Thunder’s Andre Roberson looks good in return from injury
The moment came early for Andre Roberson.
The Thunder’s 114-90 win against the Lakers was a little more than 90 seconds old when the Thunder guard saw a path to the rim.
It was Roberson’s first game back after missing eight with patellar tendinitis in his left knee, and there was some trepidation on the takeoff.
“I think on my dunk I was a little scared,” said Roberson, who slammed the ball with two hands to put his team up 4-0. “After that, I was good. Didn’t feel any pain, and after that just felt great.”
There was some rust for Roberson and there might be more as he settles back into his old role. The guard was “amped up” after an absence, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said, and that tends to help a player in his return.
He may be shakier as his minutes extend — he played 17 on Wednesday, fewest among the Thunder starters — but his comeback got off to a strong start.
“Part of the reason why he’s a great defender is because of the way he covers ground and moves,” Donovan said. “I was most encouraged tonight with the way he was moving. I thought he looked like he was moving like the old Andre.”
Roberson blocked a driving layup by the Lakers’ Tyler
Ennis. He gummed up Laker plays, crashed the offensive glass and had his typically active hands.
Roberson finished with four points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block.
“He was great tonight,” Donovan said. “I thought his energy, really, defensively — he did a lot of things that were very, very disruptive. Not only with him guarding the ball but off the ball, he did a lot of great things.” Terrance Ferguson,
who had started the past seven games in Roberson’s absence, was the Thunder’s first sub on Wednesday, entering with 5:33 to play in the first quarter.
As Donovan began to return his starters to the court in the second quarter, he went with Alex
Abrines in place of Ferguson. Roberson returned with 4:15 to play in the second quarter.
That rotation helped keep Roberson’s minutes down, and though Donovan said before the game there was no restriction on the 6-foot-7 guard’s playing time, the Thunder wanted to base his minutes on an in-game evaluation of his health.
Roberson said he did a “decent amount” of cardio while he sat to stay in shape, but admitted that he was “slightly winded.” But it was good to be back, Roberson said, and Carmelo Anthony echoed the sentiment.
“He’s a guy who changes the dynamic of our team defensively,” Anthony said. “We showed that tonight. He uplifts us as a team defensively. He helps us scramble. He knows his role. We know his role; we know what he brings to the game. Sometimes it makes the game easier for everybody.”
Faces in the crowd
Boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather attended Wednesday’s game, sitting courtside opposite the bench next to Ray Westbrook, Russell Westbrook’s younger brother. Mayweather hosted a meet and greet dinner Wednesday at Broadway 10 in Oklahoma City.
Also in attendance at Wednesday’s game were pitcher Chris Martin and outfielder Ryan Rua of the Texas Rangers.
Quotable
“I don’t think no one man can stop Steve in the paint. So when he’s being aggressive and he’s going to the offensive glass, if it’s just him versus you, you’re gonna lose that battle every single time.” — Anthony on Steven Adams’ offensive rebounding. Adams had seven offensive rebounds on Wednesday in a 21-point, 10-rebound game.