More photos » by Rick Scuteri - AP

Amare: Hey, ref! He touched my shades!

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Yahoo! Sports Box Score:

We're .500 at Christmas!

That's all I can say. This win makes me so unbelievably happy....I've followed the NBA nearly my entire life, and the last time I followed a team that was .500 at Christmas, it was 2005. And that team finished with 34 wins. So you can see why I'm feeling overjoyed right now.

That being said, this game was no picnic, and a lot of mistakes were made by both sides. But, facing facts, the Suns were playing catchup all game. It all started when the thunder scored 6 in a row to put the team up 18-11 with 6:41 to go in the first. From there, it was a relatively stable lead that reached its peak at 12 points with 5:20 and 4:13 to go in the 2nd quarter. Sadly, that lead was erased by a Sun run, consisting entirely of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire. They combined for 18 points in the last 4:13 of the second, eventually tying it at 64 with 13 seconds to go. Thankfully, an amazing hanging shot by KD put the Thunder ahead by two at the half, but I still smelled trouble.

As the Third quarter rolled on, the Thunder managed to nurse their small lead until they barely lost it towards the end of the quarter. When it was all said and done, the teams were in a dead heat going into the fourth. Again, the Thunder jumped out to the lead, and managed to keep it that way until Jason Richardson hit back to back jumpers with 4:11 to go in the fourth, giving the Suns a 106-104 lead. But the game was far from over. Ibaka managed to get an amazing tip in to tie it at 106. Ibaka continued to fight hard, but Amare drew two fouls on him in a minutes, forcing him out of the game. This left it at 110-108 in Phoenix's favour, but, after the annoying Remington Park graphic, Kevin Durant managed to overpower the flopping Jason Richardson for an amazing plus one. This left it at 111-110, and after Stoudemire missed a short layup, Jeff Green made an amazing play. I would explain it, but please, just watch it, it's pretty darn spectacular. Zoom ahead to 1:54 in this recap.

After that, you knew it was almost over. And after Steve Nash missed a freethrow, KD Rebounded his own miss, and then spotted up for another jumper and hit it, you knew this game was over. Wow.

(On a side note, I'm getting pretty close to being able to provide video of the game on my own for this site. Don't expect anything full blown, but I might do my own video recap or provide a clip here and there when necessary.)

Below: Analysis, Awards

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More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

No way, Ibaka! This ball is mine!

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Time: 8:00 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The US Airways Center, Phoenix, Arizona

TV: KSBI-TV, KUTP-TV My 45

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Bright Side Of The Sun, Suns Stufft, Valley of the Suns

Backstory: Well, what is there to say about Phoenix? They were the NBA's November darlings, the team that everyone thought had finally gotten back on it's feet. Sadly, December has not been nearly as kind, as they have a record of 4-7 so far. The record is a bit strange, though. they have wins against solid teams like Orlando, San Antonio, and Sacramento, but at the same time, they have an embarassing loss to New York. I suppose it comes with being such an up and down team.

The Thunder will hope the Suns are on the down part of the rollercoaster tonight, as the Thunder are under .500 for the first time in a long time, are on the 2nd game of a back to back, and really need this win.

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More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Here, Jeff Green kind of looks like a rich guy throwing away a piece of trash. As a result, the ball got stolen.

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Yahoo! Sports Box Score:

What a great game. That being said, argh!

This isn't at all the game I expected, but sometimes, I'm glad to be wrong. An incredibly intense game throughout. The game started off with both teams playing relatively evenly, but the there was something a bit different about the Lakers. They were playing lazy. They were letting far too many fast break dunks happen, and they weren't exploiting us on the inside as much as they should have. Eventually, their laziness lead to a 5 Point Thunder lead at the end of the first, a 12 point lead with 4:13 left to go in the 2nd, and a 7 Point lead at halftime.

But, if you know anything about the NBA, you know that inevitably, a third quarter collapse was coming. Immediately the Thunder started to fall behind, and everyone started to worry. But, unexpectedly, the Thunder never fell farther behind than 3 for a while, and they somehow managed to stay in the game. But, things seemed to be falling apart as they finally fell to 6 behind by the end of the 3rd, and 11 behind with 6:22 to go in the fourth. At this point, I thought the game was over, and was ready to resign myself to another Thunder loss.

