RAPID RECAP
The first quarter was full of ups and downs for the Thunder. Oklahoma City opened with a 7-0 lead, before Memphis stormed back with a run of their own. The Thunder shot a ton of threes, and they managed to make seven of them. The advantage for Memphis came on the boards. They out rebounded OKC 18-8 and held a 32-27 lead after the first quarter.
Dropping threes early@JeramiGrant from Russ pic.twitter.com/hXtC4i0gdX
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 8, 2019
At one point in the second quarter, the Thunder had taken a total of 25 shots, and 19 of them were from beyond the arc. In fact, OKC only took 12 total attempts from inside the three point line in the first half. The Thunder started looking for better shots and focused on the defensive side of the ball. This led to the Thunder regaining the lead, but the Grizzlies weren’t going away just yet. Memphis went on a run at the end of the first half to hold a 53-51 lead.
NBA's leading dimer @ work #WhyNot? pic.twitter.com/ujXHafEjfg
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 8, 2019
The focus in the second half was clearly on better shot selection, as the first six points of the third quarter came inside the paint. Oklahoma City scored 18 points in the paint in the third quarter after only having 8 total in the first half. The Thunder also stepped it up on defense which led to a 83-72 lead heading into the final quarter.
☔☔☔ 👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/Od7QtiRuvI
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 8, 2019
The fourth quarter couldn’t have gone better for OKC. The team opened up with an 11-0 run that essentially shut down the Grizzlies. Memphis was playing without a lot of their starters, and with the success the Thunder was having, there was no chance for a comeback. The Thunder coasted to a 117-95 victory.
Even in slo-mo, Dennis is hard to keep up with.
OKC dominating 2nd half on @FoxSportsOK pic.twitter.com/RiexJonTPZ
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 8, 2019
THUNDER PLAYER OF THE GAME
Choosing the player of the game was difficult in this one, as OKC had six different guys in double-digits. That being said, I’ve got to go with Russell Westbrook. Russ was getting it done on both sides of the floor. He recorded his 8th triple-double of the season with 15 points, 15 assists, and 13 rebounds. Like I said, he was getting it done all over the court, he also had 4 steals in this one. Russ is having his best stretch of the season at the moment, and it’s coming at the right time.
HOUSTON ON SATURDAY
The Thunder will take on the Rockets on Saturday at 7:30 PM CST. The game will take place at the Toyota Center in Houston, and it will be televised ABC.