With the roster changeover, it's been an uneven start to the Thunder's season, and Friday night against Boston was a true test of how their chemistry was coming along. The Celtics arrived in Oklahoma City on a six-game winning streak. And while the Big 3 (Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony) have been playing well, the trio haven't yet put it together against an upper echelon team.
With 5:28 left in the first half, the Thunder held 10 point lead over the Celtics. OKC dominated the rest of the quarter outscoring Boston 13-5 to extend that number to 18.
OKC shot 8-18 from three-point land, and Westbrook finished the half with 12 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. When Thunder GM Sam Presti made the trades to bring in George and Anthony, this was the type of play he envisioned from the team. But it didn't last.
Behind Kyrie Irving's shot-making and Jaylen Brown's aggressive play, the Celtics were able to rally and cut the deficit to four by the end of the third quarter. Boston tied the game at the six-minute mark on a three-pointer by Marcus Smart and then took the lead on a three-pointer by Al Horford. After getting down by seven with three minutes left, the Thunder battled back to get the game within one point. But two Horford jump shots and layup by Irving finished them off.
Thunder game MVP
Paul George led the team in scoring with 25 points. But stats are secondary to George, Westbrook, and Anthony. All have played on All-Star teams, won Olympic medals, and earned individual accolades. Success and failure for the Thunder are squarely based on whether they win or lose. What needs to matter to them is getting key stops and buckets down the stretch; they have got to figure out ways to win.
Rest of Thunder's starters
After a strong first half, Westbrook struggled. He finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds, and 11 assists, but had just seven points, one rebound, and four assists following half-time. It was worse for Anthony. He grabbed 14 boards, but shot 3-17 from the field and was 0-5 from deep. Steven Adams and Andre Roberson each chipped in seven points.
Thunder bench
Jerami Grant and Patrick Patterson both played solid off-the-bench. Grant had 11 points on 5-7 shooting, while Patterson knocked down two three-pointers for six points. OKC has a top-heavy team, so any contributions from the bench are a bonus. The Thunder lost a lot of depth with the two trades and may need to make another move this season to solidify the roster.
