Thunder Rally For First Win

Oklahoma City is consistent when it comes to NBA basketball. In their first two games this season the Thunder have started off shooting poorly and have had to try and overcome early deficits. Sunday night was no exception as they started off 3-for-13 from the field and then watch Minnesota go on a 9-0 run to start the second quarter and then a 7-0 run to start the third.

However, what would be different is that Oklahoma City would make a spurt of their own with a 13-0 run in the third quarter and then would hold the Timberwolves to just one basket in the final five minutes of the game for an 88-85 win. Oklahoma City shot a mediocre 42% from the floor but out rebounded Minnesota 50-38 which led to 25 second chance points.

Rookie point guard Russell Westbrook was the catalysts behind Oklahoma City’s comeback. He sparked the 13-0 run in the third quarter with back-to-back scores and put the Thunder up for good, 86-85, at the 2:19 mark with a layup. He ended the day with 14 points in almost twenty-five and a half minutes.

A win is a win and Oklahoma City has the very first one in their young existence and they are showing improvement. As the Seattle Sonics last year this team gave up 106.3 points per game but are only giving up an average of 90.6 points per game so far this season. They still have to get better in shooting from the floor but you have to applaud the hustle points that came on second and third efforts Sunday night.

Up next for the Thunder are the defending world champions Wednesday night in the Ford Center.

Blockbuster NBA Deal Waiting to Happen?

The Los Angeles Lakers have a pouting All-Star who is requesting a trade because the team isn’t doing enough to improve. The Minnesota Timberwolves have an aging All-Star who they owe a ton of cash to. The Indiana Pacers just need players!

All of this makes for some great rumors and potentially the biggest trade in the NBA since Shaq went to the Miami Heat. Reportedly the original deal included the Boston Celtics as well but has fallen through because the Celtics backed out not liking what their end of the deal was going to be. My opinion is that Boston problem was just sour grapes because they wanted Garnett. Now they may possibly have more issues because it looks like Paul Pierce is taking the Kobe approach by telling team management to either get better or trade him.

Trade discussions initially involved the Lakers, Wolves, Pacers and the Celtics. Boston would have gotten Jermaine O'Neal from the Pacers and sent young players to the Wolves. The Lakers would have gotten Garnett, while the Pacers would have landed Los Angeles forward Lamar Odom and center Andrew Bynum. Minnesota would also have acquired at least one of the teams' draft picks, possibly Boston's No. 5 in Thursday's draft.

With Boston out of the mix the Lakers are trying to broker a two team deal with Minnesota but the Timberwolves reportedly aren’t interested in Odom and Bynum meaning that most likely a fourth team needs to emerge for this deal to work.

With the draft just over a 48 hours away a deal is going to have to happen quickly if it is going to happen at all.