The Thunder get less than 24 hours to figure out how to correct some of the many problems they encountered in losing to the Kings last night, as they face the Utah Jazz in this evening's late game. The Jazz, like the Kings, have some talent and ability and are better coached. OKC had better bite down on that mouth piece.

Post-Game Nuggets | NewsOK

Rohde writes:

I'm almost certain the answer to this question is "no," but here it goes: Has any team ever won an NBA title leading the league in turnovers? My guess is no, and the answer will remain no because the OKC Thunder will not win an NBA title committing this many turnovers.

OKC Bites It Against the Kings | Daily Thunder

James takes a more optimistic view of the game last night, noting that it was just one of many, and that it is possible to turn things around this season. Sometimes, the other team just plays better.

ARCO Thunder Rules the Night | Sactown Royalty

This great write-up from the Kings' side of the playing field should hopefully give us all a bit of perspective. Bill Parcels once famously said that the more desperate team usually wins. Last night, the Kings played in a state of greater desperation and won.

Perkins on Jim Rome Show | CBS Sports

Kendrick Perkins joined the Jim Rome Show to talk about the dunk and the tweet that won't die.

Chris Webber Returns Home | ABC News

Before Chris Webber was an NBA commentator, he was an All-Star power forward for the Sacramento Kings. In fact, as I think back on my first experiences watching C-Webb, I recall having a similar impression that I did when LeBron James came into the league. He, like LeBron, just looked like he was built to play basketball. Interestingly, as gifted as Webber was, we saw the same shortcomings then that we see today with LeBron. I don't want to critique Webber though; he is an eloquent and thoughtful guy and I really like his reflections in this article on playing in Sacramento.

Judging the West Reserves | Ball Don't Lie

Russell Westbrook's slow start notwithstanding, he's the second best player on the best team in the West. He belongs.

Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Nerd Handshake | SB Nation

I get the eyeglasses move, but what is Lin doing at the beginning? Turning book pages?

Celtics Win Tip, Call an Audible | CBS Sports

Add another entry into my "NBA players have a lot of time on their hands" diary. Solidarity with the Patriots? Tweaking Doc Rivers? Who knows, who cares. That's a great tip-off.

Craig Saiger...Oh Yes | SB Nation

The effervescent Craig Saiger may be paying tribute to the Legend of Zelda.

The Thunder are back in action tonight against the Sacramento Kings, after thankfully getting an off-night to recuperate. Hopefully the team spent their down-time mentally preparing for yet another back-to-back, but at the same time not look past tonight's game against the struggling Kings.

Thunder Rolling, Nobody Satisfied | NewsOK

"We understand that we're a good team and that we're getting better...But I don't go home and celebrate with my wife after every win." - Scott Brooks

Possibly related - Mrs. Brooks would like to go out to a reasonably priced dinner if the Thunder beat the Jazz next Tuesday.

Perkins Called Out LeBron...So What? | Daily Thunder

There is nothing more righteously dumb in the NBA than manufactured controversies.

Chris Paul - Killer at Heart | ESPN

Here is a great look at the place Chris Paul has in the game and how highly he is esteemed by his peers. Off the court he's everybody's big brother, but on the court he's as nasty as they come. I love both facets.

The MVP Race: The King and I | Wages of Wins

Wins produced is a funny thing. Yes, we know that LeBron James is #1. Do you know who #2 is? Tyson Chandler. You know who is ranked highest on OKC's team? It isn't Kevin Durant.

Ron Burgundy Announces Starting Lineups | CBS Sports

Ronny Brewer, hot dog eater.

In Appreciation of Tony Parker | SB Nation

It is good to see that OKC isn't the only team that Tony Parker is ripping up these days.

Bill Simmons' Larry Bird Interview | BS Report

Bill Simmons finally sat down with his sports idol, Larry Bird. It is well worth a listen.

Underappreciated Second Units | Behind the Basket

A year ago the Thunder 2nd unit would have made this list, but the loss of Eric Maynor set the team back a bit. However, I think they are really starting to come together now. The 2nd unit really shone in the last game, when the Thunder bench guys helped turn a six point deficit into a halftime lead.

Jeremy Lin Sleeps on His Brother's Couch | Ball Don't Lie

Lin-sanity, or whatever you want to call it, is sweeping the nation. I think one of the reasons why is that, unlike a sport like football, talent is not supposed to fall through the cracks in the NBA, so it is both amazing and refreshing when a player whom nobody thought was worth while a year ago is suddenly the toast of the biggest basketball city in the world.

LeBron James Spilled the Milk | SB Nation

To his credit, LeBron James kept it light. I can't wait to see his team play the Thunder.

