vs. 
Thunder (47-16, 19-12 road) at Spurs (48-15, 25-4 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma; NBA TV
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:30 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 113.1 (1st), Spurs– 109.8 (7th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 102.9 (8th), Spurs – 100.8 (3rd)
Pace: Thunder – 93.6 (8th), Spurs – 94.3 (7th)
View from the enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell
So, this is a big game. That is, if you’ve concerned yourself with the top seed and homecourt in the West for the playoffs. Which I think the Thunder should. For all the things they’ve accomplished and the steps taken, one they haven’t pulled off is the West’s No. 1 seed. And when you consider the dominance they’ve shown at The Peake over the last month, having those extra games in your building could be big.
(And yes, I realize the Thunder didn’t have it last season. But that team last season also had James Harden.)
The Spurs are some kind of good in their building in their own right, so pulling off a win there won’t be easy. The season series is knotted 1-1 with the season’s first game going San Antonio’s way in a nail-biter and the second going the Thunder’s way 107-93 in OKC. So with one more game on April 4 after this, in Oklahoma City — winning here could be large in terms of the West’s playoff race.
And not just that, but to build a little of that confidence and swagger back that the Thunder are indeed the top dog in the West. Despite San Antonio being on top of the conference, it’s felt like OKC is still the favorite, but we all know this isn’t the same team as last season’s. So there are still things to prove, like beating the Spurs in their building.
San Antonio coming in: The Spurs got waxed by the Blazers on Friday.
Three Big Things
1. No TP. Without Tony Parker it obviously changes the look of the Spurs pretty significantly. Less pick-and-roll, more drive-and-kick, more post-up play from Tim Duncan. Cory Joseph will likely start in his place with Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal running a lot of the offense.
2. Perk and Timmy. Duncan might be the Spurs offensive focal point tonight since there’s no Parker. And it’s pretty well documented that Perk plays him well. Without Perk’s play on Duncan in the West Finals last season, OKC doesn’t even get its shot at Miami.
3. Durant. How about a big game tonight, okay KD?
Tip at 7:30 CT. Go First.
What bothers me deeply is that ALL the issues the Thunder face are STILL the same issues we face against teams we have trouble with. In order of "troublesomeness" from least to most trouble:
Denver- they run faster and finish well
Memphis- this gritty down and dirty team is actually very skilled. They added Tayshaun which is a Rudy Gay upgrade on D especially on KD. To lose to Rudy Gay is big but not entirely a loss. I hate facing Memphis in the playoffs. You just know you're in for a long one
San Antonio- It's not even the pieces of this team. TP didn't play and got a whuppin AGAIN. This team is extremely fundamentally sound, disciplined, selfless, experienced and MENTALLY SUPERIOR in every way. The thing is, the Spurs know all these. They know they've got us in their back pocket. See, SA knows we play hero ball. They know we get demoralized easily. They know we get selfish rather fast. They know our coach can't control his guys. Scotty, whenever you hear him during games, never gets on his players' faces. It's like he's scared to upset his guys. Look at Pop...did you see his death stare on Ginobili tonight? Lemme say this, last year's WCF win was ONLY because of Game 5. had we not stolen that, SA would have ended it on our floor knowing we'd succumb to the pressure. This year won't be any different in terms of us being dominated by them...UNLESS we embrace change or discipline ourselves. Look at the ball movement in the first quarter of today's game. Look at the ball movement in Games 3-5 last year. We have the best scorers in all of basketball but Brook sis using them all wrong. The game has changed. Look at how the next team on this list is built. That team is going to run roughshod against us if we ever make it out of the WC.
Miami- the team that has the best player on the planet has the most unselfish players running a disciplined experienced system. The Heat have adapted to change and employed a system that we will never beat until we adapt. Imagine a closing lineup of Bosh, James, Battier, Allen, Wade. They can ALL hit the three, they all pass and all smart players. We have nothing to counter that with.
So unless something changes...and we have 20 somethin games to do that with, we gonna be b1tchin should could woulda sometime in May or June.
Sometimes life is cruel. You just have to say f--k it. Get drunk. Vomit. Pass out. Comeback the next day to tackle life with a renewed vigor. Nothing will be solved on here tonight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPCjC543llU
is anyone swiching
what brooks has going for him is that he's made adjustments when he absolutely has to, like after being down against the spurs last year.
the ability is there (potentially).
it's just that he takes 4 steps backwards for every step forward, and he doesn't seem to be proactive at all.
@yarkmu What were the changes he made against the Spurs again? He moved Sefolosha onto Parker, which everyone was calling for GOING INTO THE SERIES. It took him to game 3 to make that change. Any other moves in that series? He allowed the players to switch PnR late in the shot clock if they wanted and that's it. Those are his big chess moves. He had NOTHING for the Heat. His moves were terrible against them.
