The late show, part 2: Thunder can't hold off Golden State
Published: 1/24/2013 8:47 AM
Last Modified: 1/24/2013 9:03 AM
Russell Westbrook couldn't find the right touch against the Warriors Thursday night, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Quickly: Despite 33 points, nine assists and five rebounds from Kevin Durant the Thunder couldn’t hold onto an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City still remains on top of the NBA standings at 33-10.
Quotable: "We could have been much better defensively," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "They made a lot of plays inside the paint but they got a lot of points off of our turnovers, too. We didn't make enough plays down the stretch and they did. They deserved to win this game.”
Highlights: Stephen Curry was spectacular for Golden State, finishing with 31 points and seven assists. He was able to get free all night, finding plenty of open shots beyond the three-point line. David Lee chipped in 22 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Warriors outrebound the Thunder 40-39.
A night after a spectacular performance against the Los Angeles Clippers, Russell Westbrook struggled against the Warriors, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. Westbrook couldn't find his rhythm shooting the ball, finishing 3 of 16 from the floor, including 0 of 5 from beyond the arc.
Fun facts: Oklahoma City is 6-3 on the second night of back-to-back games this season. … The Thunder are 2-2 on their season-long six-game trip.
Perkins smash: Kendrick Perkins scored 12 points on Thursday night, that’s double digits last time I checked. Perkins has scored 10 points or more only three other times this season. Perkins scored 10 points in a 105-94 win against Cleveland on Nov. 9; 12 points against Utah on Nov. 30 during a 106-94 home win; and 10 points against New Orleans on Dec. 1 in a 100-79 road win. The Thunder are 3-1 when Perkins scores 10 points or more.
Selection day: The reserves for the 2013 All-Star game in Houston should be released today. I would expect Westbrook to be on that list and possibly Ibaka, but the Western Conference has some other quality options for players in the front court.
Up next: 9 p.m. Friday, at Sacramento. TV/RADIO: FSOK-27/KYAL fm97.1
Written by
Matt Clayton
Staff Writer
