vs. 
Phoenix Suns (51-27, 21-18 road) vs. Okla. City Thunder (48-30, 25-14 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 753)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CDT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 108.2 (13th), Suns – 115.5 (1st)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 104.3 (8th), Suns – 110.7 (24th)
Pace: Thunder – 93.0 (14th), Suns – 95.3 (4th)
View from the enemy: Valley of the Suns
Who’s tired? I’m tired. These past two games have worn me out and the worst part is, it’s not getting any easier. I don’t think I’m cut out for the playoffs. My inexperience is and youth is really showing. And now we’ve got another huge game coming off a tough loss. I just hope my heart doesn’t explode tonight.
The last time the Suns were in town, Oklahoma City built a big lead late in the third and early fourth (much like Denver), only to blow it later with bad, bad offensive execution (much like Denver). At that was Phoenix being sans Steve Nash.
Phoenix coming in: The Suns last played Wednesday against San Antonio. They’re scorching hot (hahahahaha) having won 11 of 12. On the road, they’re 21-18.
THE MATCHUPS
The main matchup is the Thunder vs. Amare Stoudemire. OKC just has no one to guard him. Serge Ibaka has the athleticism, but Amare pushes him around. Nick Collison has the grit to frustrate Amare, but not the ability. And honestly, most teams in the league face this same predicament. Amare Stoudemire is just a tough guard.
So really, you’ll just have to accept the fact he’s likely going to put up a 30-10 spot tonight. They key after that is limiting open 3s for Channing Frye, keeping Louis Amundson and Jarron Collins (who is filling in for Robin Lopez) off the glass for second opportunities and doing your best to keep Steve Nash from running wild. The Suns are a dynamic offensive team and no matter what, they’re tough to cover.
What’s in the Thunder’s favor is that Phoenix doesn’t match up well the opposite way either. They have no one to guard Kevin Durant (58-year-old Grant Hill will likely get the call). Russell Westbrook torches slower, smaller guards and Nash isn’t a good defender to start with. The Thunder bench has been strong with Eric Maynor playing well lately and James Harden a candidate to get hot any night. And Nenad Krstic can pull Phoenix’s bigs out of the paint to create space for Jeff Green inside or outside. So it’s not like this is a bad matchup for OKC. There’s a reason all the games have been close.
It’s another big one in the Ford Center and if anything, you want to see the Thunder win just for the sake of protecting the home floor. You never like losing twice in a row at home. Plus, we haven’t seen many three-game losing streaks, so I’d prefer to nip this one in the bud before it happens.
Tip at 7:00 CDT. Go Okies.
Alright, thanks for the background info.
hi crow,
I played against him on a club level when he was in Blonay and we also played together on the "state squad". We travelled europe and played in different international tournaments. He was already owning back then although it wasn't his defense that struck me. He was so chill with everybody, i hope success didn't get to him.
Yeah, he's pretty popular here since he's the first (and probably last) Swiss in the NBA.
I didn't know til now there were multiple Swiss fans here.
Pretty cool that you played with Thabo, Sushi. Was that at the equivalent of high school level, club or just recreation?
Is he big news there or just the occasional mention?
One more I found
http://www.openphoto.net/volumes/stg/20061208/openphotonet_PICT8234.JPG
I checked the web and found these pics of two of the Swiss towns mentioned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Swiss-bienne-city-1.JPG
http://www.swisscorner.com/wallpaper/large/Nyon01_1024.jpg
Do you have others that are your favorites?
Bob :Gotta love the Grizzlies.
For tonight... :)
sushi :
@ bob
hure geil, zwei thabo van! entschuldigen, mein deutsch stinks.
Haha. Its ok.
Gotta love the Grizzlies.
@ bob
hure geil, zwei thabo van! entschuldigen, mein deutsch stinks.
Dorrell Arthur is a very very good guy.
Anyone wants the Suns in the playoffs?
A justin whats our defensive rating now please thank you
If PDX and SAS both lose, we're guaranteed at least 7th with a Portland win and can take 6th if we win out. At this point, I can see matchup advantages and disadvantages with any of the top seeds, but I think I'd be most excited by a Utah-OKC battle royale.
sushi :
@ bob
your a bball connoisseur if you appreciate thabo’s game. Not a lot of people give him credit.
where are you from? i’m from Nyon.
