Second Round Ripe For Retaliation
If the Thunder and Lakers make it to the second round, James Harden and Metta World Peace will once again share the court. Could tempers flare?
With Metta World Peace receiving a seven-game game suspension for his vicious elbow to the head of James Harden, the Lakers forward could be back in time for a potential second-round series against the Thunder.
And that could be a problem.
No one on the Thunder will forget what World Peace did to Harden. And by allowing World Peace to return for what already would be an intense playoff series, the league is risking emotions rising and retaliation being served up.
World Peace will begin serving his suspension Thursday in the Lakers’ season finale at Sacramento. He must then sit out the next six games in which he is eligible and physically able to play. So if the Lakers get swept in the first round, World Peace must sit out the first two regular season games next season. Should the Lakers get knocked out in the first round, crisis averted.
But all signs point to the Thunder and Lakers being on a collision course to meet in the semifinals. OKC is locked into the 2-seed in the Western Conference playoffs. L.A. is locked into the 3-spot. Both teams are widely believed to be able to beat whichever first-round opponent they draw between Dallas, Denver and Utah. If they do, we’re looking at a second round series that will be filled with story lines and possible some good old fashion get back.
NBA Commissioner David Stern said on his annual pre-playoff conference call today that the league has “reason to believe that James will be available for the playoffs.” Of course, Stern and his staff would know. The Thunder must consult with the league and its appointed doctor who oversees the NBA’s concussion program before Harden can be cleared to return. Thus, the villain and the victim could soon be reunited on a court near you. (more…)
Thunder 118, Kings 110
Nuggets from my notebook from Tuesday’s win over Sacramento.
- First, the most significant news of the night. James Harden did not play as expected as he continues recovering from a concussion. He continues to be day-to-day like the rest of us. Harden wasn’t even in the arena tonight, likely to avoid the bright lights for precautionary reasons. He must continue to go through the league-mandated protocol before being cleared to play. It’s unlikely that he’ll play Wednesday against Denver.
- By now you know Metta World Peace got a seven-game suspension for the elbow that took out Harden. I think that’s fair. In fact, I thought five games would have been fair. Obviously, most Thunder heads feel that’s far too lenient.
- World Peace apologized again Sunday on his website to Thunder fans and the Thunder organization.
- Kendrick Perkins probably thinks World Peace can take his apology and stick it somewhere. Before the game, Perk changed his tune from Sunday, when he was the only Thunder player to stick up for World Peace immediately after the game. “During the game, I didn’t really get a chance to see the play until I got home that night,” Perkins said. “And that was just uncalled for. So I really don’t have any sympathy for a guy that does something like that. He could have really hurt James in a serious way. Anytime you do an intentional blow like that to the head it’s just uncalled for.”
- For what it’s worth, Kevin Durant said he’s confident Harden will be back in time for the first round. Royal Ivey said Harden is in “good spirits”
- As for this game. It was unfortunate, but the Thunder took the Kings lightly early and let them erupt offensively in the first period. And at least from my vantage point, it seemed to stem from Durant’s chase for the scoring title. Durant’s not at fault for the Thunder’s lousy defense, which allowed the Kings to light up the scoreboard early. But it definitely didn’t look like his pursuit helped the Thunder come out with a defensive disposition. And Durant definitely was gunning for a good amount of points from the start.
- Durant started 3-of-3 for eight points and was in rhythm from the start. He didn’t force shots, but he had more of a pep in his step than we’ve seen lately and he certainly didn’t pass up many looks. At the end of the opening quarter, he 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and was well on his way to a nice 32 point night in 32 minutes. Neither Durant nor any other starter played a single second in the fourth quarter.
- With his point total tonight, Durant bumped his narrow lead over Kobe Bryant in the scoring race to .11 points. The official averages are 27.97 points for Durant to Bryant’s 27.86 points. Here’s my story on the final showdown to decide it all.
