Thunder 124 – Nets 105 | Rapid Recap

The Thunder GuysNovember 19, 2016 No Comments

The Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Brooklyn Nets tonight, and despite trailing by double digits in the first half, the Thunder rallied in dominant fashion to win 124-105. Russell Westbrook was spectacular as usual, Victor Oladipo continued to be a solid number two, and the supporting cast came through to offer the help that Westbrook has so desperately needed at times early this season.

Six Players Score Double Digits

Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 30 points, Victor Oladipo had 26, and Steven Adams (15), Enes Kanter (13), Joffrey Lauvergne (13), and Alex Abrines (10) all finished in double digits to tie a season-high for the Thunder for double-digit scorers. Maybe more importantly than having five other guys not named Russell Westbrook scoring in double digits is the fact that as a team, the Thunder shot 55% from the field. Oklahoma City will need this type of team production if they want to continue on the path to success.

Thunder Dominate the Glass

Oklahoma City finished the night +16 on the glass, out-rebounding Brooklyn 46-30, for their largest margin of the season. Westbrook led all rebounders with eleven, while Andre Roberson and Steven Adams had six apiece, and Victor Oladipo had five. On top of that, every other player that saw time on the court had at least one rebound, so there was plenty of success to go around.

Part of what makes rebounding such an important factor for the Thunder is their ability to turn rebounds into points. The Thunder absolutely dominated in the paint, outscoring the Nets 62-42. Anytime the Thunder are able to score at a high rate that close to the basket, there is a good chance they can come away with the win.

Russell Westbrook Earns 4th Triple-Double

In only the thirteenth game of the season, Russell Westbrook put up 30 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds to earn him his fourth triple-double of the season. Just a day after being inducted into Oklahoma’s Hall of Fame, Westbrook led his team to yet another victory in an impressive manner, and he shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Last season, Westbrook did not post his fourth triple-double of the season until midway through January. However, in his first season with full command of the team, Russ has wasted no time in doing everything he can to contribute to the team. Despite putting up absolutely incredible statistics nearly every single night, Westbrook has proven he cares more about getting the win far more than achieving any individual milestones. Thankfully for Thunder fans, as long as Russ is putting up these types of numbers, the wins should come along as well.

Oladipo Continues to Shine

Victor Oladipo had his second game in a row in which he showed he’s prepared to be Russell Westbrook’s new sidekick and put up some consistently solid numbers. Not only is Oladipo putting up fantastic numbers, he’s scoring at an efficient rate, shooting 65.7% over the last two games.

Russell Westbrook desperately needs someone that he can rely on every single night, and though Oladipo has struggled at times early in this season, he’s beginning to look much more comfortable with his new team. If Oladipo can continue to do what he has done the past couple of games, even on a smaller level, then the opportunities for other players on the team will drastically open up.

Sunday Funday

The Oklahoma City Thunder host the Indiana Pacers Sunday at 6:00 PM in what could be another blowout win. Indiana lost on their home court tonight by twenty points to the Phoenix Suns, and they limp into Oklahoma City short a few key players. Paul George and C.J. Miles will likely have to sit due to injury, so it could be a rough night for the Pacers. The game will be televised on FSOK, broadcast by WWLS the Sports Animal on 98.1 FM, and as always, you can follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter for live in-game updates.

Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram. 

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