Tag: Danilo Gallinari

Billy Donovan has had ‘no conversations’ about a Gallinari trade

The Thunder head coach addressed the situation surrounding Gallinari on Wednesday prior to the team’s loss 107-100 to the Pacers.

The rumor mill has been churning around the clock in Oklahoma City since July when the Thunder traded away Paul George and Russell Westbrook in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, Chris Paul and a boatload of future draft picks.

Paul has been constantly mentioned in potential trades. Steven Adams has also gotten a lot of chatter. And as the December 15th date draws closer, it’s Gallinari’s name that is picking up steam.

Gallo was never expected to be in Oklahoma City for long. He’s been considered a potential target for teams looking to make a playoff push ever since he got to OKC.

Prior to Wednesday’s game against the Pacers, Billy Donovan was asked about the likelihood of Oklahoma City trading Gallinari. He told Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman that as of now, he doesn’t know anything.

“I’ve had no conversations with anybody about that,” Donovan said. “My feeling has always been that all these guys that are here, that they’ll be here. I coach just like that. But in terms of future plans, I have no idea.”

Gallo certainly didn’t seem deterred by any trade rumors. He went out and scored 18 points in OKC’s 107-100 loss to Indianapolis, hitting a career-high four 3-pointers in the third quarter.

His play goes to Donovan’s point that these guys are professionals and potential trades and rumors are part of the gig as NBA players.

“If you’re focused on things that are out of your control, you’re not gonna necessarily be able to do anything very well,” Donovan said. “So, all the things that we’ve discussed here are out of my control, out of their control.”

Through the first 20 games of the season, Gallinari has been one of the most consistent scorers in the Thunder’s lineup, although his numbers are slightly below what they were last year with the Clippers.

Gallo is averaging 18.5 points and 5.6 rebounds a game which shooting 45% from the floor.

Three takeaways from OKC’s 107-104 win over New Orleans

Against New Orleans Sunday, the Thunder got a strong start from Steven Adams, had a solid third quarter, and had a balanced scoring attack.

After a three-game stretch in November where Oklahoma City lost three games by a combined 10 points, the Thunder looked to have turned the corner when it comes to close games, pulling off two wins over the New Orleans Pelicans in the span of three days by a total of eight points.

Three takeaways from Sunday’s 107-104 victory:

Steven Adams set the tone inside for Oklahoma City

In Friday’s 109-104 win, Pelicans rookie Jaxson Hayes draw the defensive assignment against Adams, in which Adams had a clear advantage. Not wanting a repeat performance Sunday, New Orleans announced prior to tip-off that Jhalil Okafor was going to take Hayes’ spot in the starting lineup. It didn’t matter.

Adams again got off to a hot start, scoring the Thunder’s first four points, and six of his 17 in the first quarter.

As solid as his start was, his late-game play was even more important. Adams hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to keep OKC out in front and ultimately, seal the victory.

 

The Thunder finally had a good third quarter

It’s no secret that OKC has struggled in the third quarter of games this year. In fact, as pointed out by The Oklahoman, they’re downright one of the worst.

But Sunday against the Pelicans, Maddie Lee noted that Oklahoma City “weathered a four-minute scoring drought with solid defense and finished the quarter on a, 11-3 run”.

The Thunder outscored New Orleans 26-22 in the third, setting themselves up nicely for a final push in the fourth quarter.

 

Balanced scoring a key for victory

It’s always good to have a guy that can give you 20-plus points night in and night out. It’s even better if it’s not always the same guy.

In Friday’s win, it was Dennis Schröder coming off the bench to score 25 en route to a 109-104 victory. On Sunday, it was Danilo Gallinari that led the team with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Schröder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Steven Adams all scored 17 apiece, while Chris Paul added 16.

A lot of people wondered what Billy Donovan’s three-guard offense was going to look like, and it looks a lot like this. A lineup that can produce multiple leading scorers on any given night, and guys up and down the roster that can be counted on for significant point production.

OKC completes home-and-home sweep with 107-104 win over Pelicans

The Thunder have now their last two games by a combined eight points and improve to 8-11 on the season.

Turns out the second time around looked a lot like the first.

Just two days after beating New Orleans 109-104 in Oklahoma City, the Thunder outlasted the Pelicans 107-104 inside the Smoothie King Center on Sunday afternoon.

Just like Friday night, Sunday’s game with a close contest right up until the end, although it was Oklahoma City coming back from double-digit deficit this time.

