Oklahoma City Thunder: One Game, One Win (Plus Halloween!)

Nick Collison, Party Host Legend. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com

The Oklahoma City Thunder played their first game of the regular season last night, with a frustrating win over the Utah Jazz. But that’s not all that happened in this past week. Let’s dig deeper into the week that was.

What Went Down

Nick Collison‘s Halloween/Birthday Party – Oct. 26, 2013

Because there was only one game to talk about, we have some extra time to delve into some of the events from Nick Collison’s 33rd birthday/Halloween hybrid party. Some of his teammates came out in full force for this joyous occasion and because of the magic of social media, we get an inside look at some of the costumes. Allow me to give my expert opinion on the costumes of the night.

The host pulled off an excellent Walter White rendition. A very topical and poignant costume, the goatee and gas mask really pull it all together. – 9/10

Serge Ibaka and girlfriend Keri Hilson were the victors in my opinion, with their spot-on Coming To America-themed costumes. Serge changed the game with this one and didn’t break character throughout the night. – 10/10

Kevin Durant went classic for this party, rocking the Freddie Krueger mask. I would have liked to see a little more commitment from one of the 2nd best player in the world, but the bucket hat is a lovely touch. – 6.5/10

I’m not really sure how to describe Jeremy Lamb‘s costume. I like the traditional skeleton, but it isn’t very elaborate. All I know is that I would be terrified if I saw a skeleton with 7’1″ wingspan running towards me. 6/10

And then there’s the two wildcards. Thabo Sefolosha and Steven Adams only appeared in one picture, but they both killed it. Thabo looks downright ornate as a pharaoh, and Steven Adams’ elaborate caveman getup proves that he has the poise to play on the big stage (both in Halloween and in basketball). I love them both. 15/10

Thunder 101, Jazz 98 – Oct. 30, 2013

Well that was gross. The Thunder eked out an ugly three-point win over the Utah Jazz last night. There were plenty of positives from the game, but a whole lot of negatives. The positives start and end with Kevin Durant. He’s starting off his scoring title campaign with a bang: 42 points, including 22-of-24 from the charity stripe. He did Durant-type things the entire game, especially early in the game, singlehandedly keeping them afloat. He struggled throughout the fourth quarter as the Jazz mounted a comeback, but made some sweet iso jumpers.

But there were stretches where Durant was the only one who could do anything on offense. Serge Ibaka went 4-for-15 from the field in a rather uninspiring offensive effort. Reggie Jackson and Thabo Sefolosha were the only other players in double figures, but neither could create their own shot at all. However, Jackson had five steals and looked strong defensively (but Utah started John Lucas III at point, so don’t read too far into that).

Sadly, preseason sweetheart Steven Adams didn’t make a huge impact. In 18 minutes, he had two points and three rebounds. That’s not the rebounding freak we fell in love with during the preseason, but it’s one game. Jeremy Lamb also added very little, with four points on 2-of-6 shooting. All in all, no one can score except for Durant. That’s bad. They missed Russell Westbrook last night, but survived. A win is a win.

GIF of the Week

Well, it’s actually a Vine. Sorry. But Thabo Sefolosha provided a rare non-Durant offensive highlight. Here’s a smooth dunk over Derrick Favors, which should make him a lock for the Slam Dunk Contest.

Looking Forward

The regular season picks up in the upcoming week. The Oklahoma City Thunder have three games, starting in Minnesota to face the Timberwolves. They then have a two-game homestand against the Suns and Mavericks. While they certainly will be busy, this team is certainly talented enough to win all three of those affairs. By the end of next week, we should have a good picture of what this Thunder team will look like without the services of Russell Westbrook. But we could be seeing Russ back in the lineup sooner than expected, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski. That’s a little early Halloween treat for ya.

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