FINAL SCORE: TORONTO RAPTORS 117, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS 97
DATE: DECEMBER 31, 2019 ATTENDANCE: 19,800 (Sellout)
FINAL SCORE RECORD HIGH POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS Cleveland 97 10-23 Sexton – 22 Love/Thompson – 11 Three Players – 4
Toronto 117 23-11 Lowry – 24 Ibaka – 10 Lowry – 8
KEY RUN
Leading 52-43 with 1:03 left in the second quarter, Toronto ended the half with seven straight points to lead 59-43 at the break … The Raptors outscored Cleveland 32-18 in the second quarter … Kyle Lowry scored 11 of his game-high 24 points in the frame … Toronto led by double digits the entire second half.
KEY STAT
The Raptors shot .476 (40-for-84) from the field, including .436 (17-for-39) from three-point range … Cleveland shot .425 (37-for-87) from the floor and .263 (10-for-38) from beyond the arc.
RAPTORS NOTES: • With the win, Toronto improves to 23-11 this season and 14-5 at home … The Raptors have won two of their last three games (Dec. 28-31) and end the month of December with a 9-7 record.
• Toronto has won five straight games at Scotiabank Arena vs. Cleveland.
• The Raptors have finished with a winning record each of the past 20 calendar months … The streak is the longest in franchise history and the longest current streak in the NBA … The last month in which Toronto did not have a winning record was January 2017 (8–9).
• The Raptors’ bench outscored Cleveland’s reserves 41-25.
• Kyle Lowry led all scorers with 24 points (7-16 FG, 4-12 3PT, 6-6 FT) in 36 minutes … Lowry has scored 20+ points in eight of the last nine games (Dec. 16-31), averaging 24.0 points during this span.
• Serge Ibaka recorded his third straight double-double and seventh of the season with 20 points and a team-high 10 rebounds in 33 minutes … All seven of Ibaka’s double-doubles have come in December.
• Terence Davis ll matched his career high with 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-7 3PT, 1-2 FT) in 25 minutes … Davis ll scored 14 points in the fourth quarter.
• The Raptors had six players score double figures – Lowry (24), Ibaka (20), Davis ll (19), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (14), Fred VanVleet (12) and OG Anunoby (12) … Hollis-Jefferson made his first start as a Raptor … Anunoby came off the bench for the first time this season.
• Rookie Terence Davis ll is the only Raptor not to miss a game this season. • The Raptors are now 4-3 without Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell.
CAVALIERS NOTES:
• With the loss, Cleveland falls to 10-23 on the season and 4-13 on the road … The Cavaliers have lost two of their last three games (Dec. 27-31) and finished the month of December with a 5-9 record.
• All five Cleveland starters scored in double figures, combing for 72 points. • Collin Sexton scored a team-high 22 points (8-15 FG, 1-4 3PT, 5-5 FT) in 32 minutes – his fifth 20-point effort in the last seven games and 11th this season. • The Cavaliers had six players score in double digits – Sexton (22), Cedi Osman (14), Tristan Thompson (14), Kevin Porter Jr. (13), Darius Garland (12) and Kevin Love (10).
The Boston Celtics ended the year in style. Playing without Jaylen Brown, Boston rebounded from Saturday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, earning a 109-92 win Tuesday afternoon over the Charlotte Hornets. The Celtics received strong contributions from their best players, as Jayson Tatum (24 points, seven rebounds), Kemba Walker (22 points, seven assists) and Gordon…
Why the Celtics aren’t anywhere close to panic-mode following loss to Raptors BOSTON – The Boston Celtics will tell you, their loss to Toronto Saturday had more to do with their lack of effort than anything else. Because of that, they are nowhere close to panicking about the loss which snapped the team’s five-game winning streak. […]
(17-15) OKLAHOMA CITY, 98 VS. (22-11) TORONTO RAPTORS, 97 SCOTIABANK ARENA SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2019.