- Food for thought: If Durant scores 20 or less Wednesday against Denver, Kobe doesn’t have to play Thursday and Bryant will win the scoring title. If Durant doesn’t play Wednesday (not happening), Bryant would need to score 35 to take over the lead and win the scoring title.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti, in a very Presti-like manner, said he hopes the scoring race doesn’t become a focal point for his team. “I hope we’re not that focused on scoring titles,” Presti said. “And I don’t believe that Kevin is laying awake at night trying to ensure that he’s on that list. I think he’s developed to a point, and organizationally we’re at a point, where those are great if it’s a byproduct of the games themselves and the work themselves like anything else. I hope we are focused on quality of play and not production and I believe we are. And that’s a compliment to Kevin and the things that are important to him and how they align with the things that are important to our organization.”
- Back to that first quarter. The Kings scored 40 points in the period, setting an opponent high against the Thunder in any quarter this season. Sacramento shot an incredible 18-of-22 from the field in the opening quarter. Somewhere, that’s a record, I’m sure.
- Fittingly, Isaiah Thomas buried a buzzer-beating 3 at the end of the period to put Sacramento up five.
- Thunder coach Scott Brooks on his team’s defense: “Our defense was playing in spurts tonight and it wasn’t good enough like we’ve been all season.” (more…)
Five Quick Thoughts From Thunder-Lakers
1) World Peace will pay. Metta World Peace will be suspended. You can count on that. I don’t know how many games his vicious blow to the head of James Harden will command. But you can expect World Peace to pay the price. The consensus among media members, players and executives here at Staples Center is that Artest will be suspended five games at a minimum. Regardless of what World Peace said after the game, it was a cheap shot. It looked to be intentional, and he’ll have to suffer the consequences of letting his emotions get the best of him.
2) This was a bad loss. There’s no way around it. The fight the Thunder showed in both overtimes means absolutely nothing. Unless, of course, you believe in moral victories. It shouldn’t even be brought up. The way the Thunder collapsed — again — in the second half was unbelievable. OKC was ahead 79-62 with 10 1/2 minutes left. And lost. In the fourth quarter and overtime, the Thunder went 9-of-36 from the field and was outscored 53-29. It’s the third straight defeat in which the Thunder collapsed in the second half. Consider the Thunder’s inability to close a full blown problem. We’re not talking about sealing the deal against cupcakes, or even against playoff teams with nothing to play for. When the stakes have been high, and messages are being sent, the Thunder has struggled to finish. At this point, there is little reason to believe that won’t change eventually come playoff time.
3) The stars have got to step up. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook can’t combine to shoot 14-of-56. I don’t care if it’s against the Bobcats. There’s no way those two should have that much of an off night on the same night. Westbrook took questionable shots from the start. Durant simply took way too many jumpers. With James Harden KO’d with a concussion, all the heavy lifting was on KD and Westbrook’s shoulders. And neither stopped settling for jump shots until it was too late. Durant in particular got a ton of quality shots. But until the Thunder learns to consistently pass up good shots for great shots (especially when the good ones aren’t falling), OKC will continue to struggle in times like these. Notice what Kobe Bryant did tonight? He drove and dished to Pau Gasol. He made the extra pass to Steve Blake. He forced the action and got the shot he wanted instead of the shot the Thunder’s defense allowed him to take. That’s where Durant and Westbrook need to get. We’ve seen it at times. But consistency is key.
4) Kendrick Perkins’ D was incredible. Add this one to Perk’s season resume. He shut down Andrew Bynum to the point that Lakers coach Mike Brown had no choice but to bench the big man in favor of the more effective Jordan Hill. Bynum finished with 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting. But he scored just six points on 3-of-8 shooting against Perk. Of those three shots by Bynum, one was a dunk off an offensive rebound in which Perk had to cover Gasol, one was a 17-foot jumper from the top of the key and the other was a reverse slam in which Bynum got free from Perk. You couldn’t have asked for a better defensive effort by Perk tonight.
