Thunder 105 – Rockets 103 | Rapid Recap

The Thunder GuysNovember 17, 2016 No Comments

The Thunder snapped a four-game losing streak tonight by beating Houston 105-103. This game was arguably the most entertaining of the season. The Thunder found themselves on both sides of the scoreboard throughout the entire game, but the perseverance on defense and the leadership skills of Russell Westbrook propelled this team into a win.

The Thunder took an early 17-6 lead and then led the rest of the first quarter. The team really struggled to guard the perimeter which allowed Houston to be within two points at halftime. A meltdown both offensively and defensively gave Houston a lead going into the fourth. However, the defense came up huge in the fourth quarter only allowing 13 points. This is what ultimately gave Oklahoma City the win in the end.

Andre Roberson Must Find His Shot

It is no secret that Andre Roberson has been struggling with confidence on the offensive side of the ball. Tonight, it was perhaps the worst it has ever been. Unfortunately, the crowd at the Peake was very critical of Roberson. The fans expressed their frustration with Andre several times throughout the game. That’s not gonna help a guy who is struggling with confidence.

Roberson has shot well in several games this year. However,  it seems like his bad performances have outweighed his good ones. I do not have a problem with Roberson taking 10-13 shots per game, as long as they are good looks within his range. Andre has shot the deep ball very efficiently at times for Oklahoma City. With a slight boost of confidence Roberson is capable of doing that on a nightly basis.

In the end, Roberson came up huge with this clutch backdoor slam!

The Big Two

Russell Westbrook finally got some help tonight and it was in a big way. Victor Oladipo had his best game ever in a Thunder jersey, scoring 29 points on 12-18 shooting. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he added 10 rebounds and 5 assists to that. I have been very high on Oladipo since he got here because I knew he was capable of having nights like this.

Russ had another great night as well, scoring 30 points for the Thunder on 9-20 shooting. The Thunder’s “Big 2” combined for 59 points tonight, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists. I have thought all season that these two could put up some impressive numbers together. Tonight, that finally showed, and it was the only reason the Thunder were in this game.

Three Point Shooting

The Thunder had an amazing night shooting from beyond the arc as they knocked down 12-25. I like our odds of winning just about any game when this team shoots 48% from the 3. Victor Oladipo led the way making 5-7 of his attempts, but Jerami Grant and Alex Abrines were a combined 4-6 as well. I like the amount of deep balls the Thunder attempted tonight, as anywhere from 20-25 shots is perfect for this team.

Looking Ahead

The Thunder will be back in action Friday night as they take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Peake. The game will start at 7 PM, and will be televised on FSOK. It will also be broadcast on the radio at WWLS 98.1 FM.

Article written by Craig Hofeld. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram.

Leave a Reply