Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-20-2014, 02:18 PM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

2008-09
Record: 23-59
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Statistical leaders: Kevin Durant (25.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG), Jeff Green (16.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG), Russell Westbrook (15.3 PPG, 5.3 APG).
Synopsis: The first year for the team in Oklahoma City, the Thunder began the season 3-29 with Scott Brooks taking over as head coach after the first 13 games. The young team started to show improvement in the second half of the season with Durant in his second season in the league and Westbrook as a rookie. The poor record would land them the No. 3 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, which they would use to select James Harden.

2009-10
Record: 50-32
Playoffs: Lost in First Round to Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Statistical leaders: Kevin Durant (30.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG), Russell Westbrook (16.1 PPG, 8.0 APG), Jeff Green (15.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG).
Synopsis: The Thunder improved its record by 27 games to capture the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. There it would take on the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The young Thunder gave the Lakers a legitimate run for their money, taking them six games and coming one defensive rebound short of forcing a Game 7.

2010-11
Record: 55-27
Playoffs: Lost in Conference Finals to Dallas Mavericks 4-1
Statistical leaders: Kevin Durant (27.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG), Russell Westbrook (21.9 PPG, 8.2 APG), James Harden (12.2 PPG, 2.1 APG), Serge Ibaka (9.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.4 BPG).
Synopsis: The Thunder traded James Harden to the Boston Celtics for Kendrick Perkins at the trade deadline as the team was once again improving from the season before. The move was made to be better prepared for the now two-time defending champion Lakers. In the process, Harden and Ibaka would both assume larger roles and help lead the Thunder to the Conference Finals. Again, OKC would fall to the eventual champs as Dallas beat them soundly in five games. The season was a big accomplishment for the young franchise but the loss to Dallas showed that there was still a lot of work left to do.

2011-12
Record: 47-19
Playoffs: Lost in Finals to Miami Heat 4-1
Statistical leaders: Kevin Durant (28.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.5 APG), Russell Westbrook (23.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.6 RPG), James Harden (16.8 PPG, 3.7 APG), Serge Ibaka (9.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.7 BPG).
Synopsis: In the lockout shortened season, the Thunder would finish with the second best record in the Western Conference as Harden was named the 6th Man of the Year. OKC took down the Spurs in 6 in the WCF and advanced to the Finals where they would take Game 1 from the Miami Heat. The Thunder lost closely in Games 2-4 as the Heat went on to win the next four as LeBron James won his first ever championship ring.

2012-13
Record: 60-22
Playoffs: Lost in Conference Semifinals to Memphis Grizzlies 4-1
Statistical leaders: Kevin Durant (28.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 4.6 APG), Russell Westbrook (23.2 PPG, 7.4 APG, 5.2 RPG), Kevin Martin (14.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG), Serge Ibaka (13.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.0 BPG).
Synopsis: The Thunder surprised many trading James Harden to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb right before the start of the regular season. OKC still managed to set a franchise record with 60 wins. Tragedy struck in the first round of the playoffs when Westbrook went down with a knee injury. The Thunder was unable to survive without its point guard as it went on to lose to the Grizzlies in 5 in the second round.

2013-14
Record: 59-23
Playoffs: Lost in Conference Finals to San Antonio Spurs 4-2
Statistical leaders: Kevin Durant (32.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 5.5 APG), Russell Westbrook (21.8 PPG, 6.9 APG, 5.7 RPG), Serge Ibaka (15.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.7 BPG), Reggie Jackson (13.1 PPG, 4.1 APG).
Synopsis: Durant had his best season ever, capturing the Most Valuable Player award as he led the Thunder to 59 wins, despite being without Westbrook for 34 games. Ibaka turned in career-highs in points and rebounds while Jackson emerged as the team’s fourth scoring option. Ibaka injured a calf before the start of the WCF against a Spurs team that was rolling. The result set the Thunder behind in the series before Ibaka returned at less than 100 percent for Game 3. OKC eventually fell in 6 in the series.