5) The 2-ssed suits the Thunder. Even after the Lakers’ impressive comeback (or was it the Thunder’s monumental collapse?), did you see anything in L.A. that frightened you? Me neither. The Thunder is built to beat the Lakers. Plain and simple. If, of course, OKC can get past (presumably) Dallas in the first round. For as flawed as this team has been, and continues to be, the dominoes have fallen in such a way that the Thunder has as clear of a path as it can get to the Western Conference Finals at the very least. The Mavs still have a shot to beat the Thunder, but the Lakers in the second round could be a six-game series. Maybe even five. Kobe has proven to be a good option defensively on Westbrook. But the Lakers still would have to account for Harden and Durant, while Perk and Serge Ibaka have shown they can handle Bynum and Gasol. It would be an entertaining series, but the Thunder should advance.
-DM-
Thunder 103, Kings 92
Nuggets from my notebook from Friday’s win at Sacramento.
- The Kings play hard. You’ve got to give them that. Especially out here in Sacramento. They never make it easy on the Thunder, and tonight was a prime example. Although the game really never was in doubt, the Kings hung around all game and threatened to upset the Thunder yet again in the final minutes.
- Here’s how tough the Kings play OKC in Sacramento. In eight games against the Kings in Sacramento in the OKC era, the Thunder is 5-3. The five wins have come by an average margin of 5.6 points. This was the first double-digit victory.
- Kevin Durant came up just shy of a triple-double yet again. He finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, all game-highs. It’s the fifth time this season that Durant has finished at least three assists shy of a triple-double.
- Said KD on seeking his first triple-double: “Man, I’ve been flirting all season with it. I ain’t sealed the deal on it yet. Hopefully I get one before my career is out.”
- How cool would it have been if Durant notched his first triple-double while Oscar Robertson, Mr. Triple-Double himself, watched from a courtside seat near halfcourt? KD on The Big O: “He’s a legend. Somebody I really look up to. I don’t think it’ll ever be a guy like Oscar Robertson. It’s just a joy to play in front of him tonight, and I’m glad we got the win in front of him.”
- Isaiah Thomas is unfreakingbelievable.
- The Thunder’s defensive rebounding and turnover problems cropped up again tonight. OKC allowed 17 offensive rebounds on the night and 15 in the first half. The Thunder also turned it over 17 times, but watched them lead to just 14 points. Those two definitely will have to be cleaned up before Sunday.
- Amazingly, the Kings converted just two of their 13 second chance opportunities into points. This could have been a different ballgame had Sacramento finished better.
- Speaking of finishing, I think DeMarcus Cousins set a record for missed dunks/layups tonight.
- Give credit to Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins for their efforts down low. They played a huge part in shutting down the paint for the Kings. Perk bodied up and played physical down low, and Ibaka rejected shot after shot before finishing with eight on the night. The sequence late in the first half when the Thunder forced the Kings into missing four straight bunnies — and were credited for two blocks — pretty much summed up the effort by Perk and Ibaka. That combined effort preserved a six-point lead and helped the Thunder go into halftime up eight.
- Perkins said he will not appeal the tech he got in Phoenix. He has no interest in trying to get it rescinded and actually said he deserved it for jawing with Robin Lopez. (more…)
Clippers 92, Thunder 77
Observations from the Thunder’s 92-77 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Staples Center:
- The Thunder (44-17) is entitled to have a stinker from time to time, but what transpired in the second half Monday night will require some serious fumigation. The second half stunk so bad it completely overwhelmed a rather sweet-smelling first half for OKC, which led 52-43 at intermission.
- Had Monday’s second half transpired at Chesapeake Energy Arena, not even the forgiving Thunder fan base could have resisted booing at least a little bit. Seriously, it was that bad.
- By the numbers: The Thunder scored 25 points in 24 minutes and shot 29.0 percent in the second half; Clippers guard Nick Young scored 19 points in 21 minutes for the game and had eight points in a span of 90 seconds late in the third quarter; the Thunder would have scored just two points the entire third quarter if not for Serge Ibaka, who scored all 12 of his points (5 for 6 shooting) and grabbed seven of his eight rebounds in that period alone; James Harden went 0 for 3 in the third period and still shot better than Russell Westbrook (0 for 4) and Kevin Durant (0 for 5).
- Westbrook made his first three shots and four of his first six attempts, then went 0 for 10 the rest of the game and looked completely out of sorts.
- What’s particularly odd is the Thunder’s poor shooting in the second half seemed far more noticeable than anything unique the Clippers did defensively. OKC helped make the Clippers look darn good.
- Nobody looks good when they miss open shots. On Monday, that included the entire Thunder roster at various moments. “If you go back and watch this game, man, we got great looks,” Durant said. “We’re missing lay-ins. They did a good job sometimes, but we got good shots, man. Russell missed a few. I missed a lot. Serge missed a few lay-ins. Perk. It’s not like they just completely locked us down. I’m not going to say that.”
- You know something’s amiss when the Thunder shoots 62.1 percent (18 for 29) from the free-throw line. Can’t blame Westbrook because he never got to the line, which further proves OKC’s lack of attack mode.
- The refs certainly didn’t cost the Thunder the game, but veteran official Joe Crawford seemed particularly grumpy tonight. He slapped a double-technical on Durant and Mo Williams, then hit Harden with a ‘T’ while jogging down court, and still had time to miss three blatant calls involving Nick Collison. For whatever reason, Crawford still seems to think sellout crowds show up to watch him. Again, these had nothing to do with the outcome of the game, but it was still horrible officiating. Ahhh, feel better now. OK, moving on.
- Young alleged afterward that Durant talked smack all game long, an accusation that genuinely stunned Durant when asked about it. “I didn’t say anything. I didn’t say a word to Nick. I was talking to Mo Williams,” said Durant, for which he received a technical. Young alleged to LA reporters that Durant said to Young, “You think you can guard me?” Durant smiled in disbelief and said, “Nah, I didn’t say that. I guess he’s hearing things.”
- Collison has always been a voice of reason for the Thunder. After Monday’s loss, he shot down the theory that on rare occasions, things are so bad – such as Monday’s second half – that sometimes the best thing to do is pretend it never happened. Just turn the page, burn the game film and move on. “Nah, I don’t think so,” Collison said. “I think you always have to take inventory of where you’re at as a team and what you can do better. There’s going to be a lot of things we’re going to watch the tape and feel like we need to do better at. The good thing is it doesn’t mean we can’t (figure it out) by next game. That’s what our outlook is. You have to look at it and make changes and change how we play because it obviously wasn’t good enough tonight. First half was solid, and then in the second half we didn’t do anything well.”
- Even Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro was shocked at the Thunder’s shooting. “I thought our defense in the second half held the Thunder down,” Del Negro said. “(Oklahoma City players) missed some shots that they usually make, but we were scrambling and contesting shots. Overall, it was just a solid team win for us. … If you give Oklahoma a steady diet, guys like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and even James Harden are going to make you pay for it. They missed some shots, but I think that we did a good job defending.”
- Thunder coach Scott Brooks on what he wanted his team to do in the second half: “We would have liked to see a combination of shots and drives to the bucket. We need to mix it up and get to the line. We are an attack team and an aggressive team. We usually are a high field-goal percentage team and tonight we just didn’t make shots. They got better looks, but we missed shots that we normally make.”
- Next up is a game at Phoenix on Wednesday at 9 p.m.
Thunder 115, Timberwolves 110
Observations from the Thunder’s 115-110 victory over Minnesota at the Target Center on Saturday night:
- Good news for the Thunder: Minnesota has been mathematically eliminated from the Western Conference playoffs and can’t possibly be a No. 8 seed. In other words, OKC is done playing the Timberwolves this season. “That’s not good news, that’s great news,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said after Saturday night’s 115-110 victory at the Target Center. “That is good news,” OKC forward Kevin Durant echoed.