But hope arose once again. Russell Westbrook got it started by getting fouled, and then James Harden had an amazing fast break dunk. Kobe Bryant responded with freethrows of his own, and then KD managed to miss his second freethrow, and after Serge Ibaka blew an opportunity for a 3 point possession, I, again, thought it was over. Then, Pau Gasol passed the ball out of bounds. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Russell Westbrook made a mid-range jumper, Kobe missed a layup and fouled Russell Westbrook, and Russell Westbrook made 1 of 2. Suddenly, we were sitting on only a 5 point deficit with 3:55 to go. I was feeling the hope.

But then, the rays of sunshine got black again as Lamar Odom hit a clutch 3 Pointer. Game over, right? Wrong, as Sefolosha came back to hit an equally clutch 3 just as the shot clock expired. The rest of the game was essentially spent trying to beat LA's freethrows. Kobe hit two at the line, but Ibaka responded with a dunk. Kobe made a bad pass, and Westbrook responded with a jumper. It was down to three! After another Laker turnover, Sefolosha had an open three. I could see the light!

KD wanted to have an all-night dance party, but his 6 fouls cut the party short.

But no. He missed it. Kevin Durant then got some BS foul call (fouling him out), and the Lakers widened their lead back to 5. the Thunder set Serge Ibaka up for a great short, two point jumper, but he bricked it. Again, I figured the Thunder were toast at this point. But no. They came back again. Lamar Odom missed a 3, and Russell Westbrook somehow managed to run around the entire Laker defense and hit a relatively uncontested layup. Spectacular. Then, Paul Gasol committed an offensive foul, we got the ball back, and Westbrook scored AGAIN! A baseline jumper! We were within 1!

And thus, we entered the critical last 19 seconds of the game. Kobe Bryant was fouled, and the MVP chants were louder than ever.  The first free throw was perfect, and so was the second. At this point, Ron Artest had some "words" for Russell Westbrook, and it's a wonder they never got into a fight. The Thunder came out of their time out....and Harden scored over Gasol! And Gasol even tried to flop! The lead was back down to 1 with 14 seconds to go, and Derek Fisher was immediately fouled. The first freethrow was rainbow perfect, and the second was shaky, but in. I really wish he was that good at freethrows when he played for the Warriors.

So it came down to the final seconds. The Thunder knew they needed a three. The ball was inbounded to Sefolosha. He handed it off to Westbrook. Westbrook worked around for an isolation 3 point jumper on the left side.....it's up...it barely rattles out. Ibaka tries to tip it in, and it falls out. Sefolosha tries a bank tip, and it falls out. Ibaka tries again, but the ball slips out of his hand, and it was too late by then, anyway. It was all over.

Sorry to bore you guys with the long game description, but this was one of the best games in recent memory, and I wanted to recap it well. We lost, but seriously, could you ask for more from a basketball game? I've never seen the Thunder or Warriors beat the Lakers, and it will be a very grand day when I do see that, but this game was still a pretty darn good Christmas present. Still, it would be even better if we beat Phoenix tomorrow!

Below: Analysis, Awards

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More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

That's right! He works for us now!

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Via The Salt Lake Tribune:

Credit to Mleetch352 for breaking this news to me.

All I can say is....HELLS YEAH!

The Thunder just basically robbed the Jazz blind by taking a expiring contract and a promising backup Point guard in Eric Maynor. What did we lose? Some fool. And by that, I really do mean some fool.

We lost the rights to Peter Fehse, a 2nd round draft pickfrom Germany. The pick was made in 2002, back when Gary Payton was still wearing Green. So really, it's not loss at all.

Granted, we did have to waive Mike Wilks and Shaun Livingston, but that's no biggie. It must really suck for the both of them to be told they're off the team right before this game starts, but hey, that's the business. Eric Maynor will compliment Ollie and Westbrook well. Wilks was just an emergency backup, and Livingston really wasn't playing like he used to. Kind of like a Westbrook-lite. Still, I wish only the best of luck for Livingston and Wilks. Both guys who played solid in pinches for this team.