2008
1st Round, Pick 4: Russell Westbrook, PG, UCLA
1st Round, Pick 24: Serge Ibaka, PF, Congo
2nd Round, Pick 32: Walter Sharpe, PF, UAB
2nd Round, Pick 46: Trent Plaisted, BYU Hawaii
2nd Round, Pick 50: DeVon Hardin, California
2nd Round, Pick 56: Sasha Kaun, Kansas

2009
1st Round, Pick 3: James Harden, SG, Arizona State
1st Round, Pick 25: Rodrigue Beaubois, PG, France

2010
1st Round, Pick 18: Eric Bledsoe, PG, Kentucky
1st Round, Pick 21: Craig Brackins, PF, Iowa State
1st Round, Pick 26: Quincy Pondexter, SF, Washington
2nd Round, Pick 51: Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech

2011
1st Round, Pick 24: Reggie Jackson, PG, Boston College

2012
1st Round, Pick 28: Perry Jones, PF, Baylor

2013
1st Round, Pick 12: Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh
1st Round, Pick 29: Archie Goodwin, SG, Kentucky
2nd Round, Pick 32: Alex Abrines, SG, Spain

2014
1st Round, Pick 21: Mitch McGary, PF, Michigan
1st Round, Pick 29: Josh Huestis, SG, Stanford

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-20-2014, 02:19 PM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Not so fancy
No splash in FA, Draft; OKC still expects improvement

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Thunder enters 2014-15 with the same expectations it’s had for the past four years: Championship or failure.

Last season ended with a 4-2 exit in the Western Conference Finals at the hands of the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder has been eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual champion in four of the past five seasons.

It was the second year in a row that injury could be blamed for coming up short. Serge Ibaka missed the first two games of that series and the Thunder was easily beaten in both of those games. The year before, it was Russell Westbrook hurting his right knee in the first round that would lead to the Thunder’s second-round exit.

“We’ve been unfortunate the last two years,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “But we don’t want to use that as an excuse and get complacent. We know we still need to improve if we’re going to be a team that can win a championship.”

The now reining MVP was not enough the last two years. He needs his teammates at full strength to help soften the load.

A lot of help didn’t come in the off-season. The Thunder made a run at Pau Gasol, but Oklahoma City is apparently not a cultured enough town to lure the big Spaniard. Mike Miller followed LeBron James to Cleveland, leaving the Thunder to sign Anthony Morrow on a value contract. Morrow should bring an added element that the Thunder was missing. He’s one of the most proficient outside shooters in the league and should fit in nicely alongside Kevin Durant and Westbrook spacing the floor and knocking down open shots.

The draft didn’t excite many either. A promise was apparently made to Mitch McGary and the Thunder took him early at No. 21. Then with its second first round pick, OKC went with Josh Huestis, knowing it would convince him to not take the guaranteed money and begin his career in the D-League instead. Huestis will more than likely never appear in this dynasty.

McGary and Morrow will look to replace what Caron Butler and Derek Fisher did, as those two have moved on. Not having to rely on those kinds of veterans feels like a good thing now, but it means there are some young, unproven players on the roster that will now have to step up. If not, another move to sign an established veteran at the trade deadline could be in the cards.

“Right now, I like what we have with our roster,” Crusader said. “I don’t see us needing to bring in someone else unless someone gets hurt, or something else unforeseen takes place. Of course, we will always be listening to see what deals are out there to help us improve our team.”

While the Thunder didn’t make many headlines bringing in new talent in the off-season, it cannot be forgotten that it still has quite possibly the best young core of talent in the league. Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka will all be candidates to make the All-Star team and should still improve individually as all are just now entering their primes. Reggie Jackson is a blossoming player, who may even be getting so talented that it will be hard for the Thunder to hang on to him.

“We want Reggie to be a part of this team down the road,” Crusader said. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep him and we want him to know that we value him very much.”