Danilo Gallinari hit a three-pointer with 3:51 remaining to tie the game at 94. A minute and a half later, Chris Paul hit a 16-footer to give the Thunder a lead they would not relinquish.

But it was Steven Adams that sealed the game from the free-throw line.

Adams’ struggles from the charity stripe are well known, but when it mattered Sunday, Adams stepped up and sank five of his six attempts to put the game out of reach.

Gallinari led Oklahoma City with 23. Adams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Schroder all added 17 points apiece, while Paul chipped in 16.

After a stretch of games in November where the Thunder lost three consecutive games by a total of 10 points, Oklahoma City has now won their last two games and three of their last five, by less than five points each.

With the win, OKC improves to 8-11 on the year. The Thunder return to action Wednesday, Dec. 4 when they host the Pacers. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CT inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Dennis Schroder has to continue scoring well for Thunder

The Thunder need Dennis Schroder to continue scoring at a solid rate this season.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder has been a solid scorer throughout his career, yet he has not been an efficient bucket getter.

Schroder has only shot at least 45% from the field one season, and that was when he posted the second-highest scoring average of his career.

In his second season with the Thunder, Schroder has continued to show he can score, albeit on mediocre efficiency. He’s averaged 15.4 points per game on 43.9% shooting.

But on Friday night the Thunder needed all of Schroder’s team-high 25 points, even if he got them on a season-high 24 field goal attempts. The Thunder won 109-104 over the New Orleans Pelicans. With the win, the Thunder move to 7-11 on the season.

When Schroder scores 20 or more points, the Thunder are 3-3. A rebuilding team, the Thunder usually look for either Schroder, Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score.

Those four are the top four scorers on the team, with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the team in points per game (18.3).

It also helps that Schroder ranks second on the team in assists. He’s helping to initiate offense in multiple ways for a team that ranks 20th in points per game and 24th in assists.

Schroder isn’t the most efficient scorer, but he has games where he helps produce wins. With the NBA ruled by a bevy of dominant guards and wings, having Schroder contribute in the way he does will be important as the Thunder look to develop in a first year of a rebuild.

The Thunder will play the Pelicans on Sunday in New Orleans at 5 p.m. EST.

[lawrence-related id=427745,427731,427717,427710]

3 things to watch in Thunder’s game against New Orleans Pelicans

The Thunder will look to bounce back from their loss Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers

The Oklahoma City Thunder gave up a season-high 136 points in their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, marking their fourth loss in the last five games.

At 6-11 this season, the Thunder are in a rebuild, but they have had some bright spots. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shown promise as a second-year guard, averaging a career-high in points (18.8) and rebounds (5.1). Chris Paul has posted some of the best 3-point shooting numbers of his career.

The Thunder will play the New Orleans Pelicans at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday at 8 p.m. EST.

Defensive Communication

Each of the Trail Blazers’ starters scored in double figures Wednesday, with Damian Lillard scoring a team-high 27 points.

The Thunder didn’t defend the 3-point line well, as the Blazers shot 46.7% from deep. Paul spoke on how the Thunder’s defensive communication has to improve.

“We gotta be better, we gotta be better,” Paul said, per Fox Sports Oklahoma. “We gotta communicate better. I think early in the game, I was late on all my rotations, but we gotta be better. And if we get better defensively, I think we’ll start seeing different results.”

Friday’s game will mark the second meeting between the Thunder and the Pelicans. The Thunder won the first game 115-104 in the season series Nov. 2. That game was a quality one defensively for OKC, as it held New Orleans to 42.6% shooting from the field.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needs a scoring boost

Gilgeous-Alexander started his second year with a jolt, as he averaged 21.0 points per game in the first 10 games of the season.

The past five games, though, Gilgeous-Alexander has been in a minor slump, averaging 14.8 points. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 3-point shooting numbers have been down as well. The first 10 games, he shot 40.9% from the 3-point line. In the previous five, he’s shot 35.7%.

With Gilgeous-Alexander still being a young player, he’s going to have slumps like the one he’s in now. Point guard is arguably the hardest position in the league to consistently perform at a high level on both ends of the floor.

For Gilgeous-Alexander, this game against the Pelicans might give him the scoring boost he needs. The first time these two teams played this season, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points and shot 3-of-5 from the 3-point line. The performance was one of nine times this season that he scored 20 or more points.

The Thunder need better 3-point shooting

The Thunder started the season shooting well, but in this recent stretch, they’ve struggled to make shots from behind the arc.

In their past five games, they’ve shot 35% or better from the 3-point line once. That was in a 130-127 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. During their most recent win, a victory over the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder shot 34.4% from the 3-point line.

