Daily Thunder.com

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…

Ben Golliver of SI.com on Westbrook’s run-in with Beverley: “Although Westbrook was right to take a bit of offense to Beverley’s lunge, given that it nearly had undercutting potential, there’s really no hard and fast rule to the “we’re about to call a timeout” game situations. For example, Nuggets point guard Andre Miller has pretended that he was heading towards the sideline to call a timeout, only to quickly divert his path back towards the hoop in search of a cheap basket. A play like that is generally hailed for its veteran savvy; Beverley’s plan here wasn’t a terrible one and it wasn’t cheap, even if the contact and Westbrook’s immediate made everyone gasp a little bit. This is the playoffs and the default setting is “intense,” even during routine timeout situations. This sequence should be viewed as a win for Westbrook, whose ability to handle his emotions in tight situations is under a permanent microscope. He managed to negotiate an unusual situation in which he felt wronged without acquiring a technical foul and without taking himself mentally out of the game. He learned that Beverley isn’t someone he can take lightly and, in the process, gained a new motivation as the Thunder look to make quick work of the Rockets.”

Darnell Mayberry: “Kevin Durant didn’t score but four points in the fourth quarter. He hit a 3 and split a pair of free throws. But he had four assists in the final period and nine for the game. Equally important was his one turnover. I continue to be intrigued by Durant’s evolution as a playmaker. Think about how much more dangerous the world’s most dangerous scorer will be once he grows into a consistently reliable dual threat. It’s scary.” Keep Reading…