Oklahoma City Thunder entered the second half of the Game 5 against the Utah Jazz 15 points behind, and it looked like their playoff hope will be crushed before the eyes of their own fans. OKC Thunder trailed 1-3 in the series and was facing elimination. Then, the third quarter started, and Jazz drained 10 more quick points, getting the lead up to 25 points.

Thunder coach Billy Donovan called for a time-out with less than nine minutes left in the third quarter, but it looked like there isn’t much he could do. Still, there was one man who could.

Russell Westbrook decided to take over the game (as he often does), and finally show why he is one of the best basketball players in the world. He drilled back-to-back three-pointers and then started to wreak havoc with layups, and mid-range shots. Paul George followed his example and by the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game was tied. Just like that.

OKC Thunder gained momentum while Jazz crumbled under pressure, unable to close out the game they thought it has been already won. The Thunder ended up with a hard-fought 107-99 win, managing to avoid early elimination. It is important to notice that Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors had foul troubles the entire second half, which played an important part in OKC Thunder’s comeback.

Russell Westbrook ended the game with 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. He also ended up playing the entire second half, without taking his usual rest.

“It was one of those nights where obviously our bench, our crowd, everyone here in Oklahoma was behind us,” – said Westbrook after the game. “We needed every bit of it tonight and our guys stepped up.“

Paul George embraced his “Playoff P” persona and delivered 34 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He also spent the entire second half in the game.

“We never quit,” – said George. “I can’t pinpoint one thing we did wrong. I think we never got down on ourselves. Regardless of the lead they built and the shots they were making, we felt we could surge back, and we did.“

Game 6 of the series is scheduled for Friday night in Salt Lake City.

The post OKC Thunder Erases 25-Points Deficit against Jazz to win Game 5 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

We are halfway through the 2017-18 NBA season (few games removed) and there is a sense that we are about to watch the same story for the second year in a row. Despite experiencing one of the most exciting NBA offseasons ever, we have the Golden State Warriors as even bigger favorites than a year ago. However, some people believe the Oklahoma City Thunder is maybe the only team that could give the Warriors trouble in the Western Conference. That’s due to their big move: once again they got themselves a Big 3 with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. But, were the OK3 put together too fast?

The Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the most inconsistent teams in the league when it comes to the quality of the game they are showing. In some moments they are looking like they are invincible, and in others, like they don’t belong in the NBA at all. After an ugly star in which they were 4-7 and lost to teams like Sacramento Kings, the Thunder picked up the pace and won three straight before going into a slump again. Now they find themselves on the 5th spot in the Western Conference and with four games behind the Timberwolves. Not the place Thunder wants to be, but there is a bit promise. Is that promise enough, and can the Thunder challenge the Warriors and go for the title? Yes, but too many things have to align in order for this to happen.

First, Russell Westbrook has to know when to stop shooting. That was a major issue with Westbrook’s game this season. When the shot isn’t falling, he forces it and wastes a lot of good possessions in an attempt to score a bucket. Persistence is one of the things that makes Westbrook one of the best basketball players but also can be his biggest nemesis. He tends to hog the ball too long and it’s like he sometimes forgets that he has two All-Star caliber players alongside him. You can put Westbrook alone with a group of G-League guys and he will get you a win or two in the playoffs, but the Thunder fans are expecting much more.

Paul George has been a crucial player for Thunder on the defense and one of the reasons why the team is ranked 3rd in Team Defensive Efficiency in NBA. But, like all the OK3 members, he often struggles with an offense like he doesn’t know when it’s the right time to take over. Whether it’s too much respect for Westbrook and Anthony, or something completely else, George has to know when to be a man and prove why he is one of the best two-way players in the game.

Melo can drop 50 on a night without breaking a sweat. But, Thunder doesn’t need him to do that. Carmelo Anthony needs to do what he has been doing in the last month. Pick his shots, cut down on the iso ball and trust his teammates that they will give him the ball at the best moment possible.

