OKC Thunder Blog – Page 86 – NBA Blog

Kevin Durant consecutive 25-point games streak ends

Mike Baldwin of the Oklahoman reports:

Kevin Durant streak of consecutive 25-point games ends

Kevin Durant’s streak of consecutive 25-point game ended at 29 Wednesday night in a loss at San Antonio. Thunder coach Scott Brooks said the streak was never a priority. Brooks’ only caveat was Durant shoot within the offense.

Durant scored 30 or more points in 23 of the 29 games, shot 50.8 percent from the field and drained half his 102 3-point attempts.

One key was Durant got to the free-thrown line an average of 11 times a game, while attempting just over 20 field goal attempts.

The AP reports:

Manu Ginobili didn’t believe he would actually stuff Kevin Durant when the NBA’s leading scorer elevated for a runaway dunk on a crucial fast break in the final minutes.

“I was more expecting to be dunked on, to tell you the truth,” Ginobili said.

Think again.

Coming almost out of nowhere to block Durant and deny Oklahoma City from retaking the lead, Ginobili made what Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a “superhero” play that propelled the San Antonio Spurs to a 95-87 victory on Wednesday night.

The AP reports:

The block had other repercussions: It helped finally end Durant’s streak of scoring 25 points or more at 29 games. He finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, marking the first time Durant has scored fewer than 25 points since Dec. 19.

Tulsa 66ers sign Chris Richard

The Tulsa 66ers announced today the re-acquisition of forward Chris Richard.

The 6-9 forward was called-up on a 10-day contract to the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 6, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in five games.

The two-time national champion from the University of Florida started nine games earlier this season with the 66ers, averaging 10.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. The former number one selection for the 66ers in the 2008 NBA D-League Draft played 20 games during the 2008-09 season, averaging 12.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists for Tulsa.

In order to make room on the roster for Richard, the 66ers released forward Rodney Webb. Richard will wear number 32 and is expected to be in uniform tonight at home against the Springfield Armor at 7 p.m.

Thunder sign Antonio Anderson to 10-day contract, waive Matt Harpring

Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced that the team has signed Antonio Anderson to a 10-day contract.

Anderson, 24, is a free agent call-up from the NBA Development League’s Rio Valley Grande Vipers where he has averaged 15.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 39.6 minutes in 32 games (32 starts). A 6-6, 215 pound guard who went undrafted out of Memphis in 2009, Anderson went to training camp with the Charlotte Bobcats. He appeared in five games, averaging 3.4 points, 1.8 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 14.2 minutes before being waived on October 22.

With his signing, Anderson becomes the 14th Call-Up from the D-League this season. He will wear uniform #8.

In order to accommodate Anderson, Oklahoma City has waived forward Matt Harpring who was acquired along with Eric Maynor in a trade with the Utah Jazz on December 22.

New Knicks provide thrilling spark in overtime home loss to Thunder

Behind huge games from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Saturday night in New York the Oklahoma City Thunder topped the Knicks 121-118 in overtime. Durant (10-of-25, 14-of-15 free throws) scored 36 points, while Westbrook (13-of-23) was dominant with 31 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists.

For the Knicks, tonight marked the debut of new squad members Tracy McGrady, Eddie House and Sergio Rodriguez. And although victory narrowly eluded them, the results were more positive than anyone could have expected.

While Rodriguez provided a much bigger spark than his five points and six assists suggests, the Knicks were carried by David Lee’s 30 points (12-of-16), 10 rebounds and six assists, McGrady’s 26 points and five assists, and Eddie House’s 24 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Here’s what Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said after the game about McGrady and House:

“I thought it was really, really good. Just their intensity. Just the little things, getting the ball here and there. Talking in the timeouts. Talking going on the floor, understanding who they got. Just all the intangibles that they’re bringing. It’s something that we really work on, in a sence, that’s pretty good. As soon as they get used to each other a little bit better, Tracy gets his legs a little bit more. He kind of ran out of gas toward the end. Foul shots were tough, you saw it. But, not having played all year, a couple of years, almost, 26 points, not bad against a team that defends really well. They’re long and athletic. They’re palying well.”

More D’Antoni thoughts on McGrady:

“His basketball IQ is way up. He does that. He makes the soccer pass or the hockey pass, whatever you want to call it. Butu he does that. Obviously, he can score. He’s very intelligent on defense. He’s pointing and talking. The guy has been around and been an all-star a long time.”

Although the Knicks lost tonight, this was the most fun night of pro basketball Madison Square Garden has enjoyed in years. Unless you love watching amazing individual performances where one superstar shines while everyone else watches. Then, the shows LeBron James and Kobe Bryant put on in recent seasons eclipse tonight.

As for Rodriguez, he was a one-man carnival. In a good way. The guard flung himself all over the court on both ends of the floor, made tons of brilliant passes, and was an absolute joy to watch.

Great showing by the new Knicks, even in a loss.

Good first half in Tracy McGrady debut

Starting at shooting guard alongside Chris Duhon, Tracy McGrady looked very good and certainly better than expected in his New York Knicks debut Saturday night as the team hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder in Madison Square Garden.

