Tag: Steven Adams

Steven Adams exits Game 3 vs. Rockets early with right knee contusion

The Thunder can only hope that Steven Adams’ injury isn’t too serious.

The Oklahoma City Thunder managed to keep their hopes of emerging victorious against the Houston Rockets in their first round playoff series alive on Saturday night when they outlasted Mike D’Antoni’s team in overtime, 119-104.

Oklahoma City had to do it without the services of Steven Adams, its starting center and defensive anchor.

A closely contested competition, Adams exited the game for good with 24.4 seconds remaining in regulation and the Thunder trailing by three.

On what ended up being his final play of the contest, Adams was instrumental in forcing a Rockets turnover which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was able to turn into a go-ahead three-pointer in the games final minute.

Although it is not known if the play in question is what caused Adams’ injury, he exited the game immediately thereafter and did not return, even after the teams ended up continuing their battle into overtime.

During overtime, ESPN’s Malika Andrews reported that the center was doubtful to return with a right knee contusion. Fortunately for the Thunder, the team was able to pull away after James Harden was whistled for his sixth foul with about four minutes remaining in the extra period.

As a result, the Thunder will carry a 2-1 series deficit into Monday’s Game 4.

Rather than facing elimination, Chris Paul and company will have an opportunity to tie the series up at two games apiece.

In all likelihood, Adams’ status will be updated on Sunday.

VIDEO: Steven Adams shows small ball offense isn’t just for non-7-footers

Steven Adams drove. Steven Adams dunked. Steven Adams showed even 7-footers can play some small ball on the perimeter.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams saw how the Houston Rockets “centers” plays on the perimeter and must have told himself that he could do it too.

In the first quarter, Adams got the ball on an inbound pass. Instead of handing it off to guard Shai Gilgeous- Alexander, who was cutting over from the sideline to set up a play, Adams decided to take on P.J. Tucker himself.

Adams drove. Adams got into the lane. Adams threw down a dunk and picked up the foul, earning a trip to the free throw line.

The Thunder big showed that small ball isn’t just for those under seven feet tall.

Adams had a very good first game but was not as aggressive in Game Two.

On Tuesday, he had 17 points and 12 rebound in 27 minutes. On Thursday, he only attempted four field goals and finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.

Over six minutes in the first quarter of Game Three, he had two points, three rebounds and an assist.

The Thunder have fallen behind early in their pursuit to pick up a game and not fall to 3-0 on the Rockets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The game is airing on ESPN and Fox Sports Oklahoma.

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Thunder look to play faster after losing Game 1 to Rockets

The Oklahoma City Thunder struggled to keep up with the Houston Rockets’ pace and fell in Game One of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The first six minutes of the game and final six minutes of the first half was to Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan’s liking.

The 12 minutes in between, and the inability to slow down the Houston Rockets in the second half, led to the Thunder’s 123-108 defeat in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.

Over those first six minutes in the first and final six in the second, Donovan said, “Our pace was really good, and we had a good mixture of attacking paint, and post-ups, and some pick-and-roll penetration.

“And then we really had those lulls. And I think in those lulls that you’re talking about, our inability to really handle and guard the ball at the point of attack … some of it, to be honest with you, is just straight-up one-on-one, and it wasn’t always James (Harden).”

Harden had 37 points. He went 6-for-9 from inside the arc and 6-for-13 beyond the 3-point line. Eric Gordon complemented him in the starting lineup with 21 points.

Off the bench, Jeff Green had 22 points while posting a plus-28 and Ben McLemore had 14 points, four 3s and a plus-27 in 24 minutes.

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Oklahoma City guards and wings struggled to cut off their attacks, and with Houston playing all five guys outside the paint, help defense was very slow in arriving.

Steven Adams was forced to be in the corner with Rockets center P.J. Tucker instead of inside the paint against a normal big.

It’s not a complicated scheme, Adams said, but that’s not automatically a positive for the Thunder.

“It’s actually quite simple, but just because it’s simple doesn’t mean that it’s easy,” Adams said.

“It’s still a hard task. Because everyone’s spacing on their team. They just open up the lane. What it comes down to is actually being disciplined on when you should help.”

