The Thunder won Game 2 and what just happened, 98-97
SAN ANTONIO — Danny Green hit back-to-back 3s, and the lead was suddenly three. There was 6:40 left on the clock.
I wrote this lede when it happened. Because to me, whatever happened next was going to be story. Either the Thunder were going to execute on the road in the biggest spot of the season, or they were going to crumble and leave devastated in an 0-2 hole.
What I didn’t expect, is those final 30 seconds.
What happened? I don’t know. Just watch the dumb video. Basically, everyone fouled everyone and in the end, the buzzer sounded with the Thunder winning Game 2 by a point. After Game 1’s embarrassment, it felt like for much of Game 2 just being competitive was enough. But with the opportunity there to take it, the Thunder had to seize it. And they did.
Kevin Durant hit a huge jumper with 30 seconds left, the apparent dagger. But even before that, Dion Waiters nailed a corner 3 with 2:29 left to put OKC up five. So much of the questions around the Thunder are about how they finish, and they appeared to do every bit they needed to this time around. The halfcourt execution was good enough, Russell Westbrook hit two clutch free throws, the defense came up with stops and rebounds, and they were about to do it.
But as they tend to do, they never make it easy. Waiters threw away the inbounds pass, the Spurs got it, Patty Mills ended up with a look from 3, he missed, the ball rolled around under the basket and time ran out. Or something.
There’s going to be a lot of discussion about what really happened there. The referees have already copped to missing the foul on Waiters. The final two minute report might be six pages long. Regardless of all that, the Thunder played a brilliant game on the road, especially considering what happened two nights ago.
At no point did they shudder at the thought of playing the Spurs again. They kept a positive mindset in the build-up, maintaining confidence that they could play with these guys.
“Their first basket didn’t go in and that was a step in the right direction for us after what happened last game,” Durant said.
The Thunder opened strong, going up leading 21-9 after eight minutes. At that same point in Game 1, they were own 30-10. They had thrown the first punch, swinging wildly for the opening quarter. But as the Spurs do, they responded with a flurry and it was on the Thunder to show some composure and resolve.
Westbrook blurred his way to the rim. He hit midrange jumpers. Durant shook loose. Steven Adams was a monster. Enes Kanter saved possessions on the offensive glass. The Thunder survived three tragic minutes to end the third quarter with Cameron Payne running point guard.
They did enough. They walk out of San Antonio a minus-31, but in the score that counts, they’re 1-1. They turn to Game 3, with the pressure on, knowing they can’t give away all that they accomplished in Game 2. It almost feels like they won something more on Monday, but it’s only a game. Billy Donovan said it earlier in the day: If they had won Game 1, we would’ve been wondering if they would be overconfident going to Game 2. They could only play the next game, and do their best to erase what happened before.
Durant and Westbrook didn’t want to say it, but they got the job done. It’s on to Game 3, it’s on to Oklahoma City, and the Thunder have responded in a way that brings hope. Now let’s see what they do next.
NOTES:
- Donovan was RATTLED postgame. He was asked questions that he gave completely unrelated answers to. When asked about Payne and that smallball lineup, he started talking about LaMarcus Aldridge. When asked about Steven Adams, he talked about the offense. He was a little shook after that one, I think.
- Donovan had a tough choice down the stretch, Waiters or Roberson? Roberson’s defense on Leonard was spectacular, but after the ball found a wide open Roberson in the corner with about six minutes left, to which he nearly banked in, Donovan subbed in Waiters. And Waiters did the job, harassing Leonard and hitting a clutch 3. So, it worked out.
- It’s an interesting discussion, whether or not to double Aldridge. The Thunder didn’t for a lot of the night, and Aldridge beasted everyone. Then the Thunder threw a few at him, and it worked. I don’t think they planned on it or wanted to, but Aldridge forced their hand. And with the Spurs force-feeding their big man, they ended up as the stagnant team.
- Just have to say it: You know who always defending Aldridge well? Kendrick Perkins. In close fourth quarters against the Blazers, the Thunder always went to Perk on Aldridge, and Perk typically made it extremely difficult on him. Mainly by just pushing him off the block that extra three feet.
- Waiters on the final sequence: “Hopefully they’re going to look at it and see he stepped out. Should have been a tech, too … When they look at it, they’ll see the truth. We played on. They got the ball back, we got a hell of a stop”
- Really though, how about Steven Adams in the final play? Recovered to stop the 3-on-1, then got out to Patty Mills on the 3, and may have even gotten a piece of it. Then a fan grabbed his arm and tried to hold him back.
- Quite possibly Donovan’s well, worst decision this season is this Cameron Payne thing. And not because he’s playing him. I’m glad he is. Payne is good and needs to play. But it was the decision in March to bench Payne for Randy Foye, leaving Payne with zero experience leading into the postseason. I mean, really. What sense does that make? If Foye is your guy in March against the Timberwolves, why isn’t he your guy in May against the Spurs? Instead you throw your rookie to the sharks in the second round of the playoffs?
- Some speculation on a change to the starting five, but Donovan stuck with the normal group. And it paid off big time. I thought a change to Waiters was in the cards and made sense, but he stuck with the starting five and it worked.
- Serge Ibaka might’ve gotten beaten up by Aldridge, but I thought he was excellent. Hit shots, competed his butt off defensively, and came up with some big stands late.
- Adams is 22 years old, by the way. What a game from him.
- Durant on Adams: “We don’t really look at age here. Once you play in games and trust in situations, it’s just about going out there and doing it, no matter how old you are. When you get drafted by a veteran team, we expect you to grow quick and he has done a great job of that. Tonight, he was there for us all night. He was rebounding the basketball, playing tough interior defense. We are going to need him to continue to do that, he was locked in from the beginning.”
- Ginobili: “I don’t know what it is, to tell you the truth, what type of violation it is. It had to have been something. But again, it’s not that play that decided anything because we got the steal, we got the shot, we got an offensive rebound so I really don’t know. I’ve never seen a play like that. I don’t know what should’ve been called or if it should have been called anything. They’re going to say it and it doesn’t matter, it’s over. I’m not going to be able to change it. Nobody’s going to change it. We got to try to go to OKC and try to win a game.”
- Steven Adams with the best recap of the night: “We showed great resiliency. We came out and actually tried. That’s pretty much it, we actually tried this time.”
Next up: Game 3 in OKC on Friday
