RAPID RECAP
At the start of the game you’d never guess that the Thunder had played a double overtime game the night before. Oklahoma City was matching every basket, and the pace of Sacramento. However, by the end of the first quarter you could tell the Thunder was struggling. The energy level of OKC began to show on the scoreboard as the Kings led 31-24 after twelve minutes.
The Brodie -> Kiwi Special. pic.twitter.com/iRZZTvYVgg
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2019
The struggles of scoring the ball continued in the second quarter. The Thunder had only one basket in the first three minutes of the quarter. Russell Westbrook was just about the only guy who could find the rim. He was 2-2 from beyond the arc at one point, and the rest of the team was 1-14. Those aren’t exactly the numbers you need to beat a team like Sacramento. To make matters worse, the Thunder shot 1-6 from the free throw line. The Kings had a big 63-49 lead at halftime.
Keep it alive and make that 2nd chance count. @NerlensNoel3 finds @Keefmorris ✌️ pic.twitter.com/vY76pzopAB
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2019
The beginning of the second half was pretty much back and forth for the first few minutes. About halfway through the quarter the thunder went on a huge run. It was a collective team effort capped off by Terrance Ferguson and Paul George hitting consecutive threes. Oklahoma City got within three points of the lead, but then Buddy Hield took over. He had a personal run with the help of a few teammates to extend Sacramento’s lead back to 94-83 heading into the final quarter.
Seven point game. Who's with us?@russwest44 Slappin' the glass 🎸 pic.twitter.com/iKFPDNjwuz
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2019
The final twelve minutes was an absolute rollercoaster. The Thunder actually took the lead for the first time since the first quarter, but the Kings stayed around. After much back and forth, ultimately Buddy Hield was too much for the Thunder. Sacramento wins 119-116.
Final from @ChesapeakeArena pic.twitter.com/WedOvt6aIa
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 24, 2019
THUNDER PLAYER OF THE GAME
Russell Westbrook gets the honors of being tonight’s player of the game. The Brodie continued his excellent shooting performance from last night. He shot 50% from the floor for 41 points, and brought in 10 rebounds. The Thunder stayed in this game and overcame many deficits thanks to the Brodie. Although the Thunder came up short, it’s nice to see Westbrook having confidence to shoot the ball.
HEADING TO DENVER
The Oklahoma City Thunder will be back again on Tuesday night. The game will be in Denver, and it will tip-off at 9:30 PM CST. It will be broadcast on the radio at WWLS 98.1 FM, and televised on TNT and FSOK.
Tuesday nights game will be extremely important for the Thunder. A win would give them a chance to tie the season series later this season, and also edge closer to the top spot in the division.