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If you tuned in last night for our 2K livestream, you were in for quite a game. Both teams played tremendous basketball – fast paced, great defense, great scheming. For a moment I forgot we don’t have any real sports because this game was almost as good.
Thunder @ Clippers 2K Sim https://t.co/VYlsrWktBI
— Oklahoma City Digest © (@ThunderDigest) April 4, 2020
Kawhi started the game on fire, getting 15 of the first 25 points for the Clippers. But after he subbed out in the 2nd quarter, it was all Paul George. In addition to his 44 point performance, he locked down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for most of the night. The sophomore star still went 7-13 from the field, but they were not easy baskets. Likewise, Kawhi clamped Gallinari all night who went a miserable 4-14 FG.
Steven Adams was the savior of the 3rd quarter. He finished with 25 rebounds, and about 15 of them happened in about 7 minutes of game time. Nearly every missed basket by OKC in the 2nd half was put back by the 7-foot New Zealander.
As we approached the 4th, the Thunder’s small six-point lead quickly dissipated. It was back and forth, running and gunning, with lots of transition offense. An exciting quarter from start to finish. But OKC collapsed in the final two minutes of gametime.
Shai allowed multiple inside cuts, resulting in easy baskets by Paul George who was already having a fantastic night. Tack on other missed assignments defensively, some highly contested shots offensively, and the Clippers took a lead for the first time since the beginning of the game and never looked back.
The prolific performance by PG masked an equally impressive night for the Claw, tacking on 31 points alongside 7 rebounds and 5 assists. These two elite defenders lived up to their name against a young rebuilding team.
Final score: 109-101 in favor of the LA home team. The Thunder will sit tight and face the other LA team, the Lakers, on Sunday. A difficult back-to-back, but some promising performances tonight against a Western Conference powerhouse. They hope to finish the game stronger, both defensively and offensively.
All my life, I’ve been training to be quarantined. Social distancing? Mastered. The only virus I’ll get is the one on my computer after clicking an email from the Prince of Nigeria because I’m so bored and just want to chat.
I’ve been collecting data and gathering resources on mistakes others have made during these trying times. Here are the results of things you should NOT do while quarantined.
[An aside: I’m addicted to saying “these trying times” and every time I say it I think of that scene from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia where Danny DeVito offers an egg to the backseat passenger during these trying times. It always mades me laugh.]
I’ve been getting this question a lot. In principle, this seems like a nice source of money while you are stuck at home. What people fail to realize is that once your house burns down you won’t have a place to live. And all of your possessions will not survive. And the federal government will likely find out and arrest you.
In actuality, this is a net loss financially. Therefore, you should stay away from self-arson attempts at the moment.
Who didn’t love Marcel? That critter got into all sorts of goofy trouble. It sounds like a grand old time to get a bunch of Marcel’s while you can’t see your friends.
However, according to the CDC, fecal matter via monkey is unsanitary and has the possibility of containing many viruses, possibly the hottest virus around town these days. I don’t have the data to support their hypothesis, so I will take their word for it.
Therefore, monkeys are out of the question. Not worth the poop if you ask me.
Granted, it is a very funny joke. You’ll get all of your friends to laugh. But everyone else will start to throw tomatoes that they have on hand for some reason. [An aside: Why did people in the old days throw tomatoes when they were displeased by something? Do they just carry around tomatoes in case they want to express their dissatisfaction in the form of a vegetable?]
Also you shouldn’t be in a public place. That was a test and you have failed. Now go back home.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this is the only one that is actually kind of real. People are idiots.
Unfortunately in this apocalyptic scenario, there are still other people alive. So you’re very likely to hit someone or break a window to an apartment building. Stick to hitting golf balls on a driving range, preferably with at least 8-10 feet separation from the other golfers.
You can bring your dog if you want. The main issue with this scenario was the airplane and downtown city areas, not the dog.
Well there you have it: things NOT to do while quarantined. I hope you all are a little more informed in these trying times.
I promise this is still a Thunder website. We will have Thunder content later today!
