Raptors vs. Thunder: OKC work on fundamentals in practice

After a disappointing beginning to the 2012-13 season for the defending Western Conference champions with losses in two of their first three games, the Oklahoma City Thunder have made sure to emphasize fundamentals during their practices. Head coach Scott Brooks told NBA.com's Nick Gallo that simple things like one-on-one defense can be improved upon during practice:

"In practice, (we) just (did) a lot of one-on-one defense and a little bit of a transition offense," Brooks said. "It was a good day, we've always relied on the fundamentals of the game and coming back to work. We believe in our habits, and the habits have to be worked on every day."

Three games into the season, Kevin Durant is the leader in points, rebounds and assists for the Thunder, as he is averaging 22.7, 14.3 and 6.7 per game. However, as a team the Thunder have 51 turnovers in three games while forcing only 36 by their opponents. Durant, a three-time NBA All-Star and three-time scoring champion, leads the team in turnovers with 16.

They'll get a chance to correct that on Tuesday night when they host the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. CT. The 1-2 Raptors have had very different issues than the Thunder, as they've managed to force 60 turnovers while turning the ball over themselves only 35 times.

During the 2011-12 season, shortened due to a lockout that caused for the cancellation of games, the Thunder finished with a 47-19 record and defeated each the Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs in the playoffs before losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.