T-Mac came out gunning and shot 7-of-12 for 19 points, two rebounds, three assists (two turnovers) and a steal in 17 first half minutes.

The Knicks lead 57-52 at the break.

Also in the first half, David Lee shot 6-of-9 for 16 points and five rebounds.

For the Thunder, Russell Westbrook (6-of-9) has 15 points and four rebounds. Kevin Durant (4-of-10) has 14.

The Knicks had 14 first half assists, the Thunder just six.

McGrady played six games for the Houston Rockets and has not been on the court since December 23 until tonight.

Russell Westbrook replaces Derrick Rose in 2010 Skills Challenge

Russell Westbrook to replace Derrick Rose in 2010 Skills Challenge

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose will not defend his Skills Challenge title Saturday night at 2010 NBA All-Star weekend in Dallas, Texas.

Rose has a bruised hip and has been considered “probable” for the weekend’s events. But Saturday afternoon, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook was named as a replacement for the tonight’s competition.

Rose still hopes to participate in Sunday’s NBA All-Star game.

According to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Breaking Sports News, “Bulls physician Brian Cole re-examined Rose’s bruised right hip and back following Saturday morning’s Eastern Conference All-Star practice, and Rose dropped out of the competition Saturday afternoon. The NBA announced that Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook would replace his close friend and summer workout partner in the competition. Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, Suns guard Steve Nash and Jazz guard Deron Williams also will compete.”

Sean Sutton arrested on drug charges

The AP reports:

Former Oklahoma State basketball coach Sean Sutton has been arrested and accused of attempting to illegally obtain prescription painkillers from out of state.

Sutton was arrested Thursday night when he arrived to pick up a shipment of painkillers under another person’s name, said Mark Woodward, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Sutton was arrested on charges of attempting to possess a controlled dangerous substance and use of a communications device to facilitate a felony, Woodward said Friday.

A phone message left for Sutton was not immediately returned Friday. Formal charges had not yet been filed by the district attorney’s office, and it was unclear whether Sutton had an attorney. His arrest was first reported by The Tulsa World.

Tulsa WNBA team, which moved from Detroit, named Tulsa Shock

After months of anticipation, the new WNBA Tulsa franchise officially unveiled its identity today with the announcement of the new team name, logo and colors. The new franchise will be named the Tulsa Shock and its colors black, red and gold. The logo features a basketball on top of “Tulsa Shock” with a lightning bolt through it. The “Tulsa” lettering has an Art Deco inspiration which was influenced by the city’s rich history in Art Deco architecture.

The Tulsa Shock, formerly the Detroit Shock, moved to Tulsa in October 2009. In November, the team decided on a short list of three potential names which included Fire, Tempo and Shock and then gave the fans an opportunity to vote for their favorite on the team’s Web site – www.wnba.com/shock. The name “Shock” received the highest amount of votes with 38 percent. Tempo finished second with 32 percent and Fire was third with 30 percent.

The Shock’s new president, Steve Swetoha, believes the familiarity WNBA fans have with the Shock name will go a long way in developing brand recognition for the team and lends itself well to promotions and marketing opportunities.

“I think its clear the Shock name resonated with fans because of the championship history it invokes, as well as the feelings of speed and power it brings. Our new name and identity fits perfectly with the style of play Coach Richardson brings to the team,” Swetoha said. “It’s the same name with a whole new meaning.”

“The Tulsa Shock – I love it,” head coach Nolan Richardson said. “Having an identity gets me more excited because I know we’re one step closer to tip-off, and we’ll look good when that day comes.”

Tulsa Shock uniforms are not finalized at this time. The team will unveil the uniforms this spring.

Tulsa WNBA team, which moved from Detroit, named Tulsa Shock

DJ White out 6-8 weeks after thumb surgery

Oklahoma City Thunder forward D.J. White underwent successful surgery today to repair an avulsion fracture in his right thumb. White suffered the injury during the Thunder’s practice on Tuesday, January 19th in Minnesota.

This season White is averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 rebound in eight games for the Thunder. The 6-9 forward has also appeared in six games for the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. In those contests White averaged 18.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in 38.9 minutes per contest.

White is expected to miss 6-8 weeks recovering from the surgery.

Knicks believe OKC hotel was haunted

Lots of NBA basketball talk revolves around minor things like offense, defense, wins, and losses. While those trivial things are perhaps worthy of at least partial attention, there’s not enough emphasis on haunted hotel discussion.

That’s right. Teams have to worry about whether the hotel they’re staying in is filled with ghosts. Or at least that’s a concern some Knicks players had when visiting Oklahoma City to play the Thunder.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

For two days, several players had trouble sleeping because they were convinced that their downtown hotel is haunted.

“I definitely believe it,” Jared Jeffries said. “The place is haunted. It’s scary.”

Eddy Curry claims he slept for only two hours Sunday night because he couldn’t stop thinking about ghosts roaming the hotel.

For years, guests staying at the Skirvin Hilton have reported ghost sightings and strange noises.

The Thunder should urge all visiting teams to stay there. That’s a pretty sweet advantage!