The stage was set for a night like this. A young Thunder team still learning itself and incorporating new players, in its home opener. An angry Phoenix Suns team coming off a loss in their home opener. And a point guard in Russell Westbrook who refuses to ever let up, for even a second.
In an absolute stunner of a home opener, the Thunder fell behind by as many as 18 points to the feisty suns in the first quarter but battled back to force overtime and win, 113-110.
“I give our guys a lot of credit,” Head Coach Billy Donovan said. “They really battled, fought and competed all the way through.”
Although the slow start derailed Donovan’s club early, the Thunder rallied to tie the game at 59 in the third quarter. The Suns used a 12-0 burst to regain the lead, but the Thunder again clawed back in the fourth quarter and forced overtime, aided by a clutch three-pointer by Andre Roberson.
In the extra frame the Thunder turned the ball over on its first three possessions, but Steven Adams used every ounce of his strength to fend off Tyson Chandler for a monstrous three-point play to take a 109-108 lead with 1:11 to go. Eric Bledsoe responded with a fast break layup off a Westbrook miss, setting the Thunder up with one more shot at a basket.
Westbrook caught the ball back behind half court with 13.5 seconds to go in overtime and his team down one, and as if the nine other players were put on pause for a half second, Westbrook burst past his man at about the three-point line, glided into the paint and spun in a scooping righty layup. Thunder guard Andre Roberson made a game-saving block at the rim on the ensuing possession.
“That’s what he does. Defensively he’s always in the right spot,” Westbrook said of Roberson. “He’s able to make plays and make guys shoot tough shots. We talked about it throughout the game and he did a good job of getting a stop on demand.”
When the ball fell to Westbrook he was fouled and stepped to the free throw line, he had a chance to eclipse 50 points while also registering a triple-double. Swish. Swish.
“You have to want to win. It’s very simple. When you want to win you don’t think about being tired,” Westbrook said, despite logging 45 minutes. “Being tired is a mind thing. You have to compete at a high level and leave it one the floor.”
“This dude right here wants to win more than anybody in the world,” Oladipo said, gesturing to Westbrook, standing at the locker next to him. “He’ll do anything to do that.”
Westbrook finished with a ridiculous 51 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, a stat line the NBA hasn’t seen since 1975 when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar managed a 50-point triple-double. Not much for historical reflection, Westbrook had tunnel vision after the game when asked if he had reflected on his accomplishment.
“Not much. I’m hungry, I can tell you that much,” Westbrook chirped while stifling a smile. “I just got in the cold tub and got my mind and body right to figure out how we can get better.”
Early on the Thunder got swept up by Phoenix’s quickness, and attempted to use its bigger lineups to punish the Suns inside. As the game wore on, Donovan opted for smaller lineups, and closed the game with Kyle Singler and Roberson playing the small forward and power forward positions alongside Westbrook, Adams and Victor Oladipo. Despite going small, the Thunder managed to outrebound the Suns by 11 in the fourth quarter and overtime combined.
“We have one of the best rebounding teams in the league,” Westbrook said. “We’re able to use our size and athleticism to get rebounds and push the break.”
It wasn’t a pretty victory by any means, but the Thunder (2-0) will take it, especially for the first game at Chesapeake Energy Arena this season. There are learning opportunities in every game, and certainly areas to grow on both offense and defense but the Thunder is encouraged by its will to win, and the ability to close out games with big-time stops and scores in each of the first two games this year.
“All of (these games) are learning points,” Adams said. “It’s good for our whole team to understand what it’s going to take, they type of play we have to have and the type of discipline and focus that you have to have to secure a win.”
By the Numbers
25-16- The Thunder’s edge in fast break points on the night
57-44 – The Thunder’s rebounding advantage on the night, allowing just seven offensive rebounds in 53 minutes of action
1975 – The last time a player finished with 50 points in a triple-double (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Russell Westbrook finished with 51 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists
The Last Word
“It’s important to stay positive and confident. That’s the most important thing, to find ways to stay confident, enjoy the game and have fun.” – point guard Russell Westbrook
