Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Oklahoma City down two, 15 seconds left, with possession. Quick, you have 20 seconds to decide what you want to do.
Me? It was simple. I had my mind made up before the team made it to Scott Brooks to talk about it. Go for the win. Live or die, right here, right now. Win or lose. You came to Los Angeles to let it all hang out, so why stop now? With the way the whistle was turning in the last two minutes and the fact you’re on the road in Staples, what do you like better? A 3 to win, or overtime? Plus you have a guy like Kevin Durant to take it for you. I pick the 3 to win every stinking time.
And it was a good look. A clean look. One that Kevin Durant is entirely capable of hitting and has on multiple occasions. It just didn’t drop this time. If it does, boy, I don’t think I’m writing this recap right now. I’m probably outside, knocking on neighbors doors, yelling profanities of joy. But it didn’t go. Not this time. Next time, it will. But this time for Kevin Durant, it came up just short.
The Thunder lost and dropped down two games to none. And you know what? I think I’m fine with this. Of course I’d rather OKC have won the game. Of course we wanted to come back with a split. But step back and analyze this with a clear mind. Think short-term. Remember the shellshocked team when saw in the first quarter Sunday? Think how much they grew up just since THAT game. Heck, tonight in the first the Thunder looked frantic again. They scored just 18 points, turned it over six times and only made six baskets. Yet they recovered and darn near beat the defending champs on the road. There’s nothing to be upset about here. Nothing. It was a tough loss and a big time learning experience for this team. After the first quarter, I was ready to throw something. After the fourth, I wasn’t even mad, despite a loss. That’s how hard these guys played.
The entire game, one word kept coming to mind: resiliency. The Thunder just wouldn’t say no. The 21-8 run to close the first half nearly killed me. The tough third quarter block party where OKC just WOULD NOT let LA score an easy bucket was inspirational. And the gritty fourth quarter where they scratched, clawed, scratched some more and gave themselves a chance to win was encouraging. Maybe not for this series. But for the process we’ve all bought into, a game like this is something to build on.
Now, a couple things I thought were curious: 1) No Thabo for virtually the entire second half. In the first, he was masterful on Kobe, holding him to 6-16 shooting. In the second half, Scott Brooks chose to go with Jeff Green on Kobe instead and sat Thabo. Kobe went 6-12 in the second and took the game over in stretches. Hindsight being what it is, I realize Brooks was trying to go offense over defense, but with Jeff Green playing so poo poo offensively (2-10 from the floor), would it really have been that bad to stick with Thabo?
2) Not enough Serge Ibaka. Serge proved in Game 1 that he’s going to be a major X-Factor. He’s the only guy the Thunder has that can match the Lakers inside. He had seven freaking blocks tonight and controlled the paint. But he didn’t play at all in the first quarter and didn’t check in until late in the third. I think he should’ve gotten 30 minutes. Again, hindsight, but I feel like a lineup of Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka, Collison might’ve suited OKC a little better down the stretch. OK, enough second guessing.
Notes:
- Kevin Durant totally shook off Game 1 and was dynamite tonight. He went for 32 on 12-26 shooting, had four blocks and grabbed eight rebounds. I’m ignoring his eight turnovers because he was fouled on 60 percent of them, yet Ron Artest got off unscathed. But KD started to evolve into that player we know he’s going to be. It wasn’t his fault we lost tonight. He laid it out there and I think when he’s 29 and considered maybe the best in the league, he might point to this game as one he really grew up in.
- Russell Westbrook got into foul trouble early and it totally changed the complexion of this game. Before he picked up his second, OKC was plus-two. After, they were a minus-13. He came back in, got things under control and finished with a great night, going for 19 on 5-10 shooting.
- I’d be remiss if I ignored some of the calls in crunch time. Artest bear hugs Durant the entire game, yet KD gets whistled on a big possession for a little separation pushoff. Crucial call. As Chuck Barkley put it, “Turrible call right there in that situation.” Then Kobe gets a favorable call on the other end and Durant doesn’t get one on the next possession. THEN, Jeff Green makes a bucket to cut it to 93-92, but doesn’t pick up what should’ve been an and-1. Life in Staples blah blah blah, but at that point, it doesn’t make it any easier to take. Despite all that, KD had a shot at a 3 to potentially win it. And he missed. End of story.
