Daily Thunder.com

Zach Lowe of Grantland: “It’s also worth noting that many in the “Why did they trade Harden now??!” crowd in October also recommended at least waiting until the trade deadline. That would obviously not have helped here. The Maynor trade is exactly the reason you draft Jackson. Maynor’s going to be a free agent this summer, and he was shooting 31 percent in Oklahoma City while recovering from his own sad knee injury. He was better in Portland, but still shot just 42 percent with a 10.6 Player Efficiency Rating — well below the league average. In the final analysis, this is a horrible bit of bad luck that very likely wipes a title contender off the map. The Thunder should still beat Houston, and they could still win the Western Conference; Durant is that good, and a solid supporting cast is still here. But they’re underdogs now, and they’ll probably be underdogs in the next round, against whomever they face, if they get there. That’s life in the NBA.”

Rob Mahoney of SI.com: “An added complication comes by way of a game progression in which Westbrook often functions as a first-quarter dynamo. Only one other player (Carmelo Anthony) posted a higher usage rate in first quarters this season, in large part because Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks has built his team’s early game offense around Westbrook’s inextinguishable energy. One can almost hear Westbrook’s motor revving from the moment his sneakers hit hardwood, and from the opening tip he surges and screams as if every possession were the emotional climax of a Game 7. He’s pure kinetic energy, and though a player like Jackson may be able to match Westbrook’s end-to-end speed, he won’t produce comparably and can’t manage the same instant electricity. That’s a bit less tangible than some of the Thunder’s other concerns, but the kind of dynamic that shouldn’t be overlooked in terms of how Oklahoma City goes about managing this unexpected loss.” Keep Reading…

Berry Tramel: “The Thunder’s close save with the Rockets — a 105-102 victory Wednesday night that gave OKC a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series — was a little close for comfort. The Thunder led by 15 points in the fourth quarter, then Houston went on a 21-2 and led 95-91 with 31/2 minutes left, before the Thunder rallied. That’s against an overmatched, short-handed opponent, which is often the case in a series between a No. 1 seed and a No. 8 seed. So it got me to thinking. How often does an NBA Finalist have such a first-round game at home? Is it rare? Is the Thunder playing like that a sign that it’s not Finals-caliber.”

Darnell Mayberry on Russell Westbrook: “The ensuing inbounds pass went right back to Westbrook in the post. As Westbrook went into his move, backing Beverley down, Beverley tried to be physical. Too physical. He was called for his fourth foul, forcing him to sit for the next three minutes, 44 seconds. Twenty-three seconds after Beverley returned, Westbrook used a Kendrick Perkins screen to get to the basket, convert a layup and get a three-point play opportunity. It bumped the Thunder’s lead to 11 and went down as the defining moment of Westbrook’s maturation. At that point, Westbrook had won. He had gotten the best of Beverley and finally broke free from his inner demons.” Keep Reading…