Watching the rest of the Thunder players, you can get a feeling that their performance tends to mimic one of their stars. When Westbrook, PG13, and Melo are having fun, the rest of the team follow. When they are having a bad night, the rest of the team becomes even worse. If they don’t start picking up the slack when the things are going north for OK3, they’ll never be able to elevate Thunder as a title contender. The best hope for the Thunder fans is that everything bad so far was just a side-effect of getting together.

The OK3 was put together too fast and was given too much of a task to complete on such a short notice. The Thunder players were repeating through the season that they are figuring things out, and they may do so, but it will be too late when the Warriors get in their way. The only hope for Thunder to get a title is to have George and Melo stay another season and they make a run next year. This year they can only give the Warriors a good run for their money.

The post Opinion: Can Oklahoma City Thunder challenge the Warriors? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Things are not looking great for the Oklahoma City Thunder early on. After a win against the defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors, Thunder has lost to Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks and most lately have been blown out by the Orlando Magic. It is important to note that the Magic entered the game against the OKC with nine straight losses. Something like this shouldn’t suppose to happen to a team that has Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony.

On Thursday Anthony decided to speak out and said that the OKC’s players are not frustrated with the losses; they are just angry.

“Nobody is moping around, nobody is frustrated. I think guys are angry. I think guys are pissed,” – said Anthony. “That just comes from your competitive nature, wanting to win games — understanding what we have over here, the talent level that we have over here and not being able to put it together right now. So that’s where the anger comes in at.“

Anthony added that he has been on the teams that were frustrated because of the losses, but that he doesn’t feel like that’s the case with the Thunder.

The team’s biggest star and reigning NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook decided to take the blame for team’s bad performances.

“It just started with a sense of urgency, man,” – said Westbrook. “And that starts with me. It’s my responsibility to make sure we’re ready to play, we’re ready to play on both sides of the ball. To get us out of this funk, we’ve gotta lock-in. I take ownership of everything that’s going on because I’ve been here and those standards that we set here in Oklahoma City, I have to set them and set examples. It starts with me and we’re gonna turn this thing around.“

The Thunder hasn’t been awful, but they have been far from good so far. The team that has three All-Stars currently has an 8-12 record and ranks 22nd in the offense. On the positive note, they are still the 3rd best defensive team in the league.

Thunder players are hopeful that they can turn this around, but not everyone shares their confidence.

The post Oklahoma City Thunder Players are Angry after Losing Again According to Carmelo Anthony appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Cleveland Cavaliers had one and now the Oklahoma City Thunder also decided to try and end their losing streak by holding a team meeting. Although the Thunder with a new Big 3 in reigning MVP Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony supposed to be one of the best teams in NBA, their performance so far doesn’t show it. After losing to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, the team has a 4-7 record now, being defeated in all of their three away games. That’s why the team decided to talk it over.

“It was just good to get everything out on the table,” – said Paul George about the meeting. “Especially where we’re at right now, it’s no good if we’re bottling it up. Because then we could carry it over to the next game and the next game. Just leave everything out in the open.“

This wasn’t the start of the season that Oklahoma City Thunder fans have been hoping for. Certainly, it isn’t the start the Thunder players expected.

“I don’t think it’s frustration among ourselves,” – commented backup PG Raymond Felton. “It’s just frustration about losing. We got a lot of guys who hate to lose, a lot of guys who are big competitors. That’s a good spirit to have. I’ll take that all day. If we’re not frustrated, then that’s a big problem.“

The Thunder will have a chance to redeem themselves when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. The Clippers will come to Oklahoma without some important players like Patrick Beverley, Danilo Gallinari, and Milos Teodosic, who are all out with injuries.

“That’s the beauty of this league and having so many games.” – said Carmelo Anthony. “I know we complain about back-to-backs but sometimes the back-to-backs are in our favor as players because you get to put that game behind you.”

