Oklahoma City Thunder notebook: Brutal road stretch brings opportunity for team building

“He was good,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “He made four 3s in that first half. He was automatic. And then with his mid-range game and his drive, he made a couple of layups. He's a good player. I give him a lot of credit because he's been throughout the league a little bit in his short career, but I think he's found a home and he's taking advantage of it.”

QUOTABLE

Toronto coach Dwane Casey — “I'll tell you what, they are one of the most talented and well-coached teams in the league. I have the utmost respect for Scotty, for him growing the program the way he's done from scratch. He took the losses early. He and Sam (Presti) worked together and did a good job of building that program.”

TIP-INS

The Thunder improved to 4-1 on Sundays this season. … OKC is now 9-4 on the road. ... With a win over the Raptors, the Thunder is now 5-2 in the first game of a back-to-back set. … Kendrick Perkins grabbed seven rebounds Sunday, the third straight game that he's had at least seven boards. … The Thunder made 22 of 24 free throws Sunday, a 91.7 percent clip. … Washington is without guard John Wall, who hasn't played all season with a knee injury. … Wizards guard Jordan Crawford is fourth in the NBA in scoring off the bench at 16 points per game. … Washington has used 12 different starting lineups this season. Oklahoma City has used just one.