Marc Hinton - Fairfax Media
Kiwi Steven Adams continues to make a positive contribution for the Oklahoma City Thunder in their NBA pre-season campaign.
After going for seven points and six rebounds in an eye-catching first-up effort against Turkish club Fenerbahce, the 19-year-old rookie continued his progress in the Thunder's second hitout against the Philadelphia 76ers in Manchester, England, today.
Oklahoma, thanks to a 35-23 third-quarter surge, rolled the Sixers 103-99 to go 2-0 for the pre-season
Adams finished with six points (3/4 FG), four rebounds, two blocks, a steal and assists in nearly 17 minutes on court as he stepped in as starting centre in the absence of Kendrick Perkins who dislocated his finger in Turkey on Sunday.
The Thunder were led, as usual, by superstar Kevin Durant who finished with a near triple-double of 21 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists, while Reggie Jackson (29 points, six rebounds, eight assists) and Serge Ibaka (18 points, 11 rebounds) were the other chief contributors.
Adams received rave reviews for his high-energy first-up effort where he surprised many with his comfort in the Thunder system.
A second straight solid effort appears to have the 2.13m New Zealander on course to confound the critics and make the OKC squad for the regular season.
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