Date: Oct. 28, 2019Tip-Off Time: 7 p.m. CTTelevision: Fox Sports OklahomaRadio: 98.1 FM WWLS the Sports Animal and the Thunder Radio Network
Thunder Status After laboring to hit triple digits in the scoring column in its first two games, the Thunder erupted for 95 points through the first 32 minutes of play against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, ultimately hanging 120 on the defending Western Conference champions. The Thunder shot 55.7 percent, making 15-of-32 (46.9 percent) of its three-pointers while getting five guys into double figures in a runaway win.
Against a physical, aggressive Houston Rockets team however, the Thunder will need to maintain its willingness to attack early in the shot clock, stay consistent with its ball movement and trust the game plan offensively throughout the entire 48 minutes.
“I feel like we made some strides from Utah to Washington from Washington to Golden State. Can we keep moving in a positive direction in the areas that we need to get better at?” Thunder Head Coach Billy Donovan asked rhetorically.
Opponent Breakdown Houston is 1-1 with a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and a win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the early going, and even with former longtime Thunder guard Russell Westbrook in the lineup they are playing a similar style. The Rockets are attempting 46.5 three-pointers per game, near the top of the league, per usual. However, they’ve shot just 31.2 percent on those attempts and 41.3 percent overall from the floor so far. Last season, the Thunder held the Rockets to 10 fewer points per game than its average, as well as 2.5 percentage points lower on field goals and 3.6 percent lower on three-pointers.
Regardless, with talented players like James Harden, Eric Gordon, Clint Capela and PJ Tucker, the Rockets pose a serious threat each time they touch the floor.
“It will be a great challenge, they’re a really, really good team,” Donovan said. “We’re going on the road, it’ll be our second road game against a really good team and we have a lot to get prepared for in a short period of time.”
Matchup Focus All eyes will be on Westbrook, who will play his first game ever against the Thunder after 11 amazing seasons in Oklahoma City. To the surprise of zero loyal Thunder fans, Westbrook is picking up right where he left off the past three seasons in OKC – he’s averaging a triple-double of 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists so far this year. While there will be plenty of smiles and hugs as former teammates and staffers reunite with Westbrook, once the ball gets tipped the Thunder will be ready to give the tenacious guard exactly what he’s going to dish out – intensity and competitiveness.
“It’s going to be fun. For everybody it going to be exciting to compete against him,” said Thunder guard Dennis Schröder. “He’s ready to go off. We’ve got to stop him.”
Stat to Watch The Thunder out-scored the Warriors 18-3 in transition on Sunday, breathing life into the offense and putting Golden State on its heels from the very start. Against a high-octane Rockets club with two of the league’s very best players on the fast break in Westbrook and Harden, Donovan’s club will need to be quick getting out on defensive rebounds and even quicker getting back and setting up its five-man shell defense.
Thunder Trend Throughout the preseason and in the opening two games of the regular season, the Thunder has tested out a brand new defensive coverage called a “drop”. That’s where the center – Steven Adams, Nerlens Noel or Mike Muscala – plays back in the middle of the lane when defending pick and rolls, protecting the rim.
On Sunday, the Thunder utilized its previous strategy from last season, being “up” in coverage, meaning that the centers were aggressively guarding up at the level of the screen to try and deter three-point shots from Stephen Curry. Both scenarios have proven fruitful for the Thunder, who have held their opposition to just 96.3 points per game on 39.1 perent shooting including 22.4 percent from behind the arc.
Look for the Thunder to operate both alignments against Houston, who have a knockdown off the dribble shooter in Harden and an aggressive downhill driver in Westbrook.
“We have to be a team that has to play multiple pick-and-roll coverages,” Donovan explained. “You’re going against different personnel, different guys have strengths that you got to try to neutralize to be effective defensively, and Steven is pretty versatile defensively. He’s smart, he’s bright, he can play back, he can play up.”