Thunder Strikes: Monday Edition

What a weekend for the Oklahoma City Thunder! Not only did the Thunder pick up three straight road wins, but they also jumped ahead of the Houston Rockets by a half-game for the fifth spot in the western conference.

The weekend was highlighted by Sunday's 105-104 win over the Boston Celtics. The Thunder were down by as many as 18 and managed to pull off a victory thanks to late-game heroics from Dennis Schroder and Chris Paul.

Paul and Schroder trapped Kemba Walker on an inbound pass with 8.5 seconds left; Walker lost the ball Schroder picked it up and went to the rim to give the Thunder a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

The @okcthunder win in Boston behind @CP3's 28 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST! #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/9FRpOHepH9
— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2020

Making the Celtics win more impressive was the absence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexader sat out with a hip contusion he suffered in New York. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 19 points this season.

Schroder continues his campaign for sixth-man of the year. Schroder scored 27 in the Thunder's win over the Celtics, while Paul added 28.

Paul was his usual clutch self on Sunday, but his best performance came after Oklahoma CIty's 126-103 pummeling of the Knicks. After the game, Paul was asked if he ever imagined himself playing in New York?

"Man, I imagine playing in Boston on Sunday."..."That's all I think about, shoot; I ain't seen my kids since all-star, might not see them till April."..." That's the only thing that's on my mind right now."

Chris Paul: “I was excited to see Spike and didn’t get to see him.” pic.twitter.com/RsQKzAojIy
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) March 7, 2020

Two things you can be sure of, one Knicks fans will want to push the narrative that Paul's relationship with current Knicks president Leon Rose will lead Paul to demand a trade. And two, Paul is a professional, and he is so locked in right now the last thing on his mind is the offseason.

I do not doubt Paul's commitment to the Thunder. I don't know what proof we would need between now and the end of the season to make us understand how much he's enjoying this season.

As Danilo Galliari says, Paul is the best leader he's been around in his 12 seasons in the NBA. Big prise, if Gallinari is saying that rest assured, Paul will do everything in his power to drive this team to success in the postseason.

The Blue lost to the Austin Spurs on Sunday 117-114. Kevin Hervey led the Blue with 22 points in 29 minutes.

Dennis Schroder on Chris Paul wanting the Tatum matchup. pic.twitter.com/2J1AUF9Z1F
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) March 9, 2020

Up Next:

The Jazz is in town on Wednesday; tipoff is at 7 pm on Fox Sports Oklahoma. The Thunder trail Utah by a game and a half in the west.

What Do You Think:

What was the best part of the Thunder's weekend? Just click the comment box below.