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Listen dude. There’s no basketball. I can’t leave my house. Tonight I talked with an actual human on Skype and it was the best moment of my day by far. I’m going insane over here. I need this. So just shut up, let me have some fun, and GET READY TO WATCH SOME THUNDER BASKETBALL.
In what can only be described as an avalanche of OKC offense, the likes of which you would normally find in the Denver mountainside, this game was a blowout in the second half. Thunder win 114-87 to move half a game back of the 3rd seed! OKC came in winning their last three games, last of which in Atlanta without Trae Young.
Tonight, we saw multiple – that’s right, multiple – Gallinari dunks. One of which was a fantastic alley-oop from Dennis Schroder.
The Thunder were excellent on both ends. Defensively, Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel were at their absolute best as rim protectors, while Deonte Burton was disrupting all night with multiple steals leading to transition points. Offensively, CP3 was on fire from midrange (as usual), Dennis Schroder produced all night with a team high 24 points, and Steven Adams racked up a career-high 26 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets had nothing going their way. Nikola Jokic lead the team with 18 points but on 8-17 shooting, and Jamal Murray was an abysmal 3-13 from the field. Defensively, assignments were mismanaged constantly, as we saw countless points scored in the paint with ease. In fact, OKC scored 70 of their 114 points there, resulting in very limited need for the outside shots to fall (1-10 from 3PT).
The key factors were transition offense and bench production, led by none other than 6th man of the year Dennis Schroder. We also saw some flashes of Deonte Burton and Lu Dort, who has proven to be a reliable factor regardless if he’s coming off the bench or starting.
OKC will rest for the weekend and travel to Miami for their next game. A win would position this team into a potential 3rd seed. Meanwhile, Miami looks to retain their 4th seed as the Pacers and 76ers lurk behind them, only 2 games back.
Stay tuned for more coverage as we continue our NBA 2K SIM series!
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This game never happened. The coronavirus happened. But the coronavirus can’t stop me from pretending it happened. Below is the recap of my pretend game.
The game began as many have begun this season: Steven Adams posts up and drains a midrange floater. This set the tone for the offense, and we saw constant penetration into the lane by the likes of SGA and Chris Paul. Dennis Schroder, who has been so consistent for most of the season, just didn’t have it tonight.
But he wasn’t needed, as Gallinari and Ferguson provided the outside shooting, leading OKC to a comfortable 111-95 victory.
The Washington bench was an interesting one, to say the least. John Wall, dressed in bright red pants and what can only be described as a sport coat that ate some plaid pants but stopped halfway, threw up his signature gang signs after every 3PT shot. However, he did this for both the Wizards and Thunder, so we were all a bit confused.
Scott Brooks, who seemed to be in a state of confusion this evening, kept mistakenly gathering the Thunder players around to draw up the play. This happened on almost every timeout. Steven Adams repeatedly followed along by accident, but most of the roster realized the situation and simply ignored him. Bradley Beal, once again, was sitting on the bench in the 4th quarter down 20 points, murmuring to himself and shaking his head. He scored 57 points on 23-of-25 shooting.
Gallinari, after a somber month for his home country, produced a refreshing and successful performance, as he led this Thunder team with 27 points on 5/9 from 3PT. In the postgame interview with Nick Gallo, he dedicated his night to family and friends back home, seen recently doing the Macarena from their respective apartment balconies. As he passed the camera, Dennis decided to throw in a “helluva player” for good measure.
Tonight’s win was yet another testament to OKC’s road game success. They will continue on the road this week, as they travel to Memphis and Atlanta in a back-to-back slate starting Tuesday.
Until then, Thunder UP!!
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NBA teams operating G League franchises expect the rest of the minor-league season will be cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak, sources tell ESPN.
Story with @wojespn https://t.co/v4gA0I5X1B— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) March 16, 2020
Malika Andrew and Woj finally report what was very much expected: the G League will forfeit the remainder of the season.
This comes at no surprise. Unlike the NBA, the purpose of the G League is not to crown a champion at the end of each season. It is an opportunity for athletes to develop and perhaps become studs in the NBA (shoutout Lu Dort). Without the ability to play, you might as well end the season.
