NBA in Oklahoma

Thunder 0-3 heading into first game in Oklahoma

2008-10-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

After three losses on a four-night Western state swing, Oklahoma City finally returns to the Sooner State to face the Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in the new Bank of Oklahoma Center in downtown Tulsa.

Oklahoma City dropped a 122-102 decision to Golden State on Saturday night to drop to 0-3 in the preseason. Kevin Durant had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Thunder, who shot just 38.6 percent from the floor. Damien Wilkins added 23 points, and Chris Wilcox chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds.

The night before, a low field goal shooting percentage (37.1) doomed the Thunder in a 94-85 loss at Sacramento.

Season kicks off in Montana with loss

2008-10-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

Rashad McCants scored 13 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Minnesota hit consecutive 3-pointers late in the game as the Timberwolves posted an 88-82 win over Oklahoma City in the Thunder's NBA debut. OKC (0-1 preseason) was outscored 28-19 in the fourth quarter and was 1-for-5 from 3-point range. Damien Wilkins paced Oklahoma City with 19 points while Chris Wilcox chipped in 17 and rookie point guard Russell Westbrook added 13.

The game, played before 3,817 in Billings, Montana, was the first of a Western road swing that takes the Thunder to Sacramento and Golden State before returning to Oklahoma.

The first month of the Thunder's schedule

2008-10-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Like any other NBA team, it's important the Thunder gets off to a good start early in order to build some momentum and confidence. November certainly holds some challenges for the Thunder, including a home game with the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics on November 5 and back-to-back games with Phoenix (at home on November 25) and Cleveland (on the road on November 26). An interesting couple of days will also happen when the New Orleans Hornets pay their first visit back to OKC on November 21, then the Thunder travel to the Big Easy the next night for a quick rematch.

An interesting quirk ... the Thunder are on the road every Saturday in November.

Tomorrow is the day...

2008-09-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

We finally learn the colors and name of the OKC NBA team. The announcement is supposed to come at 5 p.m. CT.

My personal guess? You're looking at the Oklahoma Thunder with black and gold colors, giving a nod to the black gold oil days.

We'll see what happens, but it will be nice to be able to have a mascot instead of just OKC.

Finally we'll know on September 3...

2008-08-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma City's new NBA franchise has finally set a date to announce its name and team colors.

The team said Wednesday that it would unveil the name and colors simultaneously on its Web site and at a downtown event Sept. 3.

Clay Bennett's ownership group has applied for trademarks for six names: Thunder, Energy, Wind, Marshalls, Barons and Bison.

This is crazy...

2008-08-26T22:03:00.001-07:00

How is it almost the end of August and we still don't know what the OKC franchise's name will be? I have a season ticket exploration date on Sept. 15. Will we know by then?

Orlando is out and OKC is in...

2008-08-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, the first time OKC's NBA team takes the court, it will be in Tulsa.

Tulsa will host an exhibition match between Orlando and OKC at the BOK Center on Oct. 13. This replaces the game originally scheduled at the BOK Center between the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets on the same night.

"Tulsa is an important part of Oklahoma’s NBA success and the BOK Center is an important part of Tulsa’s future,” said Clay Bennett, chairman of the Oklahoma City franchise, in a press release. “We are thrilled that Tulsa and its new first class arena are able to host the first chance for fans in Oklahoma to see their new team on the court. The people of Tulsa have shown that they are committed to making the NBA work in Oklahoma, and having the chance to host a preseason game this year is a direct result of their commitment and excitement.”

The schedule is out and Oct. 29 is on the calendar

2008-08-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

The schedule for OKC and the rest of the NBA was announced today, with OKC opening the season at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 29. Of course, Milwaukee star Andrew Bogut will be on display during the Olympics as he competes for Australia.

Definitely some matchups that raise your eyebrows, including the early-season visit by the world champion Celtics (on Nov. 5) and the return of the Hornets to OKC on Nov. 21.

We'll take an indepth look at the schedule in upcoming weeks, and see what game interests you the most. Stay tuned...

Season ticket request tops 16,000 in OKC

2008-07-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Reports are circulating that more than 16,000 people have signed up for OKC's season ticket list. That would certainly be a great foundation for future success and OKC and hopefully negate any talk that the Sooner State won't support professional basketball.

Of course, this is still the honeymoon period and a couple of losing seasons may douse the fire that OKC fans currently have for the team that has yet to step on the court at the Ford Center. However, things are certainly off to a good start in Oklahoma City ... and throughout Oklahoma. I know there are many fans from Tulsa who plan to make the drive down I-44 for the games.

Will the Thunder roll?

2008-07-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Media reports in Oklahoma City are tabbing the Thunder as OKC's new name. Of course, that sets up nicely for having Garth Brooks' "The Thunder Rolls" be a part of the franchise's pre- or postgame activities.

