Rebounds and 6 Assists.

Sure, KD sealed the game with the final two free throws, AFTER Westbrook carried the Thunder. This just goes to show you that Westbrook and the Thunder fit together. He's the second scorer and the second leader.

Overall Team Grade: B+

The Thunder had collapsed a few time, even when the Rockets didn't have a go-to-guy on the floor. But they were bailed out by Westbrook's scoring.

Earlier today, the Oklahoma City Thunder's General Manager, Sam Presti, announced that Eric Maynor will not be playing for the rest of the season. The point guard tore his right ACL in a game against the Houston Rockets last Friday and will just have to play for the next season. Now, you thunder fans may be thinking, what will happen to the Thunder? They lost a great offensive playmaker. I kinda think that this is the time for Royal Ivey or Reggie Jackson to show how well they are made off and take that spot from the injured Maynor.

“The whole season is now for Eric. It’s a tough loss. We were all sad. We got to spend some time with him last night at his house just giving some comfort and showing him how much we care.” Harden said. As James Harden walked back onto the court after each timeout, he held up six fingers, said “six” and tapped his chest. Nice gesture for Maynor. Harden also said the team’s dedicated the season for Maynor.

BOX SCORE

Even though Eric Maynor will not play for the entire season due to injury, the Thunder and Coach Scott Brooks showed that they still can gain a W even without the offensive playmaker. Kevin Durant gets his first double-double for the season. He finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds 7 assists and a steal. I'm definitely expecting a triple double. He was gonna go for it but time ran out.

Rookie Reggie Jackson also got a ton of minutes. He played for 23 minutes and scored 11 points with 44.4% and had 4 assists. Royal Ivey saw a little playing time, as he was very off. He scored 2 points. Cole also had a good game, I don't quite get why he was given -11 net points. The guy finished with 6 points, a rebound and a block. Nick Collison also had a double-double, 12 points and 10 rebounds. James scored 20.

But what has caught me attention is Westbrook's 38.4% FG and his 13 points. What's up with ya my man? Anyways, I saw a very good basketball game and hope the Thunder always plays like this. 8-2 Record!

Player of the Game: Reggie Jackson - 11 Points, 4 assists and a rebound.

This was certainly a night for the young point guard from Boston College.

Overall Team Grade: A-

Game time at Memphis on Wednesday PH Time.

It could be Royal Ivey. It could be a free agent. What's better? Reggie Jackson. You draft rookies to mold them into role players right? Yes. We won't do anything. We don't need to make players switch their ZIP codes. All we need to do is trust the rookie and let the show continue. I'm saying this because I know that Reggie has the potential, not because he played good during the Thunder's Preseason games and other season games. The guy can shoot. We can also give Ivey some minutes. He's a guy who can lead the team in terms of experience, because he has that veteran presence. I'm curious though, is Sam Presti gonna sign some Free Agent Point Guard? Make a trade? Well then, let's see what's in store for us. Lead the way, Presti the Magician.

BOX SCORE

MEMPHIS-The Oklahoma City Thunder, together with All-Star Russell Westbrook, gain their 4th win of their back-to-backs. Westbrook scored 30 points, shot 60% from the field and had the highest net point for the Thunder. Last time in Memphis, he had 13 shots, and none went in. He called it the worst game of his career. But this time, he was able to find the spark he needed to earn his team a W, even without Kevin Durant, who shot 35% on the field and finished with 22 points.

Sefolosha shot 100% on the field. Both 3pt% and FG%. Great night for Thabo. He seems to take shots now. Durant, despite only having 7 shots go in with 20 attempts, scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Reggie, with his second game as Westbrook's primary backup, scored 6 points. The defense was great, as they forced turnovers. Transition was great too. And lastly, they had 0 turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook - 30 Points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a block.

I told you Russ had a great night.

Overall Team Grade: A-

There were some unneeded shots that were shot. Defense was a little sloppy but was still good.

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Durant nabs his third consecutive double-double as he finished the Gordonless Hornets with 29 points and 10 rebounds. Add up 4 blocks to that too. The Thunder didn't show any rust even though they played their fifth game of the back-to-backs. Russell Westbrook also had a great game, finishing with 22 points, 7 assists and 3 steals. Everything was going according to what they planned.

Nick addressed the media after the game that no team has done this before, putting up five wins in six days. Every Thunder player had positive net points on this game. Rookie Reggie Jackson scored 6. It was great.

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant - 29 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 assists.

WOW. KD FOR MVP.

Overall Team Grade: A+

Perfect Thunder.

[url=scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=320114025]BOX SCORE[/url]

The Oklahoma City Thunder blows a big L to the faces of the Melo-less Knickerbockers, 104-92. The game was thrilling, the first half was finished with OKC dropping 70 points. Stoudamire clearly got scared as he stayed quiet after having a few words with Ibaka. What's more thrilling is when Ibaka blocks Amare's Dunk attempt. GET OUTTA HERE!

If OKC continues to play like this, there will be no doubt, they will reach the NBA Finals. The Thunder Post Men locked up Amare, who only shot 7 on 19 attempts. The New York Knicks became a favorite last season after the shocking Carmelo Anthony trade. They went to the playoffs but was eliminated too. See that? An East favorite. OKC just cruised past East favorites.