Wednesday Bolts – 4.30.14
: “One facet is Westbrook. There might not be a more confounding player in the league. He is the definition of a wild card. He leaves his teammates and his fans an emotional wreck with his wild shots, highly questionable decisions and his breathtaking playmaking. He had a triple-double in this game with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. He also had a brilliant steal, picking Conley’s pocket in the final minute of the fourth quarter and scoring a tying basket with four seconds left to force overtime. He also took 31 shots, missing 21 of them, and it seemed like all of them were a bad idea. He sure does make some, but there’s no missing the impression that the Grizzlies are giving each other low fives under the bench every time Westbrook rises up and leaves Durant empty-handed. They’ll accept Westbrook’s occasional greatness, a trade-off they’re willing to accept if it means Durant can’t act like the MVP.”
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com: “There is little flow to the Thunder offense. Westbrook has too often played recklessly and launched too many shots in the early portion of the shot clock. Durant is being well-defended, but also seems to have lost the killer confidence that defined his historic run this season. The frustration is mounting and time is running out.”
Anthony Slater: “A ton of this clearly has to do with Tony Allen’s bulldog defense and the Grizzlies crisp backside help, but Durant’s still missing a ton of makable shots. He’s botching open layups, clanging 15-footers, rushing clean looks, committing sloppy turnovers and not getting bailed out by the refs. Allen may be in his head, but Durant’s the MVP. He’s widely considered the most skilled offensive player in the world (and maybe of our generation). It’s his job to figure it out.”
Jenni Carlson: “I’m sure there have been better playoff series in the history of the NBA. All those years that the Celtics and Lakers battled, then all those years that the Bulls duked it out with the Pistons and the Knicks, there had to have been a series like this. But there couldn’t have been one any better. Episode 6 of this must-see-TV drama is Thursday in Memphis. Don’t miss it.”
Extra from me at CBSSports.com.
Berry Tramel: “But Memphis controlled overtime, right up to Ibaka’s ill-fated follow shot. And now the Thunder is on the edge of that cliff. Westbrook keeps saying this series is “first to four,” and he’s right. “We’ve won there (Memphis) before. We know what we need to do to win the game. We just gotta come out and play our game. Come out and impose our will.” Imposing will is just talk. Playing determined defense is action. The latter is all that will save this Thunder season as it sits on the brink.”
netw3rk for Grantland: “Now, of course, it would be ridiculous to believe in a causality linkage between Crawford wresting the ball from an 87 percent free throw shooter who was settling into a shooting motion and that shooter subsequently missing a game-tying free throw. That is insane. The Thunder offense is rudimentary. The Grizzlies have the defensive presence of two hands gripping you roughly by the lapels. Russell Westbrook shot 10-of-31. 10 OF 31. Mike Miller hit five 3-pointers, including two in overtime. The Thunder lost because of those things, not because of Crawford. I just believe that Crawford is an insufferable human whoopee cushion with a pathological need to constantly remind us that he exists.”