- Russell Westbrook had 16 points of his 35 points in the third quarter and Durant had 20 points of his 43 in the fourth quarter. Westbrook picked up the slack when Durant was on the bench with four fouls in the third period. When Durant re-entered at the start of the fourth quarter, Westbrook selflessly deferred to the two-time scoring champ. Further evidence these two stars work extremely well together. On rare occasions, they fail to click – like last Wednesday’s loss at home against the Clippers – but that was because their shots weren’t falling (a combined 10 for 35), not because they were selfish.
- Minnesota’s current list of shortcomings is astounding, particularly for a team that’s more good than bad. The Wolves have now lost nine straight and 10 of their last 11 games; they’ve lost 12 straight against the Thunder, when they could have easily won at least one-third of those game; they’ve also lost 25 straight games in April. Only two of Minnesota’s last dozen losses to OKC have been by double-digits, five have been by five points or less and two have come in overtime. The Wolves also have now lost 163 games due to injuries this season.
- To those still wondering why the Thunder is so high on center Kendrick Perkins: After the game, Perkins spent 10 minutes speaking one-on-one with forward Serge Ibaka. The exact conversation was unknown, other than Perkins repeatedly asked Ibaka if he understood where he was coming from, to which Ibaka repeatedly nodded. Perk appeared to be explaining to the 22-year-old Ibaka why things happened the way they happened in Saturday’s game. Perhaps Ibaka was troubled by how he was used in the rotation. He played 21½ minutes and finished with eight points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. At times, the Wolves were killing the Thunder with the pick-and-roll, which they probably ran 70-plus times. In the end, Perk again made sure Ibaka was OK and also asked Thabo Sefolosha to double-check on Ibaka. This is an example of what makes Perk valuable. Perk seems to care as much about his teammates –perhaps more — than he cares about himself.
- It’s amazing how effective Minnesota point guard J.J. Barea is at the pick-and-roll. Why Dallas let him go without a competitive contract offer still astounds me. He simply toys with OKC. Players on the Timberwolves’ bench were shaking their heads and smiling at how easily Barea scored 17 first-half points. Barea does what the great point guards do – he’s in a rush, but not in a hurry; and he constantly keeps his dribble alive – just like Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, et al. Barea is fantastic.
- Durant on Barea: “Barea is an unbelievable guy at pick-and-rolls and that’s what they did. It’s tough to stop, but I think Russell did a great job in the second half. Him a Fish (Derek Fisher) did a great job. Pick-and-roll is such a big part of his game and that’s all they ran. I think we responded well in the second half. Wish we could have played a little better, but we got the win.”
- Tough night for sixth man James Harden, who missed Friday night’s game with a sore right knee. Harden was a last-minute activation for the game. He shot 1 for 11 from the field, including 0 for 8 from 3-point range. Asked if he might have rushed Harden back too soon, Brooks said, “No, I don’t think so. A lot of those shots tonight were good looks, open looks I thought might fall.” Harden did not appear to limp in his 30½ minutes of playing time.
- It’s hard to find a nicer man than University of Minnesota coach Tubby Smith, who was on hand to watch Nazr Mohammed, who played for him at Kentucky. Smith, who previously coached at Tulsa, still speaks fondly of the experience and said he believes Danny Manning will do very well at the job.
- Brooks shakes his head at Minnesota’s 25-36 record. It’s upside-down because of a slew of injuries. “They’ve had some tough luck,” Brooks said. “They were right there in the mix (for the playoffs). They’re a good team. They’ve done a good job of laying a foundation.”
- Rumor is Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is resting his sore shin because he had a comfortable lead to win this year’s scoring title. I don’t believe that. Doesn’t sound like Bryant, an egomaniac who prefers to settle things on the court. Durant erupted for 43 points Saturday. If Bryant (28.1 ppg) sits the remainder of the regular season, Durant (27.8) would have to average 30.7 points in the final six games to win his third straight scoring title. That’s certainly doable.
- Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins, is located next to the Target Center, the longtime home of the Timberwolves. The Twins lost 6-2 at home to the Texas Rangers on Saturday afternoon and fans stayed in the neighborhood for some post-game beverages prior to a sellout crowd of almost 20,000 arriving for the Wolves. After the Thunder-Minnesota game, the area was packed with a younger crowd going to numerous night clubs. A very cool setting. Major-league facilities located side-by-side have always fascinated me.
- Next up for the Thunder: A day off Sunday, followed by a 9:30 p.m. game at the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
Thunder 115, Kings 89
Nuggets from my notebook from Friday’s win over the Kings.
- Russell Westbrook’s monster dunk late in the second quarter. Was it the best in Thunder history? I say so. Kevin Durant agrees. The Thunder has had a lot of highlight-reel dunks over the (four) years, but this one has to be at the top of the list.
- It didn’t matter that Westbrook’s dunk didn’t come on someone, like Durant’s over Brendan Haywood, or Durant’s on Roy Hibbert, or James Harden’s on J.J. Hickson, or even Westbrook’s on Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers. What made Westbrook’s dunk tonight so great was three things: 1) how incredibly high he got, 2) how incredibly bad the pass from KD was and 3) the fact that Westbrook is, you know, a 6-3 point guard!
- I’m just going to copy and past what KD said of Westbrook’s flush. “I don’t want to give him too much credit. It was a great pass by myself (laughs),” Durant joked. “Nah, but that was one of the most athletic plays I’ve ever seen. I think it was probably the dunk of the year. But Blake Griffin has had a lot of those. But for a 6-3 point guard to be catching lobs like that, man, that was unreal.”
- Durant on what he thought when he let go of the pass: “I thought it was too short. I thought it was going to get tipped. But he turned a terrible pass into a great finish. That’s what he’s been doing for us all year. That was unreal.”
- KD on where the dunk ranks in Thunder history: “He had a few of them. He dunked on Battier. Battier was crucial. His first year when he dunked on Chalmers. And the one where he dunked off the backboard over (Marco) Belinelli was crazy. He’s had plenty of highlights. But this one was unreal because of how high he jumped and how much he cocked it back. At 6-3, I’ve never seen nothing like that. Nah. That was probably the best, his right there because he’s 6-3, man, and he dunked that like he was my height. It was a terrible pass and he cocked it all the way back, man. That was crazy.”
- If you don’t care about the dunk, are one of those basketball “purists” who roll your eyes and consider it just two points and you want me to move on, you’ve come to the wrong place. The NBA is in the entertainment business, and plays like the one you saw tonight are the reason folks pay what they pay to see these games. There might not be 100 people in the world who can do what Westbrook did tonight. Not only is it a big deal, but it was by far the most interesting thing to happen in this contest.
- And I’d actually disagree with anyone who says plays like Westbrook’s monster dunk is worth just two points. They’re momentum-changers. They get players hype. They get teams going. And they fuel crowds. Harden admitted as much a few days ago during an interview session prior to the Clippers game. Generally, highlight plays like those are followed by a run of some kind. It’s no coincidence, at least in my book, that the Thunder closed the half on a 9-2 run after Westbrook’s dunk. (more…)
James Harden Has A Twin
No words needed.
-DM-
Clippers 100, Thunder 98
Nuggets from my notebook from Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.
- The Clippers are so lucky to have Chris Paul. The guy is just a winner. He’s fearless, he’s clutch, he’s calm under pressure and he’s virtually unstoppable. Take his game-winning layup, for example. The Thunder defended it fairly well from the start, sending its two best defenders, Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins at him at the top of the key to trap an upcoming ball screen. Paul wisely and coolly audibled out of the 1-4 ball screen with Blake Griffin and into a 1-5 ball screen with Kenyon Martin. The goal was to try to make Perk retreat and get a more favorable matchup with Serge Ibaka on the perimeter. But the Thunder didn’t bite. Perk stayed and, unfazed, Paul adjusted. Paul simply called his own number and jetted to the basket for the biggest bucket of the night. He orchestrated it all from the start and made it look simple from the start.