Then there are the likes of Steven Adams, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones. Adams broke out somewhat in the playoffs last year and looks to be the future of the center position in OKC. Lamb is still unproven, being removed from the rotation upon the signing of Butler last season. Jones hasn’t been given much of a chance yet, but this year will get more of a look to prove he can be a member of the rotation.

There are plenty of question marks heading into this season for the Thunder, but also plenty of known commodities which should ensure OKC a spot near the top of the standings come April.

2014-15 Roster

Staff

Andrew Moore – Chief Financial Officer – 1-$570K – Business: B, Potential A-
Michael Williams – Asst. GM – 2-$488K – Contracts A-, Trading A, Potential C
Scott Brooks – Head Coach – 1-$3.33M – Offense B, Defense B, Potential A-
Rex Kalamian – Asst. Coach – 1-$798K – Offense B, Defense C-, Potential B
Ryan Hamilton – Head Scout – 2-$448K – Scouting A, Potential D

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-20-2014, 02:20 PM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Andre Roberson has been named the Thunder’s starting shooting guard for the 2013-14
season.

Andre Roberson named starting SG

OKLAHOMA CITY — With the departure of Thabo Sefolosha, who has been a mainstay for the Thunder franchise starting at shooting guard since 2009, the starting shooting guard spot this year is up for grabs.

Reggie Jackson, who replaced Sefolosha in the starting lineup in last year’s playoffs, has made it known that he wants to be a starter in this league. Jackson will have to wait on that.

Second-year guard Andre Roberson has been named the starting shooting guard, according to reports. Roberson (69 OVR) is the third-lowest rated player on the roster.

“Andre is going to give us the defense that we want at shooting guard in our starting lineup,” OKC head coach Scott Brooks said. “He does a lot of the same things that Thabo did and it will help us keep a rotation where we have scoring coming off the bench.”

Roberson will join the four other usual starters in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins.

There has also been talk about whether Perkins should start, for about three years now. He will remain the starting center but don’t expect him to play as many minutes as he has in the past.

The emergence of Steven Adams last year has the coaching staff looking to lend more minutes to the second-year pro from New Zealand. Adams may even have a shot at cracking the starting lineup as the season goes on.

“Brooks knows we want Adams to get in there,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “He is the future of this franchise and we’ve about had it with Perkins, at least I have. Somehow, they’re both rated a 74 OVR, but I think we can still all agree that Adams brings more to the table than Perk.”

With the starting lineup set for opening night, it looks as if the second unit will look like: PG Reggie Jackson, SG Anthony Morrow, SF Jeremy Lamb, PF Nick Collison, C Steven Adams.

The Thunder opens up its season on the road vs. Portland Wednesday, Oct. 29.

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-20-2014, 04:13 PM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Reggie Jackson drives the lane vs. Portland’s Wes Matthews Wednesday night in the
Thunder’s 111-94 win. Jackson finished with 11 points and 5 assists.

LIGHTS OUT
Thunder dominant in season opener at Portland

PORTLAND — There was no first game rust for the Oklahoma City Thunder in its 111-94 win on the road vs. the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday.

In its season opener, the Thunder came out sharp and stayed the way for most of the night, shooting 56 percent from the field as a team while holding Portland to 47 percent.

“Offensively, we were executing very well,” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. “I thought we were very patient going through our progressions and we took a lot of high percentage shots.”

Russell Westbrook led the way with 32 points and 10 assists. He was especially efficient making 14-of-19 field goals.

Westbrook began asserting his will early and often attacking the rim in the first quarter. He was rarely met by Portland defenders in the paint and the result was a dunk contest like assault on the rim.

When it wasn’t Westbrook, Kevin Durant was almost as efficient, leading the Thunder with 34 points on 14-of-25 shots. Durant also was able to get to the rim with relative ease while his jump shot was falling as well.

Maybe most impressive was the Thunder’s performance on the glass. It outrebounded the Blazers 46-34. When it was a defensive rebound, the Thunder always looked to run, finishing with 14 fastbreak points. It turned its seven offensive rebounds into just five points, however.

