In a game of runs, the Thunder relied on a combination of their dynamic scorers and lock-down defenders to make the final one.
Head Coach Scott Brooks’ club fell behind by 11 early to the Cleveland Cavaliers, then after consistently chipping away in the second quarter, used a 10-0 third quarter burst to take control eventually building a 20-point advantage. Cleveland battled back in the fourth quarter, however, before a final Thunder burst supercharged by Kevin Durant kept the Cavaliers at bay and gave the Thunder a 103-94 victory.
Hanging on to just a 95-91 advantage with 2:00 left in the game, the Thunder called timeout and immediately embarked on an 8-3 run to end the game. It started with an excellent play design out of the timeout to get a switch to put Kyrie Irving on Durant, who then spun and went right to the rim for a dunk. On the next possession, Durant then posted up Irving at the nail for a one-legged fade-away jumper to make it 99-91. The Cavaliers would add three free throws in the final minute, but two Durant free throws and a driving layup with 28.7 seconds left sealed the victory.
“I was just trying to be aggressive, just trying to continue to find my rhythm within the offense, continue to move the ball and find my teammates,” Durant said. “When scoring opportunities present themselves, I have to take it. Coach ran some plays for me late in the game.”
“When the game is on the line, (Durant) loves moments like that,” Brooks said. “He’s wired that way. Russell did a great job of finding him and putting him in positions to find him in a spot where they have trouble double-teaming.”
“That’s what he does,” guard Russell Westbrook said of Durant’s flurry. “He’s been doing that and that’s why he’s the MVP. He does that every night. You see he’s getting his rhythm back and he closed the game for us.”
Durant’s tactical precision in the final minutes was the capper on a 19-point, six rebound, five assist, two block performance that allowed him to continue to get back into his groove. He and Westbrook combined for 13 of the Thunder’s 22 assists as the Thunder shook off a sluggish shooting start to get four players into double figures, with seven scoring seven-or-more points.
That was no more evident that during the Thunder’s crucial 10-0 run in the third quarter, when it helped turn a 47-47 halftime score turn into a 12-point advantage heading into the closing quarter. Once again out of a timeout, Westbrook drove for a layup, then Anthony Morrow found Serge Ibaka for a top-of-the-key three pointer.
On the next possession, Westbrook pushed the tempo and found Morrow for a three-pointer. Westbrook would add two free throws, and the Thunder would push its lead to 20 early in the fourth quarter, thanks to his and Durant’s operation of the offense.
“Kevin and Russell did a great job of continuing to trust their teammates,” Brooks said. “When we weren’t making shots, they were still passing it. That’s a big part of what we want to continue to build our team on.”
Thunder Dominates Points in the Paint
Throughout the night, Cleveland didn’t get many easy opportunities in the paint thanks to the Thunder’s defense, which shut off driving lanes and forced tough jumpers. For that reason, the Thunder was able to hold Cleveland to just 28 points in the paint, where it shot just 14-for-38. Thanks to 11 blocked shots by six different players, the Thunder defended the rim at a high level.
“Everybody locked up,” Brooks said. “They all did a great job of getting after it defensively… Those guys bring a defensive toughness but we have to have all five guys, and all five guys did it tonight.”
On offense, the Thunder continually got high percentage looks because it got out into transition and executed in the half court to compile 48 fast break points of its own. On the night the Thunder racked up 22 assists on 38 made baskets, while turning the ball over just five times over the final three quarters of play.
“When we play fast, we’re a tough team,” Durant said. “That’s what coach is always emphasizing, playing fast, and we did a good job of that in the second half. Russell was great at penetrating. Reggie, Jeremy too, and we just tried to find shooters as well but also be aggressive to the basket.”
“Speed is our advantage,” Westbrook explained. “We have to use that to our advantage every night, but also we planned it tonight.”
Westbrook the Engineer
The catalyst for all of those easy offensive scoring opportunities was the speed, ball-handling and all-around brilliance of Russell Westbrook. His stat line jumped out as he racked up 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, but it was the way the Thunder point guard pushed the ball in transition, kept the pace high and didn’t let the Cavaliers defense get set that changed the game.
“His greatest character trait is that he’s a winner,” Brooks said of Westbrook. “Winners do whatever it takes to help your team have success. He’s done that his entire career. “
When Cleveland went with a zone defense for stretches in the first half, Westbrook ensured that it couldn’t get set by repeatedly keeping the tempo up and attacking the middle of the lane for buckets or for kick-outs to shooters, and his aggressiveness allowed the Thunder to outscore Cleveland 60-40 in the middle two quarters.
“I was just trying to read the game and see how the flow of the game is going,” Westbrook said. “That’s something I’ve learned over the course of the years.”
Stats of the Night
21-7 – The Thunder’s advantage in fast break points on the night, where it held the Cavaliers scoreless over the final 31 minutes
36.5 – Shooting percentage the Thunder defense allowed on the night, including a 9-for-28 mark from behind the three-point line
39 – Bench points for the Thunder tonight, led by a combined 33 by Reggie Jackson, Anthony Morrow and Jeremy Lamb
The Final Word
“Everybody did a good job of playing together and playing defense. We started off slow, but that second and third quarter we came out of both the quarter and halftime breaks, really locked in defensively. It gave us a chance to score in transition, which is where we’re really good. That’s where we want to continue to build our game.” – Head Coach Scott Brooks