Lakers Open to Looking at Gilbert Arenas | CBS Sports

Agent Zero needs to play on the same team as Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace.

The Thunder just knocked off two physically taxing games on back to back nights, and soon enough, they will have two more. They head to Sacramento on Thursday, and then to Utah on Friday. The Kings are struggling but tend to play well at home, and Utah is one of those teams that hasn't made many waves this season, but have put together a solid record in the West.

Post-Game Nuggets | NewsOK

Mayberry notes that when the team started off slowly, Russell Westbrook took the initiative to keep his team in the game. Yes, his 9 turnovers area painful total, but he was not afraid to step behind a screen and drill a 20 foot jumpshot to give the Thunder the lead late in the game.

Thunder Survive Against Warriors | Daily Thunder

OKC had 15 turnovers on the night, which is great-but-not-terrible either. If Westbrook had only reached his season average of four, they would have only had 10 in total, which is a major improvement.

The Problem With Replay | HoopSpeak

Getting it right comes with a price. The price will continue to grow the more replay is used.

Why is Serge Ibaka Regressing? | Shaky Ankles

Here is a good essay that takes a look at some of Serge Ibaka's struggles this season; is there simply not enough room for Ibaka to grow?

Northwest Division Living Large | NBA.com

The Thunder's division is at an impressive mark almost halfway through the season. Every team is currently over .500.

Rookie Rankings V | Grantland

Kyrie Irving still leads the back, but all of the top three rookies are playing well. Ricky Rubio actually has helped Minnesota have a winning record, which ought to trigger some sort of celebration.

Steve Nash: 38 | Basketbawful

There is nothing bawful about Steve Nash. He remains a tribute to the league and to people who follow through on their promises, regardless of outcome.

Stern: Seattle a Possibility | CBS Sports

David Stern says that Seattle is in play for a franchise relocation.

Paul Pierce Passes Bird on Scoring List | CBS Sports

A day after Kobe Bryant jumped Shaquille O'Neal for 5th place on the NBA's all time scoring list, Paul Pierce surpassed the legend Larry Bird on Boston's all-time list. We are living in some pretty incredible basketball times.

JaVale McGee, Doing the Most JaVale McGee Thing Ever | Ball Don't Lie

I think what charms me the most about JaVale McGee is that he doesn't come across as malicious or stupid, but rather just magnificently on an entire different plane of reality. He plays like Ron Artest/Metta World Peace speaks. I can't even resist just embedding the best animated gif of the season:

The Thunder are back in action tonight, travelling north to their division rivals' home in Portland. If you were able to watch some or all of last week's games, you might be nervous. Or you might be relieved. But probably nervous.

Is an 18-5 Record Hiding Flaws? | NewsOK

Well, yes. The Thunder have a number of fundamental issues in their make-up right now that need to be addressed, and right now I'd probably put perimeter defense at the top of the list. However, what also needs to be mentioned is that every team has flaws of their own, flaws that have caused all of them to have more losses than the Thunder. The team that ascends will be the team that eliminates the most flaws by May.

ThunderGround Radio: 2-2 Ain't Half-Bad | Daily Thunder

Check out the DT podcast where they address last week's up and down ride that left the team no better or worse than they began, but still causes a collective freak-out, because omg, the Thunder have now lost FIVE games.

Surviving the Rodeo Trip | SB Nation

Tony Parker reveals the secret of how the Spurs survive their extended road trips. Somebody might want to order a few boxes of Three Thieves for the Thunder's current excursion.

Let the 10-Day Contracts Begin | SB Nation

SBN's resident expert on D-league players gives us a primer on the players that are available in the event that a team suddenly needs some reinforcement. Possibly related - the Thunder lost Eric Maynor for the season and nobody knows how severe Thabo Sefolosha's injury is. Is there another Jeremy Lin out there worth looking at?

Picking the All-Star Reserves | Basketball Prospectus

here is a look at who should qualify for some of the reserve spots for this year's All-Star game. Interestingly, James Harden ranks a bit higher than Russell Westbrook.

Seattle In Talks to Get Another Team | Seattle Times

Documentation has been released that reveals that the city is actively looking to bring a franchise back to Seattle. The early word is that the Sacramento Kings could be the target.

Jazz vs Karl Malone | CBS Sports

Apparently there is a Kerfuffle between the Utah Jazz owner and Hall of Famer Karl Malone.

The Variable Season NBA Rankings | Wages of Wins

I'm not a fan of your final punchline, Arturo Galletti.

Jeremy Lin is NY's New Hit | SB Nation

Speaking of Lin, he had his best day as a pro the other night. The Knicks are starved for guard-play. Is it possible that the undrafted Lin could foot the bill?

