Adams leads OKC’s bounceback in paint
Steven Adams will be the first to tell you when he’s had a bad game. He said he sucked against the Nets on Tuesday. He doesn’t have many in a row.
Against the Wizards on Thursday, Adams was all over. Stepping forward on ballhandlers on defense to let Andre Roberson get back into position, then dropping back quickly and deflecting a low pass.
Yet, it’s been Adams’ offensive rebounding that’s taken a seat right next to his defense this season. It was ever present in the Thunder’s 121-112 win against Washington, the Thunder’s sixth in a row.
It was ever present on a controversial play in the third quarter.
Adams was dragged to the floor by Wizards big
Marcin Gortat and in the process he appeared to kick Wizards guard Bradley Beal in the groin. Beal doubled over under the basket and Adams was able to snag the ball from him for his eighth offensive rebound ... until the rebound was taken away.
After an officials’ review, Adams received a technical foul for the kick on Beal, his fourth tech of the season.
“I didn’t even know I even did that,” Adams said in the Thunder locker room, saying he just saw a replay. “I didn’t even know I did that at all. All I felt was falling to the ground.
“They reviewed it. They’re good for us. They made the right call.”
Adams had seven offensive rebounds in the first half and finished with 10 rebounds total. He tied Detroit’s Andre Drummond for the most games with seven or more offensive rebounds this season with 14.
It helped the Thunder to 22 second-chance points and 60 points in the paint, two nights after scoring just 36 points in the paint against Brooklyn and Adams going 3-of-12.
“It was just me the other night, really,” Adams said. “I was just missing all these chippies. You can’t stop being aggressive because you’re missing. That still adds value.
“Tonight the ball went in.”
Westbrook, Durant on Team LeBron
The 2018 All-Star Game rosters are set. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are teammates again.
It’ll look a lot like the 2016 Western Conference finals when Westbrook and Durant take the floor for Team LeBron in the All-Star Game on Feb. 18 in Los Angeles. Durant and Westbrook played on the same team last year, but with the All-Star Game selection process moving to a captains’ pick system, Durant will team up with Westbrook to try to beat his Warriors’ teammates.
On Team Stephen, selected by Golden State’s Stephen Curry, are Warriors guard Klay
Thompson and forward Draymond Green.
Westbrook thought it was cool to be selected by LeBron James to the team.
“It’s good they finally got the team figured out.”
Then, Carmelo Anthony interjected from his locker. “Tell them how you really feel.”
“I see that I was the last pick on the list,” Westbrook said.
Not exactly. The full list of who was drafted by team captains James and Curry hasn’t been officially revealed, but a photo of James’ handwritten list was posted on Twitter.
Westbrook was informed the names were in alphabetical order.
“See, I told you, man,” Westbrook yelled to Anthony. “Alphabetical order. Of course I was first.”
Tip-ins
Thunder forward Patrick Patterson played 13 minutes after receiving an MRI on his right wrist Wednesday. Patterson’s status was in question for Thursday’s game, but he logged two points and five rebounds. ... With 11 points, Terrance Ferguson had the highest-scoring home game of his career and closed out the game’s final seven minutes in place of Roberson, who Billy Donovan kept on the bench since the Thunder was in the foul bonus. “It was great to see him shoot the ball with confidence,” Donovan said of Ferguson. “He’s getting better and the experience he’s getting through these last several weeks I think is going to help him.”