Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Paul George addressed the problem besetting the team following their 111-96 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday. In an interview with Royce Young of ESPN.com, George clarified that they’re not having any problem regarding chemistry, saying they enjoy playing with one another.
The Thunder are expected to emerge as one of the contenders this season, following the acquisition of George and Carmelo Anthony from the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks, respectively, to complement reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Russell Westbrook.
However, the Thunder are just 14-15 following their loss to the Knicks.
“It’s still a journey. We’re all trying to evolve with this,” George said after the game, per NBA.com. “We’re trying to shape this into the team that we want to be.”
Thunder fans are hoping that their team will ultimately find their groove and live up to their billing as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. George is rumored to be leaving the Thunder after this season and join the Los Angeles Lakers, where he could possibly team up with LeBron James, who is also reported to be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018. However, the Thunder are hoping that they could sign George and Anthony to long-term deals.
Beasley shines as Knicks spoil Anthony’s return
Michael Beasley scored a season-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting as the Knicks spoiled Anthony’s return to Madison Square Garden. Anthony drew mostly cheers from the crowd in appreciation of his six-plus seasons with the Knicks. When he was introduced, a video montage of Anthony’s best shots with the Knicks was shown on the large TV screen.
However, Anthony was a disappointment in his return to New York, scoring just 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the floor. Westbrook led the Thunder with 25 points while George added 18 for Oklahoma City. Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton scored 12 and 10 off the bench for the Thunder. Aside from Beasley, Courtney Lee stepped up in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, scoring 20 points, Doug McDermott added 13 off the bench, Jarrett Jack had 12, Ron Baker scored 11 points and Enes Kanter chipped in 10 for the Knicks, who improved to 16-13.
Westbrook explains loss to Knicks
After the game, Westbrook admitted that they were a step slow against the Knicks as they arrived in New York City around 3 a.m. Friday after their triple-overtime win over the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition, the Thunder played without starting center Steven Adams, who suffered a concussion in overtime against the 76ers.
