PHOENIX – Out of the 82 games in the NBA regular season, at least one of them is bound to be a bit strange – lacking rhythm, defying a narrative and expectations. On Monday the Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 122-106, but certainly had to settle itself through some uneven spots throughout the night in order to take control down the stretch.
Head Coach Billy Donovan’s club got off to an excellent start, holding Phoenix to just 19 first quarter points and playing with the type of focused energy that often helps set a tone. Unfortunately things changed early in the second quarter, as the Suns were able to rattle off scores on 15 straight possessions by getting into the paint and finishing at the rim. Foul trouble was an issue all night, as the teams combined for 59 fouls and 69 free throw attempts.
“In that second quarter we gave up 38 points, fouled way too much and we allowed them to get the ball to the paint and to the rim,” Donovan explained. “We were just trading baskets back and forth.”
Despite the lack of rhythm and stop-and-start flow to the game, the Thunder was able to right the ship with a huge burst to end the third quarter and begin the fourth, emerging with an 11-point lead with 8:48 to go. The Suns weren’t done yet, however, and the Thunder came up empty for three minutes, resulting in its lead being cut to 99-96 with 5:42 to go. Russell Westbrook helped the response effort with two free throws, then after Durant chipped in two at the foul line he hit Dion Waiters in the corner for a three that put the Thunder up 106-97.
“Kevin was unselfish. A big play for our team was when he threw the ball across the floor to Dion and he got the three,” Donovan said. “I think we executed a lot better in the last six minutes of the fourth quarter and Kevin obviously was a catalyst to that.”
Phoenix scored five straight right away after a timeout, putting the Thunder on its heels again. Waiters made a massive hustle play, chasing down a loose ball in transition defense to knock it off a Suns player and help the Thunder regain possession Westbrook drained a mid-range jumper on the ensuing trip, then Serge Ibaka swatted a layup attempt while isolated on point guard Archie Goodwin leading to two Westbrook free throws. After a Suns bucket Westbrook flipped a dribble hand off to Durant for a deep three, making it 113-104 with 3:05 to go. From there the defense clamped down and the Thunder was able to safely close out the win.
“We were able to force some turnovers and got to the line, and that kind of separated us,” Westbrook explained.
“I thought as the third quarter went on, our defense got better,” Donovan opined. “This is something we’re continuing to address and trying to focus on. There are moments we’re really good and moments where we’re inconstant. We have to get to a more consistent level for 48 minutes.”
The three-point line was a huge factor in this game, as the Thunder knocked down 15-of-33 attempts while limiting the Suns to just 1-for-11 shooting from behind the arc. It wasn’t just that the Thunder was more accurate and held Phoenix to a low percentage. The sheer volume of attempts was a sign in itself that the Thunder was executing on that part of the game plan at a high level. Durant and Westbrook drew extra attention from defenders and selflessly kicked out to open teammates for catch-and-shoot jumpers.
“I was trying to get into the paint and penetrate and kick out to guys and those guys made some shots,” Westbrook said.
Watch Highlights:
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Sustaining Momentum Through the Quarter Break
With less than three minutes to go in the third quarter, the Thunder was on its heels and staring down its largest deficit of the night at 81-75. Durant had struggled to get going, with just 11 points to his name. All it takes is one for the Thunder sharpshooter, however, and that’s exactly what he got – a three-pointer off a pass from Cameron Payne that dropped through with 2:17 to go in the quarter.
“Sometimes it only takes one shot for me, sometimes it doesn’t even take a shot,” Durant described. “I’m just always in a mode where I feel confident in every shot I put up.”
Durant proceeded to score seven more points before the quarter ended, and his teammates Dion Waiters and Kyle Singler chipped in two points apiece as the Thunder closed out the quarter on a 14-4 run. Despite the quarter break, Donovan’s club was able to stay locked in and maintained the run to start the fourth quarter, scoring on a Singler-to-Payne corner three on the very first possession, a Durant and-one layup and two Waiters free throws.
In the meantime, the Thunder’s defense was solid, led by Durant’s toughness and length. The Suns shot just 1-for-7 during the stretched and turned it over once, which helped the Thunder get out into transition. Including that crucial three-pointer in the third quarter, Durant finished the game by knocking down his final six shots, scoring 21 points over the final 14:17 of play.
“I got it going and my confidence is always sky high,” Durant said. “When you make threes, I think that gets you going a little bit more.”- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
By the Numbers
5 – Thunder players who scored in double figures on the night, including a 29-point, 8-rebound, 8-assist effort by Russell Westbrook
15-1 – The Thunder’s edge in made three-pointers on the night, where it took 33 attempts and limited Phoenix to just 11
32 – Points for Kevin Durant, on 11-for-21 shooting (5-for-8 from the three-point line)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Last Word
“We have to play better, get ready for Thursday and come out with a defensive mindset.” – point guard Russell Westbrook