Boucher, Raptors hand Thunder tenth straight loss, 112-106
Up to date: 2:21 PM CDT Apr 19, 2023
LATEST FIRST ALERT FORECAST. >> WELCOME TO THE SHOW TONIGHT. I AM BRYAN KEATING. HE IS CARSON CUNNINGHAM. IT IS TIME. CRASHING THE BOARDS. THE THUNDER ARE CLIMBING THE LOTTERY ODDS. >> WHAT A WEEK FOR OKC. IT WAS GOING TO BE TOUGH TO KEEP THE LOSING STREAK GOING. YOU HAVE THE PISTONS WHICH ARE ONE OF THE WORST TEAMS IN THE NBA. OKLAHOMA CITY DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO THIS. IT THAT THE THUNDER MADE THE DECISION. SINCE THEN, CARSON, 10 STRAIGHT LOSSES FOR OKC. THE LONGEST LOSING STREAK SINCE 2008. >> THIS IS NOT JUST WHAT YOU AND I WANT. THIS IS WHAT THE THUNDER ORGANIZATION WANTS. THEY ARE TRYING TO LOSE GAMES TO IMPROVE THE ODDS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE MUCH EARLIER IN THE SEASON BUT THEY ARE POSITIONING THEMSELVES NICELY. THIS GAME AGAINST THE RAPTORS WAS 2 TAN DRIVING AT EACH OTHER. THE THUNDER PLAYED REALLY WELL THROUGHOUT. AS THEY HAVE MOST OF THE TIME. THEY OBVIOUSLY LOST AGAIN BUT FOR ME, IT HAS BEEN NICE TO SEE DARIUS BAZLEY START TO REFINED HIS FORM. HE WAS INJURED, HE MISSED A LOT OF GAMES. WHEN HE WAS PLAYING, HE WAS NO GOOD AT ALL. IT HAS BEEN NICE TO SEE DARIUS BAZLEY REGAIN HIS FORM. WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT LOU DORT. >> THESE WERE TWO IMPORTANT LOSSES FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. WE KIND OF JOKE ABOUT THAT. I MADE THE STATEMENT LAST WEEK THAT THIS MIGHT BE THE WORST TEAM IN NBA HISTORY. I THINK THOSE TEAMS MAY BE. THEY ARE PROBABLY THE WORST TEAM IN THE NBA. THEY GIVE GREAT EFFORT. THEY ARE COMPETITIVE EVERY NIGHT. I WILL TELL YOU WHAT, AFTER THE SHOW, I WILL SWEET THAT OUT. IT IS A GREAT BREAKDOWN OF HIS FUTURE IN THE NBA. YOU CAN SEE SOME GLIMMERS OF HOPE ALONG THE WAY. WHETHER IT IS LOU DORT OR SHESKEY, I THINK THE DARIUS BAZLEY THING, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE DON’T KNOW HOW THE LOTTERY BALL WILL MIX OUT. WE DON’T KNOW WHO THE THUNDER WILL DRAFT. THE THUNDER AT THIS POINT ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GIVE THEMSELVES THE BEST ODDS IN THE DRAFT. I THINK THE MATTER HOW THE LOTTERY SHAKES OUT. THEY WILL HAVE — NO MATTER HOW THE LOTTERY SHAKES OUT, IF THEY WANT TO MAKE A MOVE FOR A STAR IN — INTO OR THREE YEARS, I THINK THE THUNDER ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS TO BUILD THIS THING THE RIGHT WAY. IT IS JUST DIFFICULT FOR THUNDER FANS TO WATCH THIS TEAM RIGHT NOW. I THINK LAST THREE YOU SAID SOMETHING. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE THE ONLY SEASON THAT OKLAHOMA — OAK LOMA CITY TANKS. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO TANK LIKE THEY MIGHT NOT WIN AND THEY PROBABLY WON’T BE GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS BUT I DON’T THINK YOU’LL SEE THIS TANK JOB MOVING FORWARD FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. IT IS EASIER TO TANK IN THIS YEAR BECAUSE SHEA GOT HURT. THEY SAY MAYBE YOU CAN SIT DOWN. WE ARE GOING TO BE CAREFUL. THESE YOUNG GUYS ARE GOING TO WANT TO PLAY IN THE FUTURE. I DON’T THINK THEY WILL BE TANKING AS WE MOVE FORWARD. CERTAINLY NOT THE WAY WE SEE IT AS FAR AS THIS GOES. THE VIDEO WE ARE SHOWING IT OUT IS LOU DORT. THIS GUY HAS EMERGED AS ONE OF THE LETTER TO GUARDS IN THE NBA. HE HAS GOTTEN BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER. LAST WEEK ON THE ROAD AGAINST THE UTAH JAZZ, HE HAD 42 POINTS. THE SIXTH PLAYER EVER IN THUNDER HISTORY TO GET 40 POINTS IN A GAME. KEVIN DURANT, RUSSELL WESTBROOK, JAMES HARDEN, PAUL GEORGE AND SAY GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER — GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER. >> THOSE