Thursday Night Basketball returned on November 21, with four of the NBA’s top contenders taking center stage. The Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Los Angeles Clippers in the opening game, and the Chicago Bulls traveled to face the Denver Nuggets in the other.
Here’s how it all transpired.
1. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Clippers by a score of 105-91 at Chesapeake Energy Center. Kevin Durant led the charge with 28 points, eight assists, six rebounds and one steal in 39 minutes, while Serge Ibaka dropped 17 points and three blocks.
The Thunder are now 5-0 at home, which is the team’s best start since moving to Oklahoma City.
2. In defeat, Chris Paul extended his NBA-record streak by recording at least 10 points and 10 assists in his 13th consecutive game to open up the 2013-14 season. He tallied 17 points, 12 assists and five rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from three-point range in 35 minutes.
CP3 is looking like a legitimate MVP candidate.
3. For all that’s been made about his weaknesses, Clippers power forward Blake Griffin is looking like a genuine superstar early in 2013-14. He continued his outstanding campaign with 27 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals in 37 minutes, flashing improved interior and mid-range games.
Griffin has now topped 20 points and 10 rebounds in six straight games and 10 total in 2013-14. The latter mark has him tied with Kevin Love for the league-high.
Griffin is averaging 23.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals through 13 games.
4. Six of Brian Shaw’s players were in double-figures as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Chicago Bulls by a count of 97-87. Jordan Hamilton scored a team-high 17 points in 22 minutes, while J.J. Hickson and Kenneth Faried combined for 26 points, 20 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
It wasn’t all good news for the Nuggets, as they survived a 54.5 percent shooting performance from the free throw line to earn the victory. The Nuggets can thank some surprisingly strong defense for that.
5. The Bulls’ road woes continued during this game, as Chicago fell to 1-4 on the road in 2013-14. By comparison, Tom Thibodeau’s club is 5-0 at home.
Bonus Fact: Chicago defeated Denver in the rebound margin by a count of 58-48. Unfortunately, Chicago also committed two more turnovers and made six less three-point field goals.