Sometimes in an NBA game, especially one at Chesapeake Energy Arena, a little spark does the trick.
On Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Thunder got two such spurts, one in the first quarter and another in the fourth to change the rhythm and pace of the game. Ultimately, the Thunder finished off those runs by keeping Minnesota at bay throughout the night, winning 113-99.
"We came out and played a good all-around game," Head Coach Scott Brooks said. "On both ends of the floor we were solid. Passing the ball, we had 28 assists. That's a good number for us to continue to build on."
The game started as an offensive shootout, with the teams sprinting to 18 points apiece with 5:51 left in the first quarter. After that, however, the Thunder burst out to an 8-0 run that spanned three minutes behind a Russell Westbrook jumper, a Mitch McGary layup, a Kyle Singler layup and two Andre Roberson free throws.
The Timberwolves would scratch back, however, in the second quarter to take two separate one-point leads, but after halftime, the Thunder never trailed. In the fourth quarter with the Thunder up just 89-82, one more push was in order to put the game away. Thanks to Westbrook, the Thunder got that goal accomplished quickly with 9-1 burst that put it ahead 98-83 with 6:11 to go.
The run started with a Westbrook to Steven Adams three-point play, then Adams returned the favor to hit Westbrook in transition for a wing three-pointer. After one Minnesota turnover, Westbrook kicked to D.J. Augustin, who promptly knocked down another shot from behind the arc. The Timberwolves never got closer than 11 the rest of the way.
"It's about closing games out in the last five or six minutes when we have a lead, up eight or so," Westbrook said. "We have to do a good job of closing the game out."
The catalysts throughout the night for the Thunder were Westbrook and Enes Kanter, whose one-two punch created 52 combined points.
Westbrook finished with his eighth triple-double of the season with 29 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds while playing with his trademark aggression, intensity and passion throughout the night. Those eight triple-doubles are the most in one season since Jason Kidd in the 2007-08 season, when he had 13.
"He's just displaying his all-around game and is doing it at a consistent level," Brooks said. "It seems like every night he's right at those (triple-double) numbers. That's the sign of a special player. He does it every night."
"I'm just sitting back and letting the game come to me," Westbrook explained.
Kanter was equally impressive, registering 23 points, his most since joining the Thunder, to go with 15 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end. The Thunder scored 19 second chance points and 54 points in the paint, largely because of Kanter’s tenacity on the glass. Once again, the Thunder big man’s footwork and touch around the rim was impressive, helping him shoot 10-for-19, including 5-for-8 in the second half.
"Enes did a great job of scoring down low at the block," Brooks said. "His offensive rebounds were huge tonight... That's a bonus for us."
"I just try to do what coach Brooks tells me to do," Kanter explained. "The only thing I want to do is give confidence to my teammates... It's not just me, all our bigs are trying to fight for the rebounds."
Stats of the Night
8 – Triple-doubles this season for Russell Westbrook, thanks to a 29-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound effort
15 – Rebounds for Enes Kanter, including nine on the offensive end, to go with 23 points, the most since he’s joined the Thunder
54-38 – Points in the paint advantage for the Thunder, where it held Minnesota to just 35 shot attempts
The Final Word
"We did a good job of denying some passes and making them use their second and third options." - guard Russell Westbrook