- The one complaint, or maybe more of a question, I’d have on the final defensive possession by the Thunder is where was the help? When Paul scooted past Perk, the help defense was so late in sliding over that it was nonexistent. Russell Westbrook ended up with a foot in the paint, but it was much too late. The dilemma Westbrook had was leave his man and get burned for 3, or stay and give Paul a layup. I’m obviously working with the benefit of hindsight, but clearly Westbrook should have taken his chances leaving his man earlier. You’ve got to make Paul pass out to the perimeter for a lower percentage shot.
- Paul’s game-winner was the culmination of his volcanic eruption in the second half. The guy was amazing. Just when you think he’s down for the count, he rises and delivers a haymaker of his own. After a dismal seven-point first half on 3-of-9 shooting, he made 8-of-11 shot for 24 points in the second half.
- Said James Harden about the Thunder’s defense on CP in the second half: “We just got lazy in the second half. We didn’t come out with that aggression like we did in the first half to really control him and he took advantage of it.”
- Said Thunder coach Scott Brooks about OKC’s D on CP in the second half: “We didn’t do a good job of taking the ball out of his hands. And he was making some shots. That’s what Chris does. He’s always been a terrific second half player. And in the fourth quarters, you know you’re going to have to play your best basketball to stop him from scoring. He had a great game.”
- I thought Westbrook and Derek Fisher actually did an incredible job against Paul in the first half. Both pressed up and cut off Paul’s passing options to cutters out of the pick-and-roll while forcing him into tough, contested shots.
- Did Brooks out-think himself? Thabo Sefolosha switched onto Paul in the third quarter and, surprisingly, he didn’t do half as well as Westbrook did. Maybe it was Thabo who made the call. I don’t know. But perhaps the Thunder should have stuck with Westbrook. Westbrook had his chances in the second half, but by the time he switched back onto Paul it was too late. He was hot and had found his rhythm. And there was nothing Westbrook or anyone else could do.
- Kevin Durant was nearly the player of the game despite a horrendous 22-point performance on 7-of-21 shooting. He came up with a huge blocked shot on Martin with 43 seconds remaining and hit the game-tying 3 at the other with 32.2 seconds to play. He was 6-of-19 before that game-tying 3-ball dropped. So, needless to say, gutsy shot.
- Then KD settled, like he’s done in the past, and hoisted a 25-footer looking to win the game. It was as poor of a decision as we’ve seen from Durant this season. He easily could have forced the action and drove to the basket in search of a better look or a foul. But he let it fly and that was that.
- KD on what he saw on the final miss: “He was playing off me a little bit and it got clogged up. I didn’t want to risk a turnover so I shot it.”
- Hey, KD, next time risk a turnover. (more…)
Thunder 109, Bucks 89
Nuggets from my notebook from Monday’s win at Milwaukee.
- Didn’t see that coming.
- The Thunder won this game with its size. Milwaukee had no answer for the Thunder’s size and length. It was clear on the opening possession, when OKC got two offensive rebounds before Kendrick Perkins scored on a putback. The Thunder had four offensive rebounds in the first five minutes and just pounded the Bucks on the boards all night.
- The Thunder’s length also was a major factor on the defensive end. Serge Ibaka helped set the tone on that end by blocking shots early and often and against almost everyone. Ibaka had four blocks in the first quarter and had five at halftime. All five were against five different players. By the midway point of the second period, the Bucks had begun unnecessarily hesitating on shots, seemingly out of fear of them getting sent back.
