Bulls trample Thunder
OKC lost at home to Chicago, 128-100.
Before Russell Westbrook checked back in at the quarter mark of the second quarter against Chicago, his message to huddle was “run, run, run.”
His message around the same juncture of the third quarter, the Thunder down 12? “Be aggressive.”
The former couldn’t happen because the Thunder’s defense was a sieve through three quarters of a 128-100 loss to Chicago, the Thunder’s third straight. Teams can’t run when they’re picking the ball out of their own net.
The latter? Westbrook certainly was aggressive, ripping off 28 points, 12 coming in a determined but ultimately futile third quarter in which the Thunder shot just 8-of-24.
While on the second night of a back-to-back, the Thunder dug another third quarter hole. Trailing 55-47 at halftime, the Thunder missed its first five 3-pointers of the third quarter, and finished below 30 percent from 3 for the 21st time this season.
Anthony Morrow mimicked his shooting stroke as Westbrook went to the line in the period, but the sharpshooter went scoreless on all four shots in the third. With the Thunder already without Enes Kanter (fractured forearm) indefinitely and Alex Abrines missing his second consecutive game with back spasms, the Thunder shot blanks around its star point guard.
Westbrook didn’t, relentless when in, yet oft frustrated. He dribbled behind his back, drove past fellow All-Star Jimmy Butler, and uncorked a powerful dunk to cut Chicago’s lead to … 19.
Even as Westbrook started to take command of the Thunder’s offense, in the third, Butler and the Bulls answered back.
Butler was battling illness in the Thunder’s Jan. 9 blowout of the Bulls in Chicago, but he was plenty healthy on Wednesday. He passed his point total from the first Thunder-Bulls meeting (one) just minutes into Wednesday’s game.
Butler matched Westbrook with 28 points, but on a more efficient 11-of17. He had 18 by halftime on a series of herky-jerk post moves, free throws and a steal which briefly took the breath out of Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Butler came away with a ball against Westbrook off an inbounds pass in which the Thunder guard seemed to tweak his left leg. The Thunder could ill afford to lose another scorer, let alone the league’s leader in points per game.
Westbrook closed out the quarter and eventually got Butler back. After Butler picked him from behind early in the third quarter, Westbrook tracked him down on the break and swatted his shot into the gasping crowd.
When Westbrook exited toward the end of the quarter, Butler hit a twisting fadeaway on the baseline. Westbrook checked back in during the fourth, and reached to contest a Dwyane Wade fadeaway to no avail.
There were instances Wednesday where even Westbrook didn’t heed his own sideline advice. He traded misfiring 3-pointers with Wade before kicking into high gear, darting in between defenders for a layup on the fast break, two of his 15 points in the first half.
Then, with the Thunder trailing 34-29, a rare glimpse of quick-strike shooting emerged. Morrow ran to the top of the 3-point like to screen for Westbrook, but never came close, instead squaring up in one motion as two defenders converged to the Thunder All-Star.
Westbrook quickly passed to Morrow for the 3-pointer. Next possession? Same thing. Chicago smelled it out, but Victor Oladipo was open in the corner.
A five-point deficit quickly evaporated via rare Thunder 3-point proficiency.
The sweet shooting didn’t sustain. It didn’t in Cleveland and San Antonio either. It hasn’t through 50 games.