It is safe to say that Oklahoma City has figured it out. Coach Scott Brooks has the Thunder cruising on all levels, as the Jazz found out last night. Utah picked a bad time to be struggling on the road, and OKC notched its first win of the year over a team with a winning record.
The 114-93 beat down of a playoff club figures to give the Thunder plenty of momentum for the last half of this month. It also further signals that Brooks is the right man for the job and deserves the job on a permanent basis. Carbert was dead on with his preview, and OKC used another strong start to finish off the Jazz.
All five startes got in the act early and often, building as much as a ten-point cushion. Utah used a 9-0 run to get back in the game, but Earl Watson and Nenad Krstic provided a scoring punch off the bench for the Thunder. Both finished in double figures and much of the damage came in the crucial second quarter.
Leading at the half, the usually troublesome third belonged to OKC. There was no attempt at a comeback for the Jazz, who fell behind by 15 points and managed only to stay that close by the play of Deron Williams. The All-Star point guard finished with nine points in the quarter, but he was no answer for the balanced Thunder attack.
Seven players scored eight or more points, and the home team controlled every aspect of the contest. Krstic and Nick Collison combined for 22 rebounds, only four less than Utah grabbed all night. Jeff Green led the way with 23 points, and Russell Westbrook had 22 to go with only one turnover.
The key was keeping the Jazz one step behind, even as Kevin Durant was struggling with his shot. Durant no longer has to do it all by himself, and OKC can expect a newfound respect in the upcoming future. The Thunder have a chance to avenge one of the tougher losses this season, as Detroit makes the trip to the Ford Center tomorrow.
Durant and Co. will be ready after showing the NBA the future is very bright any way you look at it in Oklahoma City.
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