OKC has minor free throw bounceback against Heat
Someone had to save the Thunder.
When it wasn’t Steven Adams, it was Russell
Westbrook. With Paul George and Carmelo Anthony struggling from the field, it was Westbrook time in the Thunder’s 105-99 win against Miami on Friday. Westbrook scored 17 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter on 5-of-6 shooting and 3-of-4 from the free throw line.
Westbrook’s shown greater discretion from the 3-point line this season and entered the fourth quarter with no attempts. And when he pulled up for a 3 from the top of the arc in a one-possession game with a little more than five minutes left, a better shot could have been cultivated.
But every now and then, Westbrook’s long-range bombs go in. It fell that time, and he did it again with 2:08 left in another one-possession scenario to stretch the Thunder’s lead to 95-91.
Westbrook added 13 rebounds and eight assists. Five of those assists went to Adams, as George and Anthony combined to shoot just 5-of-24 from the field.
Free throw bounceback (sort of)
Three days removed from the misery of the Boston free throw line collapse, the Thunder was far more efficient from the line in Friday’s game against Miami, but it wasn’t all roses.
Good thing, too, because OKC wasn’t making much from the field, shooting 42.9 percent. The Thunder made 15 consecutive free throws until Adams missed a pair with 5:30 left in the third. That started a run of four of six missed, with Adams looking fatigued as the Thunder leaned on him for offense. The Thunder finished 25-of-33 from the line for 75.8 percent.
Bench boost
The Thunder’s all-bench unit has been a hot topic this season.
For 3½ minute, the Thunder went with Alex Abrines, Patrick Patterson, Raymond Felton, Terrance Ferguson and Jerami Grant, and the fivesome outscored the Heat 7-4. In the fourth quarter, George went off frustrated with his fourth foul and the all-bench lineup responded with eight consecutive points from Felton before Westbrook came back at 8:43. The Thunder trailed 71-66 at George’s exit.
The Thunder’s bench combined to shoot 12-of-27 for 30 points, including 5-of-12 (41.7 percent) from 3-point range.
Donovan catches up with son
The NBA season is a busy time for Billy Donovan, one in which he doesn’t get to fraternize much with his oldest son, Billy Donovan III, who’s a rising assistant coach with the G League Austin Spurs.
Donovan had the rare opportunity to see his son Thursday night as the Spurs were in town to play the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.
Two years ago, Donovan III was the head coach at his high school alma mater — Saint Francis Academy in Gainesville, Fla. Now, Dad is curious to see what his son will do next. Donovan III is currently a player development assistant with Austin.
“As long as he’s happy, if that’s what he wants to do,” Donovan said of his 25-yearold son. “It’s really been interesting, relationship-wise. You sit there and you’re raising your kids and then they get older and now you actually sit down and you’re talking basketball with him on a totally different level than you ever have before. I really have enjoyed that part of it, especially in the offseason and the summers.”
Donovan’s son isn’t the only son of a coach in the Spurs pipeline. Tyler Self, the son of University of Kansas coach Bill Self, is a basketball operations quality assurance assistant, and Nick Kerr, son of Golden State coach Steve Kerr, is a Spurs video assistant.
Blue clinches playoff spot
The G League Oklahoma City Blue clinched a playoff spot Thursday night with a 98-94 comeback victory against the Austin Spurs. The Blue trailed by as many as 22 points in the second half. Thunder center Dakari Johnson had 23 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on assignment with the Blue. The Blue (27-22) wraps the regular season Saturday on the road against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Next up
The Thunder hosts the Portland Trail Blazers at 6 p.m. Sunday, the final game of the four-game regular season series. Portland leads 3-0.