As ready as some Oklahoma City Thunder fans were for a losing season, and as much as some are as happy with a loss as they would be with a win, the players are in a different boat.
An organization may try to tank, but the players don’t.
With the Thunder’s 10th loss in a row on Sunday, this one a 112-106 battle with the Toronto Raptors, head coach Mark Daigneault hinted that some frustration is beginning to mount even while he expressed some optimism for his crew.
“This has been a tough stretch and these last couple games we’ve been right on the doorstep, but they come out and they compete every night,” he said. “If the frustration bleeds into the beginning of games and the way that we play, then that would be concerning, but it really hasn’t.”
Lu Dort was neutralized after scoring 21 points in the first quarter alone. Fellow Montrealer Chris Boucher of the Raptors scored 17 in that frame and finished with 31, closing it off with the 3-pointer that iced the game.
Here are three takeaways from the Thunder’s loss:
