OKC Thunder test against Houston Rockets good in the long term

Sunday night is a tough loss for the Oklahoma City Thunder with a score of 15-5. Late game errors and lack of execution down the stretch have the Bricktown Ballers longing to have a few more seconds on the clock to right their wrongs.

However, the sting can only last so long in an 82-game season. With another game just around the corner, you need to knock down some Advils quickly and get on with your day, and in this case, the season. But as painful as the Thunder’s 119-116 loss to the Rockets was, it’s also a meaningful game in the long run.

“A really high level game. Firstly I thought both teams were really competitive, a very physical game and both teams played really hard. I thought they (Houston Rockets) threw the first punch physically and we responded really well in the first half when the game could have gotten away from us and we were in control of the game most of the time. While we can learn from a game like this, we must learn and grow from it. But I think overall we’re a better team right now than we were eight days ago when we set out on this trip. We’ve had a lot of different experiences to grow from, from a few wins to tonight,” head coach Mark Daigneault said after the Rockets’ loss.

“A good block of games. I think we are better now than we were at the start of the season because of some of the experiences we have had. We have a lot to improve on both sides. “I think the boys have brought the kind of professionalism, consistency and spirit that allows you to grow in an 82-game season, and they always have, but they started this season that way too,” continued Daigneault.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have championship aspirations. Despite the poor health that has been dealt them this season, the Thunder are No. 1 in the West for the second straight year. When healthy, the Thunder have the firepower to compete with anyone in the NBA.

Nevertheless, the OKC Thunder have the youngest squad in the NBA. While many in Bricktown will groan at this statistic, as the Benjamin Button Thunder have been promoting their youth for half a decade, the facts are the facts.

The Thunder lack experience playing at a high level. For any of the 82 players to increase the intensity at a playoff level, especially on the road, that’s a good thing for Oklahoma City. One-sided victories and ugly victories count equally, although pure competitive luck is learned from them within 48 minutes.

Oklahoma City has a lot of cleaning up to do after its late-game loss to Houston, including brushing up on its math skills and situational skills when it comes to when to foul, but without these types of games? The Thunder would be ill-equipped to begin their championship hunt.

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