The Oklahoma City Thunder had two heroes step up against the New Orleans Hornets on Jan. 25. Serge Ibaka scored 14 points and seven rebounds. Daequan Cook scored nine points as he made all three of his three-point shots in just 14 minutes late in the game to ice the 101-91 victory.

Finally, two other members of the Thunder’s role players aside from James Harden stepped up and scored key baskets. Russell Westbrook had an off-night and so two role players stepped in to compensate.

When bench players let the team down, the Thunder normally lose. But Cook came in to save the day. Ibaka is a starter who doesn’t score much but has great defensive prowess. His 14 points was the second-highest point total of the year since Dec. 29 against the Dallas Mavericks.

Cook hadn’t scored as many points since Dec. 31 when he scored 12 points against the Phoenix Suns in just 10 minutes of playing time.

If Ibaka and Cook can do this every game, the Thunder will be unstoppable. Ibaka is an under-appreciated starter who gets plenty of great minutes and provides a defensive spark.

Cook is coming into his own in his second year with the Thunder. The Miami Heat transplant averaged 5.6 points per game last season in 43 games. For two years in Miami, he had more playing time and more production until the Big Three came to town. Suddenly Cook was out of a job and went to Oklahoma City.

The perfect game against the Hornets was the first this season for Cook. Ibaka was 7-for-11, season highs for both shots and attempts. Perhaps Ibaka is getting into his groove this season. Last year, he was vital to the playoff success of the Thunder as they made it all the way to the Western Conference finals. He hasn’t stepped up like he did in more games last year.

Ibaka is still part of the young crew and should be able to have the energy for the crammed NBA season. Cook is a heady veteran who has been on a winning team and will bring steady minutes to the Thunder.

William Browning is a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder ever since the team relocated from Seattle. As the closest NBA team to Branson, Mo., the Thunder serve as the regional team for southwest Missouri.

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