After dropping a game in Memphis against Grizzlies on 10/16/15, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked to get back on track on their home floor. The Thunder took on the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, October 18.
With the 2015-16 NBA Season quickly approaching, OKC Head Coach Billy Donovan is perfecting his lineup and rotation with every game. Last night was no exception. Out of the 19 players on the Thunder’s preseason roster, 14 players earned playing time.
“It felt good to kind of know the rotation. I’m sure [Donovan] is going to tinker with it a little bit more. It’s good to play more than just two quarters,” said F Kevin Durant when asked about his team’s lineup.
Throughout the first (Thunder- 33, Nuggets- 24) and second (Thunder- 59, Nuggets- 53) quarters of the game, Denver stuck around. But after halftime, the Thunder used its depth and out-of-this-world talent to take the game (Third quarter- Thunder-84, Nuggets-75). At the final buzzer, the Thunder put forth enough effort to win the game 111- 98, improving their preseason record to 4-1 and 3-0 at home.
While the Thunder have some areas to work on, such as giving up 29 free throw attempts to the Nuggets and turning the ball over 17 times, overall, there has been incredible improvement in the preseason. Players are shinning and doing what they need to do in order to help the team win.
OKC is developing a nice pattern for this upcoming season. For example, G Russell Westbrook dished out 12 of the Thunder’s 25 assists. While five different Thunder
players reached double-digits in scoring.
This rhythm is not just being developed on the offensive end of the floor, but also on defense. The Thunder have always been known as a strong rebounding team and the look to continue the tradition this season. They were able to out rebound Denver 49-34.
“We did a good job of moving the basketball and the defense picked up in the second half. It was a step in the right direction.” -F Kevin Durant
The Thunder look to continue this hot trend on their last preseason game in Salt Lake City, Utah as they take on the 2-2 Utah Jazz on Tuesday, October 22. This game will round out the preseason. Go Thunder!
All Thunder, All THE TIME! 