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Monday Bolts – 5.13.13

by Royce Young on May 13, 2013 at 9:11 am 437 Comments

BoltsLogoNew1Ben Golliver of SI.com: “Those two plays marked an unfortunate end to another strong performance from Jackson, who had 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists, and found a way to provide the occasional spark by getting to the rim or finding space to shoot open jumpers in semi-transition. The future of Eric Bledsoe with the Clippers — where’s more or less stuck behind Chris Paul even though he possesses starter-type talent — has received all sorts of attention and we’re getting closer to the point where Jackson’s play will warrant that type of buzz as well. He’s way too talented to play just 14 minutes a night again next season. Most likely, the Thunder resolves the scenario by playing him alongside Westbrook on a regular basis, as Jackson’s finishing abilities far outpace his playmaking skills at this point. Remarkably, none of Oklahoma City’s 18 most-used lineups this season included Jackson and Westbrook on the court simultaneously, per NBA.com. Talk about a huge opportunity for experimentation.”

Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com: “Bottom line, the Thunder no longer look like a title contender. Or like a threat to the Heat. Or like much, really. They look, with all due respect, like a one-man show, like those old Cleveland rosters led by King James, like a team more likely to lose to Memphis in six than push Miami to seven. And that I’m typing these words after a game in which the Thunder out-performed the Grizz in a bunch of grit-and-grind categories and still lost speaks volumes. Because if Oklahoma City can’t win in Memphis on a night when it outscores the Grizz in the paint (44 to 30) while All-Star forward Zach Randolph misses eight of the 12 shots he takes and finishes with just one offense rebound, how is Oklahoma City ever going to win in Memphis? And if Oklahoma City can’t win in Memphis then Oklahoma City can’t win this series. And if Oklahoma City doesn’t win this series then this will forever go down as the season that could’ve been in addition to the one when the world realized that, great as he is, Kevin Durant being asked to “carry a huge load,” as Hollins put it, isn’t a recipe for notable success in the NBA because, you know, it never really has been for anybody.” Keep Reading…

Gone in 90 seconds: Thunder can’t close Game 3, 87-81

by Royce Young on May 11, 2013 at 7:50 pm 1,107 Comments

BOX SCORE

It felt like the Thunder were about to steal one, and completely turn this series around. They had played mostly awful for 46 minutes, but found themselves tied 81-81 with 1:58 left after Derek Flipping Fisher drilled a clutch 3. The Thunder had overcome themselves, and the fact they couldn’t make anything, to scrap their way to a chance.

And with a stop on the next possession, OKC had a chance to take a lead. A missed runner from Jerryd Bayless fell into the hands of Reggie Jackson, and the Thunder were off on a break. Jackson, who had been impressively poised and composed for so much of the game, and so important in sparking the Thunder’s comeback, made a bad choice. He had Fisher on the wing for either a transition 3, or maybe a layup. He had the option to pull the ball out and run a set where that Durant guy gets to touch it. Instead, he chose the third, very bad option, of going all on his own. Mike Conley slides in, takes a charge, and it’s back to Memphis with OKC needing another stop.

Marc Gasol draws a foul, hits his free throws, Durant doesn’t get a call on the next possession, then Jackson loses his head again, and commits a bad foul 80 feet from the basket to give Conley two free throws, which he hit. Durant does get a call the next possession, but misses his two free throws. A steal for the Thunder, Fisher misses a wild pull-up 3. And that was basically it. Keep Reading…

Thunder vs. Grizzlies: Game 3 Pregame Primer

by Royce Young on May 11, 2013 at 1:21 pm 2,117 Comments

okc-thunder vs. m grizzlies

Thunder (5-3, 2-1 road) vs. Grizzlies (5-3, 3-0 home)

TV: ESPN
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 4:00 CT

Series tied 1-1

View from the enemy: 3 Shades of Blue

In a seven-game series, every game feels immensely important. Game to game, you often hear people say things like, “I think whoever wins this game will win the series.” They’ll say it before Game 1, before Game 2 and people are definitely saying it prior to Game 3. That’s the way it is. The difference in being up 2-1 and down 1-2 feels huge, especially when you’re on the road. Keep Reading…

Saturday Morning Cartoons: Throwback

by Royce Young on May 11, 2013 at 10:08 am 109 Comments

Happy Saturday. Thank you for your support of Daily Thunder. Yo.