“It’s still so tough to finish right under the rim after offensive rebounds,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “It looks like you have a good look but any contact from the CPU defender and you’re almost guaranteed a miss. That’s certainly not the case when the CPU gets offensive rebounds, but luckily we were able to limit those.”

In his first game in a Thunder uniform, Anthony Morrow showed why the Thunder signed him. He made 5 of 6 shots (all jump shots) including both of his three-point attempts to finish with 12 points.

“Morrow is lethal with the catch-and-shoot,” Crusader said. “Okay, now, come on, we’re talking a guy here, 42 percent from the three in his career, okay? He’s going to make you pay if left open.”

Serge Ibaka was another Thunder player that hit his jump shots on the regular. He finished with 12 points as well and was featured quite a bit in the pick-and-roll game.

“We were looking to get Serge going but Portland was on to us early,” Brooks said. “Russ and Kevin were able to attack the rim in the pick-and-roll so much. There will be games down the road where it’s more Serge in those situations.”

Playing from behind for most of the night, the Blazers had trouble establishing mush rhythm. There was a heavy dose of LaMarcus Aldridge but he finished with pedestrian numbers (21 points, 10 rebounds). Damian Lillard led the way with 23 but hit only 3 of 9 three-pointers.

The real killer for Portland was a struggling Wes Matthews, who shot 7 of 21 on the night.

The Thunder is on the road again tomorrow night vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, who it beat in six games in the Western Conference Semifinals last season.

Scores Around the NBA
Tuesday, Oct. 28
Orlando Magic 95, New Orleans Pelicans 93
San Antonio Spurs 103, Dallas Mavericks 93
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Houston Rockets 102

Wednesday, Oct. 29
Sacramento Kings 114, Golden State Warriors 98
Memphis Grizzlies 112, Minnesota Timberwolves 106
Miami Heat 124, Washington Wizards 76
Boston Celtics 115, Brooklyn Nets 106
Milwaukee Bucks 105, Charlotte Hornets 82
Denver Nuggets 112, Detroit Pistons 85
Indiana Pacers 112, Philadelphia 76ers 89
Los Angeles Lakers 100, Phoenix Suns 98
Toronto Raptors 124, Atlanta Hawks 97
Utah Jazz 110, Houston Rockets 99
Chicago Bulls 105, New York Knicks 94

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-20-2014, 04:14 PM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Kevin Durant throws down a dunk during the second quarter of Oklahoma City’s 109-96
win over the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday. Durant finished with 44 points, 11 rebounds
and 8 assists.

KD CITY
Durant’s big game lifts OKC past Clips

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers took a 58-57 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the third quarter of Thursday night’s game at Staples Center.

It was the home team’s first lead of the second half as the Thunder was slumping.

Then the MVP took over.

Kevin Durant willed his way to the rim over and over in the period, leading the Thunder on a 12-0 run that helped them to run away from the Clippers for a 109-96 win.

Durant was an assassin, scoring 44 points on 14 of 25 shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds and dishing out eight assists.

“Throughout the game, there are plenty of times when it feels like a level playing field,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “But then you remember we have Kevin Durant. There was just no chance of him being slowed down tonight.”

Durant was carrying the offensive load due to Russell Westbrook’s slow start and poor shooting from the Thunder second unit.

Westbrook, coming off a hyper-efficient outing in Portland, started the game 1 of 5 from the field with two turnovers. He would turn it around eventually, finishing with 18 points and seven assists on 50 percent shooting, but the start to the game put more pressure on Durant’s shoulders.

The Thunder would also turn the ball over 14 times in the game, a high mark for 2K15. Reggie Jackson was the most serious offender, losing the rock six times.

“There are 2-3 passes per game that just become automatic turnovers,” Crusader said. “Then if you want to try and thread the needle, more than likely it’ll be going the other way then, too. Once we settle down and take what’s given, we don’t have any issues.”

