Friday Bolts – 5.16.14
: “Durant kept coming for them. He scored 14 points in the third quarter and 11 more in the fourth. And Nick Collison, whose quotability has made him a greater asset to the media than the rest of his team of late, provided solid relief of Ibaka with some smart passes and a big 3-pointer that tied the score at the end of the third quarter. (It also tied the total number of 3-pointers he made in the first nine seasons of his 10-year career). When even Collison is making bigger statements with his play than his mouth, you know it’s a night of action over words.”
Berry Tramel: “The Thunder just wore down the Clippers. Durant still was great in the fourth quarter. And Westbrook was just as ferocious as ever. The Clippers failed to match those young legs and roaring hearts. And now it’s on to the Spurs, who will provide yet another rattlesnake opponent. But the Thunder is well-prepared for such a series.”
I enjoyed this story about people leaving Game 5 early.
Why KD doesn’t watch free throws: “I’ve been doing that all year, especially late in the games. It’s not like I don’t trust my guys to make the free throws. I think I’m just bad luck. Every time I go to a Redskins game we lose. Every time I watch a Texas game we lose. Every time I watch something it’s not going the way I want it to go. So I have to turn my head.”
Belel Abdel of Black Sports Online: “But that is the life when you are the most underappreciated star in the league. Sadly, it looks more and more like Westbrook will need his own team for people to fully appreciate what the guard brings to the game. If the Thunder lose their next game or are eliminated from the playoffs before a Finals berth, blame will fall at Westbrook’s feet. Whether that is fair or not is up to you, but one thing that is guaranteed is it won’t change the way Russ plays the rest of this postseason.”
KD will narrate a feature about the Moore tornadoes on ESPN this Sunday.
Anthony Slater: “And OKC’s stars took it from there. Durant was a monster, finishing with 39 points and 16 rebounds, and Russell Westbrook arrived right in time, making important plays in the fourth. But with the Thunder’s third wheel back in the locker room, a 20-year-old rookie and a 10-year veteran were called upon. Using completely different tactics, both produced their best performances of the playoffs in the most crucial moment.”