Have I told you lately how much I love the NBA’s phantom camera? I love the NBA’s phantom camera.
So combine that, with a gorgeous Kevin Durant game-winner and oh my goodness I need to sit down and fan myself.
Watching the phantom video though, a lot happened to get to KD’s go-ahead jumper. Scott Brooks made a great decision to play it out, and Durant made a great decision to go for a quick shot before the Grizzly defense could set. Here’s a breakdown of KD’s shot to seal Game 1: Keep Reading…
Lee Jenkins of SI.com: “Memphis actually led by three points with 1:08 left when an inbounds pass slid through the hands of Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins and was recovered by the Grizzlies. They had a chance to seal the outcome, but Prince missed a running jumper, then Fisher swiped Conley, and finally Gasol threw an off-balance pass that Conley couldn’t corral. The Grizz failed to score in all three of those last-minute possessions, and in two of them they didn’t even muster a shot. The Oklahoma City defense, weakened without Westbrook, has apparently rediscovered its bearings. The offense has not, but the Thunder can endure, because they happen to employ one of the most prolific scorers alive.”
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com: “For the Thunder to prevail in a rugged seven-game series, they’ll have to morph from a team reliant on individual exploits into one that makes the most of its fourth-ranked defense. Decision-making, which has always been an issue for the turnover-prone Thunder, will have to be refined. They’ll need production from Kevin Martin, who poured in 25 points of his own on Sunday. Durant may have locked up the office, but Martin was the guy who worked through lunch. Resourcefulness has always been Memphis’ thing, as it usually is for a team with obvious holes in its collective skill set. But it has been a long while since the Thunder were anything other than a large-scale operation that churned out offense in high volume. With Westbrook out of action, the enterprise has been downsized. The Thunder will still produce — especially with Durant at the controls — but as Game 1 demonstrated, their profit margins will be squeezed.” Keep Reading…
After the final Grizzlies player had his name announced, the lights went dark in The Peake and the new pregame video flashed on the big screen. A black screen, with a white outline of the state of Oklahoma and one word with it.
RESILIENCY.
That word is part of Oklahoma’s fabric, and has been since that terrible day in April, 18 years ago. Oklahomans take incredible pride in being resilient, in standing in the face of odds and challenges and overcoming. They say this team has become part of the community it plays in, and in a lot of ways, has adopted the characteristics of this city. I can think of one very specific characteristic this city shares with the 15 players that wear its name on their jersey.
They’re resilient.
vs. 
TV: ABC
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 12:00 CT
Series tied 0-0
View from the enemy: 3 Shades of Blue
(I wrote a full series preview for CBSSports.com, so if you’re looking for one, check that out. And yep, my official pick is Grizzlies in six.)
Remember almost exactly two years ago, the Grizzlies came into The Peake (then the Ford Center) and took on the Thunder in a second round Game 1 at noon and OKC was asleep for the entire first half and lost? That really doesn’t have anything to do with anything, but just kind of weird how things have come back around. Keep Reading…
Good Saturday. Thank you for your support of Daily Thunder. Second round.
KD was awesome against the Rockets. Plain brilliant. I don’t know if he can do it again against the Grizzlies’ stout defense, but he completely owned the series against Houston. His Game 6 wasn’t necessarily a vintage offensive explosion, but he dominated the ball, made great decisions and ran the game.
I always know I just watched a special game when I sit here trying to think of a good lede for 15 minutes. When I don’t feel like I have anything to say, but I have so many thoughts.
The roller coaster of emotions this team and this fanbase have experienced the past two weeks have been exhausting. From a Game 1 blowout to a near collapse in Game 2, to losing Russell Westbrook, to clawing their way to a Game 3 win, to Serge Ibaka missing in Game 4, to falling flat in Game 5, then to showing true heart and real progress in closing out Game 6 — it’s been a ride.
And it’s just the first round. Keep Reading…
vs. 
TV: ESPN 2
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:30 CT
Thunder lead 3-2
View from the enemy: Red 94
I think everyone has calmed down a bit. The anxiety and nervousness still persists, and it will until this postseason is over, but the sheer terror and “it’s over they’re done!” panic seems to have subsided after that horrific Game 5. There’s been a realization that Kevin Durant still plays for the Thunder, and that the Rockets surely can’t make everything they shoot again, right? Right!?! Keep Reading…
Thunder show growth, determination in season-saving Game 6 win
Scott Halleran/NBAE/Getty Images
HOUSTON — Reggie Jackson stepped gingerly in the Thunder locker room during the early morning minutes of Saturday, favoring an ankle that appeared to be slightly swollen or wrapped in a brace or both beneath his patterned sock as he prepared to board the team charter back to Oklahoma City. But the Thunder’s new starting point guard, fresh off the game of his life so far, did not appear to be tired, and even invited the media to ask a few more questions despite the protests of team handlers.
Maybe Jackson, like Thunder fans previously worried sick after two straight losses, wanted the moment to last a little longer before moving on to the next round. And Jackson, who flashed a toothy grin and a thumbs up when asked about that ankle, deserved it.
Keep Reading…