PAINT IT BLUE
Thunder hammers Pacers despite foul trouble
It was supposed to be the “Paul George Game.” Instead, it was an allaround game for the Thunder.
George admitted earlier in the week that playing against his former team for the first time would be emotional. It turned out his reunion game would be short-lived.
“Russ and Melo did an unbelievable job of shouldering everything,” George said. “They carried the team. They carried me.”
George’s foul trouble could have spelled trouble for the Thunder. Instead, Oklahoma City powered on to its best all-around game of the early season, a 114-96 win against the Pacers.
Russell Westbrook had 28 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds for his second triple-double in four games, and Carmelo Anthony had his first double-double as a Thunder player with 28 points and 10 rebounds.
“It’s great to have two
guys I can pair up with,” George said, “that when nights aren’t going for me, they’re there for me.”
George picked up his sixth foul with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter. Victor Oladipo, who along with Domantas Sabonis was traded to Indiana for George on June 30, was falling down with the ball before even making contact with George.
It was a night of frustration for George, who finished with 10 points in 19 minutes, but Thunder coach Billy Donovan credited him with keeping his composure despite some dubious foul calls. In the first half, George motioned to Donovan to let him stay in the game after picking up his second foul and got his way. But when George committed his fourth less than halfway through the third quarter, he lost the negotiation. In came Josh Huestis.
As the Thunder did all night, it shook off brief moments of blunder with balance.
In the fourth quarter, one of Westbrook’s seven turnovers led to the play where George fouled out, but the lead guard was brilliant again. Seconds earlier, Westbrook found Patrick Patterson for his first 3-pointer of the season and atoned for his turnover with a cutting bucket for his final points and a 13-point Thunder lead.
“Again, fortunate to have those guys,” George said. “They knew how big this game was for me and they went out and got it for me.”
In addition to securing a win for George, the Thunder locked up defensively.
Entering Wednesday, the Pacers were playing the eighth-fastest pace in the NBA, using 104.51 possessions per game, and were fourth in the league in fast-break points per game (17.3).
The Pacers shot 33.7 percent from the field and finished with only seven fast break points.
When Westbrook wasn’t annihilating the Pacers’ interior defense with Steven Adams (17 points, 11 rebounds) in the two-man game, Anthony was his most aggressive of the season.
Anthony entered Wednesday night with just eight free throw attempts and six rebounds in three games, but threw his body around on both ends. He had five rebounds by halftime, and attempted nine free throws.
When Anthony lost his headband momentarily with the Thunder leading by 11 in the fourth quarter, he didn’t stoop over to pick it up. It was in the midst of a turnover, so Anthony sprinted back on the hip of his defender. The pressure forced an errant lob pass which went out of bounds, a sign of the Thunder’s commitment to tracking back.
Anthony wasn’t really sure what to say about his uptick in performance other than his role on the team is coming along.
“What I have to do in order for this team to be successful is not just score, but rebound and defend and help Steve, help PG, help everybody,” Anthony said.
There’s that “help” word. Wednesday was evidence that when a key Thunder player isn’t on his game, more can step forward. George was thankful for that against his former team.