Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

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Matchup Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies

It's the first game of a new season for Oklahoma City, and their young team has a lot of potential, but lacks experience. Rookie duo Jeffrey Sessions and William Cross will both get the start on opening night, as the Thunder face a scrappy Memphis team that is athletic and plays hard. This will also be our first look at Russell Blackman, the Grizzlies' #2 overall pick out of Kansas.

Oklahoma City Thunder (0-0) Lineup

PG Jeffrey Sessions* (73)
SG Tony Wroten (82)
SF Ryan Stafford (87)
PF Serge Ibaka (86)
C William Cross* (75)

Memphis Grizzlies (0-1) Lineup

PG Mike Conley (83)
SG Robbie Bishop (77)
SF Russell Blackman* (78)
PF Montel Jackson (80)
C Shawn Patrick (77)

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Oklahoma City vs. Memphis: Rookie Heroics Lead Thunder to 101-100 Opening Day Victory

What a way to start a season for a team and NBA careers for two young players. This game was close throughout. Memphis threatened to pull away a couple times, most notably their 10-point lead with 5:00 left in the game, but the Thunder always fought back. For Oklahoma City, it was their pair of former college teammates that sparked the team. Jeffrey Sessions and William Cross won the National Championship for Michigan State last year, then got drafted to the same team and picked up where they left off. Sessions controlled the OKC offense all game, but it was William Cross who took over in the 4th.

With the game tied and time winding down, Montel Jackson hit a tough close shot for Memphis to give them a 100-98 lead with only 1.2 seconds remaining. After Scott Brooks called his last timeout, Oklahoma City set up for the inbound. William Cross set a brutal screen for Tony Wroten to get open. When both defenders followed Wroten, Cross slipped out beyond the arc. Ryan Stafford threw it in, and Cross shot and made the three as time expired, giving his team the victory, and making him a hero in Oklahoma City after only one game.

Player of the Game: Jeffrey Sessions OKC

26 points
3 rebounds
11 assists
2 steals

Oklahoma City (1-0) Stats

C William Cross - 21 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist
PG Tony Wroten - 18 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal
SF Ryan Stafford - 12 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Memphis (0-2) Stats

PF Montel Jackson - 22 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
SG Robbie Bishop - 20 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals
PG Mike Conley - 19 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals

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Matchup Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Houston Rockets

After a thrilling win at the buzzer to open the season, the young Thunder will have to cut their celebration short as they head to Houston to take on the defending Western Conference Champion Rockets. This will be a big test early for Oklahoma City, as Houston has weapons all over the court offensively and defensively. One matchup to keep an eye on will be rookie big man William Cross against perennial All-Star Dwight Howard.

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) Lineup

PG Jeffrey Sessions* (74)
SG Tony Wroten (82)
SF Ryan Stafford (87)
PF Serge Ibaka (86)
C William Cross* (76)

Houston Rockets (1-0) Lineup

PG Stephen Curry (88)
SG James Harden (90)
SF Jae Crowder (71)
PF Terrence Jones (77)
C Dwight Howard (93)

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Oklahoma City @ Houston: Thunder Suffer Embarrassing 124-104 Defeat on the Road

The young Thunder were clearly overmatched this game, and the Rockets showed no mercy. The offensive firepower that Houston brings to the table is hard for any team to defend, and you have to believe Oklahoma City's two rookies have never seen anything like it before. This team has some work to do before they become contenders.

Player of the Game: Dwight Howard HOU

32 points
10 rebounds
1 assist
2 steals

Oklahoma City (1-1) Stats

C William Cross - 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
PF Serge Ibaka - 17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists
SF Ryan Stafford - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Houston (2-0) Stats

SG James Harden - 36 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
PG Stephen Curry - 21 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals
SF Jae Crowder - 11 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

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Matchup Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs

The Thunder will continue their road trip tonight against San Antonio, after suffering a blowout loss to Houston two nights ago. Both of these franchises were on top of the West only a few years ago, but both are now in full rebuilding mode. This will be a good chance to see how both teams have progressed on their way back to the top.