- I think Ibaka’s little tussle with Lamar Odom was a big moment. Ibaka has been OKC’s enforcer of sorts and he didn’t back down one bit. Andrew Bynum threw a little shiver at Jeff Green in Game 1, so Ibaka was ready to stick up for his guys. I liked that.
- Seventeen blocks for OKC. Wow.
- Also, 17 turnovers. OKC allowed 19 offensive rebounds and was outboarded 49-37.
- I feel like I should comment on Ron Artest’s hair, but I don’t think I can come anywhere close to doing it justice.
- The Thunder shot 39 percent and LA shot 37.5. Yet this was just an excellent game. High intensity for all 48, a ton of action, big shots, big plays – it was a ton of fun to watch. I nearly died at five or six points of it, but boy, it was a good time. And isn’t that was this is all about?
- Scott Brooks got his hair under control tonight. He went back to the gelled/sprayed look, which I’m sure helped during timeouts as his team didn’t have to be distracted by his poofy doo.
- Another thing on Coach Scotty: I love him. He’s a great coach. But he’s not the best in-game motivational speaker. It all seems a little forced. I’m typically a huge fan of any mic’d up situation, but not so much out of Thunder timeouts.
- You hate to think about things like this, but what if Durant doesn’t doink that dunk? Alas.
- OKC got out in transition much more tonight. The pace moved up to 96.0 and the Thunder ran was purpose. I thought they did a good job picking spots.
- Also, Durant was the focal point to the offense in the first quarter. He took nine shots. But boy, was that quarter frustrating. I honestly think it was worse than Game 1. Just no flow, bad turnovers, loose ball getting away and a ton of missed easy looks. OKC could’ve been up 10 after one, but instead trailed by eight.
- I have no idea why the Lakers don’t pound it inside to Gasol. He could score 40 on OKC, easy. Hope you don’t read this Phil.
- Here’s how you know you’re in a playoff series with someone: I hated with every fiber of my being Pau Gasol even watching him doing good things during an NBA Cares spot. Just his stupid face and dumb hair made me sick as he read to cancer-riddled children. I’m a horrible person.
- I think the last two minutes of the first half are the biggest in the Thunder’s short history. OKC may not have won, but that right there made it all fun. I didn’t have a lot of fun in Game 1. But this was a taste of just how incredible this all could be. That was huge just in terms for the development for this team. They aren’t ready to win yet. We know this. But they need to build that killer instinct and that attitude that they can walk in and play with anyone. It takes a little seasoning and a little roughing up for that to happen.
- Jeff Green has got to do something here. Either snap out of the shooting slump or go to the rim. He was 1-6 from 3 and he honestly had 10 or 12 open looks from there. He’s such a good finisher, but I think he’s a little intimidated by LA’s size inside. I’m a fan of Green and he definitely has value to this team both long-term and in this series. But right now, it’s kind of hard to figure out where he can fit and help this team against the Lakers.
- Who really didn’t think Green’s 3 was going down? I was convinced it was. I had no doubt.
- Hey, anyone know why James Harden didn’t make the flight out LA with the team? We sure could’ve used him.
I know you’re sick of hearing it, but think back to how we defined success at the beginning of the season. The playoffs were a pipe-dream. If I told you we’d get the eight-seed just to be swept by the Lakers, I think we’d have jumped, skipped and leaped at the chance. It’s easy to get wrapped up in THIS season and forget that Thunder basketball doesn’t end forever after this series. There will be a next year. And a next. And a next.
But there’s also a next game in this series. It’s not over yet. The Lakers are coming to Oklahoma City where they’ll find a fanbase frothing at the mouth to be as loud as humanly possible. Yeah, if the series were 1-1, I think we’d all be a little more excited and we’d be having visions of maybe winning this thing. But it’s not over yet. The Thunder proved tonight they can play with these guys every step of the way. Now they just have to hit that one shot next time.
