halloween replay

not quite sure what i was expecting from the boys in blue last night. it is way too early in the season to be thinking about next year, but the thunder aren't giving me much to work with right now. okc gave up another early and late lead, kevin's durant near-perfect night was spoiled, and the pacers pulled out an eight-point win at home.

this is beginning to sound like a broken record, but the thunder didn't look as good as the 107-99 score might show. durant was truly a one-man show, and he is starting to sound frustrated with his supporting cast. while durant had a game-high 37 points, okc failed to shoot forty percent from the field again. the thunder led by ten at the end of the first quarter and by as many as 15 before indiana stormed back.

leading in multiple categories, okc couldn't capitalize in the final quarter. five players had seven or more rebounds for the thunder, who dominated on the offensive boards. i know the numbers aren't the whole story, but the lack of a second scorer is going to haunt this club much worse than the defense currently does.

jeff green had 14 points and 7 rebounds, but his poor shooting echoed the play of most of his teammates. durant knocked down 13-27 field goals on the night, tied with the rest of the four starters (13-39). possible scoring threats russell westbrook and desmond mason were no better off the bench, combining for a 1-15 night off the bench.

chris wilcox missed the game, but his replacement was the bigger story. robert swift is finally healthy, and his play is screaming for a bigger role. in very limited action, swift gave the thunder a near double-double (9 points and 7 rebounds). he also did something else against the pacers that not even durant can say. while on the floor, the seven-footer helped okc outscore indiana by twelve points. swift only played 12 minutes, but those minutes are sure to go up this week.

the loss begins a tough stretch for the now 1-6 thunder. carbert will have the preview of the home game tomorrow, but okc then goes on the road for two more tough tests. this season has proven that there are not going to be any easy games for the thunder. without finding a running mate for durant, this season is going to end up a nightmare - and not one of those made-for-tv ones either...