RealGM

Russell Westbrook / Thabo Sefolosha / Kevin Durant / Jeff Green / Nenad Krstic

VS.




Deron Williams / Ronnie Brewer / C.J. Miles / Carlos Boozer / Mehmet Okur

Matchup

Both teams look a bit different now than they did when we trounced them in Utah. Utah has all their players in relatively good health; Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur had missed some games. Williams in particular did not play very well against us in the last meeting. Kevin Ollie and Etan Thomas were key components of our bench at the time, now we've got Eric Maynor and Serge Ibaka playing minutes. Nick Collison missed the last game against Utah.

We definitely have to come out of the gates stronger against Utah than we did against Washington, New Jersey, and Charlotte. Utah's a veteran team that plays defense, they won't be so easy to subvert if we give them a head start.

Millsap and Boozer killed us in the last game, and we were hitting almost every shot we tool in the second half. I want to see a good game out of Russell Westbrook, and a solid outing by our bench. That should be enough to take it.

Some Numbers

It could be argued that OKC is the best overall FT shooting team in the league. We shoot the highest team percentage, and get to the line the fourth most (in terms of FTA/FGA; adjusting for pace). Don't discount the importance of this..

A Question

Five in a row??

I think we lose this one. no evidence just a hunch...

James Harden is maddening. Three more idiotic drives into the whole Utah team, two turnovers and a stupid missed shot. This guy has to change the way he's playing, it's a waste of possessions. Can't stand how he's playing.

Hoped you enjoy the late Christmas gift from the officials. That last call was XD.

Well give the refs an assist on this game, that was a crazy way to end it. Nick Collison made some incredible plays at the end and really saved it.

Our FT shooting was uncharacteristically bad. If we make our FT's like we usually do this isn't even a contest. I though the half court defense was excellent most of the game, the transition defense was bad as usual. Some hiccups on the defensive glass.

Ibaka, Collison, and Maynor all great off the bench keeping this a ball game when our starters got rest, Thabo played super defense most of the game again. Kevin Durant kind of forced things at the end but that's the design of the offense, and it's wrong.

I'll take it though. Five in a row!

JazzFan4Life18 wrote:Hoped you enjoy the late Christmas gift from the officials. That last call was XD.

Totally.. just let them play. Nick probably would have collected the ball and got a shot up but no telling if he would have made it, but I'm guessing he would have been fouled anyway.

I don't think you make that call on Ronnie Price's shot either, though. I hate it when games are ended like this.

Kevin Durant has been pretty putrid at the end of games this year with the exception of 1.

dream_catcher_9 wrote:Kevin Durant has been pretty putrid at the end of games this year with the exception of 1.

I don't think it's his fault. They are putting him into a situation he shouldn't be in. He's not the type to be isolated on small, quick players at the end of games. He's being hedged way out, and it's hard to create offense from that position when the other team knows exactly what's going on.

I don't know why they don't just run the normal game plan. Run KD off back screens, on a curl, he almost always gets a nice look on those types of possessions. Why isolate? It's not KD's game at all unless he's matched up on a player his size.

agreed, that or have Westbrook drive to the hoop and make something happen, either a pull up jumper, layup/floater, or a kick out on the perimeter. If Brooks isn't confident with Westbrook let Maynor do it.

What a game. Really happy you guys took the 8th spot. The only thing missing from this team is a go-to big man. Congrats on the win!

Yeah Russ is capable.. but even if it's not him, just run the screens and get KD a shot. If you can't have Russ drive and kick. Do SOMETHING. Isolating KD behind the 3pt line is not a high percentage play against any but the worst defensive teams.

Wow, OKC is the 8th seed if the playoffs started today. It's crazy how things change huh?

Would someone please lock Jeff Green in a broom closet somewhere? The guy has been mediocre for most of the season, and pretty dang awful for the last few weeks.
Lucky to pull that one out last night. Stat of the game for me, we get killed on the offensive glass again, and Utah takes 15 more shots than we do. Can't keep doing that guys... it's going to get you one of these days... and hopefully not in the first round of the playoffs.