Thunder want to bottle what worked against Jazz in Game 1, and above all, ‘stay aggressive’

Oklahoma City • In their Game 1 win over the Jazz, everything went right offensively for the Thunder.

Russell Westbrook continually found the paint off the dribble and either splashed in jumpers or scored at the basket. Carmelo Anthony made a significant impact as a third wheel, exploiting mismatches or playing bully basketball in the post. The Thunder went 14 of 29 from the 3-point line and wound up scoring 116 points against the best defense in the NBA.

And then there was Paul George. By now, most observers and fans know that “Playoff P” dropped in 36 big ones.

On the road to Wednesday’s Game 2 at Chesapeake Energy Arena against the Jazz, the Thunder want to bottle what they did in Game 1. Only, they want to do it better.

“We have to continue to stay aggressive and continue to attack the basket,” Westbrook said. “They change their lineups a lot, they are big and athletic. So we have to make sure that we stay aggressive. We have to attack the basket and make them guard us.”

In truth, the Thunder have been uneven this season. When the roster was assembled, they were thought to be the third best team in the Western Conference. But, by coach Billy Donovan’s admission, OKC was inconsistent for much of the regular season.

That’s why the past few weeks have been big for the Thunder. The Game 1 win over the Jazz was their fourth consecutive victory and fifth win in six games. And those victories came over playoff teams such as the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans.

So, the Thunder have been playing quasi-playoff basketball well before the playoffs started.

“I thought we had a great test down the stretch and this team has always responded,” Donovan said. “It’s never smooth sailing for any team. Every team has a struggle or a mountain to climb. The good thing is we responded. There are some teams that don’t respond, and when you’re in the playoffs, you cannot not respond.”

Donovan said he was pleased with how his team played in Game 1 and how it handled Utah’s defense for the most part. Obviously, he liked OKC’s ability to shoot the ball, which was a step up from how the Thunder shot in the regular season.

But there were things he wasn’t pleased with. He didn’t like the turnovers. He didn’t like the way Oklahoma City closed the game — allowing the Jazz to come within striking distance. So, in practice on Monday and Tuesday, he told his team to bottle the things it did well, while improving on the warts.

“Every possession, we’re going to look at it and evaluate it and ask what we could have done better,” Donovan said. “We did some good things, but I think there are things that we could’ve done better.”

On Tuesday, George missed most of practice with a hip contusion. He’s not expected to miss Wednesday’s Game 2, but he might not be 100 percent. OKC’s plight mirrors that of the Jazz, whose star guard Donovan Mitchell is officially questionable for Game 2 with a left foot contusion.

The Thunder said they realize how big Game 2 is. They know a 2-0 lead would be a commanding advantage. They also know they have to protect homecourt in what may be a long series.

“For any team, there’s always going to be a heightened sense [that] the postseason’s here,” Donovan said. “I just felt like our team was ready to play. We have to come out on Wednesday and be ready to play a full 48 minutes.”