Tweet of the Night: NBA Players’ Reactions to Thursday Night Games

Russell Westbrook pulls up for three in the waning seconds against Golden State.

You may think you know the biggest NBA fan…or, perhaps, you think you deserve that distinction yourself.

Everyone has their moment, impassioned by the play of their favorite player(s) on their favorite team(s) while watching their favorite sport. Some fans are crazy and have fits of rage when their team doesn’t play to their expectations. Others, however, may be more subdued when facing . They’d rather turn off the television and go to bed before seeing the end of the game if their team is losing.

Some fans enjoy a great game, regardless of who is playing.

However, the greatest fans—in any sport, but especially in basketball—are likely the guys who have committed their lives to it…the players, themselves.

Thursday night the NBA presented just two games in a doubleheader on TNT to combat Thursday night Football from both the NCAA and the NFL. Score a victory for the NBA’s schedule makers.

The night opened with a game in the nation’s largest market, as the New York Knicks hosted the Houston Rockets. Not only did it feature superstars in Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and James Harden, it also included the return of Linsanity, as a red hot Jeremy Lin paid his old team yet another visit.

Anthony had a stellar night offensively, scoring 45 points on 56.7-percent shooting.

Melos got it going boy #Buckets

— Anthony Morrow (@MrAnthonyMorrow) November 15, 2013

The game came down to the final seconds.

If Melo hits this shot the garden will go crazy!! — Maurice Harkless (@moe_harkless) November 15, 2013

Anthony attempted to catch and shoot a three with 5.8 seconds remaining and the Knicks behind by as much. The shot went in. It was called off, however, as referee Scott Foster determined that Harden fouled Anthony on the floor prior to his turnaround three-point attempt.

The Rockets prevailed, hanging on to win by that same three-point margin. Lin had 21 points in his first game against the Knicks this season. Harden and Chandler Parsons added 36 and 22 points respectively, while Dwight Howard was limited to seven points, while shooting 20 percent on only five attempts from the field.

For as captivating as the end of the Rockets and Knicks game was, the nightcap was far better. The NBA closed out the doubleheader with the Golden State Warriors hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The game featured a fast pace with little defense. The halftime score was 62-62 — 124 combined points. The Thunder had four players who scored in double-figures, including Russell Westbrook who was on fire, leading all scorers with 31 points on 65-percent shooting. The Warriors had five players in double-figures, including Klay Thompson who had 27 points while making six threes.

This game featured 16 lead changes and nine ties and, like the game before it, also came down to the final seconds. The Thunder, who had fallen behind by as many as 14 early in the fourth quarter, fought their way back. With 4.0 seconds remaining, Westbrook pulled up from the elbow and drained a 29-foot three-point shot.

With only 2.3 seconds left and the Thunder now up by one, the game seemed to be over.