The Oklahoma City Thunder faced and passed a big test on Tuesday after defeating the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks with ease in a 110-91 outing.
The big three saw an even-keeled performance from everyone in the starting lineup, as Andre Roberson came a point shy of having all the starters score in double figures. Most importantly, the Thunder seem to have started to figure out their defensive rotations, and they proved it against the NBA's leading scorer — the Greek Freak.
Antetokounmpo had 28 points on 9-of-14 shooting, but it was the Thunder who cut out his opportunities to make plays for others and get out in transition, limiting him to three assists and no steals in the game.
“We just do what we do and it was Thunder against the Bucks and the Thunder won,” Westbrook said emphatically, according to ESPN's Royce Young. “That's what we did.”
Thunder head coach Billy Donovan had a bit more to say about his team's performance.
“That first half, that's how I would love to see us play,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “I feel like when we play like that the floor's so spaced it takes advantage of all those guys.”
Paul George, who was the first big name acquired by the organization since being relocated from Seattle, noted this was a transition for all involved, as this new-look team starts to figure out the gears.
“We all came — myself, Melo, other guys, Ray [Felton], Pat [Patterson] — we came from different situations, from different programs, so defensively it was going to be different to start out,” George said. “But over time we were going to figure it [out], start gaining momentum, starting to figure out what we're going to be defensively.”
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