Love Serves Up a Facial on Scola | CBS Sports

You know what has been missing from the NBA in the past eight or nine years? Personal feuds.

Tonight the Thunder welcome the Memphis Grizzlies into their home arena. The Thunder are still looking for consistency on both ends of the court, and Memphis will prove to be a challenge because they are very good at disrupting other teams' rhythms. The Grizz are coming off a huge win last night against the Hawks, and before that they took down OKC's division rival in overtime, defeating the Nuggets Tuesday night.

Perkins Doesn't Regret Being on Receiving End of Griffin Dunk | NewsOK

Kendrick Perkins was on the receiving end of what will be a year-end highlight. It's clear here that he has no problems putting himself in the position to do it again if that is what it takes for him to protect the rim.

Re-Thinking "Start Harden" | Daily Thunder

Young reconsiders the summer push to get James Harden in the line-up. We can't forget - James is still only a 3rd year 22 year old player (even though he looks like a 45 year old R&B singer). Scott Brooks knows better than anyone what it takes to get the most out of his young emerging star.

Judging the Western All-Star Votes | Ball Don't Lie

Dwyer is on board with every choice except maybe the power forward spot. He's probably right, but still you can't go wrong.

The Epic Handshake | SB Nation

Monta Ellis and Corey Magette give further credence to my notion that NBA players have a lot of free time on their hands. Even so, that's a pretty cool move.

Lou-For-1 | Sports Illustrated

Lou Williams, the 76ers guard, is becoming known for his ability to convert two-for-one opportunities at the ends of quarters. Interestingly, we see this move from the Thunder all the time, and I have to be honest, I can't think of a single moment when I've seen it work. Usually it just results in a rushed 3-pointer, a bad defensive sequence, and then a bad buzzer-beating attempt. It seems to me OKC would be better served to just run a normal play.

Charles Barkley Embarrassed by NBA Play | CBS Sports

Charles Barkley, critic to all things, is playing the contrarian here, says Golliver. I would agree with that. I also like his take on what Chuck's comment says about fans, who are coming out in droves to watch these games.

Pau Gasol - "Soft" Mocking Fueled by Jealousy | Ball Don't Lie

An alternate reason - calling Pau Gasol "soft" is a lot of fun to do.

The Power Forward Generation | CBS Sports

We seem to be in the age of the point guard, which is a truly blessed thing, but Moore writes here that we also have an abundance of talent at the power forward spot that is pretty remarkable.

Free Darko Checking Accounts | SB Nation

It sounds like a great idea for a banking promotion, right? Well, Darko Milicic might have other plans with grandma's $25 birthday check.

LeBron Considering Slam Dunk Contest Again | Ball Don't Lie

LeBron James needs to let this go. There is nothing good that could possibly come by him participating in this contest, which is so overproduced and practically predetermined at this point that even if he won, he'd still lose.

Blake Griffin: Person of Interest | Grantland

Since apparently this is the Blake Griffin week, Kang posts a great piece on where Blake is in terms of his development on the court and the dangers of the expectations that surround him.

The Thunder held on to seal a win in Dallas last night. Neither team was at full strength nor played offensive ball particularly well, so hopefully we can just say, "at least the Thunder won," and move on to Friday night's showdown against the resurgent Grizzlies.

Post-Game Nuggets | NewsOK

Mayberry again has high praise for Serge Ibaka, who anchored the Thunder defensive interior for most of the night.

Thunder Survives Cold Shooting to Beat Mavs | Daily Thunder

Last night's win wasn't a satisfying dish, but as I always say, a microwave cheeseburger is still better than going hungry.

Post Game Quotes: "Try Out for FIFA" | Mavs Moneyball

MMB's post-game analysis, featuring lots of lolz.

Harden: NBA's Best 2-Guard? | Wages of Wins

Here is a good statistical look at James Harden's production over his first three years. One thing the author does not mention but I think is worth noting is that Harden's effective shooting percentage is so high because he rarely takes bad shots.

Carlisle Kicks Ball Into Stands | CBS Sports

Rick Carlisle was a frustrated man last night, and he took out his aggression on the orange roundie. He should be getting a call from Stu Jackson sometime today.

Breaking Down Top Scorers by Quarter | Bleacher Report

Kevin Durant's point distribution is a little surprising, as he is often stronger in the first half of the game than the second, but Russell Westbrook is the opposite - he gets stronger as the game goes along.

Scoring Volatility: How Valuable is Consistency? | SB Nation

Look, standard deviations!

Durant Hates Griffin's Dunk | Ball Don't Lie

In the ridiculous Thunder controversy du jour, Durant is getting flack for 'disrespecting' Blake Griffin's dunk. I don't see why this is so hard to understand; if Durant praises the dunk, he diminishes his own teammate. That's like giving a stranger a high-five after he successfully cuts in front of your wife in the grocery checkout line.

