Wednesday Bolts – 5.28.14
: “Four games in, and the pendulum is swinging long and wide. Both teams have played like their opponent’s worst nightmare, and both have endured nightmarish performances. Had Ibaka never been injured against the Clippers, the burden of proof would have fallen upon the Spurs to show that they could contain the Thunder’s physicality in a way they were unable to during the regular season. With Ibaka back and moving much better than can be expected, and with the series square, that’s where San Antonio finds itself entering Game 5 on Thursday. They must prove that their offense, which has been a reliable machine for months, can get back on track by finding soft spots in the paint outside of Ibaka’s reach, by creating the open perimeter looks that were so plentiful in Games 1 and 2, and by cutting down on the backbreaking errors. They must also prove that they can slow down the Thunder’s fastbreak, and reestablish their own interior defense.”
Paul Flannery of SB Nation on Scott Brooks: “Perhaps another coach could do better with this team. The obvious example is when Phil Jackson took over the Bulls from Doug Collins and installed a system that was designed to foster trust instead of relying on Michael Jordan to save the day. That’s all true, but the yin to the triangle’s yang is that it empowered Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant to emerge from Jordan’s considerable shadow. That has never been an issue with OKC where Durant and Westbrook have peacefully coexisted (more or less) as co-superstars. If the little details trip him up, Brooks has excelled at the big picture stuff. He won’t get credit for Westbrook going supernova in Game 4 or for Durant hitting 25-footers over defenders, but praise is due for keeping his team on course despite getting blown out in the first two games.”
Sam Amick of USA Today: “The mental games have unofficially begun. There’s simply no way the wrong kinds of questions aren’t creeping into the minds of these Spurs right about now, what with the harsh reality of this situation so evident in the last two games and with so many news reporters always reminding them of the jaw-dropping statistics once the carnage comes to a close. There are two truths of this matchup that are about as close to absolute as you can come: The Thunder were done if Ibaka hadn’t returned, and the Spurs — who trailed by as many as 27 points — simply can’t keep up with them now that he’s back.”
Reggie Jackson said he’ll be ready for Game 5.
Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie: “Still, you get the feeling – if you’ll pardon the terrible, unintended pun – that the Thunder sometimes blow great teams out by catching lightning in a bottle with its all-out play. That sometimes these chances won’t sustain into positive endings. That sometimes those flickers of OKC brilliance will be, eventually, countered. Lightning sometimes strikes the same place twice, though. Sometimes, it might even strike four times in seven chances. The Spurs have a series on their hands, mainly because the Thunder took the ball right out of their mitts.”
Bethlehem Shoals of GQ: “Ibaka’s return, emphatic as it was, still came with the Thunder in an 0-2 series hole. Heading into Game 4—and again, assuming Ibaka’s calf holds up—we can at least expect a competitive series from here on out. Whether it’s going to be too late to make a difference is another question altogether. But in the process, we’re finding out just how badly they need Ibaka. It’s never been a secret that he anchored the defense, but just how much of an impact his absence would have has come as something of a shock. And more importantly, we’re learning that our acceptance of him—in the sense that James Harden’s ghost is still fresh for some people—doesn’t have to be grudging. Ibaka is part of what makes the high-flying OKC team play the way they do. A healthy Ibaka doesn’t just make for a competitive series, it makes for a more beautiful one.”
J.A. Adande of ESPN.com: “But lineups such as that one aren’t the long-term path to a championship. And slowing the pace down to a crawl isn’t the solution for a team that operated at one of the faster tempos in the league this season. The formula that won them the first two games — pound the ball inside — isn’t an option now that Ibaka’s back. If the Spurs’ solution is more passing, what if the Thunder simply jam the passing lanes? The Spurs might need to count on crowds and some of that home cooking that Paul George was talking about. They didn’t set out to get home-court advantage. It might be the only thing that can save them.”
Berry Tramel: “Yep, this one ranks No. 1. Mostly because of the stakes. This was must-win, and Westbrook and Durant brought their A games from the get-go. Durant’s shot-making, which has wavered during the playoffs, was superb. Westbrook was all over the court, defensively and offensively. Heck, if they played like this, the Thunder might beat the Spurs without Serge Ibaka. Of course, Ibaka’s presence is one reason Durant and Westbrook can play like this.”
Tom Ley of Deadspin: “And then there’s Westbrook and Durant, who played about as perfect a game as they are capable of last night. Westbrook threw up a 40-10-5 on 24 shots, and every gamble he took seemed to pay off with a layup that dropped in from an impossible angle or a steal (he had five of them) that led to easy transition points. As for Durant, he finished with 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting and spent most of the game in God Mode. You could say that Durant and Westbrook hit the Spurs like a tidal wave, but that would imply that there was a foreseeable end to their rampage. Waves eventually crest, but Russ and KD just kept rising, drowning the Spurs until Gregg Popovich couldn’t do anything but yank his starters off the floor with over five minutes left to play in the third quarter.”