Biel Bienne
I think Westbrook deserves at least some of the blame. He needs to get into the lane and create opportunities when teams are doubling KD off the ball. Way more off ball motion also. It's like, we'll send one cutter and if we can't get him the ball, the team doesn't know what to do.
Darrell Arthur is a good guy.
@Sushi, I am Swiss too, so I do understand quite well what you wrote, you lost your bet and insulted someone from your same country, good job I guess..... My sarcastic comment was direct to the other users that pretty much slaughtered Thabo in the last game, when he wasn't the only one that didn't deliver at all in that game.
@ bob
your a bball connoisseur if you appreciate thabo's game. Not a lot of people give him credit.
where are you from? i'm from Nyon.
@justin
I agree. And I'd rather have Hardin on the floor at the close of a tight game unless the other team has a Kobe who Thabo has closed out all game long.
And is it just me, or did KD just get to 30.0 ppg?
Back-to-back sucks to end the season but at least GS is the primer.
@justin
At least you only hate Green half the time instead of most of the time like earlier in the season. Progress is progress.
We seemed to confuse the Suns a lot defensively when we continued to switch and help, they had a ton of turnovers.
justin :@The DON
Phoenix is sending practically their whole team KD’s way denying him the ball. Tough to do anything.
Actually most of the teams do the same thing.
Great game, great game. Seemed like the defense was back. I mean, team defense. The great exmaple imo, when JG defended Nash all the way to the basket and then RW showed up for the easy block, great block.
Also, holding Suns to only 91 pts... Wow... :)
Spurs losing by 8.. if SAS and PDX both lose this will be a great day.
Hey guys, we held the Suns to 91 points. That's a pretty nice achievement. Our defense was pretty good after the first.
@Sas
Agreed. But even if he's not producing, his presence offensively helps the team more than Thabo down the stretch. Phoenix wouldn't aggressively deny the ball to KD if we had shooters on the floor, or if they did, we could capitalize.
I just don't agree with Thabo automatically getting a spot to close out games.
@sushi
Ya you're pretty witty.. Too bad there is a thing called google. Its pretty useful for things like that.
starter 5 make 10 steals
@justin
Big part of that is Harden missing lots of opportunities. When our biggest offensive guy off the bench doesn't produce, it's tough.
its going to be fun when i go to the portland game on monday ^__^
Great win, now we need to take care of business vs GS
sushi :
hey bob, i see you’re showing a lot of love for thabo! he deserves it! i’m from switzerland and i played with (against) him back then…
why are you such a fan of the swiss cheese?
I'm from Switzerland too... I've been always been a big sonic/thunder fan. I just have a weakness for defensive players. :)
Hopefully they learn to use KD as a decoy when he is being aggressively denied to the ball to start a possession and make the other team think twice before they throw the house at Durant.
@Osano-Whoa
By foul I meant block. A huge defensive block from Westbrook to seal the game.
@ mercury
sorry, i get touchy when u mess with sef
(i bet u have no idea what i said though)
This was more in line with what we were accustomed to.
PACE: 94.94
ORTG: 101.1
DRTG: 95.8
Solid defensive performance.. thought the Suns missed some gimmes.
Definitely need to work on how to get 2nd and 3rd options offensively. We looked lost as usual when Kevin Durant was aggressively denied the ball.
We won! I don't know how in the blue he'll we did it, but WE WON!!!!
Well this win was a pretty big part of the challenge. Take care of business against GS, and then a HUGE game in Portland. If we win out, we'll likely grab the sixth seed.
I root against portland under any and all circumstances
Spurs losing to Memphis, we have to root for Dallas against Portland tonight.
This is a huge win
We now still have a chance to avoid the 8th seed
Our game vs. Portland will be MONUMENTAL
Yes! Wow! Russ makes the defensive play.
That foul is so huge. Westbrook I love you.
Thank you Green.
Smart foul. Teams should do that more often.
@The DON
Watch the games and see what they do to Durant at the end, ball denial. It's tough to create offense when you're swarmed.
@justin
I don't even hear Grant Long and Brian Davis anymore. They're just noise to me.
Wow they fouled. If Green misses these I'm disowning him.
@justin
0-6 vs. denver in 4th quarter
1-4 tonight
Stop making excuses
Grant Long is bragging about Brooks' ability to draw up plays
justin :
What just happened I missed it.
Ibaka jump hook