Vahagn :Kev I’m a Laker fan, but I LOVE reading your breakdowns. Definitely the most in-depth explanations of games I’ve read on any forum thus far in the comment section. Wish you would come over here and do it for the Lakers lol.
What I did notice, was that Kobe shot RIDICULOUSLY WELL! He missed more than half of his “shots” but most of those were bad transition opportunities or interior shots. His outside shot was amazing (as were his free throws) and I can only remember about 3 or 4 midrange/outside shots he missed.
Do you know if that’s true?
based upon the way I score it - I believe that's true, but the scroing system only directly tracks defensive "contests" so I dont know it for a fact . . .
it would actually be nice to do another team for a change - I've charted about a hundred Thunder games over the last 1+ years, so it's safe to say that I know the defense fairly well - LA is #1 in def efficiency ? so I'd like to see the differences between our two defenses "close up" - so If I have time this weekend I might do it -
and thanks for the kind words - your detailed descriptions of the game are cool - it beats the usual "you stink" and "we rock" posts which are common place among visiting posters . . .
Durant gives coughs up the ball 8 times during the game and can only get 1 out of 6 jumpers to drop in the 4th quarter.
Listening to Thunder fans is like listening to a mother talk about her child. The Thunder are in the NBA, not the Special Olympics...
Kev I'm a Laker fan, but I LOVE reading your breakdowns. Definitely the most in-depth explanations of games I've read on any forum thus far in the comment section. Wish you would come over here and do it for the Lakers lol.
What I did notice, was that Kobe shot RIDICULOUSLY WELL! He missed more than half of his "shots" but most of those were bad transition opportunities or interior shots. His outside shot was amazing (as were his free throws) and I can only remember about 3 or 4 midrange/outside shots he missed.
Do you know if that's true?
@Kev
Yeah that was the only play I thought Krstic didn't do well but it's more a limitation in his lateral movement IMO than a brain fart. He certainly is a smart player and knows where to be. A shame he lost all his athleticsm after his injury.
We don't box out well, and when we go to any lineup with Green at PF when the Lakers have their bigs out there they can just reach up over our guys. I think there were four or five extra chance opportunites where Gasol or Bynum just reached over for a tip in. Not much you can do...
justin :Thanks for the breakdown kev.. any thoughts on Krstic? I see he had +7, I thought he played great defense and that one play where he challenged Kobe without fouling stands out.
I thought he played a great game - and that play you mentioned versus Kone was OUTSTANDING. My notes read "beautiful stop on KB" 4th Q-11:00. Overall I thought he was great - I don't show him getting posted up (and scored on) one time in the game. Collins thought he was out of place at one point, and you might agree - but I thought that he moved around fine. We are getting killed on the boards - even Collison is getting pushed around some . . .
Thanks for the breakdown kev.. any thoughts on Krstic? I see he had +7, I thought he played great defense and that one play where he challenged Kobe without fouling stands out.
The defensive total was +53 - which (accounting for a change in scoring) is one of the best games of the season . . .
Defensive Breakdown
Despite the higher score, the defense was MUCH better this game. I believe you don’t need me to tell you that. The Thunder players were swarming. The rotations and contests were excellent. Serge Ibaka had his best game of the season. Russell Westbrook had his second best game of the season. Durant was in double figures defensively. And not one Thunder defender had a negative score. Kobe had 39, but he hit a lot of tough shots. Jeff Green and Thabo did okay on him, but their performance was nothing special. The defensive intensity came on the inside, where the Thunder held a block party – on my second viewing of the game, I even appreciated it more than the first time. Let’s hope the intensity continues.
Serge Ibaka (+16)
I had him for six blocks, a steal, a deflection, a contest, and NO mistakes. The guy was everywhere. Interestingly, he had his breakout game this year against the Lakers back in November. Let’s hope he brings it again in Game 3.