Two OKC players make All-Summer League first team

2008-07-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

If you followed the Orlando Pro Summer League, it should be little surprise that two OKC players made the All-Summer League first team.

Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green impressed the crowd in Orlando, with many picking Westbrook as the unofficial MVP of the league. Westbrook finished the league by averaging 16.5 points and 3.5 assists per outing. Green led OKC in scoring by logging nearly 23 points game and finishing with 20 or more points in three of the four games in which he played. Coming off a season where Green was named as a first-team All-NBA Rookie, joining teammate Kevin Durant on the squad.

Speaking of rookies, don't forget the play of D.J. White, who was a first-round pick by Detroit at #29 overall, then sent to Seattle. White exploded against the Chicago Bulls on the last day in Orlando, notching 20 points to lead OKC to an impressive 86-73 victory.

Overall, the young talent on display in Orlando should give OKC fans plenty of reasons to be excited ... as if Oklahoma having an NBA team wasn't exciting enough already.

OKC finishes 2-3 in Orlando with win over Chicago

2008-07-11T13:14:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a 32-point outburst in the second quarter, OKC finished Orlando Pro Summer League action with a 86-73 victory over the Chicago Bulls. The OKC victory was the final of five straight games in Orlando for OKC, which finished 2-3 on the week.

The win was sweet for OKC as it proved it could win without its two leading scorers for the week, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, both of whom did not play. The overall top pick in the 2008 NBA draft, Chicago's Derrick Rose, also didn't see action in the contest.

Down by three to end the first period, OKC found its deadly shooting touch in the second quarter, hitting 13-of-17 shots in the stanza to take a 10-point lead into the locker room. OKC also took advantage of 14 Chicago first-half turnovers.

D.J. White scored a week-high 20 points to lead OKC, while Ronald Dupree added 17 in just over 19 minutes of action. Former Oklahoma State standout JamesOn Curry paced the Bulls (2-3) with 17 points.

Tough day for OKC as Miami Heat rolls

2008-07-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it's just not your day and few things go right. Oklahoma City's NBA team found themselves in that spot on Thursday against the Miami Heat.

Down by double digits almost throughout the contest, OKC suffered a 101-76 defeat to Miami, dropping OKC to 1-3 in Orlando's summer league action. The 25-point spread by Miami is the largest margin of victory for any team this year and also marks the ninth-largest win in the six-year history of the Orlando Pro Summer League.

Michael Beasley, the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft, made his presence felt on Thursday, leading the Heat, now 3-1, with 19 points. Four of Miami's five starters finished in double figures, and two others off the bench finished in double figures as well.

OKC's Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook continued their impressive weeks with 19 points each. The duo have been the backbone of OKC's offense in Orlando, accounting for 157 of the team’s 335 points so far this week. Green had hit 20 or more points in OKC's three previous games.

OKC wraps up action in Orlando on Friday with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls and top overall draft pick Derrick Rose.

OKC falls to 1-2 in Summer League action

2008-07-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

Down by just three points at intermission, OKC saw the New Jersey Nets pull ahead in the second half to log a 95-81 victory in Orlando's Pro Summer League action on Wednesday. New Jersey outscored OKC 21-11 in the final period to pull away.

Jeff Green once again played a pivotal role for OKC (now 1-2), notching a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Green has scored more than 20 points in each of OKC's three games in Orlando. Russell Westbrook was the only other OKC starter to score in double digits, totaling 10 points. Nick Lewis (13 points), Ronald Dupree and Ronell Taylor (12 points each) scored in double digits coming off the bench.

OKC takes on the Miami Heat (2-1) in the finale of Thursday's action.

The first win in OKC franchise history

2008-07-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

Using another strong showing from Jeff Green and solid performances from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City posted a 100-77 victory over the Orlando Magic in Orlando on Tuesday. It was the first win in Oklahoma City franchise history and also the first time that any team had hit the century mark in summer league action.

Green, averaging 25.5 points per outing, led OKC with 28 points while Durant hit 7-of-10 shots from the floor in his first action of the summer. Durant finished with 22 points while Westbrook added 19.

It was an overall solid performance from OKC, which shot 62. 1 percent from the field in the first half and finished with a 58.5 percentage for the game.

In first game, Oklahoma City falls

2008-07-07T19:35:00.001-07:00

With the words "Oklahoma City" across their chests, the Sooner State's new NBA team fell in its opening game of the Orlando Pro Summer League, dropping a 95-78 decision to the Indiana Pacers. First-round pick Russell Westbrook made a good first impression with 18 points, four rebounds, and five assists.

Oklahoma City faces Orlando on Tuesday.

In San Antonio, it just doesn't matter...