Remember this? That was a great game.

If something similar happens today, #dead.

Practice Report: To the Grindhouse

by Royce Young on May 10, 2013 at 5:03 pm 703 Comments
Screen Shot 2013-05-10 at 4.17.49 PM

NBAE/Getty Images

Three days off to sit and think about Game 2, or three days off to look forward to re-taking control of the series in Game 3.

Depends on how you look at this little break for the Thunder.

The series sits 1-1, which seems appropriate to me. The Grizzlies kind of feel like they should’ve won Game 1, the Thunder kind of feel like they should’ve won Game 2. Both teams have a good case to feel they should be up 2-0 in this series as it transitions to Memphis for a pivotal two games.

Obviously Memphis now has the upper hand with homecourt advantage, but it just means the Thunder have to win once at their place. It seems that split these two in Memphis is the key, though Scott Brooks said Friday before the team took off, that they aren’t thinking split. They’re thinking about one game. Keep Reading…

Friday Bolts – 5.10.13

by Royce Young on May 10, 2013 at 10:15 am 444 Comments

BoltsLogoNew1Rob Mahoney of SI.com: “But over the course of these playoffs — and the first two games against Memphis, in particular — most of Perkins’ hypothetical value has been negated. A series against the pace-pushing Rockets appeared to be a horrible fit for Perkins’ skill set from the start, but this second-round matchup with the Grizzlies looked to be one of the increasingly rare opportunities for the 28-year-old to ply his trade as an interior stopper. Facing Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, one of the most effective low-block combinations in the league, would seem to lend value to a player capable of grappling in the post and contesting shots around the rim.”

Zach Lowe of Grantland: “Look, Perkins has value. He’s a good post defender, a solid (illegal) screener, and he leads the league in scowling and complaining about very obvious fouls he just committed. He’s also a solid passer for a big man, and that has helped Ibaka nab some easy buckets over the last two seasons. But he’s a walking turnover who cannot do basic things on offense, such as: catching the ball, shifting his feet without traveling, and placing the ball into the basket. Collison isn’t Gasol, but he’s a heady passer, a brilliant dribble handoff partner for any competent perimeter player, a reliable jump-shooter, and capable of catching a defense off guard by faking one of those handoffs and driving to the rim.” Keep Reading…

The Side Part: Bear fight and silk

by Tyler Parker on May 9, 2013 at 3:55 pm 487 Comments
Screen Shot 2013-05-09 at 2.35.15 PM

Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty Images

Baxter Will Always Be a Friend of the Bears and Durant’s In Space

We can talk later about the annoyances Game Two brought with it. My petty, undoubtedly obvious, undeniably childish opinions and observations on the semi-alternate universes that were Games 1 & 2 of the Western Conference Semis are coming. The treating the ball like it has leprosy. The block outs that are more like “Hey, come on in, friends. Let me get you an iced tea. You can stay in my room tonight. Here, let me hug you.” Kendrick Perkins catching the ball about as well as someone would if they had feet for hands and their feet happened to be asleep. The relentlessness of the Grizzlies on the offensive glass. All the turnovers. So. Many. Turnovers. We’ve got a series on our red clay stained hands now.

Bear fight, basically. We’re the Channel 4 News Team, and we’re in a bear fight.

First, though, Durant. Really, always. Always Durant. Silk, despite the Game Two loss, has elevated his game to levels so high he’s bounding around on Saturn. He’s an alien. Keep Reading…

Russell Westbrook: ‘I still have a voice’

by Royce Young on May 9, 2013 at 1:49 pm 179 Comments
Screen Shot 2013-05-09 at 1.04.48 PM

Christian Peterson/NBAE/Getty Images

For the first time since his surgery, Russell Westbrook spoke with the media Thursday morning. Westbrook, who is known for his oft surly demeanor and cold attitude with the media, was especially charming and polite during the near 20-minute session.

Westbrook came hobbling in on crutches with a big brace/cast thing and struggled to get seated at the table. His attitude was incredibly uplifting, because as we all know with Russ, that dude wants to play and compete. But he’s either moving on, or he’s really good at putting on a happy face.

Obviously a wide range of topics covered, from what his rehab looks like, to what it’s been like for him to sit and watch, to what he wants to accomplish when he comes back and what the process  he went through was.

After the jump, full audio and the full transcript of Westbrook’s availability: Keep Reading…

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