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Thunder Clash With Jazz

KSBI News

Story Created: Nov 24, 2009 at 1:32 PM CST

Story Updated: Nov 24, 2009 at 1:38 PM CST

The Thunder can exhale for a moment or two AFTER THE FINAL BUZZER tonight at Energy Solutions in Salt Lake City. Tonight's clash with the Utah Jazz for the 7-7 Thunder will be their seventh road game in the last nine overall, their eighth game away from the friendly confines of the Ford Center in the past eleven.

It has been a rugged, challenging start that has seen the young OKC squad show considerable signs of progress and growth. Thankfully after the game tonight the team will head home to Oklahoma City for the Thanksgiving holiday to then begin a season-long five game home stand Friday night against Milwaukee.

This evening Scott Brook's club draws the surging 7-6 Jazz, who are a four point loss in Cleveland from a five game winning streak. As it is Utah's extraordinarily efficient offense has vaulted it to three consecutive victories.

Crafty Utah point guard Deron Williams (19.8ppg, 9.9apg) will soon be justly voted into an All-Star game. He teams with a walking double-double machine at the power forward spot in two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer (18.3ppg, 11.0rpg). And now the Jazz are bringing disruptive defensive force Andrei Kirilenko off the bench and he's responded, scoring 16.2ppg as a reserve. Add to this mix the likely return of perimeter shooting one-time All-Star center Mehmet Okur from a three game absence with the flu and Oklahoma City will have it's hands full with a potent Utah team.

The Thunder have been resilient this season, posting an impressive 4-2 record coming off of losses and they were beaten soundly Sunday by the Lakers 101-85. Beating the Jazz in Salt Lake City (something OKC's not done in any of the last four meetings here) will require a tough mindedness and a focused physicality from the Thunder to combat what will be thrown at them.

Utah's a very good offensive outfit that sets hard body on body screens accompanied by hard cuts. Oklahoma City must summon a strong defensive effort to throw the Jazz off of their game. Facing this team at the Energy Solutions Arena presents a considerable challenge physically and mentally.

The Thunder will have to maintain composure when calls go against them and the crowd is frenzied. This might be the toughest building in which to play well in the entire NBA. I have a hunch we'll learn just how poised this young Thunder team is at this point in the season by night's end.