Remember earlier this month when I said we need a Steve Ballmer Cam at all Clippers games? I bet you thought I was kidding. Nope. 1000% serious. And, to prove my point, here’s the former Microsoft CEO and new Clippers owner going apeshit and scaring the crap out of his son at the end of the Clippers’ 93-90 win over the shorthanded Oklahoma City Thunder:
All I needed was one game, and now Ballmer Cam is here to stay. Good job, all around, everyone. Now, Ballmer’s intensity is something you might expect from an owner attending his first game, but it was most certainly magnified by how the game played out.
The Clippers entered the contest well-rested and at full strength, while the Thunder suited up only nine players for their second road game in as many nights. With Kevin Durant out, and promising backup point guard Reggie Jackson also sidelined, the Thunder have to push extra hard to keep pace early in the brutal Western Conference. Unfortunately, that task may have become significantly more difficult as Russell Westbrook, who almost single-handedly kept the Thunder in the game against Portland a night earlier, exited the game late in the second half and never returned. The official diagnosis: a small fracture of the second metacarpal in his right hand.
So, small fracture in second metacarpal in Russell Westbrook’s right hand, per Scott Brooks.
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) October 31, 2014
Prognosis (from a real doctor): not good.
Re: Russell Westbrook. Unfortunately, even best-case scenario, non-displaced metacarpal shaft fracture, likely 4-6 weeks min. #Thunder #OKC
— Dave Siebert, M.D. (@DaveMSiebert) October 31, 2014
On his way to the tunnel, Westbrook was caught on TNT cameras getting in a verbal altercation with a fan. It wasn’t clear as to what happened, and there was speculation a fan may have thrown something his direction. Video from the stands clearly shows that was not the case, but there was a very heated verbal argument:
With Westbrook out, the Thunder basically resemble the Lakers (or whatever lottery team you deem worthy of comparison). Thursday’s final lineup of healthy bodies looked more like a bunch of players attempting to make an NBA squad, rather than actually be members of an active roster. Sebastian Telfair — as in, the same Sebastian Telfair who didn’t even play in the NBA last season — racked up 38 minutes, but did hit a clutch three to pull OKC within a point. Andre Roberson, a second-year player, notched 37 minutes. The star of the show was Perry Jones, who played a game-high 42 minutes and scored 32 points on a surprisingly efficient night (10-17 from the field, 3-6 from three-point range, 9-11 from the free throw line).
Under those circumstances, you’d probably think it was a miracle OKC was even in the game, but the Clippers failed to take advantage of the situation. Most of the Clippers’ self-inflicted damage came from beyond the arc, where they shot 7-of-30. The good news is that OKC didn’t fare any better, shooting 6-of-21. Meanwhile, Chris Paul had 22 points and 7 assists, and Blake Griffin 22 points and 7 rebounds, to lead the Clippers.
Normally, there isn’t much to glean from an early season game like this (see: Cleveland and James, LeBron), but in this case, all focus shifts to the Thunder and what lies ahead. There’s no official timetable for Durant’s return, but we know he’s out at least for all of November. Reggie Jackson should be back soon, along with Anthony Morrow. Westbrook is going to be re-evaluated Friday, but if his injury keeps him out for a significant length of time (even 3-4 weeks), feisty performances such as tonight aren’t sustainable over the long term. Also, counting on the other side to keep shooting themselves in the foot isn’t a very reliable strategy. Basically, things could get ugly real quick.
[YouTube]
