Monday Bolts – 5.5.14

: “With the Clippers coming to town on Monday night for the start of an intriguing second-round tilt, Ibaka’s matchup with Sooner legend and Clippers superstar Blake Griffin is front and center. Scott Brooks has already tried to deflect responsibility, saying the assignment of guarding Griffin will be a “team effort.” But in reality, it’ll likely fall primarily and almost exclusively to Ibaka. Steven Adams, Nick Collison and Kendrick Perkins will get a few cracks. But if he stays out of foul trouble, Ibaka is clearly the best option. Griffin is too quick for the others and too powerful for nearly every fleet-footed big man in the league. But with Ibaka, a well-built high-flyer, Griffin is staring at the rare human who is in his same athletic stratosphere.”

Berry Tramel: “So it’s not like Oklahomans ever cut the cord from those two. Not like they shirked Oklahoma. Griffin was drafted by the Clips. Paul went back to New Orleans. Nothing anybody could do about it. And there’s nothing anybody can do about their return. They are wearing red. Advancing to the West finals means more than some sentimental homecoming. They are trying to take the Thunder’s lunch money. And when this series is over, they are not going to be well-loved in their old haunt of OKC.”

Kevin Durant will be named MVP this week.

Darnell Mayberry: “Defense could possibly be a bigger key for Westbrook against Paul than offense. If the Thunder can rely on Westbrook to slow down Paul, it could disrupt the entire Clippers offense. Los Angeles leans heavily on Paul to orchestrate its offense. The Thunder can turn to Thabo Sefolosha to help manage Paul, but Westbrook accepting the challenge means the Thunder can keep a more potent offense lineup on the floor that the Clippers could struggle to contain.”

Totally Tickets pregame party and ticket package.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com on the series win: “This has been such a fragile season for the Thunder as they dealt with Westbrook’s two knee setbacks and seemed to go from awesome to average week to week. If the awesomeness carries over, especially when it comes to the Durant-Westbrook dynamic, they will be an absolute monster. It’s hard to say if it lasts. That uncertainty factor is right up there with the health of Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul, the mental makeup of the Indiana Pacers and the stamina of the San Antonio Spurs’ big three as the cruxes of the entire postseason. But the Thunder have it now and couldn’t been better positioned to keep it, getting the Los Angeles Clippers at home within 48 hours.”

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “This nonsense doesn’t drive a superstar out of town, it drives him. That’s the difference with a star who gets it, who embraces the doubters and ultimately challenges himself to do bigger, do better. For all the yelling and screaming over that meaningless morning paper, Durant hadn’t come on Saturday to say I told you so. That’s for losers. Soon, Kevin Durant will be the NBA’s MVP and understand the burden that comes with it. Take your best shot, because history has taught him through Michael and Magic, Kobe and LeBron: Embrace it. That’s a franchise player, a forever star.”