Steven Adams "You Just Gotta Come in Hot"

The Thunder were 8-2 in their last 10 games before the NBA shutdown. Steven Adams says the team that regains their momentum has the best chance to win the championship

Steven Adams struggled to remember who the Thunder played before their scheduled game with Utah on March 11th. He was in the middle of talking about how difficult it would be for the Thunder to regain their momentum after four months off. 

The game he forgot was Oklahoma City's 105-104 win over the Celtics in Boston, but that's not important. What is important is that no team in the NBA will be able to carry anything over from their last win and the team that finds their chemistry the fastest will have the upper hand. 

Adams says, "I think it's gonna be like a start new sort of thing."....."And whosoever's able to get the chemistry going like really quickly and very sharp then that's the team that's gonna do well."

Adams also says that even though the Thunder's momentum is hindered, they can't use it as an excuse, because everybody stopped. "As a player, you just gotta come in hot."

"All the strategic stuff - that's the coaches, they'll get fired if that's all messed up." Not that Adams wants anyone to lose their job, but, he's right. All he and his teammates have to do is play basketball and stay healthy. 

From a chemistry standpoint, Oklahoma City has done a good job staying in touch while on break, and there don't seem to be any cracks in the foundation. Danilo Gallinari is on record saying that what the Thunder can accomplish is more important than his upcoming free agency and Shai Gilgous-Alexander believes in the character of this team. 

"I think we have guys that know that we need our chemistry and obviously want to have our chemistry, and we know we need it to win, so I don't think it will be an issue." The Thunder gets started on July 28th when they scrimmage the Celtic, Maybe by then, Steven Adams's memory will be a little more clear. 

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With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.