Friday Bolts – 5.18.12

Kendrick Perkins on what he told Russell Westbrook after Steve Blake missed that 3: ”I just told Russ he did his job on sagging in because I felt like which one would we rather have? Blake taking the 3 or Kobe taking the 3? I’d rather Blake take the last shot of the game and Russ did a good job of just trusting himself and getting a late contest. Even though he had a good look, I’d rather (have) that than Kobe (shoot it).”

Sekou Smith of NBA.com: “For every play the Lakers didn’t make in those frantic, final minutes, the Thunder made two. While the Lakers appeared to be rattled with the game on the line, unsure of who should do what, the Thunder exuded a calm rarely seen from a group so young, at least in NBA playoff years (this is this Thunder group’s fifth playoff series together). The cold-blooded assassin routine is supposed to be Bryant’s. Yet it was the three-time scoring champ, Durant, who sank his second game-winning shot in the past six games. (He beat the Mavericks with a jumper over Shawn Marion’s outstretched hand in Game 1 of their first-round series.) Instead of Game 3 Friday night in Los Angeles being a referendum on the Thunder’s ability to bounce back, it’s become a bit of an examination of the fabric of this Lakers team and whether or not they can close the deal the way they (mostly) have throughout Bryant’s tenure.”

Berry Tramel on KD closing: “And with Kobe’s status as Mister Clutch taking a beating – the widely-reported 0-for-7 in shots that would give the Lakers the lead or a tie in the final 24 seconds of playoff games the last five years — Durant suddenly is ready to assume the role. Here’s what Thunder fans have to love about Durant’s 2012 playoff heroics. Both have come via aggression. A pullup jumper against Dallas; a drive against LA.”

The 16 potential Finals matchups ranked.

John Rohde examines OKC’s perfect postseason: “There have been the fortunate misses from opposing long-range shooters in the closing seconds: Two missed 3-pointers from Mavs sixth man Jason Terry in the final 4.9 seconds of Game 2; a missed 3-pointer in the right corner from Lakers guard Steve Blake with 3.9 seconds left in Game 2. There have been heroics from starters and reserves; clutch possessions offensively and defensively; proper substitutions and timeouts at the proper moments. It all has been so perfect, which helps explain OKC’s perfect record so far in the playoffs.”

Thunder talk on Colin Cowherd’s show.

KD’s Doodle Jump commercial remixed with his game-winner. And for fun, the Mavs game-winner too.

Ben Bolch of the LA Times on Harden: “He led all NBA bench players in scoring during the regular season, averaging 16.8 points while shooting 49.1%, the highest of his career. Harden said he has benefited from an increased comfort level in his third pro season. His beard has also evolved, taking on cult hero status. The facial hair has more than 5,000 followers on Twitter and has prompted Thunder fans to show up at games with fake beards — and real ones modeled after their hero’s.”

OKC shattered its local TV record for Game 2.

Zach Lowe of SI on OKC in the clutch: “On the flip side, Durant’s heroics will obscure a larger and more important story for the Thunder: the continued emergence of James Harden as a crunch-time weapon. Harden wiped out Dallas down the stretch of Game 4 in the Thunder’s first-round sweep, and when Durant wasn’t dunking or hitting floaters in the final minutes of last night’s game, the Thunder leaned on Harden to create out of the pick-and-roll. On the three Oklahoma City possessions that sandwiched Durant’s clutch steal-and-dunk, Harden blew by Bryant and Bynum (jumping too early against the screen) on one pick-and-roll for a layup, got into the lane on another before missing a shot at the rim and scored a layup in transition.”