Adams’ Christmas cracker stuns Spurs
OUTSIDE the playoffs, Christmas Day is the NBA’s premier stage.
Only the league’s marquee teams and players are invited to strut their stuff in front of a huge worldwide television audience – and the big guns routinely rise to the occasion.
As Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade put it: ‘‘It’s the game you grew up watching. Christmas, it’s the game that you watched every year, and dreamed about being in one day, the day that you knew everybody was watching, whatever game was on.’’
And so against this backdrop, New Zealand’s Steven Adams yesterday picked the perfect moment to showcase his rapidly blossoming talents, producing the best performance of his year-anda-bit long professional career.
The Oklahoma City Thunder centre was simply immense in a statement-making 114-106 road win over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, having his way with Hall of Famer Tim Duncan.
In 31 minutes, Adams had a career-best stat-line of 16 points (5/8 FG), 15 rebounds, including seven offensive, three blocks, two steals and an assist.
The one area in which he continues to struggle is his free throw shooting, connecting on just 6/12 from the stripe.
But his defence on Duncan (15 points, 6/13 FG) was exemplary and his overall influence on the game was highlighted by the fact the Thunder, without injured MVP Kevin Durant, outscored the Spurs by 27 points when he was on the floor.
‘‘This was one of the better ones,’’ Adams admitted. ‘‘But I can’t get satisfied over it.’’
Asked if it meant more that it came against Duncan, he replied: ‘‘It means a whole lot more just that we won. It doesn’t mean shit if we lost . . . We needed this for Christmas.’’
Without Durant (ankle), Adams stepped up in support of the Thunder’s wrecking ball Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook had 34 points, 11 assists and shared the same +27 plus-minus as Adams. The pair worked a highly effective two-man game, with the big Kiwi setting hard screens and showing a deft touch around the rim.
The praise flowed for Adams post-game.
‘‘Steven was terrific all game long on both ends of the floor,’’ said Thunder coach Scott Brooks.
‘‘He gave us great energy and great presence on the defensive end. He rebounded the ball well. We have to keep building him.’’
Added Westbrook: ‘‘He was being physical. He’s been doing a great job of being smart. He’s doing a great job of finishing around the basket. As you can see he has great touch. Today I was proud of him.’’
ESPN’s Thunder expert Royce Young went a step further, writing: ‘‘Adams hasn’t played a better game in a Thunder uniform. His interior defence on Tim Duncan was spectacular. He completely stood up the Hall of Famer, taking away any kind of backdowns or turnarounds . . . Adams has flashed his potential a number of times, but it’s all becoming a lot more consistent.’’
The Thunder, who have been badly affected by injuries to both Durant and Westbrook this season, remain 10th in the Western Conference with a 14-16 record.