@FF_pickups @yarkmu the playoffs help brooks because his rotation shrinks thus taking out the opportunity for him to screw up substitutions and lineups! He took out starters at end of 1st up by a bunch spurs went on run closed gap. Then he started the 4th first 4 min with bench when we are already down by 9 points does he want to lose? insane! At least in playoffs he will leave starters in more which automatically increases our odds of a win he subs out starters like they are old these guys are 23-24 yrs old play them more! He is such a stubborn coach and doesn't seem to learn from his bad choices. At least in playoffs only thing he can screw up is calling timeouts. I still think Rick Carlisle even though I hate Dallas is one best at calling timeouts to stop a run. Brooks lets team go on 8-12 pt runs before calling timeouts.
@FF_pickups i agree, but better late than never though. and him being reactive over proactive is definitely a fault.
against the heat, i don't really have any counters. he really shit the bed.
@yarkmu didnt happen against the heat..
@Lost Ones he (and the entire rest of the team) lose their collective shit against the heat.
Woah..just came back and saw the score. Should i dare to ask what happened? (please someone give me the nonoverreacting version)
@Thunder S Kevin Martin isn't very good
@Thunder S Our coach got out coached.
@Thunder S team play good, terrible bench lineup, team plays bad the end
We should have traded martin for mayo, afflalo, or redick.
@DanielLawler for Matrix
disappointed royce didnt write the write up i wanted to see what he had to say about brooks
@Lost Ones I'm not. He wasn't going to have the ability to keep it real on Collison so he just told someone else to write it
Brooks has never benched a starter in 5 years now. Seriously, has any coach ever gone 5 years without making a non-injury related starting lineup change one time? It's got to be a record.
@FF_pickups He benched Westbrook vs. Dallas in WCF two years ago.
@Sigmund Westbrook started that game and the next.
http://dailythunder.com/2013/03/spurs-whip-the-thunder-105-93/
Brooks is Forrest Gump. He's just in the right place at the right time.
@FF_pickups
Run Brooks Run!
@FF_pickups making millions off KD back incredible
Has brooks ever admitted to a lost?
@Lost Ones He's never called anyone out or said that he made a mistake, to my knowledge.
Is it just me, lol...whenever fisher is on the floor and is playing like shit, it's like it contagious
@Blood-Game its his "experince"
sometimes i think scott brooks needs to be sent to the d league to get more experience. what's good for the goose...
@yarkmu send him to mars for a total recall
its getting annoying that Fisher is so inconsistent.
dude wont make a shot from the field at all, then next game cant miss from 3.
and at some point Brooks has to put in Brewer with some of the defensively challenged lineups he likes to throw out there.
@cfountain "and at some point Brooks has to put in Brewer with some of the defensively challenged lineups he likes to throw out there."
And at some point in the finals, Brooks had to go small against the Heat. Except, he didn't ever do it. He's too arrogant to risk being proved wrong, his humongous yet fragile ego couldn't take it.
Who's to blame for this game?
A. Westbrook
B.Durant
C. Scott Brooks
D. Derek Fisher
E. Our body language
@OKC035 brooks and his horrible substitutions ! Down by 9 start 4th play the bench players first 4 minutes? Can you say IDIOT!
@OKC035 always E
@OKC035 it that a trick question all of them
@OKC035 E. obviously.
@beelieve035 My thoughts as well. Just awful body language throughout.
@OKC035 My Spanish Class
@OKC035
F. Everyone, It was just a bad game.
@ElMexiThunder Yea I agree. I wasn't being serious with this question.
@ElMexiThunder @OKC035 Liked just for the "F everyone" aspect
@OKC035 C
Durant didn't drop 40 and didn't score 16 straight points in the 4 quarter? How dare he, he played terrible.
@Sigmund
No he had five turnovers when the game was changing momentum. The most crucial moments he gave the ball up like crazy, and allowed three different Spurs beat him to the basket one right after another. He played average through out the game.
@Sigmund we can slobber over durant #s all we want, but he's not being aggressive at all. people use to call out Lebron for this
@Lost Ones @Sigmund Yes, more criticism for one of the most effecient season ever. Apparently, o some, "agreesive" is superopr to putting teh ball in the basket
@Lambchop @Lost Ones @Sigmund
The only complaint i have on him tonight is that he stop handeling the ball right, and defending when the game got rough.
@Lost Ones @Sigmund KD shoots a shot less a game, but averages 5 more points a game. What is your obsession with illogical points?
@Sigmund that's what superstars are supposed to do. He lost his superstar card tonight