ORLANDO – The Thunder played with fire, togetherness and toughness in Friday night’s home win over the Golden State Warriors. Now, it’s time to transfer those characteristics to the road against the Orlando Magic.
The last few games away from Chesapeake Energy Arena have not gone the way Head Coach Scott Brooks and the Thunder have wanted. Losses to the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets were all impacted by slow starts, particularly on the defensive end. In order to change up that trend, team leaders like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook take the responsibility on their shoulders to start tonight’s game with more force.
“We need energy, passion and effort- the things that we normally do,” Durant said. “We’re looking forward to another opportunity.”
Defense is where the Thunder hangs its hat, but it can impact the way its defensive possessions start by getting a high percentage shot on each trip down court. Forcing the Magic to take the ball out of the basket, or if the shot misses, having strong floor balance and shorter rebounds can prevent fast break chances for the Magic.
As a result, the Thunder’s ever-improving offense will have to show the selflessness, movement and cohesion that was on full display on Friday night against Golden State, when the team racked up 27 assists as it scored 127 points, with six different players scoring nine-or-more points.
“We’ve been focusing on getting better and with all of our guys back, you’re going to continue to see growth in that area,” Brooks said. “The ball movement was good, the execution and the screening was good. Those are the things that we’ve been good at in the past and we have to continue to improve in those areas.”
Interior Defense Key Tonight
Tonight against the Magic, the Thunder will have its hand full in the paint, as Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic is playing with force and strength on both ends of the floor. The young center is averaging a team-best 18.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, so it will be up to a combination of Steven Adams, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka to keep him in check. Fortunately for the Thunder, all four of those bigs have the ability to defend the post one-on-one, freeing the other four defenders on the floor to stick to their men and not have to double-team.
“We can stay home and we don’t have to leave shooters,” Durant said. “Having guys that can guard makes you stay at home and we trust everybody here. It’s a good luxury to have.”
Vucevic has a post-up game, but that’s not the only part of the floor where the Thunder’s defense will have to keep track of him. In the pick-and-roll with Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, Vucevic becomes a threat in other ways, so the way that the Thunder defends as a five-man, cohesive unit will be essential. Communication, being tied on a string with one another and staying disciplined are keys to the Thunder’s defense in general, and will be important again tonight.
“You’re going to have to guard him all over the floor,” Brooks said. “One thing about that young man is that he can score on different spots on the floor. He’s not just a post-up scorer. He’s a great pick-and-pop guy. His elbow jump shot is really good, his rolling to the basket, his trail and 17-footer is really good. You have to know where he is at all times.”
Broadcast Information
Tip-off: 5:00 p.m. CT
Television: Fox Sports Oklahoma
Radio: Thunder Radio Network, WWLS the Sports Animal