Though the Thunder are below .500, they’ve been able to stay in games for the most part. Their largest loss was when the Indiana Pacers beat them 111-85. OKC also posted its third-lowest 3-point shooting numbers of the season during that game, shooting at a 24.0% clip from deep.

The Thunder have been able to compete in part because of their 3-point shooting. Paul is one of their best shooters, as he’s shooting 39.2% from the 3-point line. Danilo Gallinari leads the team in 3-point percentage, shooting 40.4%.

OKC had success shooting threes the first time it played the Pelicans this season.

The Thunder shot 40.5% from the 3-point line during that game, and it’s one of six times this season they’ve shot 40% or better from beyond the arc.

[lawrence-related id=427710,427702,427686,427675]

Warriors crumble late against Thunder 100-97, drop another close game

The Warriors couldn’t close out Chris Paul, as they drop another close game to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A common theme throughout the young Golden State Warriors season has been grit. The “baby Dubs” have hung around and battled teams with superior talent, but have wilted while the opposing team made a run.

On Monday night in the Chase Center, the Warriors answered every run the Oklahoma City Thunder had until the fourth and final quarter.
The Warriors had a 15-point lead in the 3rd quarter, but it wasn’t good enough. Golden State got sloppy with the basketball at the same time they hit a wall with scoring. In the meantime, the Thunder sneaked back with a 22-5 fourth-quarter run to complete the comeback, 100-97.

The Warriors didn’t have anyone to close out the final portion of the game and protect the lead. When veterans, Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari, started to make their run, and the Warriors needed to call on someone to step up, no one answered. Ky Bowman and Eric Paschall looked like rookies during crunch time. The Warriors were only able to only score 14-points in the game’s final frame on 5-of-22 shooting from the floor. Losses like this show just how much Golden State misses Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell.

Although Bowman struggled down the stretch, he scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting with five assists and three steals. The two-way undrafted rookie was again efficient as the team’s primary ball-handler, playing 39 minutes with only one turnover.

Glenn Robinson III turned in another solid performance for the Warriors, going for a career-high 25-points in the tight loss. Robinson, only 25-years-old, is making a case to be apart of Golden State’s plans for the future.

The Warriors will get another opportunity at home against the Chicago Bulls, before heading out on a five-game road trip after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Here is why the Bulls could make sense in trade for Danilo Gallinari

A proposed trade between OKC and Chicago could send Gallinari to the Bulls in exchange for Otto Porter, Denzel Valentine, and Luke Kornet.

Almost from the moment that Oklahoma City traded away Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the trade talk surrounding the Thunder was when and where OKC was going to move Chris Paul.

But as the season has progressed, there’s a different name that’s being mentioned with increasing frequency – Danilo Gallinari.

Gallo has been a consistent presence in the Thunder’s lineup through the first 14 games, averaging 19.1 points and shooting 44.5% from the field.

And at 31, Gallinari is three years younger than Paul and his contract, while complicated, isn’t quite as difficult to offload.

Gallo has previously been suggested as a possible candidate in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The newest team that’s been mentioned in conjunction with the 31-year-old is the Chicago Bulls.

Per Fansided’s Pippen Ain’t Easy, the Bulls would propose a trade package of Otto Porter Jr., Denzel Valentine, and Luke Kornet for Gallinari, Terrance Ferguson, and Darius Bazley.

“And what this helps for the Thunder in return from the Bulls is a much-needed two-way wing with Porter Jr. and a strong spot-up three-point shooting presence with fourth-year shooting guard Denzel Valentine. If the Thunder still manage to stay in playoff contention in the Western Conference through the midpoint of the regular season, then a trade like this could make sense.”

As noted by JB Baruelo of Inquisitr, Porter is “clearly an upgrade for Ferguson in the Thunder’s win rotation”.

Through nine games, Porter Jr. is averaging 11.2 points, down from his career-high of 17.5 during the 2018-2019 season. That number, however, is still higher than Ferguson, who is averaging just 5.2 in 25.2 minutes per game.

Anthony Davis finds shooting stroke in Lakers win over Thunder

On the same day that Anthony Davis said his shoulder was feeling better, the Los Angeles Lakers big man was on-fire from the field.

[jwplayer SwGcJogQ-z6KDnl0B]

Anthony Davis found his shooting stroke from the outside to finish with 34 points, LeBron James had a triple double and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit a huge shot in the final minute to seal a 112-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the win, the Lakers improved to an NBA-best 12-2, which also happens to be the best start a LeBron team has had since the 2016-17 season.