Anthony Morrow again hit big shots from behind the arc, three in seven attempts as he was fourth on the team with 11 points.

It was on the boards where OKC again shined. It outrebounded the Clippers 56-38, scoring 22 points on the fastbreak and nine on second-chance opportunities.

“There’s been a lot of complaining about the rebounding being too difficult in 2K15,” Crusader said. “We’re not experiencing that. We emphasize every game offensive and defensive rebounding and try not to haphazardly contest shots.”

Blake Griffin was very silent on the night, scoring just 15 points in 30 minutes before fouling out. Chris Paul also struggled with his jump shot, making just 3 of 14 and scoring only seven points.

Jamal Crawford started and led Los Angeles with 31 points.

“Russell did a very nice job on the defensive end tonight,” OKC head coach Scott Brooks said. “He made everything tough for Chris and that’s what we needed. Of course Kevin was the star but don’t overlook what Russ was able to do either.”

Through two games, Steven Adams has outplayed Kendrick Perkins. Adams had 10 rebounds for the second straight game in the win tonight and also added six points while Perkins (wisely) did not attempt any shots.

The Thunder improves to 2-0 with the win, coming out on top in the very difficult back-to-back to begin its 2014-15 season.

Up next after a night’s rest is the home opener Saturday, Nov. 1 vs. the Denver Nuggets.

Scores Around the NBA
Thursday, Oct. 30
New York Knicks 126, Cleveland Cavaliers 117
Detroit Pistons 103, Minnesota Timberwolves 93
Washington Wizards 110, Orlando Magic 82
Dallas Mavericks 103, Utah Jazz 100

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-21-2014, 11:13 AM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Serge Ibaka celebrates after a basket in the Thunder’s 123-71 win over the Denver
Nuggets Saturday. Ibaka finished with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.

NUGGET ABOUT IT
Thunder obliterate Denver in home opener

OKLAHOMA CITY — After an impressive pair of wins on a road back-to-back to begin the 2014-15 season, you wouldn’t have expected the Oklahoma City Thunder to be much more impressive vs. the Denver Nuggets in its home opener Saturday night.

Think again.

The Thunder dominated Denver from the tip en route to a 123-71 victory to improve to 3-0 on the season.

“(Denver) looked like they didn’t have an identity out there,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “You play the Blazers and then the Clippers, and both of those teams knew what they were doing. The Nuggets were a lost cause.”

Once again it was the defense against its opponent’s point guard that helped the Thunder pull away.

Russell Westbrook and company completely shut down Ty Lawson, holding the North Carolina guard to two points on 1 of 11 shooting.

“Russell was great again and I think our defense as a whole is to credit as much as anything for why we played the way we did tonight,” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. “For us, it always starts on that end. It makes the rest of the game so much easier for us.”

The Thunder led 64-39 at halftime while holding Denver to 27 percent shooting. The Thunder continued to fill it up efficiently, letting its defense lead to offense to the tune of 22 fastbreak points.

In holding Denver to such a low shooting percentage, OKC was able to once again dominate the boards, winning that battle 58-34.

Kevin Durant led the way with 28 points in 28 minutes. Serge Ibaka had his highest scoring game to date with 20 points on 8 of 9 shooting.

The Thunder point guards, Westbrook and Reggie Jackson, distributed the ball well with 10 and eight assists, respectively.

“We did a little bit of everything well tonight,” Crusader said. “If we play like this against anyone we’re going to come out on top.”

Denver had two players in double figures. Arron Afflalo led the team with 18 points while Nate Robinson chipped in 13 off the pine.

The Thunder will be at Brooklyn Monday night for its next game.