The post Oklahoma City Thunder Held a Team Meeting after 4th Straight Loss appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Oklahoma City Thunder entered the second half of the Game 5 against the Utah Jazz 15 points behind, and it looked like their playoff hope will be crushed before the eyes of their own fans. OKC Thunder trailed 1-3 in the series and was facing elimination. Then, the third quarter started, and Jazz drained 10 more quick points, getting the lead up to 25 points.

Thunder coach Billy Donovan called for a time-out with less than nine minutes left in the third quarter, but it looked like there isn’t much he could do. Still, there was one man who could.

Russell Westbrook decided to take over the game (as he often does), and finally show why he is one of the best basketball players in the world. He drilled back-to-back three-pointers and then started to wreak havoc with layups, and mid-range shots. Paul George followed his example and by the beginning of the fourth quarter, the game was tied. Just like that.

OKC Thunder gained momentum while Jazz crumbled under pressure, unable to close out the game they thought it has been already won. The Thunder ended up with a hard-fought 107-99 win, managing to avoid early elimination. It is important to notice that Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors had foul troubles the entire second half, which played an important part in OKC Thunder’s comeback.

Russell Westbrook ended the game with 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. He also ended up playing the entire second half, without taking his usual rest.

“It was one of those nights where obviously our bench, our crowd, everyone here in Oklahoma was behind us,” – said Westbrook after the game. “We needed every bit of it tonight and our guys stepped up.“

Paul George embraced his “Playoff P” persona and delivered 34 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. He also spent the entire second half in the game.

“We never quit,” – said George. “I can’t pinpoint one thing we did wrong. I think we never got down on ourselves. Regardless of the lead they built and the shots they were making, we felt we could surge back, and we did.“

Game 6 of the series is scheduled for Friday night in Salt Lake City.

The post OKC Thunder Erases 25-Points Deficit against Jazz to win Game 5 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

We are halfway through the 2017-18 NBA season (few games removed) and there is a sense that we are about to watch the same story for the second year in a row. Despite experiencing one of the most exciting NBA offseasons ever, we have the Golden State Warriors as even bigger favorites than a year ago. However, some people believe the Oklahoma City Thunder is maybe the only team that could give the Warriors trouble in the Western Conference. That’s due to their big move: once again they got themselves a Big 3 with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. But, were the OK3 put together too fast?

The Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the most inconsistent teams in the league when it comes to the quality of the game they are showing. In some moments they are looking like they are invincible, and in others, like they don’t belong in the NBA at all. After an ugly star in which they were 4-7 and lost to teams like Sacramento Kings, the Thunder picked up the pace and won three straight before going into a slump again. Now they find themselves on the 5th spot in the Western Conference and with four games behind the Timberwolves. Not the place Thunder wants to be, but there is a bit promise. Is that promise enough, and can the Thunder challenge the Warriors and go for the title? Yes, but too many things have to align in order for this to happen.

First, Russell Westbrook has to know when to stop shooting. That was a major issue with Westbrook’s game this season. When the shot isn’t falling, he forces it and wastes a lot of good possessions in an attempt to score a bucket. Persistence is one of the things that makes Westbrook one of the best basketball players but also can be his biggest nemesis. He tends to hog the ball too long and it’s like he sometimes forgets that he has two All-Star caliber players alongside him. You can put Westbrook alone with a group of G-League guys and he will get you a win or two in the playoffs, but the Thunder fans are expecting much more.

Paul George has been a crucial player for Thunder on the defense and one of the reasons why the team is ranked 3rd in Team Defensive Efficiency in NBA. But, like all the OK3 members, he often struggles with an offense like he doesn’t know when it’s the right time to take over. Whether it’s too much respect for Westbrook and Anthony, or something completely else, George has to know when to be a man and prove why he is one of the best two-way players in the game.

Melo can drop 50 on a night without breaking a sweat. But, Thunder doesn’t need him to do that. Carmelo Anthony needs to do what he has been doing in the last month. Pick his shots, cut down on the iso ball and trust his teammates that they will give him the ball at the best moment possible.

