During pregame warmups, Russell Westbrook called over reserve forward Patrick Patterson and gave him a very straight forward message: “Shoot the ball”. It was as much an instillation of confidence as it was a directive. Turns out it was an effective message not just for the Thunder stretch forward, but the entire reserve unit.
Patterson had a perfect shooting night, going 4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 from the three-point line and hit his lone free throw attempt on his way to 11 points as the Thunder’s bench racked up 48 total points to bolster a 112-105 home victory over the Orlando Magic.