Of the ten men on the court, the Thunder had more talent, but the takeaway from the team’s home win on Wednesday night was that it didn’t play to anything other than its own standard.
In a 108-87 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Chesapeake Energy Arena, the fully-loaded Thunder took care of business against an opponent that rested all five of its starters after having played an overtime game on Tuesday night. Over the course of a season, Head Coach Billy Donovan has been mostly concerned about the habits his team is building and how every man is playing the game and approaching his role.
The Thunder used a 15-2 run that begin just three minutes into the game, spearheaded by five straight Russell Westbrook assists, three of which led directly to Andre Roberson layups. That burst, fueled by three steals, broke open the Thunder’s lead to 19-9, and after a quick 7-2 burst mid-way through the second quarter, the Thunder’s edge would never dip below 13.
That’s when the game turned, frankly, bizarre. A little pushing and shoving with 5:16 remaining in the half resulted in five total technical fouls and an ejection for Dallas’ Charlie Villanueva. Kevin Durant rallied his troops, however, and scored eight straight points of his own on back-to-back transition three-pointers
In the third quarter, Russell Westbrook got tangled up with J.J. Barea for the second time and it resulted in the Thunder point guard’s second technical, and an ejection despite finishing with eight assists and seven rebounds in 15 minutes. Despite the absence of one of its leaders and a zone defense by the Mavericks, the Thunder didn’t stray from its principles, even when Dallas made a run.
Despite the Thunder pushing its lead out to as many as 29, the Mavericks managed to cut the Thunder lead to 14 with nine minutes to go. In response, Kyle Singler grabbed a tough defensive then drove middle after the ball swung to him for a short jumper. After Enes Kanter swatted away a lob attempt, Singler again found himself open at the top of the key, this time hitting a three-pointer that touched every piece of the rim to push the Thunder’s lead back out to 19.
Out of a Dallas timeout the Thunder got a stop that eventually led to an Anthony Morrow three-pointer, and that was all she wrote. Kevin Durant finished with 29 points, ten rebounds and four assists on the evening, while the bench collaborated for 44 total points, led by Dion Waiters’ 18 points and five assists and Cameron Payne’s 10 points, three assists and three steals.
The biggest statistical advantage the Thunder enjoyed throughout the game was on the glass, where it out-rebounded Dallas 54 -41 in a concerted effort to address a recent concern over allowing too many second chances to the opposition.
By the Numbers
11 – Rebounds for Serge Ibaka, including five on the offensive end, in addition to 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting
15 – Three-pointers made for the Thunder on the night, tying a season-high, as it made 46.9 percent from behind the arc
20-6 – The Thunder’s advantage in fast break points on the night, as it forced 16 turnovers that led to 28 points