- Buck coach Scott Skiles knew his team was outmatched in the size department before the game even began. Said Skiles in pre-game: “When we go out for the jump ball tonight, Durant is going to walk out there as their 3-man and he’s going to look our center in the eye. He’s just as tall as our center. He’s actually taller than our center.”
- The best thing about the early defense was that it led to run-out opportunities. The Thunder was turning everything, missed shots, blocked shots and turnovers into transition chances. The Bucks weren’t ready for that speed and intensity.
- Perk and Ibaka really deserve a ton of credit for the job they did of establishing themselves early on. They scored on putbacks and dump-offs, hit the glass hard and blocked shots to seal the paint. Their efforts helped the Thunder get out to a 13-point lead midway through the first period. It was no looking back from there.
- Not only did the Thunder never trail in this game, but OKC never relinquished its double-digit lead after going up 20-10 with 6:34 left in the first quarter. The first Phoenix game at home is the only other game that comes to mind this season where the Thunder was that dominant for that long.
- The Thunder’s 35 points in the first quarter tied a season high. OKC also had 35 against Boston on Feb. 22.
- There were two critical moments in the third quarter that sealed it for the Thunder. The first came when the Bucks strung together a little 10-4 run to cut a 16-point deficit to 69-59 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the period. Out of a timeout, Russell Westbrook fumbled the ball while driving to the rim and turned it over. But Thabo Sefolosha intercepted a sloppy outlet pass by Drew Gooden and the Thunder scored seven straight to go back up by 17. The second moment came when the Bucks responded with a 7-0 run of their own to get back within 10 at 76-66. Westbrook made a jumper to bump the lead to 12. And then Scott Skiles and Brandon Jennings both decided they wanted technical fouls. They just gave away two points to stunt their own rally. Dumb, dumb decision. It sparked another 7-0 run (11-0 in total) to put OKC up 21. Ballgame.
- Milwaukee essentially imploded tonight. The Bucks probably weren’t ever going to storm back and win it. But they certainly did everything they could to prevent that from even being possible. Those two technical fouls on Skiles and Jennings, coupled with another two in about a four-minute span on Larry Sanders really spelled the end for the Bucks.
- Sanders got ejected after picking up his second technical foul for throwing an elbow in the general vicinity of Nick Collison’s teeth. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets suspended, although he didn’t appear to make contact. (I didn’t have a good look at it.) Funny how the Bucks game night staff cued up the replay and then shut it off just before playing it on the jumbotron.
- The five technical fouls the Bucks got called for tonight were the most they’ve had since Dec. 31, 2001.
- Jennings on his team’s emotion: “I think when you’re playing hard in the second half and things aren’t going your way, you tend to get frustrated.”
- Jennings looked terrified of going against Westbrook tonight. I’ve never seen the guy play as timidly as he did in the first half. Westbrook began to get careless with Jennings in the second half, and it clearly fueled the Bucks guard to a better performance in the final 24 minutes. But in the opening half, looked like he was playing scared.
- Here’s all you needed to know about Jennings in that first half. His first shot didn’t come until five minutes had passed in the second quarter. We’re talking about a cat that never met a shot he didn’t like. Yet, he was ultra passive on offense tonight and just had a defeated look on defense.
- Ibaka called Sefolosha the MVP of this one. Hard to argue that. I don’t think anybody would have thought Sefolosha would outscore Monta Ellis. But he did, 14-9. And Sefolosha helped hold Ellis to 3-of-12 shooting.
- Thunder coach Scott Brooks on Sefolosha: “Thabo was all over. He basically was like a one-man wrecking crew. He caused havoc on the entire defensive end of the floor.”
- Sefolosha recorded a career-high seven steals tonight. “I was just reading a little bit what they do,” Sefolosha explained. “Just anticipating a little bit more what they were going to do. I know I was playing against a guy that can get it going, but he wasn’t really shooting the ball well tonight so it allowed me to get off of him a little bit more and help and play the passing lanes.” (more…)
