On April 15, 2009, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the L.A. Clippers at the Staples Center 126-85, easily setting a record for the largest margin of victory for the Thunder organization since they moved to Oklahoma City. In only the second season for the Thunder franchise, this dominating victory offered Oklahoma City fans a glimpse into the very bright future of the young team.
The game featured six Thunder players scoring at least 14 points as the young fellas shot an impressive 54% from the field, 33% from behind the arc, and 81% from the charity stripe. Of all the players on both teams’ rosters, only three guys remain with their teams: Russell Westbrook and Nick Collison with the Thunder and DeAndre Jordan with the Clippers.
The Clippers have not experienced a beat down like this from the Thunder since, mostly due to the roster overhaul in L.A.. Because of that, a rivalry has been born that will likely last for quite some time. This season’s games will especially interesting with rumors swirling of Blake Griffin coming to the Thunder. Regardless of Blake Griffin’s eventual destination, expect to see some physical match-ups when these two teams take the court this year.