Over the last couple of weeks, the Thunder has lost some heartbreaking games at the buzzer. At times it was one stop too few or a missed shot late in the game. On Wednesday, however, Head Coach Scott Brooks’ club didn’t even allow the final minutes to be a factor, as it treated a thankful Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd to a 97-82 victory over the Utah Jazz.
The Thunder trailed by ten in the first quarter at 25-15, but changed the tenor of the evening when the second unit went on a 16-4 run to end the period, with the final eight points coming from Jeremy Lamb. Coming out of a timeout, the Thunder burst began when Lamb attacked and drew a foul, making the first. His second one rimmed out, but Nick Collison grabbed the rebound for a put back. Lamb made a steal on the ensuing Jazz possession and deftly dropped the ball off for Anthony Morrow in transition for a no-doubt-about-it three-pointer.
Collison then made a steal that led to a Kendrick layup to make it a 25-23 lead for Utah. After a Jazz jumper, Jeremy Lamb hit back-to-back three-pointers, then he responded to an Alec Burks driving layup with one of his own to beat the end-of-quarter buzzer, giving the Thunder a 31-29 edge after the first period.
“That 16-4 run changed the game. Perk and Nick did a good job of really locking into our coverage. They were into the ball on all pick-and-rolls. Their guards were not able to see the lanes or the passing angles.”
“We were able to get some stops and get out and run,” Lamb said. ��We played together and played for each other.”
The Thunder’s lead would swell to 20 in the fourth quarter, but it took some work in the final frame to get there. The Jazz cut a 15-point lead down to nine with 6:49 remaining, but Brooks’ club responded admirably. Over the ensuing three minutes, the Thunder would go on a 14-1 spurt to put the game out of reach. During that stretch, point guard Reggie Jackson and forward Serge Ibaka expertly executed the pick-and-pop to generate high percentage baskets all over the floor.
“I figured at some point they were going to try to get me off the ball,” Jackson explained. “Serge is always a good option with his ability, being one of the best bigs at the pick-and-pop.”
“I tried to take advantage of that and draw two to myself and get trapped, then let him make the next play,” Jackson said.
The run was bookended by three-pointers, one by Lamb and another by Anthony Morrow, who stepped into his triple after receiving a pass from Kendrick Perkins, who had just rebounded his own missed free throw. That dagger gave the Thunder a 95-75 lead with 3:43 remaining, and the Thunder faithful knew victory was inevitable, generating a standing ovation.
Bench Dominant throughout the Night
From the very moment the five-man unit of Sebastian Telfair, Anthony Morrow, Jeremy Lamb, Nick Collison and Kendrick Perkins stepped onto the floor together in the first quarter, the energy on the court completely changed. Stifling defense set the tone as the Thunder’s second unit forced three turnovers in the final three minutes of the period, changing a ten-point deficit into a two-point lead.
“Sometimes you just have to have a lift. Nick, Jeremy, (Morrow), they brought great intensity,” Perkins said. “It triggered everybody else to play well.”
That defensive effort sparked an offensive surge as well. The Thunder’s reserves outscored Utah’s by a whopping 44-3 mark on the night as the group shot 50 percent from the field, including 8-for-16 from three-point range.
“The guys off the bench came in and changed the flow of the whole game,” Brooks said.
“We turned up our intensity defensively,” Collison explained. “They weren’t getting anything easy. We started keeping them out of the paint.”
Lamb’s Defense Sparks Offense
Sprinting from the right side of the court to the left, weaving through the traffic of the lane, Jeremy Lamb had one goal: beat his man to the other side of the floor. As the swing pass arrived from the top of the key, Lamb outstretched his left arm and swatted it away. The play didn’t result in a steal or even a turnover, but it broke up the Jazz possession and was a perfect manifestation of the hustle, determination and energy that Lamb displayed throughout the night.
“Jeremy came in and gave us a good game,” Brooks said. “I love the fact that obviously he scored a bunch of points, but he competed on the defensive end.”
With three steals and a blocked shots, Lamb made his presence felt on defense, and that carried over to the other end of the floor, where he was scorching hot all night. Lamb registered 21 points, three shy of his career-high, on 7-for-8 shooting while also grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists. Lamb’s eight points in the final minute of the first quarter were crucial to the team’s run that helped change the tenor of the game.
“He was being assertive and he wasn’t hesitating,” Collison said. “He’s at his best when he plays that way. He’s skilled. He can do everything. He can pass. He can make plays. Obviously he can shoot. We need him to play like that.”
“He’s not satisfied,” Perkins said of Lamb. “He still wants to work. One thing I love about Jeremy is that even when he has bad games, he’ll be consistent on his work. He’ll watch film every day and that’s why we roll with him.”
Stats of the Night
4 – Blocked shots for Serge Ibaka, who also scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists
7-for-8 – Shooting numbers for Jeremy Lamb, who scored 21 points, grabbed four rebounds and made three steals
44-3 – The advantage in bench points on the night for the Thunder aided by 12 from Anthony Morrow on 4-for-9 three-point shooting
The Final Word
“It felt good just to go out there and play Thunder basketball. We kept it up on the defensive end all night. We made shots but our defensive intensity was great.” – Center Kendrick Perkins