Thunder snap their skid, topping the Jazz 97-82

BOX SCORE

The ball found Anthony Morrow on a tipped out rebound, and he stepped into a wide open 3, nailing the kind of dagger we’ve seen Kevin Durant hit so many times to lock down Thunder wins.

There was 3:41 left, and Morrow’s 3 put the Thunder up 95-75 over the Jazz, essentially sealing a desperately needed win to snap a six-game losing streak. Scott Brooks felt it, letting out a wry grin, looking up towards Loud City, as he exhaled for probably the first time in three weeks.

“It was a good game for us,” Brooks said. “It was good to get a win. It was good to get off of three wins. The last time we were on three wins was many years ago.”

(Yeah, that got way worse. As in 3-29 worse.)

It’s been an admirable thing about this Thunder team, that despite all the painful losses and the deepening hole they’re falling into, that the effort desire remains. Even in the losses against the Nets and Warriors, two games that the Thunder gave away in a lot of ways, two games they may be forced to regret later, they were able to leave those losses in the locker room. They aren’t dragging their horrible record around as a burden, moping about on the court each night.

The Jazz started hot tonight, scoring 18 of their first 25 points in the paint and the thought crept into my head that maybe this was it, maybe the Thunder were finally showing cracks. There wasn’t a lot of energy from the starting five and with a defensive edge lacking, it seemed like only a matter of time before the Jazz started pulling away. The score was 25-15 when Brooks mass-substituted, going with his entire second unit, and almost immediately, that group impacted the game.

Jeremy Lamb flashed the skill that he possesses but frustratingly hides from time to time, scoring nine quick points in the first quarter as the second unit turned things around to a 31-29 lead with a 16-4 run. The tone changed. The feel was different. Nick Collison clearly had a mindset coming in to this one, cranking his defensive intensity to another level. Anthony Morrow knocked down early shots. And in the end, the Thunder bench outscored Utah’s 44-3.

“Yeah, that changed the game,” Brooks said. “That 16-4 run changed the game. I thought Perk, Nick, did a good job of really locking into our coverage and they were into the ball on all pick and rolls and their guards were no able to see the lanes or the passing angles.”

A number of players talked postgame about Lamb and how consistent he is with his work, never allowing himself to get too low after some of his, well, terrible performances. Lamb’s inconsistency is jarring, as he fluctuates from decent nights to abysmal, embarrassing games. Like going from five points on 0-6 shooting in 12 minutes against the Warriors on Sunday to 21 on 7-8 shooting (3-3 from 3) in 24 minutes tonight.

“I think this was a game he needed,” Kendrick Perkins said of Lamb. “But he’s not satisfied. He still wants to work. One thing I love about Jeremy is even when he has bad games he’s consistent on his work. He watches film every day and that’s why we roll with him even when he’s going through down times because it’s a long season. You have ups and downs and you’ve just got to stick with it.”

Said Lamb: “Just have to work hard and make it a habit to work hard. Just have to make a conscious effort to go out and play as hard as I can for the team and do whatever it takes to get some wins.”

The Thunder have been desperate for offensive options and while Lamb supplied a major spark, it was the steady baseline Serge Ibaka provided to help close it out. Sitting on a rough 4-14 shooting night, Ibaka bounced back hitting his last five shots, many in a sturdy pick-and-roll two-man game with Reggie Jackson.

“It helps a lot, especially with the defensive coverage they play,” Jackson said. “We kind of knew what was coming; they didn’t throw too many wrinkles at us necessarily. At the same time I could see their coach saying take the ball out of my hands. So I was going to make it easy, run pick-and-roll, get off of it, and let my teammates make plays. Happy it worked.”

Having that bedrock offensive option provides so much confidence for the other four players, just someone to look for each time down. It’s not even that Ibaka had to shoot, but just running the offense through him was a simple, effective way to produce good looks for everyone. Side screen and roll, high pick and pop, angle pick and roll, whatever, and within that there was a foundation to work offense through.

Jackson noted it postgame that despite winning this one, it doesn’t solve any of the issues they’ve faced in losses. The Thunder have looked solid when they’re playing with a substantial lead in the fourth quarter. It’s the tight games they’ve faltered. And while getting off this losing streak is nice, he’s not feeling all that great.