Now, what can Maynor and Harpring contribute? Well, Maynor is obviously the man who's going to take over the backup point guard spot. It'll take him some time to get adjusted to the team, so Ollie might start in front of him at first, but he'll get that spot eventually. Will he ever take over for Westbrook? Well, that's a question that only time can answer.

Matt Harpring will most likely never be used. He's out for the season, and his contract expires at the end of it. I doubt we'll resign him unless we need a Small Forward to use in pinches. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see some Matt Harpring in action, but it's just not going to happen.

Eric Maynor's Yahoo Profile

Matt Harpring's Yahoo! Profile

I thought trades like this happened only in Sim Leagues, but I guess they happen in real life, too. I'm excited! Now, say it with me....THANK YOU SAM PRESTI!

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Last time, there was just no getting around the Laker defense. This time, it's looking like the same sad story.

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 8:30 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports West, NBA TV

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Silver Screen and Roll, With Malice, Forum Blue and Gold

Backstory: Ah, we meet our indestructible foes once again.

We've seen the Lakers twice already this season. The first time was an expression of almost pure joy, as the Thunder nearly upset the Lakers, even taking them to overtime. It was at a time where we felt the Thunder oculd conquer even the strongest of the NBA's teams, as we were 2-2 and beat the Magic a few games later. Then, the other game can be seen as a coming back to Earth moment, as the Thunder got pulverized by the better team, which then featured Pau Gasol.

But, what have the Lakers been doing since we last saw them? Winning. And Winning. One Loss to Utah. But then, more winning. Their record is 22-4. They're not going to set records or anything, but it's a record that no team would pass up or sneeze at. Needless to say, this game means a lot more to the Thunder than it does the Lakers. If the Lakers win, it's just another brick laid in the wall of victory. But, if the Thunder win, it would be a Titanic upset, and a huge boost to the Thunder as they would secure wrapping up the toughest part of their schedule at .500. It would also send a huge message to the league.

Needless to say though, the Lakers definitely aren't overlooking us. They know all too well that we can sneak up on tough opponents, and they'll want to make sure to put the Thunder away by the third quarter, or it could mean big trouble.

Below: Matchups, Prediction

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(Image blatantly stolen from The Lost Ogle.)

This is a piece that I hope to semi-regularly post, just to mix things up a bit in here. The Previews, Recaps, and Loud Links all get a bit old and monotonous after a while. Just think of it as adding a little zazz to the Welcome to Loud City sandwich. And don't worry, this isn't the only thing I have planned. There's more things in the pipeline, time-permitting.

The Thunder spent most of last season getting integrated with the local community and getting essential things, like the game presentation, season ticket sales, the making of the new mascot, and other things out of the way. But, Season Two has required a new strategy, something to keep the fans coming. So, what did they come up with, after lots of brainstorming?

Thunder Up.

Below: Lots of Ranting, Final Analysis, Final Verdict

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Yahoo! Box Score:

I like to call this one "The Statue of Liberty".

Note: I just realized the very beginning of this article is pretty arrogant. If it seems so to you as well, pleas ignore it and move on. I guess they were just the first two things on my mind.

Yet again, my prediction is only 2 points off! (I predicted it to be 97 to 90, albeit after the first quarter.)

Regardless of that, the Thunder lost, yet again, to the Houston Rockets. It's no surprise to me, as I declared the Thunder would not beat the Rockets this season (including our next and final meeting on March 24th). But what did surprise me is the manner in which it happened. I made the 97-90 prediction thinking that the game would end on a ho-hum note, with the Thunder down by 12 and then throwing in 5 points at the end just for the heck of it. But here, the Thunder made a legitimate run for it, and should have had a decent shot to win it, barring a couple of rebounds at the end of the game.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. The name of the game for the Thunder on this night was "catch up". Nearly the entire game was spent behind the Rockets. There was a brief 34-31 lead with 6:01 to go in the 2nd, but other than that and the early minutes of the first, the Thunder were behind the entire time. And things were always looking grim. It seemed like every time the Thunder took 2 steps in the right direction, they'd take 3 steps back, and then all of a sudden, Houston would hit a 3 and say, "Boom! In your face!". This was especially emphasized in the 4th quarter, where every time the Thunder got within a 3 or 4 point deficit and you thought, "Man, this might get interesting!", the Thunder fell flat on their faces and got nay-sayed by Trevor Ariza or David Andersen. There were a lot of missed Golden opportunities in this game, don't get me wrong, but the most obvious to everyone was the one at the end of the game, and it pretty much summed up the entire game in 64 agonizing seconds.