GUYS USE MENTIONED WERE ON THIS LIST. I DON’T WANT TO GET TOO FAR AHEAD OF MYSELF HERE. BUT HE IS ONE OF THE BEST TWO-WAY PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE RIGHT NOW. IN HIS FOUR GAMES SINCE THE TURNING — RETURNING TO THE LINEUP, HE HAS FIGURED OUT HIS SHOT. HE HAS REALLY DEVELOPED. TELL ME IF I’M GETTING TOO FAR OVER HERE. THIS REMINDS ME A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT RUSSELL WESTBROOK MADE. HE WAS THROWING OFF THE BACKBOARD. THEY MADE THAT RUN IN THE FINALS WHERE HE SCORED 40 POINTS IN THE NBA FINALS GAME. HE DROPPED 30 IN GAME SEVEN OF THE PLAYOFFS LAST YEAR. THIS GUY IS ALREADY IN THE FIRST YEAR OF HIS CONTRACT, SIGNIFICANTLY OUTPERFORMING THAT CONTRACT. HE HAS JUMPED UP A HIGHER LEVEL. HE HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING. IT WILL BE HARD TO TANK WHEN THIS GUY PLAYS 35 MINUTES TELL ME, AM I GETTING TOO FAR AHEAD OF MYSELF? THIS IS A RUSSELL WESTBROOK IN — RUSSELL WESTBROOK TYPE JUMP. QUESTEC I IS GOING TO THE HALL OF FAME. HIS LAST THREE GAMES, 29-26. THE THING THAT MAKES THE 42 POINT GAME SO IMPRESSIVE, HE GUARDED DONOVAN MITCHELL EVERY TIME. HE HELPED DONOVAN MITCHELL GET UNDER HIS SEASON AVERAGE. DO A HECK OF A JOB DOING THAT. ON THE OTHER END, 42. I THINK HIS TRAJECTORY, IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF AT SOME POINT, LOU DORT IS AN ALL-STAR IN HIS CAREER. I COMPARED HIM PRETTY FAVORABLY TO MARCUS MARK NOT THAT LONG AGO. I THINK HE WILL BE BETTER THAN MARCUS MARK. I THINK HE HAS A MUCH BETTER OFFENSIVE PLAYER ALREADY. I THINK HIS TRAJECTORY IS AN ALL-STAR LEVEL PLAYER. THAT MAKES SOME OF THIS TANKING STUFF, HE IS ONE OF THE BEST CONTRACTS IN THE LEAGUE. FOR YEARS, $5.2 MILLION. IT IS THE BEST BARGAIN INTHE NBA. HIS TRAJECTORY IS ALL-STAR LEVEL. >> JUST IN TERMS OF THE JUMP, AS I MENTIONED, RUSSELL WAS A ROOKIE. ALL OF THE SUDDEN HE HAS TURNED INTO A VERY DIFFERENT PLAYER. HE IS DROPPING 42 POINTS IN A GAME. HE IS ON FIRE. >> I WANT TO LOOK AT TO WHERE THE THUNDER MIGHT FALL. — LOOK WHERE THE THUNDER MIGHT FALL. LET’S SHOW YOU A LIST OF THE TEAMS AND THE WORST RECORDS. THIS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE LOTTERY BALLS WILL HIT THE RIGHT WAY BUT RIGHT NOW, THE THUNDER ARE BARRELING DOWN AND THEY MAY BE ABLE TO CATCH ORLANDO. THIS IS WHY THE LOSS TO DETROIT WAS IMPORTANT. IT GIVES THEM BETTER ODDS. >> I DID NOT THINK THEY WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE UP BUT THEY SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THEIR ODDS — IMPROVED THEIR ODDS. THEY NOW HAVE A 48% CHANCE, MOST ACCLAIMED FLIP OF THE HOUSTON PICK COMING BACK TO THEM. THEY HAVE A 42% CHANCE AT A TOP FOUR PICK. WHILE IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WOULD GET NOWHERE NEAR THE TOP FIVE JUST WEEKS AGO, THEY ARE RIGHT THERE. WHEN THE PING-PONG BALLS FALL THEIR WAY, THEY WILL GET HOUSTON’S PICK. THE TANKING IS PAYING OFF. IT HAS BEEN TERRIBLE TO WATCH FOR THUNDER FANS. THINK ABOUT THIS, THIS WILL BE THE SECOND YEAR IN FRANCHISE HISTORY. I KNOW THIS IS UNCHARTED TERRITORY. THE ONLY WAY TO GET BACK ABOVE 500 IS LIKE THIS. TO GET BACK IN THE DRAFT THE WAY THEY DID EARLY O
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Boucher, Raptors hand Thunder tenth straight loss, 112-106
Up to date: 2:21 PM CDT Apr 19, 2023