Nevertheless, it is disappointing to lose basketball, at any level, once this coronavirus mayhem subsides. Players like Lu Dort, Kevin Hervey, and Deonte Burton have shined in that environment; without the remaining season we won’t have the opportunity to find other hidden gems.
Meanwhile, the NBA is still attempting to formulate a timeline on their return. Current estimates based on CDC recommendations show a return in mid- to late-June without fans. It is unclear if the season will resume where it ended or if some games will be removed to catalyze the remaining regular season.
We will keep you updated as we receive new information. Even in these dark days, don’t forget to…
THUNDER UP!!
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Now for just 5 straight minutes of laugh out loud moments from quite possibly the funniest NBA player during media availability.
Watching this again, I completely forgot about some of these:
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Turns out there are a ton of “things to do when bored” lists online, and they are all ridiculous ideas. But I decided to make them better. I expect everyone to do all of these by the time basketball resumes.
Paper, walls, antique furniture, the world is your canvas!
In your house. Not outside. Outside is for losers.
What am I, your mom? Nah go crazy dude.
What am I, your mom? Nah, go TP it.
NOT. You were about to do it, weren’t you? Freakin nerd.
Step 1: Find a board. Step 2: invent a game with said board. Perhaps a “walk the plank” type deal.
Get out of here nerd.
They don’t even need to be pictures of relatives or friends, just look through some random dude’s album and laugh about how there wasn’t colorized television.
Chill optional. I heard Contagious is a must-watch.
Just kidding, who has friends?
Notify a contractor of your plans. Develop a blueprint. Order a cement truck. Forts are to be taken seriously.
Give many boops, but remember to wash your hands post-boop. A post-boop hand wash is a top 3 hand wash.
Use your couch cushion. Pet it like a dog and see what your friends say. Alternatively go adopt a dog, you coward.
Pop out the old fashioned Nyquil kit and go to town, baby.
Found. Now don’t do it.
Ah wait nvm
In order to make the pieces you need several different puzzle cutout tools, which you probably don’t have. Instead, just work on a puzzle already constructed.
Outside is for nerds. Nerd.
Recreate the scene from Titanic where she’s like “paint me like one of your French girls” except the girl is your dog and the canvas is a tennis ball and you actually just throw it to him and play fetch.
Then how will you know where to find that pair of gym shorts buried under the rest of your dirty clothes? Don’t do this, you’ll ruin your whole system.
GUYS ONLY. Girls, if I see a single paint on a nail I’m gonna lose it.
Start by finding a closet. If it’s empty, you’re golden. If it’s not, take everything out. Now you’re golden.
Did you know that reading books is for nerds? Check. Done.
DO MO MODIGOTO MR ROBOTO. That’s what I think of whenever I hear that word.
Always passes the vibe check. Make sure the music is something that was released seconds ago so you can ask your friends “hey have you heard this new song?” and alpha them when they haven’t heard it
Many words are kidnapped and abducted every day. It is your duty to find them and return them to safety
The only thing on it should be “watch sports”
Just loop the Wii music for 10 hours. Same thing.
My personal favorite is the Xbox. Not Xbox One. Just Xbox.
If you don’t have siblings, find a stranger (that does not have coronavirus) and annoy them instead
Disregard, see #31
Doesn’t have to be a published one, just scream random syllables at various pitches and eventually you’ll get there. Be sure to do this in a public setting
Clean yourself you dirty animal.
Skip. Only weenies eat.
Make sure you can count to 9 before you begin.
Pail, milk bucket, mop bucket, regular bucket, etc.
Should probably actually do this one. These are trying times.
Don’t go to the gym.
Roses are red, violets are blue, everyone is freaking out, we are all in a tremendous amount of trouble
ADOPT YOUR PETS YOU FOOLS
As long as it’s nowhere in Europe or Asia, and probably Australia and South America and Antartica and Africa. And no where outside your current state. Actually just stay inside.
You got the singing part down earlier, now just record yourself doing that and post on all social media platforms.
Dear me, Remember that one time everything stopped because of Coronavirus? Crazy stuff, man. Signed, me.
Double nap days are good days.
Are you an 75-year-old woman trying to kill time before her grandkids visit? If no, please skip.