Blake Griffin Gets the Taiwanese Treatment | CBS Sports

Like Young, I have no idea what to say.

Mark Cuban - Refs Stink Again | Ball Don't Lie

Cuban is probably right. With the retirement of a number of veteran refs before the beginning of this season, the league is caught in an impossible situation - not enough quality refs to judge a game that is rapidly becoming too fast to actually judge effectively.

The Thunder travel to Dallas tonight to visit with a Mavericks team that is renewed with spirit and vigor. Early on in the season they were struggling to find a new identity, given all the changes from last season. They have since begun to find their stride, and with a healthy Dirk Nowitzki, are looking to make up ground in the West.

Did Clippers Expose some Thunder Weak Spots? | NewsOK

The short answer - of course they did. You don't lose games without weaknesses being exposed. Winning just means the weaknesses didn't cost you as much as it cost the other team. I do know that the Thunder had better tighten up their perimeter defense though, because Jason Terry likes to let it fly.

3 on 3: Perk Questions | Daily Thunder

The trio examines the true value of Kendrick Perkins this season. Is he performing well? Underperforming? Getting dunked on too much?

Team By Team Assist Distribution | Hickory High

Levy is back with another entry into his statistical canon. This time out, he takes a graphical look at how team assists get distributed. Serge Ibaka, you need to be passing the ball a little bit more.

Beyond Blue Collar | The Classical

The 76ers are the young team in the East, perhaps the Thunder counterpart, who are demonstrating that teams can be rebuilt in the aftermath of a superstar's legacy.

Why Clutch is Dumb (Isn't Why You Think) | Hardwood Paroxysm

The latest entry into the ethereal definition of "clutch" is offered here.

Thinking, Fast and Slow | Basketball Prospectus

Using rational judgment and decision making in order to write about sports. Works for me.

Paul George Can Dunk Too | 8 Points, 9 Seconds

Even Pacers are getting into this dunkathon action.

Kyrie Irving is NOT Rookie of the Year | Wages of Wins

Ultimately, this race is going to come down to popularity between Ricky Rubio and Kyrie Irving, which the author admits. I just think it's great to have two more compelling point guards in the league.

As Bill the Butcher might say, the Thunder received a righteous beating last night at the hands of the new-look Clippers. As a fan of the Thunder, it smarts. As a fan of the NBA, it's pretty cool to watch Chris Paul healthy, engaged, and working his magic once again.

Post-Game Nuggets | NewsOK

Rohde writes that the Thunder stunk it up last night. Honestly, I would disagree with that notion. They were playing against a team that was performing at a much higher level than they were to be sure, but aside from the bad defensive 1st quarter and the Clippers flourish at the end of the 2nd, there was quite a bit that was all right with how the Thunder battled. It wasn't like the Wizards loss when OKC was just lazy on both ends of the court.

A Whole Lot Happened Last Night | Daily Thunder

Young notes that with James Harden in the lineup, the bench was not nearly as productive as it needed to be. Compounding the problem was that even in the starting role, James Harden's production fell way off too.

Westbrook's Fire Helps Fuel Thunder | Yahoo! Sports

Russell Westbrook is a passionate and hard-working man, and his play is a manifestation of both. He is getting a crash course in a school of life that took guys like Kobe Bryant years to figure out - it doesn't matter what they think of you.

Western Conference Playoff Chase: Every Game Matters | SB Nation

Ziller reminds us that there are a lot of dogs out on this hunt. A loss to the Clippers is one thing, but let's hope we don't see any more Wizards-like efforts.

The Exquisite Art of Rookie Hazing | GQ

Nick Collison offers another entry into his GQ blog, delving into what it really means to be a rookie. Big props for his reference to "Dazed and Confused."

Kendrick Perkins, Our Hero | Ball Don't Lie

Dwyer writes a great post about the other side of the Blake Griffin poster-dunk on Kendrick Perkins. In a league that is now more prone to flopping than challenging shots, Perkins stood tall and proud and took his medicine.

Are the Thunder Ready? | GQ

SB Nation's own Bomani Jones squares off with Bethlehem Shoals over whether the Thunder are ready to take the next big step.

Players React to Griffin Dunk | CBS Sports

Pay attention to Chuck Hayes.

On Windows Closing | Negative Dunkalectics

The Celtics championship window is just about closed, and it is a referendum on how brief the opportunities are to compete at the highest levels.

NBA Rookie Rankings IV | Grantland

Kyrie Irving is starting to come on strong, pulling ahead of Ricky Rubio. By the end of the season, I'd love to see Reggie Jackson on this list just once.