Thunder Snap Road Losing Streak With Win In Brooklyn
By Randy Renner, Senior Writer
For the first time since January the Thunder were finally able to play on the road like they usually do at home.
Hit shots, defend and not screw up too many times.
The result? A 122-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Russell Westbrook’s 33rd triple-double (25 points, 12 rebounds, 19 assists) didn’t hurt either since OKC is now 27-6 this season when Westbrook goes all double digits.
Oklahoma City has one of the NBA’s best records at home (25-9) and one of the worst among winning teams on the road (13-20) after last night’s win.
Going into the game the Thunder had lost seven straight away from Chesapeake Energy Arena.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said center Steven Adams when Westbrook reminded his teammates of the streak during shootaround. “I didn’t know it was that many. Maybe it fired us up, maybe it didn’t, but it’s just one of those things where we really needed to come out and just finish them, because even though it’s a team with a record like Brooklyn (now an NBA worst 12-54) it’s very hard to win on the road regardless of who the team is.”
The Thunder know that all too well and for a while last night some of the same old problems reared up. The Nets, not known for their scoring punch, dropped a big fat 62 on the Thunder in the first half, shooting 57.5 percent overall and a near ridiculous 70.0 percent on threes.
Good thing for the Thunder that they were almost as sharp hitting 52.2 percent and matching the Nets’ 62 points.
In the second half the defense came around.
“We kind of just stayed true,” guard Doug McDermott said. “Our bigs were more aggressive in the pick and rolls and that allowed tougher shots for them. We really took advantage of when we did get stops, to get out in transition and score.”
OKC kept the offense rolling scoring 60 second half points but managed to hold the Nets to just 42 on 32.3 percent shooting.
“As a team, if you want to win the championship you've got to win on the road,” Westbrook said. “Regardless of who you play, where you play at, regardless of the situation, the weather, whatever it is. You have to win on the road. And I made it very, very clear this morning that that was a key for us.”
And who knows maybe they played so well in the second half because there were times when the crowd at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center sounded a bit like the home folks back at The Peake.
The crowd of more than 13,000 erupted in loud cheers when Westbrook got the rebound he need for his triple-double and at first Russ didn’t know what was going on.
“They were loud,” Westbrook said in the lockerroom later. “I thought something happened. I was really wondering why they were screaming so loud. I thought maybe they were giving something out in the crowd.”
A few minutes later with Westbrook standing at the free throw line, Nets fans (and plenty of fans wearing Thunder jerseys) started chanting M-V-P, M-V-P.
So even though the Thunder were in snowy Brooklyn and 1,472 miles away from Chesapeake Energy Arena they felt right at home.
BALANCED SCORING
The Thunder seem to be settling in now with the new starting lineup and the new bench. Taj Gibson, starting his third game at power forward scored 11 quick points in the first quarters and finished with 17. He also added eight rebounds.
Victor Oladipo continued his hot streak with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting overall and 3-for-4 on threes. Alex Abrines also hit three 3’s.
Seven Thunder players scored in double digits and the team handed out 30 assists.