Brew Hoop - Thunder vs. Bucks Gameday: Too much Kevin Durant and Russell WestbrookMilwaukee Bucks News and Analysis Since 2007https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47773/brewhoop_fave.png2013-03-30T22:56:23-05:00http://www.brewhoop.com/rss/stream/39305812013-03-30T22:56:23-05:002013-03-30T22:56:23-05:00Durant and Westbrook too much for Bucks
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<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were very good, while Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings were decidedly not. </p> <p>The <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> may not have even existed before 2008, but that didn't stop them from feeling nostalgic on '90s night in Milwaukee.</p>
<p>Despite the best efforts of Marquis Daniels and Luc Mbah a Moute, Kevin Durant scored 30 points along with eight rebounds and five assists and <span>Russell Westbrook</span> dropped a triple-double (23 pts, 6/18 fg, 13 rebs, 10 ast) to power Oklahoma City past a plucky <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bucks</a> team led by Ersan Ilyasova's 29 points and 14 rebounds and a first career double-double from Ekpe Udoh (14 pts, 11 rebs in 18 minutes). Serge Ibaka added 16 (7/8 fg), a season-high eight blocks and seven boards for the Thunder, while Kevin Martin scored 17 on 12 shots. </p>
<p>Perhaps inspired by Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" performance at halftime, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings shot an ice cold 6/30 from the field in combining for just 17 points and 11 assists, a big reason for the Bucks' awful 38% shooting for the night. Ibaka's interior dominance kept the Bucks interior scoring at bay much of the evening, but four triples from Ilyasova highlighted a big night from deep for Milwaukee (12/29 threes), which shot better from three (41%) than two (36%). Despite that awkward mix, the Bucks hung tight and even led early in the fourth thanks to 19 offensive rebounds and a total of just nine turnovers.</p>
<p>Westbrook dominated Jennings and Ellis on his way to 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the first half, helping the Thunder to a 56-46 halftime advantage. But the Bucks' ball control and offensive rebounding made up for a continued inability to hit shots in the third, as Milwaukee made it two quarters in a row without a turnover and drew even by the end of the three. Ibaka's dozen matched ten points from Ersan, whose 25 and 13 through three were badly needed given Jennings (3/11) and Ellis (1/12) had combined for a miserable 4/23 to that point.</p>
<p>The Bucks looked to be gaining in self-belief when Marquis Daniels scored five quick points to give the Bucks a surprising 92-87 lead early in the fourth...but then reality set in. After turning it over three times in just over three quarters, the Bucks coughed it up five times in six minutes to key a 19-2 OKC blitz highlighted by three easy finishes from Nick Collison and punctuated by a wide-open three from Durant. It wasn't quite the comedy of errors we witnessed against the Hawks last weekend, but it's not like the Thunder needed any help either. Otherwise, Larry Sanders picked up yet another technical for a cheap elbow on Collison in the third, but avoided a league-leading sixth ejection despite some late trash talking with Durant. Yay?</p>
<p>The Bucks will look to get back on track Monday when they host the Bobcats at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, while Oklahoma City is off until Thursday when they face off against the West-leading Spurs in Oklahoma City.</p>
https://www.brewhoop.com/2013/3/30/4166226/bucks-final-score-recap-thunder-bucks-kevin-durant-russell-westbrookFrank Madden2013-03-30T09:29:00-05:002013-03-30T09:29:00-05:00Bucks vs. Thunder preview: Starring Vanilla Ice
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<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Milwaukee Bucks host the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday night, as the BMO Harris Bradley Center celebrates the simpler, budget surplus-y time that was the 1990s. Vanilla Ice's halftime performance makes this one to remember already.</p> <p> </p>
<table border="1" align="center" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; margin: 1em auto; padding: 0px; border: 1px outset #aaaaaa; font-family: 'Gotham Narrow SSm A', 'Gotham Narrow SSm B', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; width: 620px; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><tbody style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">
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<th bgcolor="silver" align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">2012/2013 NBA Season</th>
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<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><center> <center> <a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1525747/OKC.v02c8bc6.png"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1525747/OKC.v02c8bc6_medium.png" class="photo" alt="Okc"></a> </center> <center><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">(53-20, 21-15 road)</b></center> </center></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">vs.</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><center> <center><img src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/579505/mil_medium.png" alt="Mil_medium" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 100%;"></center> <center><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">(35-36, 19-16 home)</b></center> </center></td>