TORONTO RAPTORS QUOTES
NICK NURSE (HEAD COACH)
On Terence Davis losing track of the situation … Yeah, he probably did. Obviously that was an immediate foul situation once we took it inside the 24 and he was just chasing him up and it seemed like nobody could get his attention, he was kind of away from anybody on our team running up that left side there. Yeah, obviously that’s a foul situation.
On lacking the zip you had last night … I don’t know, that’s a good team, on a back-to-back it’s going to be a little sluggish out there. I thought we played pretty hard, I was pretty proud of how hard we played. Early on, I thought guys turned it over a little carelessly early, right when they checked in. We kind of got that under control and I thought we had a lot of open shots in the first half we didn’t make and I thought we had a lot of open shots in the second half we didn’t make either. I thought we fought hard, so I am really proud of the guys for that.
On playing four guards and a centre … It was more a case of I think, a little bit of shooting and again, just trying to get the guys that were playing good tonight on the floor. Terence (Davis) started to make a couple, left him, Pat (McCaw) made a couple, with one big and Kyle (Lowry) and Fred (VanVleet), and so that was probably more the case. They were collapsing down in the paint pretty hard on Fred and Kyle, so there was a lot of kick outs out to the outside and good thing, Terence hit a few and Pat hit a couple. Provided some good offensive support.
On Oshae Brissets’ defence… He has good feet, good anticipation, good feet, he moves over and gets his body in front of people and he has done it against some really good players. Last night it was switching out onto Kemba Walker a little bit, (Jayson) Tatum, Jaylen Brown and tonight Chris Paul and Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander). He has done a nice job for as little as experience as he has. It’s good, we need another wing, three-four type guy to be able to guard out there.
KYLE LOWRY (20 points, five assists)
Where did things go wrong in the last few minutes of the game? Just didn’t execute down the stretch. They made a couple of shots, we made a couple of turnovers, I did. It was a tough game. We did a good job on some defensive possessions and the ball bounced their way.
On having Patrick McCaw on the ball more the past few games? It’s been great. He’s playing with great confidence, he’s playing with the ability giving me and Freddie a little bit more opportunity to go out there and just run around a little bit more. He’s guarding the heck out of the ball, so it’s a plus for Patrick McCaw.
On the play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander… He played like he was home tonight and he’s been playing like that all year. Honestly, he’s been playing unbelievable, his confidence, his patience, his pace has been great. He knows his skill set and he knows his speed and pace and nothing can really rattle him.
PATRICK MCCAW (13 points)
On your comfort level handling the ball… Just being comfortable with the ball, making plays and being on the ball more is definitely something I have to get adjusted to. For me, it’s easy, for most of my career I’ve played on the ball, so it’s not a huge adjustment. It was fun, it was great, definitely a different feel for me but I’m getting used to it.
On defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander… He’s a great young player. He has a bright future, all-star, superstar, his ceiling is really high. I really enjoy watching him play. It’s fun playing against him and I wish him the best of luck with his career.
On your three-point shooting… I think I’m just shooting the open ones now, not really hesitating when I catch and shoot. Usually all my threes are coming from Fred. I’m ready to shoot and that is the biggest thing for me now, I’m just shooting it, I’m not thinking about it, just letting it fly.
(17-15) OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER, 98 VS. (22-11) TORONTO RAPTORS, 97 SCOTIABANK ARENA SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2019
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER QUOTES
BILLY DONOVAN (HEAD COACH)
On the defensive activity of Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel… It was hard because Serge (Ibaka) is a guy that is going to pick-and-pop and he’s going to shoot threes, and sometimes he’s rolling. So those guys have to do two things, they have to provide support in the pick and roll and then they have to be able to get back to Serge when he shoots the ball. I thought both of those guys gave us a great game on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively.
On Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being in a groove… He’s done a nice job. Besides the scoring piece of it, just to keep on putting on his brain to think about the defence, the playmaking, the rebounding because he’s got the ability to do those things. Certainly he’s, I think, finding his areas of where he can score, and is figuring out inside of our offence when there’s really good times to really go attack and be aggressive. He’s starting to figure some of those things out.