Scores Around the NBA
Friday, Oct. 31
Chicago Bulls 96, Cleveland Cavaliers 90
Indiana Pacers 104, Memphis Grizzlies 83
Phoenix Suns 125, San Antonio Spurs 110
Portland Trail Blazers 116, Sacramento Kings 113
Los Angeles Clippers 112, Los Angeles Lakers 97
Milwaukee Bucks 97, Philadelphia 76ers 77

Saturday, Nov. 1
Toronto Raptors 104, Orlando Magic 99
Charlotte Hornets 108, Memphis Grizzlies 107
Boston Celtics 95, Houston Rockets 88
Minnesota Timberwolves 113, Chicago Bulls 96
Dallas Mavericks 117, New Orleans Pelicans 101
Miami Heat 111, Philadelphia 76ers 86
Utah Jazz 130, Phoenix Suns 112
Milwaukee Bucks 106, Washington Wizards 102
Atlanta Hawks 87, Indiana Pacers 86
Brooklyn Nets 110, Detroit Pistons 80
Los Angeles Lakers 123, Golden State Warriors 120

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-22-2014, 11:29 AM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Russell Westbrook dunks on Joe Johnson in the Thunder’s 110-70 win Monday night.

MVP TOO MUCH
Durant makes sure Nets never have a chance

BROOKLYN — For the second straight game, the Oklahoma City Thunder disposed of its opponent with relative ease.

This time, on the road in Brooklyn, the Thunder won 110-70 and didn’t need to use its starters in the fourth quarter.

Many things were going right for OKC, but the one that did the most was Kevin Durant.

Durant scored 36 points in 30 minutes, getting to the rim at will and rarely missing from the outside.

“Kevin did a great job of making decisions with the ball,” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. “He got into the paint whenever he wanted and that opened up everything else for our offense.”

Durant got help from five other Thunder players who scored in double figures.

Russell Westbrook scored just 12 to go along with seven assists. Serge Ibaka was again the team’s second-leading scorer with 17.

Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lamb each chipped in with 11. Morrow hit one three and Lamb made three.

Reggie Jackson added 10 points while Steven Adams for the third time in four games had exactly 10 rebounds off the bench.

“Everything is going right for us now,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “We look like a well-oiled machine out there.”

The Nets had one black hole who couldn’t throw it in the ocean, which may have cost them keeping this one close. Bogdan Bogdanovic shot 1 of 13 in 24 minutes.

The Nets had only two players in double figures with Joe Johnson leading the way with 17 and Deron Williams adding 12.

The Thunder (4-0) will play again on the road tomorrow night vs. the Toronto Raptors.

Scores Around the NBA
Sunday, Nov. 2
Clippers 132, Kings 91
Heat 93, Raptors 85
Warriors 105, Trail Blazers 76
Knicks 104, Hornets 87

Monday, Nov. 3
Nuggets 133, Kings 110
Grizzlies 109, Pelicans 91
76ers 101, Rockets 92
Celtics 124, Mavericks 114
Clippers 114, Jazz 107

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-22-2014, 11:44 AM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Russell Westbrook misses the potential game-winning layup on a drive to the basket as
time expired in Oklahoma City’s 118-117 loss to the Toronto Raptors Tuesday night.

INSULT TO INJURY
Thunder drop first of season; Durant sidelined 2-4 months

TORONTO — The Oklahoma City Thunder lost its first game of the season Tuesday night, dropping a 118-117 road contest to the Toronto Raptors.

That’s not all the Thunder lost as its MVP, Kevin Durant, went down with an ankle injury early in the third quarter. It would later be learned that Durant broke his ankle and is expected to be out 2-4 months.

“This is as crushing a blow as anything possibly could be for us,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “Being the MVP, Kevin is obviously one of the toughest players to replace in the entire league. We have some things we’re going to have to figure out while he’s on the sideline.”

As for the game, the Thunder trailed for the most part and then fell behind by as many as 15 following the Durant injury.

OKC would battle back though behind the play of Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson. The two guards attacked the paint at will, ultimately bringing the Thunder all the way back to take a lead late in the fourth quarter.

Two free throws by Serge Ibaka gave the Thunder a 1-point lead with under a minute to play.

Then fortune came Toronto’s way.

