Justin Cooper

December 11, 2018

He didn’t lead his team in scoring, nor did he post the second highest scoring total on the night.  He wasn’t the third or even the fourth leading scorer for his team in the matchup.  It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Thunder completely dominate a quality opponent in a game where Russell Westbrook shoots 22% from the field on 0-5 shooting from three, scoring only 12 points and finishing fifth on his team in scoring, but Oklahoma City accomplished this feat Monday night, defeating the Utah Jazz 122-113, improving to 17-8 and momentarily capturing the top spot in the Western Conference.

Despite Westbrook’s poor shooting night, the Thunder, as a team, were arguably more efficient than in any other contest this season, shooting 50.6% from the floor and 38.1% from downtown on a conservative 21 attempts.  Paul George was the picture of efficiency Monday, scoring 31 on just 10 attempts and knocking down 5-6 from beyond the arc.  Oklahoma City started the game as they have most contests this season, pushing the ball into the paint and attacking the rim, scoring six quick unanswered points and setting the tone for the evening, a night in which the Thunder never trailed.  After a poor outing Friday versus the Bulls, the Thunder showed renewed effort on the defensive end of the floor, forcing 12 Jazz turnovers and limiting Utah to 39.5% shooting from the field and just 26.7% from three on 15 attempts, lifting the team to an 11 point, 57-46 advantage at the half. 

Oklahoma City has been spectacular in the third quarter so far this season, averaging 29.8 points and tied with Milwaukee, New Orleans, and Golden State for first in the category.  Monday was no exception, as the Thunder exploded for 42 points in the third frame, largely burying any hope the Jazz had of escaping Chesapeake Energy Arena unscathed.  Paul George was spectacular in the third, knocking down four of his five threes in the quarter while also adding five points from the free throw line on 5-6 shooting.  Steven Adams provided a shot in the arm as well for the home team, chipping in 11 points of his own on four of five shooting and three of four from the line.  The Thunder finished the third with a commanding 99-75 lead.  

Paul George would sit for the remainder of the game, having surgically dismantled the Jazz through three quarters; and, with the exception of Russell Westbrook, the remaining Thunder starters would be done for the night as well.  The Jazz bench made a valiant effort in the fourth, scoring 38 points behind a combined 19 point effort from Dante Exum and Ekpe Udoh, but in the end, the hill was too steep to climb and the Thunder dumped the Jazz 122-113 in a match that was not nearly as close as the final score may indicate.   

This grudge match between largely the same Jazz team that easily ousted the Thunder from the first round of the 2018 playoffs less than a year ago was a statement game for this retooled Thunder team.  In this first of four matchups with the Jazz, Oklahoma City debuted a far more balanced attack than what Utah took advantage of last season.  Dennis Schroder, who has been a godsend for the team, giving the Thunder a starting caliber point guard who can create his own offense and prevent the Thunder from falling off a cliff when Westbrook takes a breather, had a great scoring night with 23 on 53% shooting.  Nerlens Noel, contributing 8 points in Monday’s dual, has similarly given the Thunder a lift off the bench as a legitimate, rebounding and rim protecting 5 when Adams leaves the game, a luxury this team did not have last season.  Additionally, second round pick Hamidou Diallo has been a sparkplug off the bench in his limited minutes, coming through with 9 points in just under ten and a half minutes of play against the Jazz Monday.    

Perhaps one of the more understated points of growth this season has been the defensive development of Terrance Ferguson.  While Adams deserves his due credit for his defensive performance down low against Rudy Gobert and other premier centers in the league, Terrance Ferguson is becoming a real nuisance to opponents running the pick and roll, fighting to get under every screen and allowing Adams to hang back and rim protect.  In nearly every Ferguson guarded pick and roll the Jazz attempted Monday night, the youngster avoided separation from Donovan Mitchell by getting under nearly every screen Gobert set, virtually eliminating the Mitchell/Gobert pick and roll that gave the Thunder fits in the playoffs last season.  For Billy Donovan, Terrance Ferguson has developed into a viable lock down wing that can be deployed to defend even premier ball handlers without sacrificing the defensive identity that has made this Thunder team dangerous.

When Russell Westbrook is on fire, few around the league will deny that the Thunder are a tough team to beat.  The triple-double machine has captivated audiences, widely, as a one man tour de force for two straight seasons.  On Monday night, Oklahoma City showed the league that their fate is no longer solely tied to Westbrook’s stat line.  When the Thunder are firing on all cylinders, they look like a team poised to win deep into the playoffs.  On a night when their MVP struggled to generate offense in the playoff rematch with the Jazz Monday, Paul George and co. definitively proved that point.

The Thunder face the New Orleans Pelicans on the road Wednesday.  Game tips off at 7:00 and will be broadcast on ESPN, Fox Sports Oklahoma, and Fox Sports New Orleans.