18,203 people were on their feet, anxiously awaiting the Thunder’s first basket of the 2015-16 season. In a blur, the ball was tipped, Andre Roberson timed it right and snuck in for a layup, commencing what will hopefully be a season full of moments that continue to take Oklahomans’ breath away.
Throughout Wednesday night’s season opening 112-106 thrilling victory against the San Antonio Spurs, there were plenty of spectacular plays combined with good, solid fundamental basketball, particularly on the offensive end. The Thunder shot 48.8 percent from the field on the night, including 7-for-19 from the 3-point line, nearly mimicking their shooting numbers from the preseason.
“I was really pleased with the way our guys kept their composure, kept battling and kept fighting,” Head Coach Billy Donovan said.
The game’s momentum and lead ping-ponged back and forth for the first three quarters, with each team wrestling away control from the other during certain stretches of supreme execution. In the fourth quarter, the Thunder’s defense clamped down and its energy on offense won the day, as it held San Antonio to just 9-for-23 shooting while also snagging six offensive rebounds that led to eight points.
“Our guys’ discipline was really good down the stretch,” Donovan said. “We stayed down, we didn’t get back-cut too much. We defended well, were able to get some stops and push it in transition.”
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The Closing Minutes
This was a quintessential Thunder-Spurs battle, so of course the final outcome wasn’t decided until late. San Antonio’s point guard, Tony Parker, hit a running layup out of a timeout, making it 103-101 Spurs with 2:34 to go. As a response, Dion Waiters matched up against Parker, who was playing with five fouls, and hit a midrange jumper to tie the game.
“I give [Waiters] a lot of credit that he kept his focus,” Donovan said. “He played very well down the stretch on both ends – offensively and defensively.”
“It felt great to go out here, get a chance to do what I do and my teammates trusted me. We went to the mismatches,” Waiters explained. “I was patient, came down and just got a bucket.”
.@BudLight Photo of the Game. Dion Waiters pic.twitter.com/3Vazex4iZa— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 29, 2015
.@BudLight Photo of the Game. Dion Waiters pic.twitter.com/3Vazex4iZa
On the next defensive trip, Serge Ibaka forced LaMarcus Aldridge to miss a tough jumper, then Waiters posted up Parker on the right block and drained another jump shot, thanks to the orchestration of Russell Westbrook. Over the years, Westbrook has learned more and more about absorbing the flow of the game and exploiting matchups late, with this being his latest deed.
“A lot of point guards like to guard our two’s, size-wise,” Westbrook explained. “My job is to find the mismatch. Dion did a good job of knocking down big shots.”
Kevin Durant locked up Kawhi Leonard on the ensuing defensive stand, and after a timeout, Ibaka snagged an offensive rebound off an air ball, then kicked it to Russell Westbrook who hit a roof-raising 3-pointer in the left corner as the shot clock expired, making it 108-103 with just 54.2 seconds remaining.
Leonard responded with a 3-point play and Westbrook’s jumper missed, meaning the Spurs got the ball with 21.4 seconds left. Out of the timeout, Roberson and Steven Adams helped to force Danny Green into an impossible shot, and Durant sealed the hard-earned victory with two free throws, capping off a 22-point performance.
One stop later, and the Thunder was home free, and those 18,203 went back to their houses happy.
“We stuck with it, we got more physical in the second half and settled down,” Durant said. “Our bigs did a great job of changing the tone of the game for us.”
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Offensive Engines – Russell Westbrook and Enes Kanter
Russell Westbrook was a force of nature as always on the court, both in the way he attacked the rim and set the table for teammates to score, racking up 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting to go with 10 assists.
“He played extremely well tonight, led us, was aggressive all night and got us open looks,” Durant said of his point guard.
On the inside, it was Enes Kanter’s incredibly efficient production that stood out, as his effort and energy produced 15-points on 7-for-11 shooting and 16 rebounds, including six on the offensive end.
“The most important thing is to just stay focused and locked in to what coach is telling me to do,” Kanter explained. “When I’m out there I’m just trying to do my best and help my teammates.”
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By the Numbers
7 – Number of players with at least eight points for the Thunder on the night, thanks to 48.8 percent shooting and 21 assists
21-for-22 – Free throw shooting numbers for the Thunder on the night
45-36 – Rebounding edge for the Thunder on the night, thanks to 11 offensive boards and a +7 margin in the fourth quarter
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The Last Word
“What an electric environment and a special place to be a part of tonight. It was great.” – Head Coach Billy Donovan
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