That was the whole point of the Rockets trading away Clint Capela. The lane is now wide open. If Adams crashes in, Tucker can hit his 3.

Tucker is more than adept at that. He’s a leading scorer along both sidelines, according to ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry.

“The drive and kicks, and then we’re playing behind the ball,” Adams said. “That’s tough.”

Oklahoma City thinks the best way to fix that is by playing faster. That actually goes against their usual offensive scheme. This season, they played a more meticulous, pick-and-roll-heavy offense.

But that gave Houston too much time to get their defense set up in Game One. That clogged up lanes that didn’t allow guys like Dennis Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score as they normally would.

Those two guards combined for 15 points on 5-for-20 shooting.

Then, in transition, Houston had the advantage. Adams referenced when Danuel House would streak out quickly after a play, resulting in quick Houston offense.

The Thunder only had two fast break points while Houston had 13.

Oklahoma City kept up at the beginning of the game and end of the first half. Outside those 12 minutes, there was little prolonged resistance.

“We got very slow. We didn’t play with any force. we weren’t playing downhill. We weren’t really getting out and running like we needed to,” Donovan said.

“Some of it was we were taking the ball out because they were scoring, but we’ve gotta play with a better tempo and a better pace. When we did that to close out that second quarter, we were a little bit better. We were trying to dig ourselves out of some holes … We’ve gotta play with a good pace and a good tempo and a good flow. When we don’t, we get a little bit bogged down.”

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After the first six minutes of the game, the score was tied at nine. In the final six minutes of the half, primarily with the three-guard lineup, the Thunder at one point went on a 9-0 run. After trailing by 21 with about four minutes to go, they cut the lead as low as 12.

But then the Rockets stormed back, eventually got the lead as high as 23, and with 20 3-pointers while limiting the Thunder to 44% shooting from the field, ran away with the win.

“The faster we play, the less that they set up in their defense, everyone’s going to be a lot more open. They have a bit more freedom. For most part, I think if we just stick to the offense, we should find more shots,” Adams said.

“Again, the volume of our shots isn’t necessarily, like, the goal. It’s more like the quality.”

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Halftime stats: Thunder go on late run, but Rockets lead in Game One

Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari had a game-high 18 points while Rockets guards Eric Gordon and James Harden combined for 31.

The Oklahoma City Thunder trailed the Houston Rockets 68-52 at halftime, but it could have been even worse if it weren’t for that three-guard closing lineup.

Houston took a 58-37 lead with 3:50 to go in the half, but Oklahoma City scored the next nine points and cut that 21-point lead down to 13 before James Harden got a layup with an and-one with less than 10 seconds to go.

Harden finished the half with 15 points on 4-for-7 shooting, two made 3-pointers and five free throws.

The Thunder countered best with their bigs. Steven Adams, who NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley said could average 20/20, had seven points and six rebounds over his first 10 minutes of play. He finished the half with 10 points and six boards.

Danilo Gallinari led both teams with 18 points. He made five of seven field goals and went 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

Chris Paul, who had nine points, five rebounds and three assists, had five of his points in the final three minutes.

Dennis Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combined for six points in 18 minutes apiece.

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Terrance Ferguson got the start in place of the injured Lu Dort but only played four minutes.

Andre Roberson played three minutes but struggled to guard James Harden. He bumped Harden’s knee with his own on a 3-point shot but no foul was called; Harden, realizing how hard Roberson came at him, drew a foul on a 3-pointer not long after. Roberson also got beat rather easily off the dribble by the star guard.

Those free throws and 3-pointers allowed the Rockets to build a big lead. They were 13-for-15 from the free throw line and attempted 25 3-pointers, nine more than the Thunder did.

Houston didn’t just take a lot of 3s — they made them at a 44% clip. Oklahoma City went 5-for-16 from deep while Houston was 11-for-25.

Rockets guard Eric Gordon had 16 points while forward Jeff Green had 13 points and was a plus-20 in 16 minutes of play.

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Charles Barkley: Steven Adams can average 20/20 vs. Rockets

Charles Barkley thinks Thunder center Steven Adams can average 20 points and 20 rebounds a night in the playoff series against the Rockets.

