Friday’s game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors is a prime example as for why basketball games are played out in real life instead of on paper.
On paper, a matchup between two top-eight defensive rating teams would likely mean a low-scoring, defensive slugfest with the Raptors sneaking out of Oklahoma City with a win.
On paper, the Raptors — who entered the night with the seventh-best net rating — should’ve made easy work against a Thunder squad in the midst of a four-game losing streak.
Instead, what transpired was the complete opposite.
The Thunder — off of an impressive pair of middle quarters where they outscored the Raptors 77-61 — put down an offensive drumming against one of the best defensive teams in the league with a final score of 132-113.
With the temperature dropping as snow covered the ground, the Thunder was able to keep its fans warm with a sizzling scoring attack, shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 15-of-36 (41.7 percent) from three as a team.
With nobody scoring more than 22 points, the Thunder offense was attributed to a well-balanced diet of eight players scoring 10-plus points — which is the first time in franchise history that’s happened in a game. The Thunder dished out 31 team assists on 52 field goals made.
Overall, the Thunder made sure fans who fought the elements got their money’s worth with an impressive and relaxed win against a good Raptors squad.
Let’s take a look at Thunder player grades for all eight players that scored at least 10 points.