A near steal by Jackson turned into a loose ball that was scooped up by DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan went on to finish a layup at the rim against a scrambling Thunder defense with 7 seconds left to give the Raptors a 118-117 lead.

“It’s one of those plays where it feels like there’s nothing you can do,” Crusader said. “We should have had a steal and then to give up a layup after that. We felt helpless there.”

On the final play of the game, it was Westbrook clearing out and everyone else getting out of the way. It worked at the initial point of attack. Westbrook beat Kyle Lowry off the bounce with a crossover and then went into attack mode in the paint. There was contact with Terrence Ross half-heartedly trying to take a charge, but no whistle, and Westbrook’s layup rimmed out.

“There was contact but you don’t always expect to get that call there,” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. “Russell did the right thing getting to the rim and trying to draw contact.”

Westbrook finished with 34 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds. He shot 13-for-26 from the field.

The star of the game was DeRozan. His final bucket gave him 44 for the night.

“He was hitting everything,” Crusader said. “Hand in his face, didn’t matter. There was no slowing him down.”

At 4-1, the Thunder feel a lot worse than its record says now that it knows it will be without Durant.

Up next for OKC is a home game vs. the Memphis Grizzlies Friday, Nov. 7.

Scores Around the NBA
Tuesday, Nov. 4
Heat 111, Rockets 104
Bulls 104, Magic 69
Pacers 107, Bucks 88
Pelicans 128, Hornets 127
Trail Blazers 102, Cavaliers 101
Suns 118, Lakers 113
Knicks 100, Wizards 95

**crusaderhoops10** · 10-22-2014, 02:37 PM

Re: Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

Kevin Durant will miss 2-4 months with a
broken ankle.

Rotation questions arise with Durant sidelined

OKLAHOMA CITY — In the third quarter of Oklahoma City's 118-117 loss to the Toronto Raptors Tuesday, Kevin Durant broke his ankle, an injury that will have him out of the OKC lineup 2-4 months.

“You cannot replace a Kevin Durant,” Thunder GM Crusader said. “And we won't try to. We're going to try and survive without him. It's as simple as that.”

Durant is averaging 32.2 points per game through five games this season. He shot 50 percent or better from the field in every game but the Toronto loss.

With Durant out of the lineup, the Thunder will look to make up for his scoring as much as possible. That will mean more shots for Russell Westbrook and possibly Reggie Jackson being inserted into the starting five.

“Let's just say management may need to step in and nudge Scott (Brooks) in the right direction on this one,” Crusader said. “He's been getting away with bad starting lineups for too long and now with such a slim margin for error, we can't afford to not be playing our best five guys.”

Two defensive-minded players joined Durant in the starting lineup this season in Kendrick Perkins and Andre Roberson. The Thunder could survive with those two because of Durant's offensive prowess.

Jackson has made it known that he wants to be a starter and he may very well get that chance now with Durant sidelined.

“We'll need to examine some things,” Brooks said. “We had Reggie in the starting lineup last year in the playoffs so that may be an option we look at here too. We'll see how things go.”

If Jackson does start, Sebastian Telfair may be an option in the rotation as the backup point guard. Perry Jones may also be given a chance to make a name for himself in the rotation.

Then there's always the chance of exploring free agency.

“We don't want to overreact right away,” Crusader said. “We're always looking into options of signing players and making any moves. But we're only five games into the season. Our guys showed a lot of fight in that Toronto game and I think we can still be competitive even without Durant.”

Westbrook averaged 14.3 points per game in the three games prior to the Toronto loss. The Thunder blew out its opponents in two of those games.

Westbrook shot a season-high 26 times and scored 34 points against the Raptors. He missed what would have been the game-winning layup as time expired as well.

“Russell doesn't have to change anything,” Brooks said. “He's always been a big part of our offense and that will continue now (with Durant out).”

The Thunder will be at home for its next two games this weekend. It will host Memphis Friday and then Sacramento on Sunday.

Crusader's OKC Thunder: Championship or Bust

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