NBA on TNT analyst and NBA great Charles Barkley thinks the Oklahoma City Thunder have an advantage against the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs: Steven Adams.

Barkley thinks Adams can help lead the Thunder to a series victory.

“The Rockets got nobody who can handle Adams,” he said shortly before the first game of the series began.

“Steven Adams, to me, is one of the most athletic big men we have in the NBA,” Barkley said. “He’s going to get 20/20 a night.”

That’s right — Barkley thinks Adams can go off for 20 points and 20 rebounds every night.

While Houston’s small lineup can negate traditional, plodding centers, Barkley thinks Adams’ skill set will allow him to not just stay on the floor, but dominate.

Oklahoma City has yet to play against the Rockets since Houston traded starting center Clint Capela, so the Thunder will be waiting to see how Adams handles the different opponent, namely 6-foot-5 P.J. Tucker.

In the fourth game of the season, Adams had six points and 12 rebounds in a Thunder loss to the Rockets. In early January, he had 15 points and eight rebounds against Houston. He only played a minute and a half of the third game due to injury.

The first game of the Thunder-Rockets series is on Fox Sports Oklahoma and TNT.

Thunder injury report: Everyone except Dennis Schroder active vs. Heat

OKC will most its roster against the Miami Heat. Steven Adams returns from injury, but Dennis Schroder remains in coronavirus protocol.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been missing their bigs for multiple games. They went without about half their rotation in the loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, the Thunder will almost be back to a full squad.

Steven Adams, who missed three games after Los Angeles Lakers center JaVale McGee landed on his leg, returns. So does Nerlens Noel, who has missed the last two with a right ankle sprain.

Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who missed the last game primarily for rest and recovery reasons due to minor ailments, will also be back.

Only Dennis Schroder, who returned to the bubble Monday night after leaving for the birth of his child, remains out.

Head coach Billy Donovan said there is no timeline for Schroder’s return as he goes through league protocol while in quarantine.

Oklahoma City, which is 2-3 over its last five games, will try to keep its spot in the fifth seed with a win over the Heat on Wednesday. The Thunder are half a game above the Utah Jazz

The game begins at 7 p.m. Central Time.

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Thunder injury report: Steven Adams, SGA, Gallinari among 5 players out vs. Suns

Usual Oklahoma City Thunder starters Steven Adams, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari are on the injury report against the Suns.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without more than half their starting lineup and two of the top bench options against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.

Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nerlens Noel and Dennis Schroder will not play against the Suns.

Adams remains out with a leg contusion suffered against the Los Angeles Lakers. Noel, with a right ankle sprain, will miss his second game in a row.

Without those two, the Thunder will likely again start Mike Muscala at center and give Darius Bazley time at the 5 off the bench.

Gallinari’s report reads left ankle injury but also says “injury maintenance.” Gilgeous-Alexander is listed with a right calf contusion, but he too has not missed any game time.

Schroder remains at home with family following the birth of his daughter.

The Thunder will be missing important pieces as they try to give the Suns their first loss of the bubble.

Phoenix is 5-0 in bubble play entering Monday’s game as guard Devin Booker and wing Mikal Bridges have led the way.

Oklahoma City will have to count on Chris Paul and their depth to bring down the 31-39 Suns, fighting desperately for a play-in spot in the Western Conference.

The game begins at 1:30 p.m. Central Time.

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Steven Adams scratched from lineup moments before tip-off vs. Wizards

Update: Steven Adams will miss his second consecutive game.

After being announced as available for Sunday’s contest against the Washington Wizards, just prior to tip-off, The Athletic’s Erik Horne reported on intel received from a Thunder spokesperson: Steven Adams has been ruled out for the contest.

Adams fell awkwardly on his left leg against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Although the Thunder were able to win the contest, though, Adams was held out of Friday’s loss to the Grizzlies with what the team referred to as a “sore left leg.”

The team expected Adams to return to the lineup against the Grizzlies on Sunday and were confident enough in that fact to remove him from the injury report, however, after going through pregame warmups, Adams and the team’s medical staff concluded that its best bet was to remove him from the lineup.

