Views from OKC: Thunder look to push win streak to four
Nov 7, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) shoots the ball over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Andre Roberson (21) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Welcome to Views from OKC, Thunderous Intentions’ daily roundup of the best OKC Thunder news across the web.New to Views from OKC? Glad to have you here, and I hope you’ll make this a daily destination. Well, let’s get started!
Thunder go for the Heat season sweep tonight
“When these teams last met, Oklahoma City palpably disrupted Miami’s offensive flow, limiting the Heat to just 36% FGM and 23% 3PM. Amid a night of magnified struggles, Miami’s starters managed a scant 14 connects on 50 field-goal attempts.”
The first time these two teams met, it was pure domination. I’m expecting the same result tonight. Oklahoma City is coming in red-hot, winning the last three games despite playing without their second-best player. They are finally playing off of each others strengths; we knew it would take time but the chemistry is finally coming into fruition.
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We’ll know just how good they are soon enough
“The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the beginning stages of a grueling stretch, 14 of their next 18 on the road starting with today’s game at the Miami Heat. It’s part of a larger 16 out of 21 away from home. And though the team has started out well, winning at the New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics before defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves at home Sunday, that doesn’t mean the rest of this stretch is easy basketball.”
Related Story: Oladipo’s injury has oddly helped the Thunder
The Thunder have been blessed with an easier schedule to start the season. Yeah they’ve played some stiff competition, but 18 of their 31 games have been at home. OKC is only 7-6 on the road, and they will be forced to play the likes of Utah, Golden State, Cleveland, San Antonio and Houston. If they come out of this stretch still in the top six in the West Thunder fans should be ecstatic.
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Yesterday’s practice…recapped
“In the Thunder’s Christmas night victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Donovan’s club allowed the world to see the second unit’s newfound offensive identity: a solar system of shooting and cutting guards surrounding the star that is Enes Kanter on the low block. With his combination of physicality, quickness, touch and patience, Kanter operated as a distributor and scorer in the post, dominating his man one-on-one with equal precision as he picked apart double teams.”
Every time Billy Donovan speaks, I listen. Donovan is easily one of the brightest basketball minds on this planet; he does a great job of detailing the trials and tribulations of daily life in the NBA. Today’s talk centered around the aforementioned away stretch and what everybody needs to focus on while on the road. It’s too bad Billy wasn’t here a few years ago.