2008-07-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

After talking to a few random Spurs fans during my time in San Antonio, it appears that the new team in OKC really isn't even on the radar here. One fan told me it was too bad Seattle was losing the team, but it was a horrible team anyway and it wasn't a team that would contend with the Spurs for some time. Maybe if the Seattle team had been more competitive, there would be more of an interest, but for now, on the Riverwalk, it really doesn't matter whether the team is calling OKC or Seattle home.

So what will the name be? And other tidbits...

2008-07-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

With the Seattle team moving to OKC, the name of the team becomes the key question in many fans' minds. Rumors are swirling of the Oklahoma City Thunder or Oklahoma City Barons taking the floor at the Ford Center. I have a feeling that if the "Thunder" sticks as the team's moniker, Oklahoma's Garth Brooks will be played at a lot at the Ford Center with "The Thunder Rolls."

** Looks like guard Earl Watson's thumb surgery went well and he'll be ready for the OKC team's regular-season debut.

** It's strange to think that the Hornets will be the visitors at the Ford Center next year. I'm sure there will be plenty of CP3 jerseys in the crowd, and it may even feel like a home game at the start for the Hornets. It'll be interesting to see the reaction. Wouldn't that be a great regular season opener?

** Heading to San Antonio shortly, so I'll try to get some Spurs fans opinions about their new neighbors to the north.

Thoughts on a historic day

2008-07-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

Listening to the national talk radio shows tonight, it's already apparent that the "poor Seattle" is drawing the sympathy card from around the nation. Granted, it's a sad day for those fans who truly stuck with their team to the bitter end. It's a shame that Sonics history is relegated to the storage units for a while, but Seattle is certainly not the first city to sit by and wait for a new franchise to heal its wounds. Baltimore, Houston, and Cleveland felt the sting in the NFL. And let's not forget that the original Baltimore Orioles came from New York, paving the way for the new Yankees to call the Big Apple home.

But let's be honest before we tip our cap too much to Seattle's loss...

** As commissioner David Stern said in his statement earlier tonight, "In order for (a new team to call Seattle home) to occur, a state-of-the-art NBA arena must be funded and constructed in the Seattle area, a subject that has been extensively debated -- but not ultimately acted upon -- by local political and business leaders over the past four years." Four years? It's not like this is a shock that the team is moving. The warning bells were sounded and no one responded. Safeco Field and Qwest Stadium went up while the Kingdome came crumbling down.

** While Seattle's attendance decreased last season to 28th in the league, the team still officially drew an average of 13,355 fans per game. That's 78 percent of capacity in the NBA's smallest venue. It also marked the fourth consecutive year the attendance had shrunk in Seattle. For every fan who was chanting "Save our Sonics," there were many more fans yawning and looking for the next Starbuck's.

** Speaking of Starbuck's, did anyone in Seattle really not believe when coffee mogul
Howard Schultz sold the team to Clay Bennett that the Sonics weren't coming to Oklahoma? If Seattle wanted to keep the team so bad, why not block the sale before it even happened? Where were the potential owners then?

** The Ford Center expansion and renovations voted upon by Oklahoma City voters spoke volumes when citizens and lawmakers in Seattle would do nothing to upgrade an arena that local and national officials deemed unsuitable.

There were steps that could've been taken long before any court listened to closing arguments. There were plenty of ways Seattle could've shown support, but didn't. Not even the karma of Jack Sikma and Gary Payton could stop the inevitable leaving.

It's time to start a new era in Oklahoma City. Let's hope the tears flowing from Seattle don't tarnish what should be an amazing few months leading up to the NBA tipoff.

Oklahoma ... welcome to the NBA!

2008-07-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

NBA comes to the Ford Center again for the 2008-09 season!

At the last minute...

2008-07-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a settlement has been reached and a press conference has been called for 7 p.m. Oklahoma time. Oklahoma's NBA team may be moments away from being officially Oklahoma's NBA team.

Welcome to the site

2008-07-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the NBA in Oklahoma blog. This forum is open for all NBA fans to discuss their teams, but will focus strongly on the current Seattle franchise and their probable move to Oklahoma City.

A few random thoughts to kick things off...

Watching the recent NBA draft, it was interesting to think about a franchise drafting players and then introducing them in a town in which they may never play. It had to be an odd experience for them to sit at the conference and answer as many questions about relocating as their future plans.

Free agency doesn't seem to be an issue for Seattle. It looks to be the second consecutive year that the Sonics will focus on rookies than established free agent veterans.

With no much fanfare, the Sonics' summer league schedule will kick off right after the Fourth of July. With five games scheduled on consecutive dates from July 7-11, this may be a chance for Oklahoma residents to get a look at the team that may be calling the Ford Center home very soon. Seattle's highest draft pick, Russell Westbrook from UCLA, will be part of the summer team.

Speaking of the move, a ruling is expected to come down at 6 p.m. CT today (Wednesday, July 2). Stay tuned...