The Oklahoma City Thunder and head coach Scott Brooks are continuing to find ways to beat NBA teams. Kevin Durant, despite being a forward, hit a key 3-pointer with a minute left to help his team defeat the Memphis Grizzlies by a score of 101-94 on Feb. 3. It was Durant's only three-point make of the game in six attempts.
Durant finished with 36 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. Russell Westbrook added 21 points and seven assists. James Harden, first off the bench in his usual position, had 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting. Ten of those points were in the fourth quarter.
Role players on the team such as Serge Ibaka and Daequan Cook did their defensive duties with three blocked shots each. Both men also had seven rebounds apiece.
The game was won at the free throw line. The Thunder were 26-for-33 while Memphis was just 16-for-20. The Thunder had better shooting percentages.
One concern involves the minutes Durant and Westbrook are playing. Durant had nearly 44 minutes of playing time for OKC, just 36 seconds below his season high of 44:31. Westbrook has had two games with over 40 minutes of playing time, both of which happened in the past four games. He had 42:25 in playing time on the floor against the Grizzlies.
If no one can stop either player on the floor during a given game, the brutal NBA season may doom them when it comes to playoff time. The superstars need to stay healthy and rested in order for the Thunder to keep playing at their peak in May. Durant and Westbrook are two of the best young stars of the NBA, but Brooks needs to be careful not to wear them out. Other players aside from Harden need to step up offensively.
Fans continue to love their Thunder. The attendance was 18,203. Every home game has been sold out this season.
OKC now has a 3 ½ game lead on the Denver Nuggets in the Northwest Division . They are the best team in the NBA at 18-4, a record that will be tested in the coming week. Next up is a key stretch of road games for Oklahoma City, starting in Texas against the San Antonio Spurs Feb. 4. Two days later, they play the Portland Trailblazers as part of a five-game road trip over seven days. Three of those teams have winning records.
William Browning is a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder ever since the team relocated from Seattle. As the closest NBA team to Branson, Mo., the Thunder serve as the regional team for southwest Missouri.
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