After a HUGE second-chance 3 by KD to put it within 4 with 1:04 to go, the Thunder needed a stop. The Rockets dribbled the ball around, making sure not to shoot too early. Then, Aaron Brooks goes for the corner 3....and misses it. The rebound is tipped right out of Jeff Green's hands by Aaron Brooks, and the Rockets get to reset their offense. After a lot of holding, Trevor Ariza takes a spot up jumper, and it misses. The rebound goes right out of the hands of Westbrook and Durant and into the arms of Chuck Hayes. Aaron Brooks is finally fouled, and he misses the first freethrow, opening up a not-deserved opportunity. Then, Durant and Harden miss 2 good-looking threes, and the game is over. Yikes.

Below: Analysis, Awards

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Ibaka: Yes, that ball IS mine!

We got to see Weezy once again, and successfully took care of the one easy game among this 7 game nightmare. I'd call that a good day at work.

But, it didn't start very well. Detroit's opening basket was made by our old comrade, Chucky Atkins. That eventually sparked them into a 14-6 lead, lead by Rodney Stuckey. Predictably, he had a great game, because the Thunder don't do well against good penetration. The Pistons got the lead all the way up to 10 points, as they lead 22-12 with 3:57 to go.  But the Thunder responded strongly by recovering to get within 3 by the end of the quarter. Most of the points were made on penetration plays, but that's due in large part to the fact that Ben Wallace was out of the game.

The 2nd quarter was pretty even, as the Pistons managed to keep their lead until Jeff Green captured it from them with 6 seconds to go. In fact, he had 9 points in the last 3 minutes of the 2nd, largely accounting for our ability to take the lead.

From that point on, the Thunder only lost their lead once. The Pistons managed to tie it late in the 3rd, helped a lot by the fact that Ben Wallace was there to clog the lane again. The lead was only back up to 4 by the end of the 3rd. But, like a knight in shining armour, James Harden was there, making 7 points in the first two minutes of the 4th. After that, it was just a stagnant game of back and forth, with the Thunder running up the score at the end in order to make themselves look good.

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Feel free to post any thoughts you might have during the game here.

And massive apologies for missing this preview. I was out really late last night (till 5 AM), then came home, slept till 3, and then decided just to spend the day relaxing, as all of my finals were over, and I was kind of exhausted. I didn't even consider the possibility a game might be on tonight. Then, I hear my sister's dog died, so I go to get her some food. As I drove out, I turned on the radio and heard Craig Humphreys closing the pre-game show. Drat! I'll get on the ball, I promise.

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

Kevin Durant won't get to shy away from Ben Gordon tonight, because he's injured! Instead, he'll have to deal with the ferocious Chucky Atkins.

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This also counts as an open thread, so feel free to post your thoughts during the game here.

Time: 7 PM Central Standard Time

Place: The Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma, Fox Sports Detroit

Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1)

Enemy Blog(s): Motown String Music, Need 4 Sheed, Detroit 4 Lyfe

Backstory: Detroit is one of the league's enigmas. At times, they look like a quality team, able to put up wins against strong opponents like Orlando, Atlanta, and Denver. At other times, they drop a bunch of stinkers, losing to teams like Chicago or Toronto. Still, there is some reasoning for it, as Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Ben Gordon will all be gone tonight, and the Pistons have been battling injuries all season. Without those 3 players, I really can't see them beating us tonight, so I'm ready to throw out the celebration stuff.

And we all know the Thunder's story. They've been sliding because they've faced 3 of the leagues top 5 teams, and none of us want to see them slide below .500 and get into the muck of the West. Kevin Ollie is out through December, Kyle Weaver is out through March.

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