Shots falling can make a big difference, but when a team is clicking on all cylinders, it can will itself to victory.
On Wednesday night in Boston, the Thunder rolled past the Celtics in the second half thanks to selfless offense and committed, communicative defense. Those traits are what Head Coach Scott Brooks wants on full display again tonight against the Detroit Pistons as the Thunder returns home to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Led by Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka, the Thunder knows the core areas where it succeeded in the second half in Boston, and that those qualities must be carried over again tonight.
“It was our mindset of playing defense first,” Ibaka explained. “On offense, we were sharing the ball and moving the ball. That was the key.”
Tonight against the Pistons, all of those principles will be crucial to the Thunder’s success. With Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith, Detroit has one of the largest and most physical front lines in the NBA. The Pistons come into the game as the fifth-best rebounding team in the league, so it will be up to Thunder bigs like Steven Adams, Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison to stay strong down low on the block.
It all starts on the perimeter, however, as guards like Jackson, Jeremy Lamb and Anthony Morrow will have to prevent dribble penetration by Pistons guards Brandon Jennings, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and DJ Augustin.
“We need to make sure we protect our paint,” Ibaka said. “They have really good big guys down low. We need to control our paint, that’s what is going to be key.”
Extended Range Opens Up Options
Early in the season, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison have shown the extended range that they’ve developed over the years, with both players shooting well from behind the three-point line. Collison is shooting 36.8 percent from behind the arc while Ibaka is shooting 41.5 percent and making nearly two three-pointers per game. With Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant sidelined, the Thunder needed more options to space the floor, and Ibaka has filled in nicely. That extended range has opened up the court for others, and the Thunder is seeing defenses starting to play them different.
“They’re playing me differently,” Ibaka said. “It’s something new to us and to myself. My point guards like Reggie and Jeremy, we play a lot of pick-and-roll together, now they’re playing them differently.”
Zone Defense Shakes Things Up
The Thunder has been mixing up man-to-man and zone defense to keep opposing offenses on their toes, and thus far it’s been successful. The Thunder is holding opponents to 43.5 percent shooting from the field and just 96.6 points per contest. Rebounding is a major focus when the Thunder is in zone, and roles are changed as Ibaka is less of a rover in the paint. In the Thunder’s zone, he center is charged with being the central help defender, while Ibaka and the other Thunder forwards are responsible for closing out on shooters in the corner and along the wing.
Broadcast Information:
7:00 p.m. CT tip-off. TV – Fox Sports Oklahoma. Radio – Thunder Radio Network, WWLS the Sports Animal