For the first few weeks of the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder couldn’t buy a win when it got close in the end. They went 1-9 in games that featured clutch-time minutes. But fast-forward to December and they have completely turned the tables on that record.
In October and November, the Thunder were 1-9 in games that featured clutch-time minutes.
They’re 9-1 in those games this month
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 27, 2017
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the reason for such a stark turnaround has been. It could basically be completely random chance that they’ve swung from one extreme to another. With games decided by such small margins, luck will always play some factor.
However, it could also be that they’ve finally started figuring some things out, particularly in terms of their offense. Russell Westbrook’s efficiency has skyrocketed as he’s shooting 57.5 percent over his last five games. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony is slowly coming to grips with his new off-the-ball role.
The fact that the Thunder have begun to win close games is not proof that they have completely solved their early-season problems. It would be much more ideal if they were pulling away from their opposition more consistently rather than allowing bad teams like the Hawks and the Grizzlies to stick around.
Nevertheless, it is at least a promising sign that they’re now winning games with more consistency and are headed in the right direction after a rough start to the year.
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