Thursday Bolts – 2.12.15

ESPN Stats and Info: “The Thunder’s improved play has largely been a product of health. After all, Oklahoma City is 17-9 this season when both Durant and Westbrook are in the lineup. That .654 win percentage would put them in the range of the fifth-seeded Mavericks if the Thunder had played that well all season. The team is 4-10 when neither star plays and 7-6 when Westbrook plays but not Durant. Entering the day, the Thunder had a 64 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index as BPI ranks the Thunder as the NBA’s 7th-best team. However, BPI expects Oklahoma City to stay at the bottom of the playoff picture as the Thunder have a 49 percent chance to finish eighth, an 11 percent chance to end up seventh and a four percent chance to earn a top-six seed.”

Berry Tramel: “Green downplayed his homecoming. He spent almost three seasons in OKC and was considered a team leader. But Green called it ‘just another game now.’ Said guarding Durant is ‘a challenge I wanted to take.’ That’s a challenge the Thunder gladly will accept, too. Durant didn’t shoot well in Memphis on Jan. 31, making just five of 16 shots, but he was hobbled by an ankle injury that sidelined him the two games before and the two games after that trip to Bluff City. Green gives Memphis a better chance in the playoffs. But maybe not against the Thunder. Now it’s the Thunder’s job to reach the postseason. Dave Joerger says that will be no problem.”

Not a broken nose for Serge Ibaka.

My postgame story for ESPN.com on how the Thunder can still be great, if No. 35 can just stay healthy.

Russell Westbrook clears about HandshakeGate: “It was something we talked about previously,” he said. “(We talked) about shaking guys hands and he missed my hand so it was something we joked around with.”

Ben Golliver of SI.com predicts what Westbrook will wear All-Star Saturday: “The 10-day forecast expects Saturday’s temperature to check in at a chilly 25 degrees, so I’m expecting Westbrook to go with fur. For some reason I’m picturing him wearing a one-piece jumpsuit that morphs seamlessly into a polar bear pelt hooded sweatshirt. With custom Jordan XX9s to match, of course. Does this gold watch go with my paws?”

The night Vinsanity was born is excellent.

Hal Brown for Nylon Calculus writing to Charles Barkley: “But we also know it works because the analytics teams are better than the non-analytics teams by a lot this year. Like, Atlanta is the most analytics-saavy team in the East, and they’re the best by a lot. The Raptors are really darn analytics heavy too, and they’re second. Hell, every single damn playoff team in the West is analytics-heavy except maybe the Clippers, and the non-playoff teams are almost exclusively not analytics friendly (OKC, Utah, and Sacramento excepted). I mean, the Kings are probably the only example of a team where analytics have gotten them nowhere, and they’re a mess for other reasons.”

The Warriors are the most expensive NBA ticket.

Darnell Mayberry: “Not shown on any of the last three box scores and perhaps not even on the television sets at home Wednesday night was the extent to which Durant labored against the Grizzlies. He limped all over, walking to the bench and coming out of timeouts, jogging back on defense after made baskets and while lingering on the defensive end on fast breaks. After the Thunder took a 99-82 lead on a Serge Ibaka jump shot, Brooks replaced Durant for good with 3:41 remaining. Durant went directly to the locker room to start receiving treatment.”