Before I start, I'd just like to say that I didn't get to watch this game live, so everything here is from what I heard on the radio or read on the internet. I know, it sucks.
Regardless, this game was one of redemption for Jeff Green, whom many thought was slowly fading into obscurity last year as Durant and Westbrook took more and more of the scoring responsibility. He had 25 Points and 4 Rebounds on 9-14 shooting, and, according to DaddyDai, he had 8 Points and 2 Rebounds in the first quarter with perfect shooting, showing that this was no garbage time performance. Obviously, we haven't seen enough of Jeff Green to make a judgement about how he's going to do this year, but so far, things are looking good.
Durant scored 12 Points in 17 Minutes, which is about in line with how good he is. Russell Westbrook had a terrible game, having only 6 Assists and committing 6 Turnovers. Serge Ibaka had a sub-par game, getting a double-double but only shooting 5-13. It looks like Scott Brooks is looking to get him to shoot jump shots a bit more often. And James Harden had a solid game, with 16 Points, 4 Assists, and 5 Steals.
Below: How Aldrich and Elijah Milsap Did, Ibaka in the Clutch.
And then, there was the bench. Eric Maynor scored 10 Points, but had 3 Turnovers and only one assist. D.J. White went 2-5 for 4 Points. Cole Aldrich filled up every area of the stat sheet besides a three point attempt, getting 3 Points on 1-5 shooting (and 1-4 Free Throws), 7 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Turnover, 2 Steals, 1 Block, and 3 Fouls. He's clearly got some refining in his game to do in order to bring it to an NBA level, but the hustle is promising, especially from a big man.
Royal Ivey was useless on offense but got 4 steals, BJ Mullens got 4 and 4, and Elijah Milsap went a terrible 0-6 from the field, but grabbed 7 Rebounds. Q McCall told me that Milsap (younger brother of Paul Milsap) looked like the one making the push for a roster spot, but if his lines continue to be this bad, his prospects don't look good. Lastly, Morris Peterson played 6 minutes, missed a three, and got an assist. Man, what a mouthful.
According to the ESPN Play-by-Play, the Thunder played the Bobcats close most of the game, but pulled away by getting fouled and dumping it down low to Ibaka. Great play from our reserves in the clutch.
And that's about it. This recap is a bit statistical and contrived, but when you can't see the game, what can you say?
Next Game: At/Versus the Miami Heat (in the Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri), Friday, October 8th, 7:30 PM Central Daylight Time.
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