Russell Westbrook (+12)
Great game from Russell. He had four contests, a steal, a block, and he drew an offensive foul from Derek Fisher.
Kevin Durant (+11)
You think Kevin Durant doesn’t want to win? He looked more like Kevin GARNETT on the defensive end. I haven’t seen this type of intensity from KD on the defensive end in a long while – Props to KD!!
Nenad Krstic (+7)
Jeff Green (+3)
Green guarded Kobe for about ½ the game. Like I said, he did alright, and as Doug Collins from TNT pointed out (who is excellent by the way), Green isn’t used to guarding two guards. In fact, we know that Green is a natural SF playing out of position. In a perfect world, he SHOULD be guarding Ron Artest. Instead, he has to guard all-world Kobe Bryant at the two guard, and he has to go up against one of the best post players in Pau Gasol. Obviously, the Thunder has its SF in KD – and KD gets Artest. The fact that Green was able to get even a positive score sheds light on his max effort. The guy had NINE contests on the game (easily a team high).
Thabo Sefolosha (+2)
Thabo still isn’t the Thabo of earlier this year, as Kobe got by him too many times for my liking; hence the mediocre point total.
Eric Maynor (+2)
Nick Collison (zero)
James Harden (zero)
Harden played less than ten minutes. He guarded Kobe ZERO times. That’s telling considering he is supposed to be the Thunder off guard of the future. Again, the reason was for lack of PT was not his offense, it was his defense. Brooks doesn’t trust our “star” rookie on Kobe Bryant.
@TempBoy Brandon
You guys shot A LOT more free throws than us the entire game until the final 5 minutes when you guys did what you always do, wilt under pressure. And it's not like we didn't attack the rim, you guys got 17 CLEAN blocked shots? really? REALLY? lol. Durant got an offensive foul for pushing Gasol with both hands. Kobe got an offensive foul for trying to pry his right arm lose and going at the ball with his left hand.
Jeff Green didn't get a call for the three point play to earn an extra free throw in the final 30 seconds of the game but Kobe's continuation basket with 15 seconds to go was waived off despite the fact that he clearly only took 2 STEPS and didn't dribble after he was clocked in the face.
It wasn't that lopsided fellas, you guys just have fanboy glasses on
@ celtics fan. . . . Doesn't really mean anything . . it's just that every time the announcers say "Serge Ibaca", it sounds like they are saying "Sir Chewbaca",you know, the dude from star wars. Just a phonetic thing. By the way Celtics suck.
comment #18, you're an idiot.
@LAKERS FAN
"Sir Chewbaca"? What the hell are you talking about? Is that supposed to mean anything?
Are you kidding me :
First of all i love it when Kobe cries like the little girl he is. Second how did he not get a flagarant foul for taking a swing after getting his 20th shot blocked? It was only coincidence thst his arm came close to the ball. It was totally out of frustration of being the thunders block bitch.
I love angry fans of shitty teams. . . . pace yourself young man. You're not supposed to irate till after you realize your gonna get swept. On a lighter note I think Serge Ibaka should change his name to Sir Chewbaca . . . sounds the same to me.
First of all i love it when Kobe cries like the little girl he is. Second how did he not get a flagarant foul for taking a swing after getting his 20th shot blocked? It was only coincidence thst his arm came close to the ball. It was totally out of frustration of being the thunders block bitch.
Matt :@bruno
– i think green just missed a ton of open looks he usually will make..but he needs to stop settling for jumpers and drive to the lane..(like he did at the end of the game)..
harden has looked nervous even touching the ball..he needs to relax and understand he has all the talent in the world..
But the problem with Green is that he needs to be consistent, and he's nowhere near that.
we're a good team when he's hitting shots, but he had issues the whole regularseason and they're showing up again in the playoffs, that can't be dismissed as an off night, he's been in trouble consistently trying to hit open jumpers.
if KD is the only one scoring, we'll lose 9 times out of 10 against good teams.