Roses are red, violets are blue, i’m reusing this one, because I’m running low on ideas
Better yet, just take all the helium you can find. Once we run out, you’ll have a monopoly on the helium market.
No, save the helium!
Craft a strongly worded letter to Adam Silver telling him to let us watch basketball again.
While singing your original song. Do not stop looking at the clouds while singing loudly, even if people start to stare. It just means they’re jealous.
Wow, eat much? Jeez
Go to your local supermarket. Bring a disposable camera. Turn the flash on. Wait by the produce section. Take a few photos of strangers who do not want their photo taken. Send the pictures to your local CVS and you’re all set!
Mine is 9, what is yours?
An imaginary park. Don’t actually go to a park.
By people I mean you’re dog. Watch your dog. At home. In your imaginary park.
One time my friend stole $5,000 dollars from a bank and he lives on 514 Hickory Lane. Thank you, officer.
Right some words and cross them up like Jamal Crawford. Then do a puzzle that you did not construct yourself.
My recommendation is the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. That instrument can give very precise details about the chemical structure of a compound.
Be sure to do it in front of someone from that area of the world. I’m sure they won’t find it offensive in the slightest.
This requires access to the Pentagon. If you have it, great, if not it will take about 10-15 years for the proper training.
Imaginary friends of course. In your imaginary park.
This will kill about 5-7 minutes of your time.
Get crazy!! Breakfast for dinner! Lunch for dessert! Beer in your cereal bowl!
Perfect activity as we head into the summer.
Gross. Don’t do that. Hang out with your imaginary friends instead.
Who is everyone? Are you seeing people? Why were they little?
Too much running. Just watch a crap ton of movies all day.
Might I suggest this particular site: https://www.bonfire.com/store/topic-thunder/
And there you have it. 69 very obvious things to do if you can’t watch sports, but with a twist. More lists will be developed soon.
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Before beginning, I want to take a moment to acknowledge those who have contributed positively to an otherwise frantic and scary situation.
The Utah Jazz first reported Rudy Gobert was out with an illness at 12:24PM ET the day of the game. This is approximately seven hours before tipoff. Now cross reference this news with their released statement last night.
“This morning a player on the Utah Jazz tested negative for influenza, strep throat and an upper respiratory infection. The individual’s symptoms diminished over the course of today. However, in a precautionary measure, and in consultation and cooperation with NBA medical staff and Oklahoma health officials, the decision was made to test for COVID-19.”
Something doesn’t add up here. During the days leading up to this, all NBA news was about proposals to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 around the league. When someone on your roster is ill, COVID-19 should be the first concern.
According to the statement, other tests for the flu, strep, and an upper respiratory infection came back negative. Medical staff should know that this is a sign it could be COVID-19. Detection of the flu and this disease are not the same. Again, no decision was made to test until later.
It should be noted that the CDC requires teams to test for the three aforementioned infections prior to a test for COVID-19. Given that information, it is understandable that the COVID-19 test came later. However, if there is not enough time to perform the required tests, and the results will take up to eight hours, the logical decision is to keep Gobert and Emmanuel Mudiay (who was also sick but later confirmed safe) in Utah until it is 100% safe for them to travel. Instead, they were sent to OKC anyway.
Fast forward to the game. Literally minutes before tip-off, the results for this COVID-19 test are complete. This forces OKC medical staff to take drastic measures to stop the game, causing panic in the arena. Finally, it is announced the game is cancelled and fans are asked to leave. Because the results are still in their preliminary stages, there is very little information provided to the fans who are naturally concerned for their own safety and well-being.
News and speculation begins to swirl, as some believe a staff member of Chesapeake arena may have been infected, some believe it was a player on the court. About an hour after the cancellation, reports of Rudy Gobert’s diagnosis begin to circulate.
An interesting report to highlight is Chris Paul’s confrontation with the Jazz bench.
Prior to tip-off as the game was delayed, Chris Paul ran over to the Utah bench and said “what’s wrong with Rudy?” and they all yelled for him to get away. Now all the players are quarantined in their locker rooms, being tested for the virus.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) March 12, 2020
Based on this description, it seems clear that the Jazz players knew the gravity of the situation. According to other reports, the Utah roster waved goodbye as they returned to the locker rooms, seemingly sure they would not return.
