Nets vs. Thunder, Final Score: Oklahoma City Drops One To Slumping Brooklyn, 94-92

Box Score | Net's Daily Recap

The Oklahoma City Thunder seemingly played cat-and-mouse all night with the slumping Brooklyn Nets, but in the end it was the Nets that pulled out the 94-92 victory.

What is your initial reaction to tonight's result?

First Quarter

The last two times these teams go together it was Reggie Jackson's first game of the season and you might remember that as the now infamous "Freeze Out" game.  Same thing did not happen this time around.  He had two assists and was a perfect 4-4 from the floor.

The Thunder were a red hot 12-18 from the field in the quarter and shockingly did not shoot a single three pointer in the quarter.

	FG	3FG	FT	REB		AST	TO	PTS
Brooklyn	10-19	0-2	1-1	6	4		3	21
OKC	12-18	0-0	3-4	6	8		2	27
	66.7%	0%	75%

Second Quarter

The hot shooting for the Thunder continues in the quarter, Anthony Morrow hit two big three-pointers to push the lead up to almost 10 points early in the 2^nd after the Nets had come back to tie the game.

Fun note:  It took 10:15 of game time for Steven Adams to pick up his first foul of the game.  I think that might be a record for the season.

Thunder looking really good right now.

	FG	3FG	FT	REB		AST	TO	PTS
Brooklyn	9-16	2-3	8-9	11	4		8	28
OKC	10-23	2-8	4-6	9	5		6	26
	43.5%	25%	66.7%

Third Quarter

The Nets came out pushing the ball and the Thunder did not appear ready.  Jackson and Andre Roberson were both caught flat-footed on defense early and that allowed easy baskets by both Deron Williams and Joe Johnson to cut the lead to one.

The Thunder starters were ready to blow the game wide open, but the Nets, led by Jarrett Jack, ended the quarter on an 8-0 run to roll the score down to 74-72 to enter the fourth.

	FG	3FG	FT	REB		AST	TO	PTS
Brooklyn	7-17	2-6	6-7	8	6		3	22
OKC	10-22	1-4	0-2	12	4		3	21
	45.4%	25%	0%

Fourth Quarter

After some general lackadaisical play by Sebastian Telfair at the point, Reggie Jackson came back in, immediately attacks Jarrett Jack in the lane, draws the foul, hits the basket and converts the and-one to put the Thunder back up 77-76.

Then the Thunder slow back down on defense; Jeremy Lamb gets killed on a Deron Williams crossover from 2007 and there was zero backside rotation to help him out.   This gave Brooklyn their largest lead of the game at 86-83.   On top of that Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Steven Adams all stopped crashing the offensive boards.  The previous 40 minutes of the game the thunder were able to compete for those boards and win them.

Jackson took some extremely hard shots at the end of the game, but almost muscled the Thunder back from a late seven point deficit.  Jackson had a nearly wide open three go down at the buzzer that would have given the Thunder the win, but it was just short.

	FG	3FG	FT	REB		AST	TO	PTS
Brooklyn	5-15	1-4	12-13	13	3		5	23
OKC	6-22	1-8	5-7	9	1		2	18
	27.2%	12.5%	71.4%

What was, overall, the main reason why the Thunder lost?

The Thunder couldn't push the game into a blow out.  They had two double digit leads, one in the first quarter and again late in the third quarter.  Each time they fell flat on defense, went cold on offense, almost gave up the lead in the first half and then in the second half gave it up for good.

Then you look at the only one assist in the fourth quarter.  One assist, one made three pointer on eight attempts and only six made baskets. That's how you lose games in the fourth.

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Nesgoda's Awards

Thunder Wonder: Reggie Jackson with  points,  assists and a couple of big steals.

Thunder Down Under: Serge Ibaka had 16 points, 10 boards and 2 blocks.  Roberson had four blocks!

Thunder Blunder: Lance Thomas played 32 minutes and provided just slightly more than Kevin Durant did.

Thunder Plunderer: Jarrett Jack with 23 points, 5 assists and Thunder could not find an answer for him at all.

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Next game: Sunday at Home against the Golden State Warriors @ 6PM CDT