OKC shows offensive rebounding strength
Steven Adams snared an offensive rebound and went up like his now-in-New York Stache Brother.
Or like the explosive Adams the Thunder is used to having on the offensive glass. The 7-footer took one dribble, powered underneath the basket and slammed a reverse dunk in the third quarter.
“Teams are playing fast and we’ve gotta pick and choose who’s gonna go to the glass and who’s not,” Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony said. “Steven, he’s attacking the glass every single time.
“We’ve always gotta have guys’ back, but that can be one of our strong suits this year.”
Yes, it was Australian side Melbourne United the Thunder toppled in an 86-85 preseason win Sunday. But in a game where the Thunder was up only five at halftime, in a season where the Thunder will experience a shift offensively with Anthony at power forward, Adams and Andre Roberson reminded the Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd the offensive rebounds didn’t walk out the door with Enes Kanter.
Roberson started the fourth quarter in the frontcourt alongside Jerami Grant, with the Thunder sliding Anthony to small forward. The move led to Roberson crashing the boards, and more free throw opportunities.
Roberson had eight of his nine free throw attempts in the fourth quarter to finish 5-of-9 from the line.
“It just gives new opportunities,” said Adams, who combined with Roberson for 11 of the Thunder’s 15 offensive rebounds. “Melo in the corner causes new problems for them. We’re testing it out to see what it offers, to see if we can get anything out of that.”
The Thunder has ranked No. 1 in the NBA in offensive rebounds the past three seasons. That figured to drop with Kanter and his 2.7 offensive rebound per game getting traded to the Knicks.
Entering Sunday, the Thunder had 13 offensive rebounds in two games. It finished with 15 against Melbourne, which contributed to getting to the free throw line 31 times.
“Steven and Andre both did a terrific job of finding avenues and opportunities,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “There are times when he slashes and cuts and gets behind the backboard where there are opportunities offensively to do great things for himself and our team.”
Starters go deep
After not playing past halftime in the first two preseason games, Anthony played into the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s win, scoring 19 points in 31 minutes.
“It felt good to be out there starting to get into full-game rotation,” Anthony said. “Hopefully Tuesday we can get a rotation in where guys start to really feel each other out over a full game.”
George played a teamhigh 39 minutes, while Westbrook stretched his from 10 in his first game back to 28.
What jet lag?
Upon arriving in Oklahoma City on Friday, Melbourne United came straight to Chesapeake Energy Arena as guests of the Thunder at its game against New Orleans. Maybe the Thunder shouldn’t have set United up in a suite.
Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman said his team was still a little jet-lagged after a nearly 18-hour flight from Sydney to Dallas. It didn’t show.
By halftime, the Thunder’s lead was only 49-44, and Melbourne wasn’t strictly playing the physical style synonymous with Australian hoops. In the first half, Melbourne kept the Thunder off-balance with a combination of proficient 3-point shooting (5-for-12, 41.7 percent) and 58.6 percent on 2-point field goals.
Not bad for a team one game into its season and missing its leading scorer from last season, Chris Goulding, due to appendicitis.
Tip ins
Thunder guard Raymond Felton sprained his left wrist in the third quarter and didn’t return to the game. Donovan said Felton told him “he’d be fine,” but Felton’s status is undetermined for Tuesday in Denver. … George was 9-of-9 from the line, moving him to 86.4 percent (19-of-22) for the preseason . ... The Thunder (2-1) closes the preseason Tuesday in Denver.