Friday Bolts – 6.15.12

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com: “Home-court advantage surrendered. James Harden led the way for the first three quarters and then Kevin Durant took the baton in the final frame with a surge of furious scoring. But it wasn’t enough. The Thunder just can’t absorb Russell Westbrook shooting 26 shots and ending up with only 27 points. Not with Harden and Durant on the team.”

John Schuhmann of NBA.com on the last play: “There has already been a lot of talk about this play, and there’s sure to be more in the days leading up to Game 3. James could possibly been called for two different fouls in those five fateful seconds. But he wasn’t and the series has possibly turned in favor of the Heat as a result.”

Gary Payton: “I said last night, it’s not our team anymore, let’s move on and get our own team, get our own team and then we don’t even have to worry about that team anymore and can go on about our business and make it what it’s supposed to be which is to have our own team. And that’s what we’re going to go out and do on Thursday.”

Scott Brooks whiffed with smallball in Game 2.

Time talked to Sally Jesse Raphael about Westbrook’s glasses: “So, we wondered, what does Sally Jessy Raphael think of all these Internet shout-outs? We reached her Tuesday at her Dutchess County, N.Y. home: Raphael, 77, had no clue who Russell Westbrook was, or that basketball fans were invoking her name across the web. But she issued Westbrook a warning. “The basketball player better be careful,” Rafael told Keeping Score.”

Chris Mannix of SI.com: “Brooks has stuck with Kendrick Perkins through good times and bad this postseason, but it may be time to sit the beefy center down. Miami’s small lineup leaves them vulnerable under the rim, but the offensively challenged Perkins has not been able to take advantage of the mismatches. He has just eight points in this series, and while he has rebounded well (7.5 per game) Oklahoma City may start experimenting more with an Ibaka/Durant front line, which would allow them to get James Harden’s offense (21 points in Game 2) in the starting lineup and make them more athletic in the open floor. Even with the small lineup, the Heat crushed the Thunder in points in the paint (48-32). Changes, they could be a-coming.”

I just now realized that Tony Brothers was working Game 2, and of course Tony Brothers has a history with OKC and no calls. Though it was actually Derrick Stafford who was the official in position to make that call last night.

Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com: “And listen, I didn’t want to write this particular story. I swear. I told our main NBA writer, Ken Berger, that I tend to blame Russell Westbrook every time the Thunder lose, and I wasn’t going to do it again. Not in Game 2. So as we were discussing story ideas after the game, I didn’t bring up this one. I suggested writing on Durant’s mostly magnificent fourth quarter. Or on the Thunder’s near-comeback. Or on LeBron James’ clutch play late. But while all those were a story, they weren’t the story. Not to me. The story, to me, was the first five minutes of the game, when the Thunder fell and couldn’t get up. Why did they fall? Well, Russell Westbrook is why. And that was apparent from the top row of Chesapeake Energy Arena, where I couldn’t tell Perkins from Ibaka or Haslem from Bosh, but I could tell something was wrong with Russell Westbrook.”

Darnell Mayberry: “There’s plenty of other things to take from this game. The best thing I can tell you after this one is that this loss increases the chances of the Thunder winning Game 3 in Miami. Had the Thunder won tonight, I would have gone to Miami thinking OKC had no chance of winning Game 3. A sense of fulfillment perhaps would have kicked in after securing the first two wins. The Thunder might not have only thought of itself as the better team, but also carried itself as such — and not in a good way. Game 3 could have been a Heat blowout win. Not now. Now, the Thunder knows its poop stinks.”

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop: “They are in some ways identical topics — two different but similar chapters of David Stern’s book of success. Even in a lockout-shortened season, this amazing game can create one magical moment after another. But in another way, point No. 1 might, at long last, signal a time to move beyond a Baby Boomer-dominated dialogue that assumes the vast majority of NBA greatness occurred decades ago, and that Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird exist in an aura that today’s players can’t touch. Kevin Durant, LeBron James and the class of young stars they lead are changing that debate before our eyes.”

Cruising the Bricktown canal, talking about the Thunder and OKC’s recovery from the 1995 bombing.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: “For the first time in 10 games, the Thunder lost a playoff in Oklahoma City. This isn’t the end of the world for the Thunder, but Durant needs some of these young stars surrounding him to grow quickly. Russell Westbrook has been wildly up and down in the series, and James Harden was privately seething over the six shots he was afforded in Game 1, a source said. This was why general manager Sam Presti and vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver wanted the presence of past champions Kendrick Perkins and Derek Fisher in the locker room. Perkins and Fisher reminded Harden that this was no time for personal priorities, that these were the NBA Finals, and it wasn’t long until Harden was over it, a source said.”

Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “The truth? Even if Durant had gotten that call on the baseline, OKC would have had a l-o-n-g way to go to take a 2-0 series lead to South Beach. Even if LeBron had gotten called for hooking KD before that ill-fated baseline floater went up, OKC would have needed two free throws from Durant for the tie on an evening he shot just 4-for-6 at the line … and then a stop at the other end to force overtime … and then a flourish in OT while Durant was saddled with five fouls.”

Bethlehem Shoals of GQ: “I can’t really downplay the importance of a 1-1 Finals. There’s no clear favorite now; if OKC forfeited home court advantage, it’s also on Miami fans to prove they understand the meaning of that particular concept. I can’t wait for Sunday; we are past the realm of hype and expectations and really, truly in the middle of something unbelievable. Not only are the Heat, Westbrook and Brooks all forgiven. Not only are we getting a battle royale for the ages. There were times last night during the second half when the game seemingly exploded out of the television. The Thunder fans reached new levels of volume, Twitter was apoplectic, and things were happening on the floor that were either too impossible to believe or too uncanny to dismiss or minimize. It was basketball that had me caring very little who won, much less who was going to get blamed the next day. This was what Russell was getting at: a dizzying, disorienting version of the sport closer to relentless poetry than a grudge match between X’s and O’s.”

ESPN Stats and Info: “Depending on who you talk to, Russell Westbrook had a “pathetic” performance last night or played very well. In the NBA Finals over the last 25 seasons, Russell Westbrook is one of three guards to record at least 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and fewer than 2 turnovers in a game. He’s accomplished that feat twice now and only Magic Johnson had more such games in the Finals.”

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com: “The James-Durant dynamic was most profound in Game 2. Creating additional gray area for everyone to debate, James managed to completely flip the script on his Finals persona in a way that provided maximum drama. And Durant assured that he’ll be in the Heat players’ dreams for the next several nights after he nearly led a breathtaking late charge with the mix of force and ease that no one else in the game has.”

Ian Thompson of SI.com: “Durant’s run at the basket stalled up against James, and his shot front-rimmed. So now the ball is in Durant’s court, first of all to prevent a Miami sweep at home, and then to give his team a 3-2 lead for its anticipated return to Oklahoma City. Durant is his generation’s Kobe Bryant when it comes to winning games at the end, but now he faces a new challenge. For James has learned how to control the pace of play, and at last to finish what he has started.”

Berry Tramel: “So what was Westbrook to do? He’s got a stagnant offense with little options. So by far the Thunder’s best option was Westbrook attacking the basket and taking a shot. Against the Heat, that’s not a high percentage play, since Miami has Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers, both of whom are capable of at least staying in front of Westbrook. Not a high percentage play, but clearly the Thunder’s best play under the circumstances. That’s why Scotty Brooks has to react more quickly. Get James Harden in the game earlier. Go to the small lineup, which is much more effective against Miami than is OKC’s big lineup. Westbrook did not play well in Game 2. But there were reasons that weren’t his doing.”