January is almost over, and the Thunder has survived. Come to think of it, the same could be said about Thursday night, when the Thunder played its first home game in 15 days.
Looking like the rest of us do when we get home all worn out from a long trip, the Thunder plodded through a 109-98 victory over a ghost team of Dallas Mavericks. Only a 45-point performance by Russell Westbrook kept OKC afloat.
The woebegone Mavs, already struggling at 16-29, played without the resting Dirk Nowitzki and the ailing Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews and J.