On the defensive transition… I thought the big key, considering coming back out of the Memphis game at home, they really, really hurt us in transition. Then having to go on a back-to-back and go to Charlotte with (Devonteʹ) Graham and (Terry) Rozier, and the way they are coming down the floor with their speed in the back court, we were better. Then we knew coming in here with their speed and athleticism, that we needed to be better, even more so then we were against Charlotte. So that was important and a major focus on the game was our ability to get back in transition.
What’s it like in the moments when both teams are trading baskets the whole night? Those are the best games to be a part of because it’s so competitive, every possession. When you get a 20-point lead you tend to slack off a little, things like that, but when it’s so close you can’t. Those are the (most) fun games.
On the Thunder defence… I think we just played together and played on the string, and then rebounded. Obviously, if you don’t get a rebound none of the defence and stuff matters. We just stuck with the game plan and executed.
What’s it like to put up a performance like this in front of your home crowd? It feels good, but all of it obviously wouldn’t have meant anything if we didn’t win. That was the best feeling. Knowing that we came out of here with a win, being shorthanded.
What’s the difference between the last time you came here as a Clipper? I’m less nervous. I’ve been here before. In terms of on the court, I just feel more comfortable. I’ve gotten better, I feel like, in the summer time and in the beginning of the season, and I’m just trying to continue it.
CHRIS PAUL (25 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists)
On holding Toronto to 17 points in the fourth quarter… Man, it took discipline, staying locked in. That’s a really good team over there, even with all the injuries they got. They (are) well coached, they play hard, and that’s a big win for us given this road trip.
What are close games like for the young guys on the team? They are great because when you lose those games it can be so deflating. You know, with a team like us that’s fighting night in and night out to stay above .500 it’s a great feeling because, like I said, they are the defending champs, they know how to win close games, and we pulled this one off.
On mentoring Shai… Man, he’s doing his own thing. I just stay in his ear all the time about being aggressive and staying aggressive. He’s got it all: midrange, finishes, shooting, and his defence, his defensive intensity. There was one play he was guarding Patrick McCaw, McCaw ended up scoring, but Shai’s defence was great.
KEY RUN Trailing 85-83 with 9:42 left in the fourth, Oklahoma City scored seven straight points to lead by five with 7:46 remaining … Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s driving floater with 36 seconds left was the game-winning basket.
KEY STAT Oklahoma City held the Raptors to eight fast-break points, including just two in the second half … Toronto entered the night averaging an NBA-best 18.8 fast-break points.
RAPTORS NOTES: • With the loss, Toronto falls to 22-11 this season and 13-5 at home … The Raptors have dropped three of their last four games (Dec. 23-29), including consecutive games at Scotiabank Arena … Toronto is now 8-7 in the month of December. • Toronto finished a perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line. • The game featured 20 lead changes, including nine in the fourth quarter. • Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet led the Raptors with 20 points apiece … Lowry has scored 20+ points in seven of the last eight games (Dec. 16-29), averaging 24.0 points during this stretch. • Serge Ibaka recorded his second straight double-double and sixth of the season with 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in 34 minutes … All six of Ibaka’s double-doubles have come in December. • The Raptors had five players score double figures – Lowry (20), Fred VanVleet (20), Patrick McCaw (13), Ibaka (12) and Terence Davis ll (11). • Rookie Terence Davis ll is the only Raptor not to miss a game this season. • The Raptors dropped to 3-3 without Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Norman Powell.
THUNDER NOTES: • With the win, Oklahoma City improves to 17-15 on the season and 6-9 on the road … The Thunder have won six of their last seven games (Dec. 16-29), including their last two on the road. • Oklahoma City has now won its last five trips north of the border … This is Toronto’s longest current home losing streak against one team. • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tied his career high with 32 points (12-21 FG, 3-5 3PT, 5-6 FT) … He added seven rebounds in 39 minutes … Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 20+ points in each of the last six games (Dec. 18-29), averaging 27.3 points during this span … His 32 points were the most scored in game by a Canadian against the Raptors. • Chris Paul posted his fourth double-double on the year with 25 points and a season-high 11 rebounds in 34 minutes … Paul has now scored 20+ points 11 times this season. • The Thunder had four players score in double digits – Gilgeous-Alexander (32), Paul (25), Nerlens Noel (13) and Darius Bazley (12).
