Donovan’s Grant gamble pays off
MIAMI — There might not be anything wrong with Steven Adams.
The Thunder center had left the court for the locker room after the first time he checked out of Saturday’s 108-102 win against the Rockets in Houston, and did it again in the second half, but Adams had logged 28 minutes, scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds through three quarters.
Adams didn’t play at all in the fourth, but to hear Billy Donovan tell it, that wasn’t related to health. It centered more on a hunch, a sense of matchups that led Donovan to play Jerami Grant all 12 fourth-quarter minutes.
“We were able to switch and do some different things (with Grant),” Donovan said. “He was active on the glass. I felt like (Rockets center Clint) Capela was gonna be a roller, wasn’t gonna be a guy they were gonna jam the ball inside to. With the way the game was going, we kind of opened up a lead and we wanted to kind of stick with it.”
The Thunder stuck with Grant, and he stuck it to the Rockets.
Grant had five of his 12 points and two of his seven rebounds Saturday in that final quarter, playing a key part in an Oklahoma City defense that held the Rockets to 19 points.
“He was unbelievable,” teammate Carmelo Anthony said.
He didn’t block a shot in the fourth, but Grant had two in the game. Since the All-Star break, he’s averaging a blocked shot per game, up from the 0.8 blocks he averaged before.
“You definitely need to know he’s back there,” Thunder guard Russell Westbrook said. “He’s definitely one of the most athletic guys I know at the basket, and he does a good job of it.”
Grant’s contributions were critical on Saturday, and he figures to be a key piece of the rotation if the Thunder makes the playoffs. It needs one win in its final two games to guarantee a postseason berth.
The Thunder also wants a healthy Adams at playoff time, and though he’s been leaving the court when he checks out of late, Adams said that’s not related to an injury.
Asked to confirm that he’s gone into the tunnel to keep loose, Adams said, “Pretty much, mate.”
Abrines trades shots for stops
Minus the 3, Alex Abrines still was a plus on Saturday.
The Thunder guard made 1 of 8 shots against the Rockets and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. Still, he managed to make an imprint on the game, finishing with four points, two steals, five rebounds and an assist.
His only basket was on a strong drive in transition, contorting his body to make a layup while drawing a foul in the fourth quarter.
“You get more confidence” by contributing when shots don’t fall, Abrines said. “You got to find yourself, through defense, through an and-one, through rebounds, steals, assists — whatever you can find to feel more confident and try to keep your confidence high.”
And Abrines’ hope is that his contributions against Houston give confidence to Donovan that he can be a reliable rotation player even when shots don’t drop.
“I think I showed everybody that I can play good defense, be on the floor and not necessarily knock down those 3s,” Abrines said. “I think I’m hoping and just practicing every day trying to get better on the defensive end and putting it on the floor.”
Playoff picture
The Thunder is one of three teams that can clinch Western Conference playoff spots on Monday with wins.
Oklahoma City needs a win in Miami to get to 47 wins, the magic number to guarantee no worse than the No. 8 seed in the West.
The Spurs and Pelicans also are one win each from locking up postseason bids. San Antonio hosts the Sacramento Kings on Monday, and New Orleans plays at the L.A. Clippers.