Love that the Thunder are hanging in there and not getting blown off the court. It seems at times, though, that not every player is going all out and playing with urgency. Game 1, I thought it was playoff jitters, but then it happened last night too. There were a few loose balls and rebounds where Thunder players just stood there. One play sticks out in particular. I think it was in the 2nd quarter: Durant had the ball by the left sideline and Artest knocked it away and it starts bouncing out of bounds. Artest then jumps for the ball, throws it back into play, and it goes in the direction of Durant, who hasn't really even moved since the ball was stripped. It doesn't come directly to him but pretty darn close. It didn't look like Durant even made an attempt to get it as it was coming his way so it bounces past him, into the hands of the Lakers, who I believe scored on the fastbreak.
Then in the 2nd half, Harden had a long rebound coming his way from a Thunder miss, but he doesn't run up to meet the ball! He just stood there for it to come to him! Of course, a Laker - i think Odom - beats him to it.
Plays like that killed them..especially when you lose by 3 little points.
And, like you said, no Thabo in the 4th seems an odd move.
Keep up the good work with your blog!
First - I think Artest's hair is cool. And of course there are way too many "what if's" but the thing that is my biggest "what if" is why the hell didn't Thabo play more defense against Kobe in the end? I'm sooooo mad at Collison for making that foul in the end giving The Laker's those free throws.
And I am so damn proud of our team!!!!!!!!!
MAN I wanna go to OKC so bad for this next game. I can taste the intensity in the air all the way from georgia.
@TempBoy Brandon
you know how I know you're an OU fan? you're playing the 'What If' game.
Just kidding. I'm only giving you a hard time. I'm totally with you on the emotional roller coaster from last night. I was on the verge of cardiac arrest.
Pau Gasol = NBA's Jean Girard...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RUO-V9BSnc&feature=related
I thought Ibaka played quite a bit. He replaced Green with three mins left in the 1st quarter and played 27 minutes.
@James
The thunder shop IceorEnder mentioned has the same stuff as in the arena except I don't think they do custom jerseys. I was over there the other day. You can also order stuff straight from the website.
Where is the best place to shop for Thunder gear in the OKC area? I’ve gotten a couple of things from Academy but they are picked over now. The Thunder shop is open during the games but I didn’t know if there was a Thunder shop open during the day? Thanks
@James
There is a thunder shop on the first floor in the Leadership Square building downtown that conssits of strickly thunder gear open during the day.
Four things:
First, your Thunder are awesome and you guys should definitely be excited about their play and future. Just a great all around group of guys that we Laker fans have a hard time finding anything to hate; you know, playoff intensity hating. Second, the "Fakers" insult really has to go. Especially when spoken from a fan of a team that hasn't won anything yet. That one really cracks us up. Third, PLEASE stop blaming the refs! There were bad whistles for both teams. Take off the fan goggles. I know its hard to do, but believe me, we were yelling at the refs just as much as you and at just as many "key" plays. Fourth, we can't stand to look at Gasol either. We wish he would eat some damn food and hit the weights just a LITTLE. I mean come on, is it too hard to ask a professional athlete to put in some weight lifting? Also, he looks like Falkor from The Never Ending Story: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/2280492012_0fc25d525e.jpg Once seen, can't be unseen...
@bruno - i think green just missed a ton of open looks he usually will make..but he needs to stop settling for jumpers and drive to the lane..(like he did at the end of the game)..
harden has looked nervous even touching the ball..he needs to relax and understand he has all the talent in the world..
Like I said in the other topic, Harden, Sefolosha, Ibaka, they don't concern me.
Harden will show us next year who he is, Sefolosha is a useful defensive player and Ibaka is showing signs of huge development and a swagger we didn't have before him.
the thing that REALLY worries me is Jeff Green, because he's supposed to be one of the focal points of this team and he's been 100% overmatched on offense AND defense this series.
I had hopes he might become a Jamison type once he became a better rebounder and a more consistent shooter, but I'm fearing that he might never reach that level.
the only thing that worries me is that Harden looked just like he did last year when ASU was in the NCAA tourney...I still got faith in him and think all he needs is one to go down to get that feeling back..
Ibaka is an absolute beast..