Davis finished with 34 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals while James ended the night with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. With the triple double, LeBron became the first player in NBA history to record one against all 30 teams.

After closing the first half on an emphatic note with LeBron throwing down a lob from Rajon Rondo, the Lakers quickly found themselves on their heels against the Thunder who rallied to start the second half and closed the gap rapidly.

Dennis Schroeder provided 31 points in 27 minutes off the Oklahoma City bench to help them keep pace with the Lakers on a night where Davis had his shooting touch going better than he has at basically any point in the season to this point. Danilo Gallinari also had a solid game with 25 points.

Davis also hit on three 3-pointers for the first time so far this season, appearing to validate some of his statements from earlier in the day that his right shoulder was feeling better and was “getting closer to 100%.”

Oklahoma City stayed in the game in large part thanks to their scoring ability inside the 3-point line and their ability to draw fouls. The Thunder made things tighter with a couple of trips to the foul line by Gallinari to keep their hopes of the upset alive. The lead got to as low as 109-107 with 1:20 left but a 3-pointer by Caldwell-Pope put the Lakers up five to help put the Thunder away.

The Lakers have now won five straight games and they once again re-claimed the best record in the league, 1/2 game ahead of the 11-2 Boston Celtics.

 

Paul George scores dagger to drop Thunder 90-88

The former Oklahoma City star hit a go-ahead-three with 25 seconds remaining to lift the Clippers over the Thunder on Monday night.

Paul George once again came up big when his team needed him the most. Unfortunately for the Thunder, that team is no longer Oklahoma City.

The former Thunder center drilled a go-ahead three-pointer with 25 seconds left in the game to lift the Clippers to a 90-88 victory over OKC late Monday night.

As has been the theme all season, the Thunder was in this one at the end.

A pair of ex-Clippers, Danilo Gallinari and Chris Paul, put Oklahoma City ahead with under a minute to play. Gallinari first made a 3 with 52.5 seconds remaining to tie the game at 86, then Paul hit two free-throws at the 31.5 mark to make it 88-86 OKC.

Then came the shot by George.

Paul told reporters, including Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, after the game he blamed himself for allowing George to take the game-winner.

“If I get through the screen that’s a tougher shot. And you know PG, he makes big shots like that, so that’s on me.”

Paul led the Thunder with 22 points. Three other players were in double-digits; Gallinari scored 14, Dennis Schroder came off the bench to add 12, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chipped in 11.

Both Gallinari and Gilgeous-Alexander were welcomed back warmly and received a tribute video from the Clippers.

Oklahoma City doesn’t have any time to dwell on Monday’s loss. Their West Coast road trip continues Monday night as they return to the Staples Center on Tuesday to take on the Lakers.

Three takeaways from Thunder’s 127-119 OT win over Philadelphia

Against the 76ers, Terrance Ferguson scored a season-high 19, the Thunder struggled in the third quarter and OKC hit their free throws.

Oklahoma City beat the 76ers 127-119 in overtime Friday night. It was the Thunder’s first overtime game of the season and a solid win before heading out to the West Coast for a two-game set in Los Angeles against the Clippers and the Lakers.

Here are three takeaways from OKC’s win over Philadelphia:

 

Terrance Ferguson showed out

After missing Tuesday’s loss at Indiana due to personal reasons, Ferguson returned to the starting lineup against Philadelphia.

He scored a season-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including hitting on five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. Ferguson had only hit five three-pointers combined in the previous seven games.

After the game, he credited his daughter and Steven Adams for his success.

 

The Thunder’s third-quarter struggles continue

As noted by Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City’s “trend of falling behind” in the third quarter continued once again Friday night against the 76ers.

The Thunder took a 54-59 lead into the half, only to be outscored 34-26 in the third quarter.

Their struggles continued until the 7:20 mark of the 4th quarter when OKC trailed by nine points. From there, the Thunder closed the game on a 22-13 run to end regulation tied at 107.

 

Free throw shooting helped seal the victory

The Thunder aren’t known as automatic from the free-throw line. Far from it.

But when it mattered against Philadelphia, OKC knocked them down.

Oklahoma City was 8-for-8 in overtime from the line. Danilo Gallinari hit all four of his attempts, with both Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander making a pair each.

Both Gallinari (11-for-11) and Paul (12-for-12) were perfect on the night. Per the Thunder, it’s the first time in the organization’s history that two players were perfect from the free-throw line with more than ten attempts each.

As a team, the Thunder shot 85.7% from the line, connecting on 35-of-41 free throws.