TULSA – For about 39 minutes, the Thunder faithful in Oklahoma’s second largest city were treated to a back-and-forth slugfest. In a span of five minutes in the fourth quarter, however, the Thunder burst into hyper-drive and didn’t look back, securing a 100-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Coming out of a timeout down 82-79 with just over eight minutes remaining, Thunder guard Dion Waiters pump faked at the top of the key, drawing a defender in the air and banked in a jumper, adding a free throw to tie the game.
The Thunder got a stop and then veteran forward Nick Collison tipped out an offensive rebound to save the possession, which resulted in Waiters hitting Collison on the move who found center Enes Kanter for a dunk. Another defensive stop led to a Mavericks foul in transition and two free throws for Kanter. Donovan’s squad got two more stops, then Mitch McGary drove out of a pick-and-pop and hit forward Kyle Singler for a corner three, inciting the loyal crowd into a roar.
After two more stops, McGary sprinted down court to receive an outlet pass for a dunk, forcing Dallas to call another timeout and extending the Thunder’s run to 12-0. The burst was a classic Thunder run, predicated on defensive stops that led to scores in transition or the secondary fast break, with Dallas’ defense on its heels.
"I think those bursts also started with when we got stops," Head Coach Billy Donovan said. "I think the biggest thing to look at, especially in the second half, was I thought the team collectively played really good defense."
"We picked it up in the second half and made them shoot some tough shots," point guard Russell Westbrook echoed. "When we started making shots we pulled away."
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Thunder Displays its Depth
While the starters battled through some shots rimming out, the Thunder bench helped pack an extra punch to keep the Thunder competitive throughout the night. With a total of 65 points from nine different players, the Thunder’s reserves showed their ability to produce, and also defend, regardless of which personnel groupings they were aligned with.
"That is what teams are for and that is what teams do," Westbrook said. "If the first unit starts off a little sluggish and not the way we want to start off, that is when we have a lot of great guys that will come off the bench and do a great job of lifting us up. They did that tonight.”
Enes Kanter was particularly effective for the second group, registering a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double in 20 minutes. His physicality to be a bull around the rim allowed him to snare five offensive rebounds, then he used his touch to go 7-for-11 from the field.
“He really doesn’t have to have the ball to score," forward Kevin Durant said of Kanter. "We don’t have to run plays for him. He offensive rebounds and catches really well and finishes...He is a force down there."
The reserve ballhandlers also had a say in the outcome of this one, as Dion Waiters scored 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting and Cameron Payne knocked down both of his three-pointers en route to eight points while D.J. Augustin racked up eight assists.
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By the Numbers
11-for-21 – The Thunder’s shooting numbers from behind the three-point line on the night, compared to 4-for-22 for the Mavericks
19 – Points for Russell Westbrook, a team-high, in addition to three rebounds, two assists and two steals
54-38 – The Thunder’s rebounding advantage on the night, including a plus-10 differential in the fourth quarter
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The Last Word
“It is always great coming to the BOK Center. There is amazing energy. The fans show so much love out here. The crowd was great. It was great playing here.” - forward Kevin Durant
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