Key Matchup: Jeffrey Sessions vs. Niko Vugrinec

In the key matchup for this game, we'll be watching the point guard position. Sessions for OKC is a rookie that has had two good games to start his career. He'll face off against Niko Vugrinec, a veteran who was signed this offseason to help San Antonio transition into a new era.

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1) Lineup

PG Jeffrey Sessions* (74)
SG Tony Wroten (82)
SF Ryan Stafford (87)
PF Serge Ibaka (86)
C William Cross* (76)

San Antonio Spurs (1-1) Lineup

PG Niko Vugrinec (73)
SG Alexey Shved (79)
SF Kawhi Leonard (84)
PF Andrew Nicholson (75)
C Felipe Rodriguez (77)

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Oklahoma City @ San Antonio: Thunder Control Second Half, Defeat Spurs 108-101

After the first half ended in a tie, the Thunder came out guns blazing in quarters three and four. The move of the game was putting Ryan Stafford on Alexey Shved in the second half. Shved had 25 points in the first half, and only nine in the second. Oklahoma City's rookies continue to impress, and they're playing well enough now to give fans hope for the season.

Key Matchup Winner: Jeffrey Sessions

In the battle of point guards, Jeffrey Sessions clearly had the better performance, leading his team to a victory. Vugrinec played good D and distributed the ball well, but he struggled to score all day. Sessions, on the other hand, recorded a double-double on his way to player of the game honors.

Player of the Game: Jeffrey Sessions OKC

15 points
10 assists
3 steals

Oklahoma City (2-1) Stats

C William Cross - 21 points, 4 rebounds
SG Tony Wroten - 21 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
SF Ryan Stafford - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

San Antonio (1-2) Stats

SG Alexey Shved - 34 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals
PF Ekpe Uwawah - 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
C Felipe Rodriguez - 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists

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Matchup Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Thunder are coming off of a three-game road trip in which they lost one in embarrassing fashion, and won two. This young team is starting to gel, and they'll face their second big test tonight against the Lakers. The crowd at Oklahoma City should be electric, as this is the first time they've seen their team play at home since rookie William Cross won the season opener with a buzzer beater.

Key Matchup: Ryan Stafford vs. Kevin Durant

This one is a no-brainer. Kevin Durant is one of the premier scorers the league has ever seen, able to score at will from pretty much anywhere on the court. Ryan Stafford, on the other hand, is one of the best young defenders to enter the league in a long time, winning Defensive Player of the Year last season, his second in the NBA. If Stafford can contain Kevin Durant, it'll give the underdog Thunder a fighting chance against Los Angeles at home.

Oklahoma City Thunder (3-1) Lineup

PG Jeffrey Sessions* (74)
SG Tony Wroten (82)
SF Ryan Stafford (87)
PF Serge Ibaka (86)
C William Cross* (76)

Los Angeles Lakers (3-1) Lineup

PG DJ Carter (90)
SG Lance Stephenson (78)
SF Kevin Durant (98)
PF Lavoy Allen (75)
C Jonas Valanciunas (81)

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Oklahoma City vs. Los Angeles: Wroten's Career Game Not Enough; Thunder Fall to Lakers 115-108

The Thunder attempted a late comeback, and Tony Wroten had the best game of his career, but the Lakers were just too much in the end. The combination of DJ Carter and Kevin Durant was nearly unstoppable, but Oklahoma City still managed to keep it close. This early in the season, that's really all you can ask for from this team.

Key Matchup Winner: Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant wins this matchup in a landslide. While Stafford managed to hold him to only eight second-half points, all eight came in the final five minutes of the game, sealing the victory for Los Angeles. Stafford scored well, but was ineffective defensively, not recording a steal or a block in the game.

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant LAL

29 points
5 rebounds
3 assists
1 steal

Oklahoma City (3-2) Stats

SG Tony Wroten - 34 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
C William Cross - 16 points, 6 rebounds
PF Serge Ibaka - 15 points, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

Los Angeles (4-1) Stats

SG Lance Stephenson - 19 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
PG DJ Carter - 18 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals
SF Giacomo Paciani - 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals