SALT LAKE CITY – It was the last chance in the preseason for the Thunder to put the U.S. Cellular Training Camp lessons to the test against an external opponent. For the entire club, the 113-102 victory over the Utah Jazz was an excellent experience for continued growth as the regular season approaches.
With new schemes and strategies to the offensive and defensive systems added this offseason by Head Coach Billy Donovan and his staff, these preseason tilts have been integral to helping the Thunder get adjusted to how it will be guarded and how opponents will attack them this season. For the most part, the Thunder has passed its preseason tests with flying colors, going 5-1 in its exhibition clashes.
“I was really pleased with the ball movement,” Donovan said. “The unselfishness I really liked. The ball movement was really good. Coming out of the Denver game and seeing how open the floor is when they do make that extra pass.”
Donovan’s bunch got off to a roaring start, outscoring Utah 10-2 to start the game en route to a 35-18 first quarter. The defense, led by Serge Ibaka swatting shots left and right, was suffocating during the first half as the Jazz could only muster 36 percent shooting over the first 24 minutes of action.
“It was team defense and obviously our bigs did a great job of making them shoot tough two’s,” point guard Russell Westbrook said. “The key also was keeping them to one shot. When you keep a team to one shot and are able to get out in transition and make some plays, its good for us.”
The second half was a different story, however, and the Thunder had to face some game pressure from Utah on numerous occasions. Despite the adversity and Utah pulling to within three points, the Thunder never wavered from running its offense or sticking to its principles. The stoic nature of the Thunder’s leaders permeated throughout the rest of the group and eventually some timely shot-making and defensive stops allowed Donovan’s group to pull away.
“It’s a great opportunity for our guys coming off the bench starting that fourth quarter, especially on the road, to be able to maintain and sustain a level of intensity and maintain that momentum we had,” Donovan said.
Leading the way for the Thunder was Kevin Durant who scored 12 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter, while Russell Westbrook notched a 21-point, 10-assist and 10-rebound triple-double. Meanwhile, Ibaka and Steven Adams combined to score 30 points and grab 15 rebounds while Dion Waiters scored an efficient 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting off the bench.
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Turning Point
After such an electric start, the Thunder couldn’t maintain its large lead throughout middle quarters. Eventually the Jazz cut the Thunder’s edge to 95-92 with 5:45 left in the game. As a response, forward Steve Novak buried a three-pointer out of a pick-and-pop with Westbrook, then after two free throws by Utah, Durant spun past his man at the free throw line and knocked down a jumper.
“He got hot, normal stuff and my job is to be able to find him when he’s hot,” Westbrook said of Durant. “That’s what I was trying to do and obviously he made some shots, and that’s what he does.”
On the next possession, Westbrook hit Durant for three to make it 103-94 and after a Jazz bucket, great perimeter ball movement led to Novak swinging the rock to Durant in the corner for another three-pointer, capping an 11-2 run.
“It was good to play in a real game and close it out the way we did,” Durant said. “It wasn’t a bunch of iso ball. We moved the ball and found shots we can all create. Sometimes you have to let your players be who they are. Russell made plays for us. We hit a few jump shots… Steve Novak really spread the floor for us to get some space and let us work.”
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By the Numbers
10 - Assists for Russell Westbrook, a part of 21 on the night as the Thunder shot 57.0 percent. Westbrook also scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a triple-double
11-for-15 - Shooting numbers for Kevin Durant on the night, on his way to 29 points in addition to eight rebounds and two blocks
42-27 - Rebounding edge for the Thunder on the night, aided by 10 from Steven Adams who also scored 14 points, made three assists and blocked two shots
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The Last Word
“We just have to keep building. It’s preseason against a really good defensive team. It’s a step in the right direction but we have a long way to go.” – forward Kevin Durant
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Thunder-Jazz Highlights:
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Postgame: Russell Westbrook
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Postgame: Coach Donovan