GAME #33 – TORONTO RAPTORS (22-10) vs. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (16-15) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2019 – 6 P.M. (ET) – SCOTIABANK ARENA TV: SPORTSNET ONE – RADIO: SPORTSNET 50 THE FAN
RAPTOR NOTES
• The Toronto Raptors play the second game of a back-to-back set Sunday night when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors and Thunder split the season-series in 2018-19 with the road team winning both contests. Kyle Lowry sat out both games vs. Oklahoma City last season with a right ankle sprain. The Thunder have won four in a row at Scotiabank Arena.
• Kyle Lowry scored a game high-tying 30 points (10-17 FG, 5-10 3PT, 5-6 FT) in 39 minutes of action Dec. 28 at Boston. Lowry has now scored 30 or more in three of the last four games (Dec. 22-28). He is averaging 26.5 points, while shooting .486 (36-74) from the floor and .429 (18-42) from three-point range during this stretch. Lowry has reached the 30-point mark four times this season; something he did once last season and three times during the 2017-18 campaign.
• The Raptors shot .524 (44-for-84) from the field, including .714 (15-for-21) in the first quarter, Saturday night at Boston. Toronto is a perfect 7-0 this season when it shoots 50 per cent from the floor and 18-3 when it finishes with a better field goal percentage than its opponent.
• December is Toronto’s busiest month of the season with 16 games and includes three back-to-back sets. The Raptors’ 11 games at Scotiabank Arena tie the franchise record for most home games in a calendar month – Toronto also played 11 games at home in March 2016. The Raptors will play 10-of-15 games on the road in the month of January.
• Fred VanVleet currently ranks second in the NBA in steals per games (2.15). VanVleet recorded five steals Saturday night against the Celtics and has now totaled 12 steals over the last three games (Dec. 23- 28). He is the first Raptor since DeMar DeRozan (Oct. 23-27, 2017) to register three or more steals in three straight games. VanVleet has registered at least three steals in nine games this season.
• The Raptors finished with a season-best +22 (53-to-31) rebounding differential Dec. 28 at Boston. Toronto had a 15-7 advantage on the offensive glass and outscored the Celtics 23-5 in second-chance points. Serge Ibaka posted his fifth double-double in the last 10 games (Dec. 9-28) with 20 points and a gamehigh 10 rebounds in 30 minutes at Boston.
• Marc Gasol (left hamstring; strain), Pascal Siakam (groin; stretch) and Norman Powell (left shoulder; subluxation) were all injured Dec. 18 at Detroit. Toronto is 3-2 over the last five games without them. The Raptors are averaging 112.4 points and shooting .465 (200-for-430) from the field during this span.
• Terence Davis ll is one of the five rookies who’ve played in every game for their team this season, along with Darius Bazley (Oklahoma City), Darius Garland (Cleveland), Kendrick Nunn (Miami) and Coby White (Chicago). Only two rookies have played in every game of a season for the Raptors: Vince Carter in 1998– 99 (which was a lockout-shortened 50-game season) and Matt Bonner (2004–05).
• Kyle Lowry needs 105 assists to tie Jose Calderon (3,770) as the Raptors’ all-time leader in assists. Lowry is already the franchise leader in three-point field goals (1,284), steals (770) and playoff victories (37). Lowry has recorded 10+ assists 110 times – second most in team history behind only Calderon (141).
• Recorded a season-best 18 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists Dec. 28 at Boston. • Averaging 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 31.0 minutes in five games as a starter. • Has played at least 20 minutes in a career-long eight straight games (Dec. 14-18).
• Finished with seven points and four rebound in 15 minutes before fouling out Dec. 28 at Boston. • Toronto is 14-3 this season when Anunoby scores 10 or more points (Last: 15 – Dec. 23 at Indiana). • Averaging 11.0 points (.477 FG%), 5.9 rebounds and 29.3 minutes through 14 games in December.
