As the new year looms, all eyes are on the Oklahoma City Thunder and their march toward the best regular season record in NBA history. A lot of opponents, like Minnesota Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch, aren’t holding back their frustrations about the Thunder’s passive-aggressive style of play at both ends of the floor. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to make flopping into an art form, flailing his way to the free throw line at an historic rate…while on the other end, defenders like Alex Caruso appear to get away with slapping and hacking much more so than any other team. The refs can’t call everything, right?
No question the Thunder will have to deal with angry opponents the rest of the season, and in the loaded Western Conference, that could take a toll by the time the playoffs roll around. The question is which of the prospective agitated foes will survive the early rounds of the postseason so they can make themselves the opposition.
There’s a pair of combatants in the West – who each share Finch’s frustration with the perceived favorable treatment given to the Thunder – who are also developing a bit of a healthy disdain for one another.
If it happens, the Houston Rockets v the Denver Nuggets could be an epic playoff series next spring.
Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say. So when the Rockets visited Denver twice last week, there was bound to be some lingering ill-will by the time the second match up came around. It just so happened that after the Nuggets won the first game in overtime 128-125 on Monday, Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka complained about the officiating and ended up with a $25,000 fine for his efforts. Then the Rockets had to pack up and make a quick trip to New Orleans before they got a shot at a rematch on Saturday. Against the lowly Pelicans, Houston blew a 25-point third quarter lead and lost a game they should have won, making the return trip to the Mile High City that much more uncomfortable…and meaningful.
While the Nuggets came out sluggish for the afternoon contest, the Rockets were ready to fire, with their mouths as well as their play. Kevin Durant, known as one of the games best players ever…AND one of it’s best trash talkers…poured in 31 points and poured salt on the Nuggets wounds as Houston prevailed 115-101.
Durant didn’t hold back on the floor or after the game, when he called out the Nuggets Bruce Brown. There’s every chance the bad blood will linger.
The loss ended a Nuggets six-game winning streak and set the stage for their final meeting of the regular season, March 11 back in Denver. The Nuggets won in Houston back on November 21st before the overtime win on Monday, so the Rockets will need to win again at Ball Arena in March to even the season series. It could very well determine who gets home court advantage in a prospective early round playoff series.
Then the question will be if the survivor of that series has enough left in the tank to take on the Thunder.
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