OKC leads 3-2 against Spurs in Game 5: OKC 108, SPURS 103
Trust is key on an NBA basketball team, and the Thunder has proved the depth of that trust over the past two nights at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder found itself in a back-and-forth dog fight against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, and it took will, desire and execution from everyone on the floor to get the job done in a 109-103 victory to even up the series at 2-2. Whether it was a combined 22-for-25 shooting from Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison or the sensational play of Kevin Durant down the stretch when he scored 16 straight fourth quarter points, Head Coach Scott Brooks' team made the right basketball play and put the ball, and trust, into one another's hands.
"We have a very good basketball team, a deep basketball team, and a team that believes in each other," Brooks said. "As you coach this group, guys step up, and guys step up at times throughout the year, and they stepped up tonight."
Through the first three quarters of the game, the Thunder had executed brilliantly on offense, with cutters finding space in the lane or players popping off of pick-and-rolls for open jumpers. That body movement led to great ball movement, and was the reason why the team had 20 assists through the first 36 minutes. Then, in the fourth quarter, the Thunder had seven more assists that led to an incredible 18-point fourth quarter by Durant, who continually posted up at the free throw line and went to work.
"We made a good effort to play together," Durant said. "We had 27 assists. That comes from moving the ball and making the right plays. I think doing that in the first three quarters kind of opened it up for me in the fourth, and I was able to make some shots. But Russell set great screens. James (Harden) made great passes. I was just trying to do my job and finish it."
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OKC wins against Spurs in Game 3: OKC 102, SPURS 82. San AntonioSpurs still leading the series againstOklahoma City Thunder 2-1.OKC wins against Spurs in Game 3: OKC 102, SPURS 82
San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder face off in Game 3 today of the Western ConferenceFinals as the series shifts toOklahoma City. San Antonio is looking for its 11th straight win in the playoffs (and 21st overall dating back to the regular season), which would tie it for the most wins to open up the playoffsin NBA history. Meanwhile, the Thunder are just looking to avoid falling into an insurmountable 0-3 hole.
Getting more offensive production from their big men is one area that theOklahoma City Thunder must improve in if they are to tie their Western ConferenceFinals series against the San Antonio Spurs by winning Tuesday night's Game 2.
The Thunder had a good-sized lead in the second half of the series opener but were unable to stop the Spurs' late game push, ultimately losing Game 1 101-98.
Let's look at three areas that the Thunder need to improve in to avoid an 0-2 series deficit.
San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are two teams built with similar structures, but the pieces that make up their team couldn't be more different.The Thunder have their "Big Three" in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. All three are young and reckless on the court at times and none have reached the prime of their career, but are still dominating their competition (for the most part). Scott Brooks' boys are going to remain in the upper echelon of theWestern Conference for the foreseeable future.
The Spurs have their own "Big Three" in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The three are nearly polar opposites of their Western Conference Finals opponents, as they are older, more efficient, smoother in their craft and on the back end of their careers. Led by legendary head coach Gregg Popovich, they have long been a staple in the Western Conference playoffs.
After a loss in Game 1, the Thunder face a seemingly insurmountable advantage as they will need to take four of the next six games from a team that hasn't given up one in their last 19.
Oklahoma City is an extremely talented team, that much is obvious, but the Spurs are playing better basketball than any team has over the course of the entire season. In Game 1, San Antonio didn't play anywhere near the level that they have been playing since April 11 when they last lost, but they found a way to beat the upset-minded Thunder.
The Thunder played extremely well for the first three quarters, with the exception of the last few minutes of the first, but weren't able to hold on to a nine point lead heading into the final period. Yes, OKC's three best players didn't come alive down the stretch, but the Spurs won that game more than the Thunder lost it.
