Recap: Oklahoma City Thunder wear down Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd half, win 101-85

Box Score | Brew Hoop

The Thunder returned back home in Loud City on Saturday to host a one-game home stint against the struggling Milwaukee Bucks. Kevin Durant struggled in the first half, but got it figured out and had another spectacular game with 33 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists, making it the 7th time this season that Durant has recorded a stat line of at least 30-10-5 (which is 7 more than you-know-who).

Serge Ibaka and Jeremy Lamb each had 17 points, coming up big for the Thunder's 101-85 victory.

The first quarter was the worst quarter of basketball I've ever watched. Ever. Do you not believe me?

I am watching an NBA game in which the score after the first quarter is 14-10.

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) January 12, 2014

I hate this game I'm watching.

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) January 12, 2014

So we've upgraded from "this is a soccer score" to "this is a baseball score" territory. #progress

— Thunder Obsessed (@ThunderObsessed) January 12, 2014

It was THAT bad. I'll basically sum up the majority of the first quarter for you.

Bucks Turnover.

Thunder miss fast break layup.

Bucks Turnover.

Thunder Turnover.

Bucks Turnover.

Thunder miss fast break layup.

It. Was. Pathetic. I never watched a more pathetic quarter of basketball in my life, and it was in the NBA!

As the game progressed, though, it got a lot better where guys like Thabo Sefolosha and Kevin Durant stopped the sloppiness and kept the Bucks in check, leading OKC to a victory.

The Thunder got the win due to the sloppiness and youngsters that the Bucks truly are. Despite being the team with fewer turnovers in the game, the Bucks had a total of sixteen which lead to a ratio that we as fans aren't proud of, 17 points. Another reason is the Bucks did not like boxing out the big men that the Thunder have. Even though the Thunder are one of the biggest teams in the NBA, they really showed heart going to the boards tonight having a total of 58 rebounds, including 21 on the offensive side. Ibaka led the way in this department, grabbing 17 of those by himself, including 6 on the offensive glass.

The Thunder finally got back to earning a double-digit win. Even though it was against the Bucks, and this win should build some confidence going forward. The team finally found some aggression, and it showed up on both ends of the court.

The one worrisome point is Reggie Jackson. He scored only 2 points on 1-8 shooting and did not even step on the court in the 4th quarter. For once, it was good that Derek Fisher held the PG duties, because Jackson's play has rapidly deteriorated over the past few weeks.

Fortunately, as long as guys like Jeremy Lamb and Nick Collison pick up the slack points wise, the Thunder will likely get back on track.

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Alex's Awards

Thunder Wonder: Serge Ibaka

Serge came up huge all over tonight, both on the offensive and the defensive ends. He finished with a great 17 points and 17 rebounds.

Thunder Down Under: Kevin Durant

No surprise here. KD really proved that he is amazing at getting to the line, shooting 15-17 to compliment his 33 points.

Thunder Blunder: Kendrick Perkins

4 turnovers, 3 fouls, 3 points. Enough said.

Thunder Plunderer: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Alphabet gave the Thunder a lot of trouble and got to the rim a lot of times. Antetokounmpo finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

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Next game: @ Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 7PM CST