All For Three, Three 4-0

With 1.4 seconds left, and a perfect record at stake, Kevin Durant took matters into his own hands; taking the inbounds and nailing the 3-point buzzer beater to keep Thunder's record intact at 4-0, while condemning the defending champion Dallas Mavericks to a 0-3 start.

It was only seconds earlier that Vince Carter had scored what surely seemed to be the game winner for Dallas.  His joy would only last 48 seconds however, before Durant snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.  Not bad at all, considering Durant's lapse on defense allowed Carter enough room to sink the 3-pointer.

The Mavericks roster may look a little different, but the same fighting spirit that propelled them their first ever league title seems to have stuck around.  They fought till the very end and would have been deserved winners had they managed to pull through.  Alas, it was not meant to be however.

Also returning to the floor after spending sometime on the side of a milk-carton was Russell Westbrook.  He finished with 16 points, some of them at a very crucial time, helping lift the team when it seemed like Dallas was about to run away with the game.

Westbrook suffered through a 0-13 night from the field the previous night against Memphis, and it didn't help matters either when his sideline spat with Durant was blown out of proportion.  All you could hear from all the armchair coaches and certain analysts were calls to trade the point-guard. 

Forgotten in all the hoopla was the fact Westbrook went 4-4 from the charity stripe, with 2 of those points helping seal the game against a Grizzlies' team that is certain to give OKC fits for a few seasons to come.

To hear the crowd chanting Westbrook's name was a much welcome relief, making his recent struggles seem like a thing of the past.

As a parting shot, I'll leave you with the Durant's buzzer beater for your enjoyment; stuff of legend.

Mavericks weather late Thunder rally.

After a hard fought win in Game 2, the Thunder were slow to get off the blocks in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, managing only 12 points in the first quarter.  By the time they had found some form of stability, Dallas had their lead padded up to 23 points.

Despite an "off-night" Durant still managed 24 pts

True to character, the Thunder rolled up their sleeves and went to work, outscoring Dallas 75-68 in the remainder of the game.  It may have been too little too late, but it was still a positive sign for the both the team and the fans, that you can never really count this group out.

Dallas was able to overcome a slow start from Dirk Nowitzki, with fellow starters Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson, Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd all chipping in on offense.  Their execution on defense was also key; taking Durant out of the game early, leaving his teammates to do the heavy lifting.

Durant somehow managed to score 24 points, and Russell Westbrook led all scorers with 30 points.  After riding the bench for the entire 4th quarter in the previous game, Westbrook was the spark behind the Thunder's late rally, playing the only way he knows how; "full-tilt/ 0-100 in-the-blink-of-an-eye".  He continually attacked the basket, bringing the kind of aggression that had eluded the Thunder all game long.

Terry 13 pts & a late steal helped clinch the game.

They managed to cut the deficit to 8 points with just under 7 minutes left, but their poor shooting from beyond the arc (they shot 1-17) proved a hurdle too high to overcome.  Even when the game was within reach, they opted to attempt 3-pointers rather than continue to attack the basket; the approach that helped get them back in the game.

Another difference between these two teams was that Dallas kept going back to Nowitzki in crunch time, while OKC seemed to go away from Durant.  The Mavericks' persistence paid off, with Nowitzki making key jumpers down stretch helping buffer the lead.  Durant hardly touched the ball, save for a few throws and a basket.

In my opinion, I see Jason Terry as Dallas' unsung hero in their two wins so far.  After going crazy from the 3-point in a series clinching win that saw Dallas wreck Los Angeles, Terry continued from where he left off, sinking a dagger 3-pointer that all but ended OKC's spirited comeback in Game 1.  After going AWOL in Game 2, Terry was back to making plays; none bigger than a late steal off Westbrook that saw Dallas run out the clock.  There is no doubt that his involvement has and will be the key to success for the Mavericks.

In my previous article regarding this series, I stated that the less shots Nowitzki takes, the better for OKC.  Even though I was kind of wrong in Game 3, I still think that the Thunder should take the same approach on defense.  A much better start to the game won't hurt either.

Thunderous response!!

