In the buildup to the 2018-19 season, there was a lot of talk in the Thunder camp about being unpredictable. That applied tonight in the starting lineup, in the flow of transition offense and in the swarming nature of the defense.
The signature sequence in the Thunder’s 117-110 victory came in the third quarter, when on back-to-back possessions Russell Westbrook turned two of his squad’s defensive stops into fast break layups. That sounds pretty usual, right?
Well instead of Westbrook attacking 94 feet, slaloming like a Porsche through defenders, the Thunder point guard’s buckets came off passes from Dennis Schröder and Paul George in the flow of a transition attack. Playing off the ball, Westbrook (23 points on 8-of-13 shooting, 9 rebounds, 7 assists), was able to catch while on the move without a set defender in front of him and then attack. That Westbrook off-ball Thunder curveball was a focal point for Head Coach Billy Donovan heading into the season. Fans saw it on display on Sunday.
“It helps us out and makes our offensive great and dynamic. We’re able to get out and get easy buckets,” Westbrook explained.
“It’s tough to guard when you got me, Russ and PG out there,” said Schröder. “We just gotta get used to it more and I think it’s going to be a dangerous weapon.”
Despite starting the year the wrong way in the standings, the Thunder (1-4), had given great effort and were trying to play the right way each time it hit the floor. Tonight, all of that got rewarded. Westbrook’s downhill attacks resulted in baskets for himself and his teammates, and 59 percent of the Thunder’s attempts in the paint went in. Overall, the Thunder shot 50.6 percent for the game, finally reversing a trend of sub-40 percent shooting from the field.
One of the reasons there were such high efficiency marks on the box score after the game was because of center Nerlens Noel’s 9-for-14 shooting from point blank range. Despite only learning he’d be the starter 10 minutes before tipoff due to a late scratch for Steven Adams due to calf tightness, Noel was completely prepared.
“It’s just being a professional, ready for whatever is thrown at me in this position,” said Noel who finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists and a block. “It’s being able to be ready no matter what.”
“Both our bigs, they’re doing a great job of getting out of the screen after setting the screen, getting out early and putting pressure on the rim,” added Schröder, who made 3 of his 7 assists to Noel. “We gotta reward them a little bit.”
The long, elastic center was up in the air and back down then in passing lanes then finishing over the rim for the entirety of his 26 minutes. Whether it was a slick crossover dribble for an and-one dunk, finishing tip-ins, catching lobs or flushing home a powerful two-hand dunk from a contorting, twisting Westbrook, Noel was electric.
“(Westbrook) just attacked and drew everybody in,” Noel beamed. “I definitely wasn’t 100 percent sure it was coming back to me. That just speaks to the special player he is and how selfless he is to win the game.”
Noel’s influence wasn’t confined to the offensive end. In fact, in combination with Jerami Grant who made his second straight start, the Thunder’s interior defense was downright suffocating through most of three quarters. In the first half alone Donovan’s group set Thunder records by racking up 12 steals, leading to 17 forced Phoenix turnovers. From there, the high-energy, speedy Thunder backcourt was able to get out into the open court and turn on the jets.
“The identity of wanting to play faster definitely starts on the defensive end,” Noel said, referencing the Thunder’s 25 fast break points on the night.
“Just talking, communication, I think we did the right job in terms of being helpside,” said forward Patrick Patterson. “Realizing that if teammates were going to get beat off the dribble, off the drive or off cuts, we’re just making sure our help defense was in the right location.”
The game was in the Thunder’s control from fairly early on, after a 13-2 run late in the first quarter broke it open. Paul George (game-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting) and Patrick Patterson (17 points off the bench) were instrumental in that initial burst, as a full team Thunder effort coalesced into a 20-point advantage midway through the second.
As the game approached halftime and dipped into the third quarter, however, the Suns continued to stick around, going 26-of-27 from the free throw line and ultimately outrebounding the Thunder while racking up 15 second chance points.
It wasn’t until the end of the third quarter that it felt like the Thunder would run away with this one. George snared a loose rebound with five seconds left, worked his way to gain some space and hoisted up a double-clutch three-pointer from halfcourt as the third quarter clock expired. As the ball splashed through the net, George stood motionless at the Thunder logo, soaking in the explosion from the Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd and the adoration of his teammates.
The Thunder’s lead swelled to has many as 26 in the fourth quarter, and eventually the starters gave way to the second unit who passed the baton to the reserves. With all that flux, Donovan’s club didn’t keep its foot on the gas, and a 24-point advantage with 4:48 to go evaporated into just a 7-point margin by game’s end. As a result, the Thunder’s first victory of the season had a secondary purpose – stoking the embers to ensure the team keeps sharpening its tools.
“We’re going to keep building off that win and we’re going to keep getting better,” said Schröder.