Watching the rest of the Thunder players, you can get a feeling that their performance tends to mimic one of their stars. When Westbrook, PG13, and Melo are having fun, the rest of the team follow. When they are having a bad night, the rest of the team becomes even worse. If they don’t start picking up the slack when the things are going north for OK3, they’ll never be able to elevate Thunder as a title contender. The best hope for the Thunder fans is that everything bad so far was just a side-effect of getting together.

The OK3 was put together too fast and was given too much of a task to complete on such a short notice. The Thunder players were repeating through the season that they are figuring things out, and they may do so, but it will be too late when the Warriors get in their way. The only hope for Thunder to get a title is to have George and Melo stay another season and they make a run next year. This year they can only give the Warriors a good run for their money.

The post Opinion: Can Oklahoma City Thunder challenge the Warriors? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Things are not looking great for the Oklahoma City Thunder early on. After a win against the defending NBA champions Golden State Warriors, Thunder has lost to Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks and most lately have been blown out by the Orlando Magic. It is important to note that the Magic entered the game against the OKC with nine straight losses. Something like this shouldn’t suppose to happen to a team that has Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony.

On Thursday Anthony decided to speak out and said that the OKC’s players are not frustrated with the losses; they are just angry.

“Nobody is moping around, nobody is frustrated. I think guys are angry. I think guys are pissed,” – said Anthony. “That just comes from your competitive nature, wanting to win games — understanding what we have over here, the talent level that we have over here and not being able to put it together right now. So that’s where the anger comes in at.“

Anthony added that he has been on the teams that were frustrated because of the losses, but that he doesn’t feel like that’s the case with the Thunder.

The team’s biggest star and reigning NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook decided to take the blame for team’s bad performances.

“It just started with a sense of urgency, man,” – said Westbrook. “And that starts with me. It’s my responsibility to make sure we’re ready to play, we’re ready to play on both sides of the ball. To get us out of this funk, we’ve gotta lock-in. I take ownership of everything that’s going on because I’ve been here and those standards that we set here in Oklahoma City, I have to set them and set examples. It starts with me and we’re gonna turn this thing around.“

The Thunder hasn’t been awful, but they have been far from good so far. The team that has three All-Stars currently has an 8-12 record and ranks 22nd in the offense. On the positive note, they are still the 3rd best defensive team in the league.

Thunder players are hopeful that they can turn this around, but not everyone shares their confidence.

The post Oklahoma City Thunder Players are Angry after Losing Again According to Carmelo Anthony appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Cleveland Cavaliers had one and now the Oklahoma City Thunder also decided to try and end their losing streak by holding a team meeting. Although the Thunder with a new Big 3 in reigning MVP Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony supposed to be one of the best teams in NBA, their performance so far doesn’t show it. After losing to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, the team has a 4-7 record now, being defeated in all of their three away games. That’s why the team decided to talk it over.

“It was just good to get everything out on the table,” – said Paul George about the meeting. “Especially where we’re at right now, it’s no good if we’re bottling it up. Because then we could carry it over to the next game and the next game. Just leave everything out in the open.“

This wasn’t the start of the season that Oklahoma City Thunder fans have been hoping for. Certainly, it isn’t the start the Thunder players expected.

“I don’t think it’s frustration among ourselves,” – commented backup PG Raymond Felton. “It’s just frustration about losing. We got a lot of guys who hate to lose, a lot of guys who are big competitors. That’s a good spirit to have. I’ll take that all day. If we’re not frustrated, then that’s a big problem.“

The Thunder will have a chance to redeem themselves when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. The Clippers will come to Oklahoma without some important players like Patrick Beverley, Danilo Gallinari, and Milos Teodosic, who are all out with injuries.

“That’s the beauty of this league and having so many games.” – said Carmelo Anthony. “I know we complain about back-to-backs but sometimes the back-to-backs are in our favor as players because you get to put that game behind you.”

The post Oklahoma City Thunder Held a Team Meeting after 4th Straight Loss appeared first on SportzBonanza.