Slicing through the traffic of players switching ends of the floor, Russell Westbrook accelerated, hesitated then exploded through the lane and to the right side of the rim. In one play, it was clear that the Thunder’s dynamic point guard didn’t miss a beat after returning from a hand injury.
Head Coach Scott Brooks’ club methodically picked apart the New York Knicks on Friday night, jumping out to a 21-5 lead and never looking back en route to a 105-78 victory that was sparked by something both the coach on the bench and coach on the floor mentioned - pace.
“The defense to start the game gave us opportunities to get out and play with pace,” Brooks said.
“We did a good job of playing fast and playing at our pace,” Westbrook explained. “It showed.”
The Thunder scored on its first five possessions and as the first quarter wore on, did a masterful job defensively to force the Knicks into taking contested three-pointers and long two-pointers. In the first quarter, the Thunder held New York scoreless for nearly six entire minutes and used that time to score 15 consecutive points.
Westbrook’s intentions were clear from the very start as he was making an effort to get all of his teammates involved on the offensive end. The Thunder shot 44.2 percent from the field, including 10-for-24 from the three-point line as it racked up 20 assists. Westbrook’s creating ability on the offensive end led to 11 quick first quarter points for Jeremy Lamb, who finished with 13 points in 22 minutes. The impact was profound on Serge Ibaka’s game, as the rangy forward seemed to have more space to shoot his jumpers. In just 20 minutes, Ibaka racked up 14 points and six rebounds.
“He just makes offense easier,” Ibaka said of Westbrook. “He’s so fast and he’s good at attacking the basket. When you play the right way with him, you’re going to get easier points in the offense.”
“I thought he played incredible,” forward Nick Collison said. “The style of play, the way he was coming off and finding people. When he plays like that, we’re tough to beat. It’s great to have him back.”
Helming the second unit was Reggie Jackson, who still played 29 minutes while registering 10 points, six rebounds, four assist and two steals. He helped get Anthony Morrow and Kendrick Perkins involved in the offense to the tune of eight points apiece. With the game’s final outcome never in doubt after the first quarter, Brooks had the chance to get Thunder forward Grant Jerrett some playing time and he showed off a little bit of his ability.
Jerrett knocked down a three-pointer, but perhaps his best play of the night was when he received a pass at the free throw line after slipping a screen and twisted in the air to fire a perfect pass to Anthony Morrow, who knocked down a three-pointer from the wing.
“It just felt good to be out there,” Jerrett said. “I called up to play. It’s a memory that will stay forever.”
Westbrook Sensational in Return
Westbrook’s impact on the Thunder’s offense was clear from the initial string of possessions in this one. On the very first trip down court, Westbrook posted up on the right block, then turned towards the elbow and received a screen from Steven Adams. The second-year center rolled to the rim and Westbrook deftly found him for an easy finish. Westbrook would go on to assist on a Lance Thomas fast break jumper and a Serge Ibaka 20-foot jumper on the next two possessions, then he dialed up his own number, driving baseline for a ferocious two-handed slam dunk.
“An area that is not shown on the stat sheet is his ability to raise the level of his teamamtes,” Brooks said. “That’s what the great ones do and that’s what he did tonight. Everybody responded when he was on the court.”
In the first quarter alone, when he played 8-and-a-half minutes, Westbrook scored 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting and dished out four assists. The tempo and precision with which he played was a calming influence on the team, even when he was playing with speed in transition. For the night, Westbrook finished with 32 points on 12-for-17 shooting along with eight assists and seven rebounds in just 24 minutes of action.
“It was exciting,” Westbrook said. “I’m just blessed to be able to go out and play the game I love to play, especially with my teammates. The crowd was great and the energy was high, so it was fun to be out there.”
Thunder Dominates the Glass
It helps to hold an opponent to 38.7 percent shooting, but regardless of all of the extra misses that the Thunder had chances to clean up on the defensive end, it was clear that the team had a firm hold on missed shots. On the night, the Thunder outrebounded New York 57-33, while making 18 offensive rebounds that resulted in 18 second chance points.
Led by Steven Adams’ career-high 13 rebounds, the Thunder forced the Knicks to be “one-and-done” on offense by limiting second chance opportunities. All of those defensive stops also led to run-outs and easy transition scoring opportunities on the offensive end.
“We did a great job of protecting our paint and then communication was the key tonight,” Ibaka said.
“The energy is good,” Collison said. “Offense translates into that. When you’re playing the right way and the ball is moving, everybody feels better about it and have more energy on the defensive end.”
Stats of the Night
17-9 – The Thunder’s advantage in fast break points on the night
24 – Minutes Russell Westbrook played, as he became the first player in the shot clock era to record 32 points and eight assists in 24 minutes or less
57-33 – The Thunder’s rebounding edge on the night, led by Steven Adams’ career-high 13
The Final Word
“We have to play with a sense of urgency every night. Tonight was against a team that needed a win just like us. We came out and hit them first.” – guard Russell Westbrook