Did the Jazz roster believe there was a possibility that Gobert was infected? If so, why did the team allow Gobert on the plane?
My speculation is this: the Utah Jazz intentionally dismissed the unlikely yet catastrophic possibility that their star center was infected with COVID-19. They badly wanted him to play, and in the hopes that he recovered, the Utah Jazz decided to send Gobert on the plane to OKC. A decision that, ultimately, could infect a city that had no confirmed cases of the virus at that time.
He resided in a room of the 21c Museum Hotel, where most visiting teams stay the night. He likely made contact with some hotel employers, staff members, and residents of the Oklahoma City area.
Today, we know about his infection and the underlying consequences in the Oklahoma City area. His fellow All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who attended an event at Del City High School the day prior, was also diagnosed with COVID-19.
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell worked out at Del City High School before testing positive for the coronavirus. https://t.co/j3guVgFrMZ
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) March 12, 2020
Although I believe the Jazz have much to blame in this situation, Gobert’s acts should not go unnoticed. At this point, most people have seen the clip. Gobert jokingly touches all the microphones on the podium before leaving. Days later, doctors confirmed his diagnosis. Because of the incubation period of COVID-19, Gobert was likely carrying the disease at the time of the video.
Here's Rudy Gobert on Monday touching all the microphones in the media room on purpose.
Here we are on Wednesday, and Rudy Gobert was just confirmed to have coronavirus, causing the NBA to suspend the season.
Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/6BF7q3n9ao
— matthew ashlock (@themattashlock) March 12, 2020
We later discover that Gobert’s careless actions have created some concern among his fellow teammates.
Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN. Jazz players privately say that Rudy Gobert had been careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings. Now a Jazz teammate has tested positive.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020
Although I don’t believe this to be as egregious as the Utah Jazz’s decisions, it is still wildly disrespectful and irresponsible. In all likelihood, Gobert’s decisions will impact another member of the Jazz organization.
We know now that the NBA will stay suspended for at least 30 days. Someone was bound to become infected anyway, but last night’s events really forced the league’s hand.
Had Utah been more precautious, the spread could have been mitigated. Instead, they made a basketball decision to bring a sick Rudy Gobert so he could possibly suit up for an important game, rather than a human decision to leave him in Utah until the proper tests were complete. The result is one of the craziest situations in NBA history.
No one knows what’s going to happen. It seems like every minute there is a new development, and the whole picture changes once again. The only thing we can do is protect ourselves. Be smart. Stay hydrated. Leave your residence only if necessary. And be sure to help your loved ones.
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It all happened in a matter of minutes.
Rudy Gobert, confirmed by Shams Charania and Woj, was diagnosed with COVID-19, the coronavirus.
Minutes later, the NBA suspended the season indefinitely.
The entire series of events, starting with the abrupt stoppage of the OKC Thunder game tonight, is one of the most bizarre points in NBA history. Even more crazy is how the whole situation came about in the first place.
According to the Utah Jazz PR, Gobert was tested for the flu and a respiratory infection which came back negative. Despite still feeling ill, he went to Oklahoma City. It was not until later that he was tested for the coronavirus in which the result came back positive moments before tipoff.
Why did they not test for coronavirus earlier if his other tests came back negative? If he is fact feeling ill, shouldn’t that be an indicator that something is wrong? Why was he allowed to travel in the first place? Just an absolutely horrible job by both the Jazz organization and Rudy Gobert. For this, and of course this monstrosity.
Is this the Rudy Gobert microphone incident in question? pic.twitter.com/5pzIuvGMGd
— Eagle-Eyed Social Media User Dan Why-Ner (@DanWeiner) March 12, 2020
There are so many things left unanswered. Is this suspension precautionary until they formulate a better plan? Will they wait until this disease is fully cured?
How many others have already been infected? Will the NBA quarantine all of those future infected players?
At this point, there’s just not enough information. All we know now is that we have at least one infection and at this moment others are still being tested. We will provide more information as we get it.
Today is a somber day for basketball fans. What will we do? What will we watch? Leave your ideas. Please. I’m desperate.
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