Even ahead by three possessions, there was game pressure on the Thunder. For seemingly the entirety of the final 18 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks, Head Coach Billy Donovan’s club was staving off runs. At long last, the Thunder’s relentlessness to protect its lead proved to be too much for Atlanta, resulting in a 107-94 victory for the home team at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The Thunder got behind by four early, but after an 11-0 it never relinquished the lead again. A 14-5 burst in the second quarter broke the game open, highlighted by an acrobatic bucket in transition by Kevin Durant where he caught it facing the wrong direction and still managed to flip it in.
The Hawks are a high-level team, however, so it was no surprise that they closed the Thunder edge to 70-69 on back-to-back Korver three-pointers, then threes by Teague and Horford to cap a 17-8 run. Serge Ibaka, who had a stellar night, hit a mid-range jumper to quell the run, forcing Atlanta to call a timeout. After getting a stop, Durant drove and finished at the rim through traffic, then drew a foul going to the cup for two free throws.
The Hawks made another run to pull within 76-75 but Russell Westbrook drew a foul in transition and knocked down two free throws, then Dion Waiters got his own miss back in transition and scored from under the rim. After trading stops, Westbrook hit Anthony Morrow on the break for a three that brought the crowd to life.
After a defensive rebound, Durant sprinted down floor and pulled up for three to push the Thunder’s lead back up to 10. After three Hawks free throws, Durant hit a double-clutch floater in the lane. Seemingly every time Atlanta would make a push, the Thunder seemed to have an answer.
Jeff Teague hit a transition runner to cut the Thunder lead to 97-90, but after a timeout Ibaka managed to rim-in a corner jumper off a broken play and then Westbrook found a cutting Durant along the baseline for a dunk to keep Atlanta at arms-length. The nail in the coffin came on a crisply executed Durant to Westbrook three-pointer, with a strong backscreen from Ibaka to free the point guard up.
The pass was Durant’s tenth assist on the night, capping a 25-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist evening for the dynamic power forward. The shot gave Westbrook 23 points on the night to go with six rebounds and ten assists, while Ibaka aided the cause with 23 points and 10 rebounds of his own.
It was the third time this season three Thunder players have scored at least 20 points. All three have been wins. Tonight also marked the first time in the Thunder era where Durant and Westbrook each registered at least 20 points and 10 assists apiece.
Thunder Frontcourt Goes to Work
The Thunder’s two top scorers – Durant and Westbrook – couldn’t shake free early on. No matter, they decided instead of tugging on the rope, to just release the pressure. What that amounted to was a ton of open shots early for the Thunder’s frontcourt players – Ibaka and Steven Adams.
In fact, Adams scored the Thunder’s first six points, all rolling to the rim thanks to assists from the Thunder’s perennial All-Stars. After the Hawks shaded down into the lane to take away Adams’ rolls, it was time for Ibaka to get going and the Thunder big man hit three straight jumpers, all assisted by Durant, to spark a 13-0 run that ended with a Durant fadeaway and then a Westbrook-to-Ibaka three-pointer.
Ibaka scored 11 points in the first quarter, 17 in the first half. Adams finished with seven rebounds and 11 points after that first quarter flurry of six to start the game. Seven assists by Durant and Westbrook on the Thunder’s first eight made shots was an incredible tone to be set, and its one that lasted throughout the night.
By the Numbers
9-for-17 – Three-point shooting numbers for the Thunder on the night, including 3-for-7 mark from Anthony Morrow and Dion Waiters combined
18-7 – The Thunder’s edge in fast break points on the night, thanks to 18 points scored off of 10 Atlanta turnovers
52-34 – The Thunder’s rebounding advantage on the night, as the Thunder led in second chance points 14-6