In the opening game of the Western Conference Finals, Dirk Nowitzki used the baseline to spin past Serge Ibaka and completed the move with an uncontested dunk; just the beginning of an "other-worldly" performance that saw him score 48 points on 12-15 shooting.  The eye-popping stat is that he did this without a single 3 point attempt, while also going 24-24 from the free-throw line; an NBA record for most free-throws attempted without a miss.

Kevin Durant saw Nowitzki's effort and raised him one, going for a power jam over Mavericks' center, Brendan Haywood (who just happens to stand 7 feet tall).  KD drew a foul on Haywood, and unfortunately a technical for "demonstration" or "taunting' or whatever they felt like calling.  Not that it mattered because the message was clear, the Thunder won't back down; not even to a team that put the hurt on the 2-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

OKC's bench, which has been the backbone of their impressive playoff run this year, appeared on the scene just in time to help the Thunder steal home-court, and ride the wave of momentum into their next two meetings back in Oklahoma City.  In Monday's game, Dallas' bench, led by Jason Terry and J.J. Barea (24 & 21 points respectively), outscored their counterparts 53-22; including a late 3 pointer by Jason Terry to effectively end the game.  

Harden and his beard finished with 23 points

Led by the steady hand of Eric Maynor and mercurial James Harden, OKC returned the favor with a 50-29 advantage over Dallas' bench.  Barea and Terry combined for 19 points, with Terry going scoreless in the 4th quarter.  Harden, who starred in the 4th quarter, finished with 23 points (3rd among all scorers).  As always, it was up to Nick Collison to do the dirty work on the inside.  His superb defensive effort helped slow down Nowitzki, who finished with 29 points.  By the time Collison fouled out, the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.

With the game still competitive in the 4th quarter, it was hard to ignore the sight of Russell Westbrook sitting on the bench as his teammates kept on trucking.  Westbrook, who has often drawn the wrath of fans, seemed content with his "odd" situation; hi-fiving and chest bumping teammates during timeouts.  To coach Scott Brooks' credit, the players in the game were doing just fine; "if the car ain't broke, why fix it?"

After Westbrook went 3-15 from the field in game, Kevin Durant said he would be willing to bet his house that his teammate wouldn't have a similar effort.  Westbrook backed him up with an 18 point effort, going 7-15 from the field.  Looks like Durant will get to keep his house after all.

The Thunder's key to success in this series will be to try and get Nowitzki to involve the rest of his teammates.  The less shots Nowitzki takes, the better for everyone else.  They also have to make sure to match Dallas' bench, pound for pound; especially after seeing what they are capable of doing.

The first team to take a 3-1 lead will be the once advancing to the final, but that's easier said in a series that is capable of going the full 7 games.

Thunder (tied) up!!

Last Sunday, Zach Randolph & Marc Gasol walked into a Burger King.  Whatever combo they had, they must have been enjoying themselves.  Okay, so they weren't exactly in a Burger King, but considering how they played (they combined for 54 points and 23 rebounds), they might have as well been in one; they had it their way.


Combined with an outstanding defensive effort and a +11 margin in turnovers, the Memphis Grizzlies went on to stun an impressive Thunder team and silenced an thunderous crowd at the Oklahoma City Arena.  This is of course the first time that either franchise has advanced this far in the playoffs.  Okay, not quite the case for OKC, who did advance to the 2nd round back in 2005 when the franchise was located in Seattle.


After a 5 year hiatus, Memphis are back in the playoffs for just the 4th time in franchise history.  In 2004, the Grizzlies posted their first ever winning season and qualified for the playoffs, only to be swept 4-0 by the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.  The Grizzlies have come full circle, dismissing the Spurs in the first round and shaking up the second round.


Not trying to be outdone, the Thunder rebounded to even the series in the 2nd game.  The biggest difference of course came from the bench who scored 48 points, compared to 16 in their previous outing.  Other factors came into play; such as Memphis committing 16 turnovers (7 more than their first game) and the Thunder big men - Ibaka, Collison & Perkins - working tirelessly, limiting Randolph & Gasol to a combined 28 points and 19 rebounds.