“Happy to win, but I’ll be relieved when we figure out how to pull out these close ones,” Jackson said. “A lot of teams can win these easy games where you pull away, not to take anything away from what we did tonight, I wish we could win all of them like that, but as the season goes on we have to win close games. We’ve learned how to be in close games but right now without our two superstars it’s on us to figure out how to win these close ones. Once we get over that hump and become victorious in these close games, these battles that we have, I think I’ll be more relived then.”

The Thunder are still just 4-12. They’re still in the cellar of the West. They still have a very long road back. But you can’t win nine games at once. It’s a slow burn, a crawl back towards respectability and while they’ve had a number of excruciating close calls that may cost them later, this is one more in the win column, and one fewer on the loss side.

It’s just one, but it’s potentially one that could serve as a springboard back as the Thunder are possibly just days away from being whole again. They’ve missed a bunch of opportunities to better position themselves for when everyone is back, but it’s too late for those games. This team can’t live in the past. They can’t mourn those losses anymore. It’s forward, and beating the Jazz and snapping that six-game skid if step one.

NOTES:

• In case you missed it, the Thunder have released Sebastian Telfair — not Ish Smith — as their hardship exception expires tomorrow.

• So, why Smith and not Telfair? The Thunder like Smith a lot, really keying in on his speed and athleticism, and were keen on signing him in the summer but he was under contract with the Rockets. He got waived in training camp and was available to be picked up. I’m certainly a little curious that is if this is how they felt, why has Telfair played over him the last two weeks, but regardless, Smith is a better player. Telfair had some decent moments, but he couldn’t guard and couldn’t do anything under the 3-point line. Remember: We’re talking about a third point guard here that once Westbrook returns, won’t be in the rotation. Don’t get too worked up about this.

• With a few days off, finally, the Thunder just looked, I don’t know, refreshed. Like they had a little more pace to them, like they were more aggressive on both ends. They seemed to have a better idea of what they wanted to do, what they were trying to accomplish. They was more confidence and more rhythm to them. Maybe it was the time off, or maybe it was the Jazz sucking. Who knows, but the Thunder played well and won.

• Nick Collison with some widsom: “It helps. But I think the goal is to get our level of play consistent. And to not get too high or low with wins or losses but there’s no doubt you lose six straight and a win is much-needed for confidence and moral. So I think hopefully what we do is recognize why we won and what we did to win and we recognize why we lose in those games and try and change it. I think that’s part of being a pro is to take the good and try to do more of that and take the bad and try to correct it.”

• Something I’m just now noticing for some reason is that Reggie Jackson always takes out his mouthpiece to call out plays.

• The Thunder scored 56 points in the first half, which is a season high.

• I enjoy every time Steven Adams scores on the block how Kevin Durant screams, “TOO SMALL!!!”

• The Thunder shot just 10 free throws tonight, which isn’t good. Luckily, they made enough shots for that not to hurt them.

• Kendrick Adams tonight: 10 points, 18 rebounds.

• Key stat: Just 17 minutes for Lance Thomas, and some came in garbage time.

• I thought Jackson played one of his best games of the season. He pushed the ball more, attacked the rim and didn’t look for perimeter shots too often. He scored 22 on 10-18 with eight assists and just had command of the floor. Really good game.

• I’ve been a little out of the loop the last few days, but have all the positive vibes around Andre Roberson already turned because of one measly airball? It’s not his fault he was on the floor when he shouldn’t have been and the ball found him when it shouldn’t have. He’s never been able to shoot, but the dude can defend the hell out of people. The offense is slowly — SLOWLY — improving, but if you’re turning on the guy because you’re just now realizing he’s can’t shoot because you saw one shot, well, then don’t.

• Anthony Morrow hit 4-9 from 3, some of the chucked variety late in shot clocks. But man, when he’s squared and open, it’s going down.

• If it means anything — and it probably doesn’t — Russell Westbrook very obviously only high-fived with his left hand tonight. YES, I know he’s left-handed, but when he’s high-fiving multiple teammates on both sides of him exclusively with his left hand at his side leaving the right at his side, it’s pretty clear he didn’t want to use it.

• I was gone, but upon my return one of the first things I saw was a fresh Nick Collison haircut. Exactly what I needed. Even more than a Thunder win.

Next up: Knicks in OKC on Friday