Thunder burns Heat
OKC beat Miami, 105-99, on Friday night at the Peake.
The rim kept repelling shots Friday night. Paul George 3-pointers. Carmelo Anthony jumpers. Didn’t matter. Russell Westbrook went almost 24 game minutes between baskets.
Through three quarters, the Thunder offense was Steven Adams and Steven Adams alone. The Thunder made just 21 of its first 62 shots (34 percent). Its scoring by quarters was 24, 20, 20. The starters had combined to miss all nine of their 3-points shots. What could have been a devastating loss to Miami seemed not just possible but likely.
Then the smallest guy on the court saved the day.
Raymond Felton scored eight points in a 68-second span early in the fourth quarter, and the lid was off the basket. The Thunder’s offense caught fire just as the Thunder defense
collapsed, and it all added up to a 105-99 victory over the Heat in a game crucial to OKC’s seeding in the Western Conference playoffs.
“We had great, great minutes from Ray,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Ray’s done that several times for us. The run he went on really, really helped us.”
Through three quarters, Miami led 66-64. Westbrook wasn’t shooting (eight shots). George and Carmelo weren’t making (a combined 4-of-18). Only Adams (20 points through three quarters) and excellent foul shooting (19 of 24 through three quarters) had kept the Thunder afloat.
Then Felton came to the rescue. The backup point guard, an off-season acquisition every bit as important as Carmelo, drilled a 3-pointer. Felton then got into the lane and dropped in a short shot. Finally, Felton went to the basket and completed a 3-point play. Three possessions, eight points. A 66-71 deficit had become a 74-71 lead.
The Heat never caught up. Miami also didn’t go away, scissoring the Thunder defense for points on seven straight possessions, requiring late heroics from Westbrook and Adams. Westbrook scored 17 points in the final eight minutes. Adams dunked off a broken play to give the Thunder a four-point lead with 43 seconds left.
OKC survived what clearly was its second-easiest assignment in the final two weeks of the season, behind only a season-ender against hapless Memphis.
Felton paved the way. He finished with 10 points in barely 14 minutes of play. He led a second unit that played well on a night when the starting unit slogged through most of the game.
“We all feed off each other,” said Felton, a free-agent signing who gave Westbrook the backup point guard the Thunder so desperately needed last season. “Sometimes Paul may not be hitting a shot, Russ may not be hitting the shot, Melo may not be hitting the shot. It’s our job, when we come off the bench, to give the team a spark. We’re all human. Not going to put the ball in the basket every night.”
Felton provides the Thunder with hope when Westbrook sits, unlike last season. Hope and, at least Friday night, salvation.
“Just taking what’s there,” Felton said. “Sometimes, you know, we need a spark. Sometimes we need to be aggressive. Just try to change the game. I just gotta figure out a way to do it. You come off the bench, that’s your job. To provide a spark. That’s what I try to do.”
He’s done it a bunch this season, and he did it against Miami. After Felton’s run, the Thunder scored on 14 of their final 18 possessions.
“Definitely gave us a lift,” Westbrook said. “Ray did a great job being aggressive. Big 3-point play. Changed the momentum. Helped us get over the hump.”
The Thunder returned to fourth place in the West, which is where OKC aspires to finish, but if the Thunder is to stay there, this was a must-win.
Looks like the rest of the West is going to keep winning. The Thunder’d better also. Raymond Felton makes that possible. Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-7608080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.