Thunder
The Thunder don’t look quite so invincible right now.
After roaring through the season’s first two months, Oklahoma City has split its last 12 games, including an ugly 124-97 loss to Charlotte on Monday.
It’s been a humbling stretch, but coach Mark Daigneault believes there’s value in it.
“When you win the championship and you start the way we started, it comes with the territory,” Daigneault told reporters, via, Cliff Brunt of the Associated Press. “It gives you a unique opportunity to really improve through that. It’s a competitive privilege to be a team other teams are up to play for.”
Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander echoed that sentiment, downplaying any panic.
“There’s a lot of games left,” he said. “We’ve won big. We’ve lost big. The best teams get better the next day. That’s who we’re trying to be.”
Knicks
Things are far less philosophical right now for the Knicks.
New York was overwhelmed 121-90 by the East-leading Pistons on Monday, dropping its fourth straight. Jalen Brunson scored 25 points but finished without an assist and committed six turnovers.
“We just gotta respond,” Brunson said. “If we want to be the team we say we want to be, we have to be better.”
Coach Mike Brown didn’t sugarcoat it.
“They just physically kicked our [butt],” Brown said. “We had 20 turnovers for 33 points. You can’t play in spurts against a team like that. It has to be 48 minutes.”
Bulls
The Bulls may still be stuck in the middle, but Matas Buzelis is starting to separate himself.
The second-year forward is averaging 21.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists over his last three games and scored 26 on 9-of-12 shooting in Monday’s loss to Boston.
“I’ve been most pleased with how decisive he’s been,” coach Billy Donovan said, via Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “No holding the ball. No dancing with it. Just quick decisions.”
Buzelis sees it as part of the learning curve.
“It’s only Year 2,” he said. “Still getting comfortable going against grown men. Just grinding.”
Buzelis is listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit due to illness.
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