We should have a ton of confidence going home in Game 3..
Where is the best place to shop for Thunder gear in the OKC area? I've gotten a couple of things from Academy but they are picked over now. The Thunder shop is open during the games but I didn't know if there was a Thunder shop open during the day? Thanks
Should be comment of the week! Coffee all over the keyboard.
Todd :
Just heard on the news that the Lakers were late leaving L.A. for OKC this morning. They were about to lift off the runway when Ibaka jumped up and swatted the plane back to the terminal.
i have never, ever, ever felt that kind of emotion and nervousness and anxiety over a basketball game in my life.. previously, i've only had those feelings when watching Dallas Cowboys playoff games and OU national championships.. that's a testament to how in love with this team i really am..
a few things:
1. i hate, hate blaming the refs for things, but man, in a 3 point loss, bad calls really do make a difference.. what if they don't call Russ for that 3rd foul when Fisher just tripped on his legs? Russ doesn't miss half the game.. what if they don't call the and-1 when Maynor didn't even come close to touching Kobe? what if they do call the and-1 when Jeff was had a Laker hanging on him when he hit that huge shot with a couple minutes left? what if they don't call that unfreakingbelievable foul on KD with a couple minutes left that gave the Lakers the ball back? what if they call Artest for ANY of the times that he was molesting KD without getting called? i could live with losing if i didn't feel like the refs played such a big factor in the loss..
2. Royce @ at the Gasol NBA Cares things - hahaha!! my friends and i were the same way.. every time they showed him or Kobe on an NBA Cares promo, we said a lot of the same things..
3. this loss hurt me bad.. i'm already ready for Thursday night.. i think people assume it's over when it's 0-2, but if The Ford Center is the huge advantage we anticipate it will be, we should be able to make it 1-2.. maybe ride that momentum to two home games? if so, all bets are off..
Todd :Just heard on the news that the Lakers were late leaving L.A. for OKC this morning. They were about to lift off the runway when Ibaka jumped up and swatted the plane back to the terminal.
OMG, LOL!!! I had to hit the hands-free mute button as I am on a conference call. :)
The DON :I just cannot believe that these are Harden’s playoff stats so far:
0.0 points0.5 assists0.5 rebounds2.0 fouls
Harden is our only real rookie.... by that I mean he plays like a chicken with his head cut off sometimes... Maynor does but rarely... and Ibaka is... well Ibaka ;)
Awesome game. W or L. Our guys and fans should be proud of that game.
Durant looked better and that was a relief. I wonder why he doesn't use Artest's agressiveness against him. How many of his shots could he pump and get body contact? Durant is basically giving him a piggy-back ride. Artest would sit the whole game.
I could hear it from L.A...
"Hi world. I am Serge Ibaka."
@Peter
"James Harden’s lifeless corpse"
i love #13, but that is the most apt description of him in this series...
I love Ibaka for his phenomenal defensive presence. I just wish he could spend the offseason chilling with Hakeem Olajuwon in order to develop his post game. He has the agility to be like the Dream, just needs to learn the moves and the touch around the basket. However, considering that most people though he would be spending this year in Europe or the D-League, he's come a long way.
I agree...go for the win. You have a good shot with KD, and if you go into overtime, there sits Kobe (the best closer in the game).
I am simply amazed that we almost won the game playing 3 on 5 on offense for most of the night. That's quite a testament to our defense.
SD
Thabo keeps Kobe in check all game, then out of the blue Brooks decides to bench him all 4th quarter and go with Green on him for no logical reason.
Surely it was pure coincidence that Kobe proceeded to go off in the 4th quarter and win the game for LA.
Way to go Brooks.
I am watching our team growing in confidence each game. I believe that within 2 years this team with the addition of a big man, Ibaka (who I think is going to be incredible), as a forward and maybe another pure scorer is going to be one of 4 teams competing for championships for the next 5 years.
@Chris
Exactly. KD did some great things last night including some great help D in the paint, but he HAS to get tough with the ball in his hands.
