Like a cornerback jumping a wide receiver’s route, Russell Westbrook darted from behind the three-point arc into the passing lane. In a blink of an eye he had the ball at the rim, cocking back a monstrous one-handed dunk, re-introducing the rims at Chesapeake Energy Arena to another season of Thunder basketball.
In the fifth preseason game for the Thunder on Sunday night, it was a heavy dose of Westbrook, a huge impact from Steven Adams and an all-around strong effort on both ends of the floor that led to a 112-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Finally healthy, besides Cameron Payne and his broken foot, the Thunder was able to pick up a rhythm and some on-court unity to match the off-court bonding that has taken place so far this season.