• Posted fifth double-double of the season with 20 points and a game-high 10 rebounds Dec. 28 at Boston. • Averaging 16.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 30.9 minutes in the last five games as a starter. • Has scored in double figures in 12-of-14 games in December; averaging 13.9 points this month.
• Scored a team-high 30 points Dec. 28 at Boston; added seven assists in 39 minutes Dec. 28 at Boston. • Averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 39.3 minutes through 13 games in December. • Has scored 20+ points in six of the last seven games (Dec. 16-28); averaging 24.6 points during this stretch.
• Contributed 18 points, three rebounds, five assists and five steals in 37 minutes Dec. 28 at Boston. • Ranks second in the NBA in steals per games (2.15) and fifth in minutes (36.4). • Has recorded five double-doubles this season; something he did once in first three NBA seasons combined.
INJURY REPORT: Marc Gasol (Left hamstring; strain) – Out Dewan Hernandez (Right ankle; sprain) – Out Norman Powell (Left shoulder; subluxation ) – Out Pascal Siakam (Groin; stretch) – Out Matt Thomas (Left middle finger; distal phalanx fracture) – Out
THUNDER NOTES
LAST GAME STARTERS
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Prior to NBA/Home Country Yrs. Pro
23 Terrance Ferguson G 6-7 190 05/17/98 Adelaide 36ers/USA 3
7 Darius Bazley F 6-8 208 06/12/00 Princeton HS/USA R
12 Steven Adams C 7-0 265 07/20/93 Pittsburgh/New Zealand 7
2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander G 6-6 181 07/12/98 Kentucky/Canada 2
3 Chris Paul G 6-0 175 05/06/85 Wake Forest/USA 15
RESERVES
30 Deonte Burton G 6-5 240 01/31/94 Iowa State/USA 2
6 Hamidou Diallo G 6-5 202 07/31/98 Kentucky/USA 2
5 Luguentz Dort** G 6-4 215 04/19/99 Arizona State/Canada R
8 Danilo Gallinari F 6-10 233 08/08/88 Olimpia Milano/Italy 12
15 Kevin Hervey** F 6-9 230 07/09/96 UT-Arlington/USA R
13 Justin Patton C 7-0 241 06/14/97 Creighton/USA 3
21 Andre Roberson G/F 6-7 210 12/04/91 Colorado/USA 7
17 Dennis Schröder G 6-1 172 09/15/9
3 NY Phantoms Braunschweig/Germany 7 **Signed to a Two-Way Contract
HEAD COACH Billy Donovan (Providence) ASSISTANT COACHES Brian Keefe (UNLV) Maurice Cheeks (West Texas State) Mark Daigneault (UConn) Vin Bhavnani (USC) Dave Bliss (Georgia) Mike Wilks (Rice) David Akinyooye (Adelphi) DIRECTOR OF QUALITY CONTROL Billy Schmidt (Wake Forest) VP OF HUMAN & PLAYER PERFORMANCE Dr. Donnie Strack (Indianapolis)
INJURY REPORT: Hamidou Diallo is OUT (right elbow; hyperextension sprain) Danilo Gallinari is OUT (left ankle; soreness) Andre Roberson is OUT (left knee; injury recovery) Dennis Schröder is OUT (right ankle; soreness).
On the Road Again: Oklahoma City looks to earn its 11th win in 15 games and sixth in the last seven by traveling to Toronto to take on the Raptors. In December, OKC has earned a 9-4 record and has outscored opponents by 45 points, good for the fifth best +/- rating in the Western Conference. The Thunder holds a 7-3 record when playing the Raptors in Toronto and has won each of the last four road matchups by an average of 11.0 points per game. Following this contest, the Thunder will return home to host the Dallas Mavericks on New Year’s Eve.