@Cookie
Agree with you too. Serge & Thabo were both great last night. There is no reason for Green to be getting ant kind of extended minutes ahead of those 2 until he wakes up and realizes that he's not Glenn Rice.
A couple of things from my brain ...
1. I think it is really funny and moderately pathetic how a lot of people on these threads will kill Brooks for even suiting Thabo up, then kill him for not playing him in the fourth. Scotty gets killed for having us play 4 on 5 and going with defense, then killed for going with offense and not playing 4 on 5. Pick one people!
2. I agree with Royce. Pau Gasol's face is one that almost (ALMOST) makes me want to throw something at the TV. I really can't stand him. I just want to slap him. Not really punch him, just a good, ole fashioned bitch slap.
3. I totally agree that Serge should have taken some of Jeff's minutes. Ibaka was killing LA and Green was killing our chances. I love Jeff. If would realize the talent he has and take those slower bigs off the dribble and get to the rim, he'd be awesome. Instead, he prefers doing his best Antwoine Walker impression and settles for jumpers.
4. I love James Harden. I wish he would have made the flight to LA.
5. Russell Westbrook would be the best PG in the game if he could hit a 3 pointer and kept his handles a little better. No doubt in my mind. I wish he would have hit that dunk over Bynum. That would have been awesome and we'd never have to complain about another NBA commercial without Thunder representation.
6. This series makes me want Bosh even more. With him, we win. Both games.
7. I still love Nick Collison and I hope we keep him for a while.
I just cannot believe that these are Harden's playoff stats so far:
0.0 points
0.5 assists
0.5 rebounds
2.0 fouls
Also love the recaps here, first thing I check in the mornings.
Just been so d*mn frustrated with some of Brooks' line-ups during the year and no better now. Just don't understand them.. especially:
"Now, a couple things I thought were curious: 1) No Thabo for virtually the entire second half." WHY WHY WHY
"Not enough Serge" AMEN!
As for Harden I know he has a huge fan base here, but except for a game here and there, we cringe when he takes the floor. Yeah, I know he's a rookie -- so let him sit on the bench more and learn by watching. He's gone backwards as far as I can tell. /rant
Breathing deeply now . . .
"Here’s how you know you’re in a playoff series with someone: I hated with every fiber of my being Pau Gasol even watching him doing good things during an NBA Cares spot. Just his stupid face and dumb hair made me sick as he read to cancer-riddled children. I’m a horrible person"
That is crazy - I was feeling the same way when I saw that NBA Cares Spot...I laughed out loud when I read that...
If thabo would have played Kobe in the 4th quarter we would have won. Westbrook-Thabo-KD-IBAKA(!)-Collison line-up would have killed the lakers. Jeff Green is a great player but if he doesnt hit his shots THERE IS NO REASON TO PLAY HIM 41 (!!!!) MINUTES! The game was great. Maynor played a great second half. We had 2 great looks for the win but the shots just didnt go in. Bring on game 3!
"If it does, boy, I don’t think I’m writing this recap right now. I’m probably outside, knocking on neighbors doors, yelling profanities of joy. But it didn’t go. Not this time. Next time, it will. But this time for Kevin Durant, it came up just short."
I'm almost glad that KD missed the 3. THere was still 7 tics left, so we avoided Kobe Bryant breaking our hearts with a game winner. I would much rather lose the way we did than have that happen.
I love Durant as much as the next Thunder fan, but all those turnovers killed us.
I think our woulda, coulda, shoulda moment was Westbrooks' attempt at a mini-Jumpman23 posterization that caught everyone off guard. If it had only gone down... The whole crowd held their breath for that one second, the TNT announcers were stupefied, the Lakers on the floor were in disbelief and almost crapped themselves.
Todd: lol
just think of how nasty Serge is going to be in the playoffs next year.
I know KD is the man, but could we at least TRY having RW drive and kick in the final 2 mins, or just drive and finish? I know LD got a good look... We're just too predictable sometimes.
That was one of the most intense sporting events I've ever experienced... And I wasn't even there. I can not even imagine what Thursday is going to be like.