And what a day it is! If you saw the Thunder’s win Friday night against the Toronto Raptors, then I’m sure you too are filled with a fresh sense of hope this morning. It was only the Thunder’s third victory of the season, but it could have been their sixty-third for all I could tell from the way I and the fans acted when the buzzer sounded and streamers fell from the Ford Center rafters. Who cares? The point is that at least until Sunday, we get to celebrate a Thunder home win, and I can’t think of a better present to get from the team than that. Or a better Boxing Day present from the Raptors.

In case you missed it, I can only say that the team we’ve been watching play tough games on the road finally came home on Friday, getting a big advantage in the 1st quarter and maintaining it until the 4th. They let a 9-point lead slip away in the final quarter, but through aggressive and persistent defense, the Thunder kept the ballgame tied until Durant untied it with a picturesque 3-pointer. He hopped back down the court pounding his chest as though his were not the only heart inside. And from there our play makers sealed the deal. Hit-the-deck hustle from Collison. Fatal free throws from Westbrook. And an electrifying Jeff Green dunk that immediately sent the crowd into a raucous frenzy.

Yes, the game was incredible, and we all hope for many more home wins like that one. But even more encouraging was the great rebounding and defense the Thunder played throughout the night. Not falling to their traditional weakness to a scoring big man, the Thunder kept Chris Bosh in check and managed to out-rebound the Raptors late in the game to end with a 6-board advantage. We saw more blocked shots, double-teams, and guys coming over to help on defense. It just seemed like there was a fire in the team’s belly to not let the opposition score. Even the crazy-haired, off the bench three-point shooting guy (every other team has one, right?) couldn’t stop us this time!

If we continue to play defense like we did that night, then we won’t be the kind of team to challenge the 76er’s dubious record. We are going to start winning a lot more ball games. We won’t need the amazing 4th quarter comeback that falls short. Instead those late points become untying points and nails in the coffin.

So not only is this a feeling to savor at this moment, we can also be encouraged by the other signs of life the Thunder showed on Friday. That level of play would at least allow us to be competitive against the Cavaliers on Sunday, even if another Christmas miracle may be too much to ask. Naw, I’ll still ask. Go Thunder!