Win the Week: Dennis Schröder was named NBA Player of the Week for Week 9 after leading the Thunder to a perfect 4-0 week behind averages of 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists, shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 92.6 percent from the free throw line. He is now just the fourth player in the last 20 years to earn POW honors as a reserve (Lou Williams 2018, Markieff Morris 2013, J.R. Smith 2013).
Dennis the Menace: Dennis Schröder has produced five straight games with 20+ points off the bench, the longest such streak in OKC history and the longest across all NBA reserves in the last two years. This is part of a 14-game streak in which Schröder has scored 15+ points as a reserve, the longest such streak in Thunder history (previously Harden, Martin with seven) and the longest in the league this season.
Comeback Kids: On 12/16 vs. Chicago, Oklahoma City overcame a 26-point deficit in the second quarter to earn a 109-106 win over the Bulls after outscoring them 60-38 in the second half. This marks the largest home comeback victory in Thunder history and ties the OKC record (2/9/19 at Houston). OKC then followed that performance with a 24-point comeback win over the Grizzlies the next game, making the Thunder the only team in the last 20 years to overcome back-to-back 24-point deficits. Two games later, the Thunder earned an 18-point comeback win over the Clippers, the first time the Thunder has ever had as many such wins within a week span. Additionally, OKC is tied with the Lakers for the most 15-point comeback wins so far this season with four.
Bench Mob: The Oklahoma City reserves have outscored opposing benches in 24 of the Thunder’s 31 games, with OKC earning an 1410 record when that happens. The Thunder bench has the fourth-best bench scoring margin in the NBA (7.8), holding opponent reserves to the lowest scoring average (31.3) while ranking second in blocks (78). Also, Nerlens Noel ranks fourth among all NBA reserves in blocks per game (1.26) while Dennis Schröder ranks second in points scored (569) and fifth in assists (115) (min. 20 games). In OKC’s win over the Pelicans on Nov. 29, Schröder (25) and Abdel Nader (19) combined for 44 points as reserves. The previous game, that same duo combined for 33 points in relief, helping Oklahoma City’s bench to a 59.5-points per game average over those two contests.
Getting Defensive: Oklahoma City has earned the second-best fourth quarter defensive rating (98.3) as well as the second-best +/- rating in OT (+22). OKC is holding opponents to the second-fewest made shots from beyond the arc (10.2) on the second-fewest attempts (30.5) and the second-fewest fast break points (11.6) among all NBA teams while giving opponents the third-fewest free throw opportunities (19.0). Additionally, the Thunder is contesting the second-most shots from inside the arc (43.2) and the seventh most overall (64.8).
Need I Shai More: Through the first 10 games this season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 21.0 points, the second-highest scoring average through the first 10 games of any Thunder sophomore behind Kevin Durant’s 21.9 in 2008 and ahead of Russell Westbrook’s 15.6 in 2009. Additionally, through 30 games, Gilgeous-Alexander’s 19.1 points per game average ranks second only to Durant’s 23.7 and ahead of Westbrook’s 16.3.
Hot Schröder: Dennis Schröder has now led all Thunder reserves in 26 of 31 games. In the Thunder’s first back-to-back of the season on 10/27-28, he logged 22 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals on the first night and 22 points, five rebounds and seven assists the second. Schröder is the first Thunder reserve to notch 20+ points and 5+ rebounds in two straight games. On 11/2 vs. New Orleans, Schröder marked his fourth straight game with 17+ points, only two Thunder reserves have had a longer such streak (Harden, 5; Kanter, 5).
Stealing Olajuwon’s Thunder: On 12/14 at Denver, Chris Paul stole his 2,163rd ball to pass Hakeem Olajuwon for eighth all-time in steals on the NBA leaderboards. Paul already ranked first among all active players. Each player that sits ahead of him on that all-time list is a member of the Hall of Fame (Stockton, Kidd, Jordan, Payton, Cheeks, Pippen, Drexler).
