Comments on: Spurs 101, Thunder 98

By: NBA Playoffs 2012: Thunders vs. Spurs Game 2 Preview | xavier on sports

NBA Playoffs 2012: Thunders vs. Spurs Game 2 Preview | xavier on sports — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:51:09 +0000

[...] were not going to cut it against any team, let alone the Spurs. According to Darnell Mayberry, Brooks said, “We take a lot of pride in our defense in the fourth quarter and we gave up 39 [...]

By: Nancy

Nancy — Tue, 29 May 2012 03:39:52 +0000

RW and JH were out of control last night. They need more scorers they can’t depend on KD, RW and JH. It is time for the team to drive into to paint and hopefully get some foul calls. The outside shot does not work all the time and they keep taking them. It is time for KD to take it up a notch and be selfish. OKC has a number of bench players who need to be traded. Scott Brooks was outplayed and looked like he did not have a clue. What would it take to buy out his contract? When or lose I am an OKC fan in New Jersey. Maybe the whole coaching staff needs to be looked at over the summer. I would love to see KG retire and come to OKC as an assistant coach. I still follow the Celtics. What is runing through the mind of Sam Presti right now?

By: Ann Parker

Ann Parker — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:38:03 +0000

I say the biggest problem was OUR lack of making layups, I counted 11 missed ones, that’s 22 points. How ironic that we caved in the 4th quarter, just like the Lakers did against us.

By: Yan

Yan — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:47:49 +0000

Serge wouldn’t have allowed THAT MANY layups in the fourth. Easy shot after easy shot. Going into the game I thought he’d be the x-factor.

I’m disappointed because I thought the Thunder wasted 3 quarters of great team defense. If there was a game to steal, it was this one.

By: Daily Thunder.com » Monday Bolts – 5.28.12

Daily Thunder.com » Monday Bolts – 5.28.12 — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:13:00 +0000

[...] Darnell Mayberry: “This has got to be a gut-wrenching loss for the Thunder. Every player knew they let one slip away. A nine-point fourth quarter lead, on the road, in a game you had to have to snatch home-court advantage. You can only shake your head after the way the Thunder tightened up and blew this one. It was there for the taking, and the Thunder couldn’t take it. It’s the same old story when these two teams meet. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this has the potential to be pretty demoralizing.” [...]

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:28:09 +0000

I am sorry, but the reason the Thunder lost this game was the 39 points given up in the 4th quarter and not for only scoring “27″ points. Kendrick Perkins, neutered by 5 fouls and a questionable hip was totally ineffective in that critical 4th quarter. Either Serge or Nick Collison would have been better options and Brooks never tried either.

A coach can make all the right calls and the players can execute the plays perfectly and the shots don’t fall, that’s just the way it goes on offense. There are just some things you can’t control. But sitting the team’s only 1st team All-NBA selection the entire 4th quarter and not allowing him a chance as this game spiraled out of control is inexcusable.

Brooks has a saying, it’s hard to play good, but easy to play hard, well that applies to coaching as well and when the time came to suck it up and break out of his comfort zone and make a move to turn things around. When it counted Brooks froze and failed to make the hard call. The sad part is that it really wasn’t that hard of a call because even Collison had already shown himself more effective than Perk, especially on the offensive boards.

Defense wins championships D, you know that. The Thunder did plenty on offense, scoring 27 points going into the final frame with a 9 point lead. When Perk jumped into Parker with 6:55 left and picked up his 5th foul, his night was done, or should have been. The fact that is being overlooked is that not only was the Thunder’s only 1st team All-NBA defensive player sitting on the bench, but he was sitting there with NO FOULS. Serge had 7 rebounds to Perks 2 for the game, 2 blocks to 1, 1 steal to none, and most importantly, the Thunder were +9 with him in the lineup.

Not only would Serge have made a difference on the defensive side of the court, his mid range jumper vs Perks 0 range jumper would have helped to open up the end of the floor you are so concerned with giving KD and Harden a much more viable option when the Spurs flew to double and triple team them.

No matter how much in denial the media may be about it, the NBA does like its stars, especially in the post season and like it or not Serge Ibaka is a star, not Kendrick Perkins. Brooks not realizing this may well have cost the Thunder their best opportunity to reach the NBA Finals. At the very least it made the climb a whole lot steeper.

By: Okcjim

Okcjim — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:08:56 +0000

The other thing that bugs me is if defense is such a huge priority how does Fisher get so much time? He scored what 13 points but how many did he give up? When he first came in they had to stick him on Leonard because of the matchups. Leonard got 2 quick offensive rebounds and put backs the. He hit an open 3. Then they moved Fisher to Neal who proceeded to hit a 3 and a 2. Then they switched him to Parker and Parker went right at him and created a couple layups for teammates. Then obviously Fisher was in more most of the 39 point 4th quarter. For a coach who is always defense first he is crippling e defense with Fisher out there. At point point int the 2nd quarter we had Cook on Ginobli and Fisher on Parker. I hope we see some Ivey this se

By: Steve H

Steve H — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:42:17 +0000

On the brightside- if Brooks continues to throw away games like he did this one, that should clear the way for someone like Stan Van this summer. There is not another coach in basketball who would have sat Ibaka for the entire fourth quarter. Where does Brooks bet the balls to observe that we gave up too many paint points in the 4th? Really genius? If only we had the leagues leading shot blocker to help out with a problem like that. What? We do have the league’s leading shot blocker? And you didn’t play him? What a moron.

By: TK

TK — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:29:46 +0000

Once Perkins picked up the 5th foul our guys were basically playing without a center on the defensive end. To make it worse, other than a wide open dunk, Perkins’ offense was terrible. Brooks just seems unwilling to admit when a guy doesn’t have it working. Even Collison would have been better than Perkins. He might have at least taken a charge or something.

By: bertfan

bertfan — Mon, 28 May 2012 13:11:10 +0000

Looks like the Thunder will have to grow in a hurry, Brooks in particular. I knew we didn’t have much of an offense besides relying on individual heroics, but am shocked by the lack of defense in the 4th quarter. Disgusting for a team that prides itself on defense. While Popovich made crafty adjustments and pumped his players up, Brooks gave the game away.