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<td bgcolor="silver" align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">March 30, 2013</b></td>
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<td align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">BMO Harris Bradley Center | Milwaukee, WI</b></td>
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<td align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">7:30 CT</b></td>
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<td align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">FS Wisconsin | 620 WTMJ</b></td>
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<th bgcolor="silver" align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">Probable Starters</b></th>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span style="line-height: 9px;"><b>Russell Westbrook</b></span></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">PG</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-align: -webkit-right;"><span>Brandon Jennings</span></b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b>Thabo Sefalosha</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">SG</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span>Monta Ellis</span></td>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b>Kevin Durant</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">SF</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><span>Marquis Daniels</span></b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b>Serge Ibaka</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">PF</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><span>Ersan Ilyasova</span></b></td>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b>Kendrick Perkins</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">C</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;"><span>Larry Sanders</span></b></td>
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<th bgcolor="silver" align="center" colspan="3" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;">2012/13 Advanced Stats</b></th>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-align: start;">93.7 (8th)</span></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">Pace</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-align: -webkit-right;">94.6 (4th)</span></td>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-align: start;">112.3 (2nd)</span></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">ORtg</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-align: -webkit-right;">103.7 (21st)</span></td>
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<td align="right" width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-align: start;">102.4 (4th)</span></td>
<th align="center" width="20" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;">DRtg</th>
<td width="240" style="margin: 0px; padding: 3px; border: 1px inset #aaaaaa;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; text-align: -webkit-right;">105.2 (11th)</span></td>
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</tbody></table>
<p><b>On the Thunder: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Welcome To Loud City</a> | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Daily Thunder</a> | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunderous Intentions</a></b></p>
<p><b>Thunder update. </b>They make the tornado in Twister look like a spring breeze.</p>
<p><b>Milwaukee block party.</b> In addition to the obvious cast of superstars and chuckers, this game features a battle between premier shot blockers. One whose reputation belies his production, and another who's just starting to gain recognition for his efforts. That has less to do with Serge Ibaka as a player and more to do with being on an elite team and how it influences public opinion. Just imagine if Larry Sanders were doing what he's doing on the San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, etc. It's almost fitting that the two best shot blocking teams face off on retro 90s night, as the practice has generally fallen by the wayside in recent years.</p>
<p><b>Durantula repellant. </b>Kevin Durant doesn't exactly light up the scoreboard when the Bucks and Thunder meet. At least relative to his regular scoring numbers. Durant has averaged 23.3 ppg over eight games, third lowest of his career against any team. Likewise, Durant's field goal percentage (44.9% fg) and rebounds (5.8 rpg) versus the Bucks are also below his career averages against most teams. If you're looking for a defensive matchup to watch, go for Marquis Daniels and Luc Mbah a Moute vs. Durant (Larry Sanders vs. Russell Westbrook in the paint would also be worth your time). Both players have the lateral quickness and length to force Durant into a perimeter-oriented game.</p>
<p><b>Throwback to a better time in the 90s.</b> Vanilla Ice at halftime, acid-washed jeans, retro-fitted player introductions, and tons of other 90s-themed stuff will percolate into the BMO Harris Bradley Center at various points on Saturday night. If you're watching this game from home, dig out those zuba pants and the old purple Glenn Robinson jersey, pop a Zima or Surge, and turn on Funky Cold Medina.</p>
https://www.brewhoop.com/2013/3/30/4163152/bucks-vs-thunder-preview-the-one-with-vanilla-iceJacob McCormick