Paul in a Day’s Work: A nine-time All-Star and two-time gold medalist, Chris Paul is ranked seventh in NBA history in assists (9,381) and eighth in steals (2,173) and is first among active players in both. He joins Jason Kidd and John Stockton as the only players with 9,000+ assists and 2,000+ steals. Additionally, in the win over the Bulls on 12/16, Paul scored his 18,000th career point, making him one of three players in NBA history with 18,000+ points and 9,000+ rebounds, joining John Stockton and Isiah Thomas. On the Record: In the 139-127 overtime victory over the Timberwolves on 12/6, the Thunder had five players with at least 20 points (Paul 30, Gilgeous-Alexander 29, Schröder 25, Adams 22, Gallinari 21). This marks the first time in Oklahoma City history and the first time in the league since March 2004 that a team has had as many players with 20-plus points each (Atlanta – Stephen Jackson 42, Bob Sura 28, Jason Terry 23, Jason Collier 22, Chris Crawford 20).
Ciao Ciao: Danilo Gallinari currently ranks sixth among all NBA players by shooting 90.3 percent from the free throw line. From 10/2311/5, he went a perfect 24-for-24 from the free throw line before his first miss of the season, which was good for longest such streak in the league. Additionally, Gallinari leads the Thunder in three-point makes with 75, shooting them with 39.5 percent accuracy. Home Cooking: Since arriving in Oklahoma City, the Thunder has always taken pride in defending its home court. Dating back to the start of the 2009-10 season, OKC has gone 305-114 (.728) at home, which stands as the second-best home record in the NBA during this span. Since the 2010-11 season, Oklahoma City has earned 278 wins on home court, which stands as the second-most home wins in that timeframe (San Antonio). Keeping it 100: In the Thunder’s win over New Orleans on Nov. 29, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played his 100th-career game. He is one of 14 players with 100+ steals, 50+ blocks and 75+ three-pointers in their first 100 games since threes became an official stat in 1982. Mind the Gap: On 10/28 at Houston, the Thunder bench outscored the Rockets reserves 52-14. This 38-point margin is the largest for Oklahoma City since 4/12/17 vs. Denver and ranks as the fourth largest such margin in Thunder history. The night before on 10/27 vs. Golden State, the Thunder downed the Warriors 120-92, tying OKC’s largest margin of victory over Golden State. The 33-point halftime edge was the Warriors’ worst deficit at the break since 1997. Hamidoing it Right: After finishing his rookie campaign with 21 steals, Hamidou Diallo snagged 15 through the first 10 games of the 2019-20 season. This makes him the first Thunder sophomore to grab as many in the first 10 games of the season. Second is Jeff Green in 2008 (14). Billy the Kid: With Oklahoma City’s 120-92 victory over Golden State, Billy Donovan earned his 200th win as an NBA head coach with a 60.4 percent win percentage. The only other active head coaches to have at least 200 wins and a 60 percent win percentage or better with their respective teams are Steve Kerr (322 wins, 78.5 percent), Gregg Popovich (1,245 wins, 68.4 percent) and Doc Rivers (307 wins, 62.4 percent). Eight Ball: In the 11/9 victory over the Warriors, Danilo Gallinari led the team with 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 4of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. In the process, he scored his 8,888th career point. Born on 8/8/88, Gallinari has worn the number eight since he entered the league in 2008. You can Shai that Again: In his Thunder debut at Utah on 10/23, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted a team-leading and then-career-best 26 points, the second-most ever scored in a Thunder debut (Paul George, 28). He is also just the third Thunder player to lead the team in scoring in his team debut (Paul George, Russell Westbrook). He then followed that performance by setting yet another career mark with 28 points against the Wizards on Oct. 25.
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Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier was fined $25,000 by the NBA for throwing a ball into the stands, the league announced on Saturday. The punishment added to the in-game admonishment for Rozier’s premature celebration of a game-tying layup by teammate Devonte’ Graham in the final seconds of Charlotte’s game against Oklahoma City on Friday. Rozier […]
BOSTON — The Boston Celtics put a bit of a damper on Christmas Day for the Raptors at home with a rather one-sided win. Consider that score settled. The Raptors haven’t always been the most consistent team from game to game, particularly this season with all the injuries they have had to deal with. But […]
The view from left field 