Regardless of the team you support, it's always a worrying trend whenever your point guard takes the most shots in the team.  Westbrook, who is a viable scoring option besides Durant, has done just that.  While he's 2nd on the team in points scored, it's his shot selection that sometimes leaves a lot to be desired.  More often than not, he'll always take that hurried shot; damned if it goes in, damned if it doesn't.


He has the full-tilt, gunslinger approach and I can't tell you enough times just how glad I am that Eric Maynor is on the team.  Maynor's job of course is to "right the ship" whenever things seem to be getting out of hand.  He plays more like a traditional point guard; create plays for your teammates, take the shots when things break down.  It's always nice to have a good point guard, but a good back up point guard is an invaluable resource.


As the series switches to Memphis, the Thunder need to take the same approach as they did in game two.  Force turnovers, limit the points and paint.  Memphis isn't know for it's perimeter play and making them to have to step up will be the key to the Thunder not only winning the next game, but the entire series.

Moving to Green-er pastures.

The last image of Jeff Green as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, will unfortunately be his desperation three point attempt falling short as the Thunder lost to San Antonio last Wednesday.

With OKC trailing 108-105 and inbounding from half-court, the plan as always was to get the ball to Kevin Durant.  The play looked okay, but the execution was another matter altogether.  Green took the inbounds pass, and while Durant was still trying to break from his defender, Green fired the shot, even though there were still a few more seconds to spare.  Whether he panicked or something else, we'll never know.  What we do know is that his next three point attempt will be as a member of the Boston Celtics, the team that drafted him originally (before sending him to Seattle in a trade).

The enduring image of Nenad Krstic will be slightly different however.  During a match against Greece last autumn, he got involved in a scuffle in which he tossed a chair at his opponent.  For his effort, he spent the night in jail and was released the day after.  Just about everyone I know, couldn't believe it when they saw that clip.  We all wondered the same thing, "How come he never shows that kind of aggression when playing for the Thunder??"

Nenad Krstic channeling his inner Bobby Knight

It was learned on Thursday afternoon that both Green and Krstic had been dealt to Boston in exchange for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.  As a fan of Jeff Green, I was rather stunned.  He was a key player that could not only cover both the 3 & 4 spots, but also provide that occasional scoring boost when the team needed it.

From a financial point of view, I can understand why Green was traded.  He'll be a restricted free agent after next season, so it is possible that OKC could lose him, getting nothing in return (he already declined a contract extension offer).  They just signed Kevin Durant to a max contract, and it is expected that the next max offer will be to Russell Westbrook.  Should the same offer be presented to Green, it would mean that OKC would end up losing players like Thabo Sefolosha and maybe even James Harden, just because there might not be enough cap room to give them the contracts they would like.

Robinson will be a spark off the bench, while Perkins... just look at those eyes!!

With Perkins in the team, the Thunder have a proven post player that they desperately need.  He's already won a championship, and he might have had another ring had he not been injured early in game 6 of the NBA Finals.  If he can get healthy real soon, OKC's chances of moving beyond the first round of the playoffs greatly increase.

When he's not dunking or doing anything else to defy gravity, Nate Robinson is actually a big spark; whether he's starting or coming off the bench.  He's been able to keep the Celtics competitive when playing in relief of Rajon Rondo, and can chip in on the points to help cover Green's workload.  Let's be honest though, a 3-time Slam Dunk champion, fans will be begging for him to throw down a dunk on every chance he gets.

While OKC is celebrating, the Celtics (a team many picked to win the championship) might have just become a little vulnerable.  Jermaine O'Neal is out until April as he recovers from knee surgery. Shaquille O'Neal is oft injured and unless you're asking Krstic to hurl chairs at people (sorry, but this never gets old), you're not getting much from him by way of defense.  In the event that either O'Neal gets injured (and you know they will), they don't have any cover as of yet.

As a Celtic fan, you can only hope that Danny Ainge knows what he's doing (though the responses on twitter tell a much different story).  As a Thunder fan, do you really care what the Celtics are doing?