Thunder use big third to blow out the Suns 127-96

Everyone was hot tonight for Oklahoma City as 5 players scored in double figures, and the money-ball was falling for all. The Thunder's defense was huge tonight, pestering the Suns to turn the ball over 17 times for a total of 29 points. It was a career night for Thabo Sefolosha as well, who had a season-high 18 points on a career-high 4 made three pointers.

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

The Thunder used a fantastic first quarter offensively to get out to a 33-27 lead. Fueled by KD who set the stage for the night with his 4-4 from downtown shooting performance, Oklahoma City was able to attack the Suns aggressively and poor on the points. OKC struggled defensively - they were unable to get consistent stops nor where they able to convert Phoenix's 5 early turn overs into any easy points. The Suns countered OKC's 60% shooting quarter with a 53% of their own, thanks to Goran Dragic who torched the thunder defense - scoring 16 points on 7/10 shooting in the quarter, and thus the Thunder were never able to make it a double-digit lead.


This trend would carry on into the second quarter, where the Suns outscored the Thunder 23-22, and were able to capitalize some-what on the Thunder's turn overs, scoring 5 points off of 3 of them. The Thunder missed a lot of wide-open shots and had no answer for Michael Beasley and Jermaine O'Neal who combined for 8-10 shooting and 16 points. In situations like these, Oklahoma City would usually use the free throw line to compensate for their poor shooting, but they were only able to get to line 6 times, and only made 3 of those shots.



Taking a 55-50 lead into half time, the Thunder came out the second half with explosiveness and determination. Oklahoma City went on a 26-9 run - which didn't end it until there was just a minute left in the third, and they never looked back. The Thunder turned the ball over once in the quarter, and were poring it on the Suns coming behind an all-around scoring effort by the entire team, and Thabo Sefolosha who was deadly from beyond the arc going 2-3.


Oklahoma City would carry their momentum over into the fourth, where they torched the Suns in the paint - scoring 22 points, and were able to use another deadly 3-point shooter in Kevin Martin, who scored 8 of his 16 points in the quarter, to extend their lead all the way up the 32 points until it was time to empty the bench. The Thunder defense held the Suns to just 47% shooting in the quarter and forced Phoenix to turn the ball over 5 times.


Thunder Essentials:


Russell Westbrook - A

The Honey-Badger was quiet tonight. He only took 5 shots in the first half and finished the game shooting 8-14 and scoring 17 points to go along with his 6 assists/5 rebounds. Russ managed to turn the ball over just 3 times tonight and moved the ball exceptionally well. He made a couple of huge passes after penetrating the lane - dropping the ball off to his big man Kendrick Perkins on several occasions - who himself had a impressive tonight scoring 17 points to go along with his 9 rebounds. 


Points in the Paint - A+

This was Oklahoma City's second consecutive game scoring 60+ points in the paint and they did it with style. There were a few huge dunks in tonight's contest, some nasty and some just plain wrong - watch one of Durant's here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tepoGFrEo18 . They held the Suns to just 42 points in the paint and were able to capitalize with their strength inside.



Limit second chance points - A

The Thunder aced this whole thing tonight. They held to Suns to just 11 second chance points on 4/10 shooting despite allowing 11 offensive rebounds. They contested every shot and scrambled for the lose balls. They made sure there was a hand in every shooters face and denied easy 2nd chance points in the paint. They came out victorious.