Chris Boucher had 31 factors and 11 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors prolonged Oklahoma Metropolis’s season-worst dropping streak to 10 video games, beating the Thunder 112-106 on Sunday evening.Gary Trent Jr. added 23 factors for Toronto, which has received three straight. Malachi Flynn had 15 factors and eight rebounds.Luguentz Dort led the Thunder with 29 factors, 21 of them coming within the first quarter of what formed up as a duel (with Boucher) of gamers with Montreal roots.“It put some pep in my step somewhat bit. It positively put some extra power into the sport,” Boucher mentioned. “I simply need individuals to comprehend we’ve guys from Montreal which are actually gifted. It was an thrilling showcase simply to point out individuals what we’ve.”“They each in all probability needed to placed on a present tonight they usually each did it,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse mentioned.Darius Bazley added 16 factors and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who’ve misplaced 13 of 14 since main scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined final month by a proper foot damage.The Raptors didn’t take the lead for retains till Boucher’s 3-pointer with 2:27 remaining. Trent arrange Boucher for one more 3-pointer that clinched the victory with 10.4 seconds left. “We’ve been dropping a number of shut video games, so it positively felt good to win this one and know that we are able to end video games,” Boucher mentioned.Dort made all seven of his pictures within the first quarter, together with 5 3-pointers, and the Thunder moved forward by 12 factors within the second quarter.Boucher had 20 factors within the first half together with a 3-pointer buzzer shot that minimize Oklahoma Metropolis’s benefit to 59-52. The Thunder had been 9 of 17 from 3-point vary within the opening half.Toronto’s Paul Watson Jr., coming off a career-high 30-point recreation on Friday evening, went scoreless in 22 minutes, lacking 10 pictures.
Chris Boucher had 31 factors and 11 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors prolonged Oklahoma Metropolis’s season-worst dropping streak to 10 video games, beating the Thunder 112-106 on Sunday evening.
Gary Trent Jr. added 23 factors for Toronto, which has received three straight. Malachi Flynn had 15 factors and eight rebounds.
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Luguentz Dort led the Thunder with 29 factors, 21 of them coming within the first quarter of what formed up as a duel (with Boucher) of gamers with Montreal roots.
“It put some pep in my step somewhat bit. It positively put some extra power into the sport,” Boucher mentioned. “I simply need individuals to comprehend we’ve guys from Montreal which are actually gifted. It was an thrilling showcase simply to point out individuals what we’ve.”
“They each in all probability needed to placed on a present tonight they usually each did it,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse mentioned.
Darius Bazley added 16 factors and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who’ve misplaced 13 of 14 since main scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined final month by a proper foot damage.
The Raptors didn’t take the lead for retains till Boucher’s 3-pointer with 2:27 remaining. Trent arrange Boucher for one more 3-pointer that clinched the victory with 10.4 seconds left.
“We’ve been dropping a number of shut video games, so it positively felt good to win this one and know that we are able to end video games,” Boucher mentioned.
Dort made all seven of his pictures within the first quarter, together with 5 3-pointers, and the Thunder moved forward by 12 factors within the second quarter.
Boucher had 20 factors within the first half together with a 3-pointer buzzer shot that minimize Oklahoma Metropolis’s benefit to 59-52. The Thunder had been 9 of 17 from 3-point vary within the opening half.
Toronto’s Paul Watson Jr., coming off a career-high 30-point recreation on Friday evening, went scoreless in 22 minutes, lacking 10 pictures.
