NBA Scores 2017: The Thunder almost lost to the Spurs’ G-League team & 4 other things from Sunday night

Few Spurs played and it almost didn’t matter.

Dec 4, 2017, 12:30 PM UTC

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Spurs played the Thunder without Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay and Tony Parker on Sunday night. After the first half, Gregg Popovich opted to sit Pau Gasol, Danny Green and Patty Mills for the rest of the game too. Kyle Anderson then sprained his MCL in the third quarter and didn’t return. Manu Ginobili didn’t play the entire game either.

Those are the Spurs’ top NINE players. This game should not have been close.

But with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Thunder led the Spurs by a single point. ONE POINT! Against a rotation of Joffrey Lauvergne, Brandon Paul, Davis Bertans, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Bryn Forbes.

The Thunder prevailed, 90-87, but allowed San Antonio multiple chances to steal this game. Paul even had the opportunity to tie it with an open three before time expired which could have sent into overtime.

How did the Big 3 look? Bad. Again.

OKC shot 42.5 percent from the field and 28 percent from three-point range. Russell Westbrook’s 22-10-10 triple-double came on 9-of-22 shooting wih seven turnovers. Paul George had eight points on 2-of-17 shooting and six turnovers. Carmelo Anthony had nine points on 4-of-10 shooting.

This team needs a makeover.

Something needs to change — and quick. There aren’t enough basketballs for all three of those guys to share the court.

Jimmy Butler saved the Wolves from an ugly loss to the short-handed Clippers

Minnesota’s gone slightly under the radar as a team similar to OKC, struggling to put talented pieces together. And just like OKC’s opposition on Sunday night, the Clippers were missing their best players too, yet made it a game. Blake Griffin continues to miss times with a knee sprain, Danillo Gallinari and Milos Tedosic remain sidelined, and Patrick Beverely will miss the rest of the season. That almost didn’t matter.

To open the fourth quarter, the Wolves led by just two points, and needed Jimmy Butler to go full-on en fuego and score 20 of the team’s last 24 points to pick up the 112-106 win. He finished with 33, and his performance had Paul Flannery considering him as an MVP candidate.

Butler was really hitting stride, and took the game over. That’s promising.