As a result, Adam will miss his second consecutive game on Sunday. The Thunder will attempt to defeat the Washington Wizards without him.

On a related note, Nerlens Noel was also scratched from the lineup with “right ankle soreness.”

Horne’s report describes the absences as the Thunder being “cautious” with their big men.

Thunder injury report: Steven Adams will return, Andre Roberson is out

After a one-game absence, Steven Adams will return to the lineup for the Thunder when they square off against the Wizards.

After going 2-2 in their first five games in Orlando, the Thunder will be squaring off with the Washington Wizards on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. CT. The club will be looking to make its Friday loss at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies a distant memory.

Fortunately, the club will have some reinforcements.

After missing Friday’s contest to rest his an ailing left leg, Steven Adams will return to the lineup for Billy Donovan’s team. Adams’ defensive presence was sorely missed on Friday, and his return to the lineup should bolster the Thunder’s odds of pulling out the win.

Mike Muscala, who suffered a concussion, has missed the team’s past two games. He will return.

Meanwhile, Andre Roberson will miss his first game of the Orlando resumption. The Thunder are resting him with what they are referring to as “foot soreness.” Each team in Orlando is playing one set of back-to-back games, and for the Thunder, those games will occur on Sunday and Monday.

In other words, Roberson’s rest day could be strategic.

Dennis Schroder is on indefinite leave, as his wife gave birth to the couple’s second child last week. The length of his leave is undetermined, and hee will obviously miss Sunday’s contest.

Thunder don’t use Steven Adams’ absence as reason for poor defense in Grizzlies loss

The Memphis Grizzlies took advantage of the Steven Adams-less post, but the Oklahoma City Thunder did not use that as an excuse for the loss.

With center Steven Adams and backup big Mike Muscala both out with injury, Oklahoma City was stretched thin in the post in the 121-92 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

They were outmatched by 22 rebounds — Memphis had 58 rebounds while Oklahoma City had 36. They were outscored in the paint by nearly the exact same margin, 56 points for the Grizzlies and 36 for the Thunder.

Memphis center Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes, making eight of 11 shots.

Yet Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said he didn’t want his team to use the absence of the two bigs and guard Dennis Schroder as a reason for the loss.

“I don’t like to use that as an excuse,” Donovan said. “I think that we are capable of defending better than we defended today. So I wouldn’t want to use those guys as an excuse.”

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Yet while Donovan would not give his players an out by saying Adams’ absence was the cause, he peppered in shortcomings of the Thunder that, with very little analysis, Adams and Schroder could have helped with.

Donovan specifically mentioned pick-and-roll coverage as lacking and commented on Memphis’ points in the paint, saying Valanciunas “physically overwhelmed” Oklahoma City.

Then, the help defense was ineffective in stopping the Grizzlies.

“When we did bring help, we were late closing to shooters. We needed to be a little bit more on point,” Donovan said. “We certainly wanted to, with (Dillon) Brooks and (Ja) Morant, show them a crowd, to try to prevent them from getting into the teeth of the defense.”

Morant only made five field goals but scored 19 points. Brooks had a team-high 22 on 10-for-18 shooting.

In pressuring those two, it was more difficult to double-team the post and play help defense on the inside. Backing up Valanciunas and Anthony Tolliver, forward Brandon Clarke and center Gorgui Dieng had a dozen points apiece.

“You’ve gotta do multiple things. Not only do you’ve gotta get there and help but you’ve gotta be able to close back out and contest shots,” Donovan said.

The Thunder weren’t able to get down low and help. They weren’t able to close out on shooters. They weren’t able to make their own shots, either.

After making seven of 11 3-pointers over the first 11 minutes of the game, the Thunder went just 6-for-32 from deep over the rest of the game.

They lost a lead that had been as high as 18 points, getting outscored 70-41 in the second and third quarters.

Point guard Chris Paul repeated what Donovan said. The team can’t say that missing Adams was the reason they loss.

“Obviously we miss Steven … but we still had a game plan, had a nice lead,” Paul said. “We just gotta play better.”

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