Daily Thunder.com

 vs.

LA Lakers (3-2, 0-2 road) vs. Okla. City Thunder (2-3, 2-0 home)

TV: ESPN (Cox 29, HD 720)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:30 CDT

Series: Lakers lead 3-2

View from the enemy: Forum Blue and Gold

Nick Collison was right on. “We can’t rely on the building to win the game for us.” No you can not. It’s not like this is the first hostile environment the Lakers have played in. They’ll be ready for the Sea of Blue. Though we’ll sure do our best to make an impact. Read more…

Preview LA Lakers

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Much has been made of the Lakers adjustment to move Kobe onto Russell Westbrook. And even more has been made about what Scott Brooks should do as a response. Will he alter the starting five? Will he change the rotation. J.G., playing the part of Phil Jackson, and me, playing the part of Scott Brooks, look into what might happen in Game 6.

Coach Scotty: You made (or Kobe made, depending on who you read) a great adjustment in Game 5 moving Kobe over on Russ. It totally disrupted the flow of our offense and limited our transition opportunities. I guess if I’m going to combat that, I’ve got to turn the tables and put the mismatch back in our favor. So that would be by exposing Derek Fisher again. It’s a risk, but maybe that means James Harden gets extended minutes over Thabo. KD can guard Kobe (or heck, Harden could), but now Fisher is covering Harden. Or maybe we go big and have KD at the two-guard and Green at the three. Now Fish is covering a big guy. Either way, we’ve got to focus our attack on the 59-year-old point guard LA is trotting out there. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT ZEN MASTER?

Phil: *puffs victory cigar*

Oh, excuse me, I was just reminiscing about all of my millions and how I have a championship ring for every digit on my hands, anyhoo, I can understand why you would want to turn the tables and use the BLATANT mismatch that is Derek Fisher in this series by matching him up against a bigger shooting guard like James Harden or moving KD to the two and Green at the three, but Scotty boy, we both know you’re not going to change your starting lineup this far into the game. You’re going to live by the utterly mismatched and underperforming starting lineup “horse” that got you here. Read more…

Commentary

(Let me hear you Thunder fans… SOMEBODY SCREEEEEEAM! I mean, send in an email if you’ve got something to share/say (dailythunder@gmail.com). This week, we hear from reader Lefty. And let me say, some of the comparisons were so spot on, it’s kind of creepy.)

So, this is the article where I let my inner geek loose.

I am the type of person that, when people get to know me, they are always surprised I am a sports fan. Like really, really surprised. Like “Wait, you like sports? For serious? Cause I would have never imagined that from you” kind of surprised. I understand it. On the surface, I don’t seem like the kind of person that would be a sports fan.

A few weeks ago when the Thunder were in Boston, I was there too, but, not for the Thunder game – I was there for PAX East. I can frequently be found at New World Comics in OKC, or browsing the Barnes and Noble graphic novel section. I listen to indie rock almost exclusively. On Tuesday nights, I host a Dungeons and Dragons game, for crying out loud.

I mean, in middle school, I played sports, but I was never fast or strong or aggressive enough (though, I was pretty decent at baseball). So, why is it I love the Thunder so much? It took me a while to figure it out exactly, but finally, I was able to pinpoint it – and it made a lot of sense to me, considering my other interests: team-building. Read more…

Friday Fan

Mark Heisler of the LA Times with a great story on Serge Ibaka: ”At 17, Congolese-born Serge Ibaka had yet to play organized basketball. At 20, he’s in rotation for the Thunder, a 6-10 version of Russell Westbrook, and one more way the Lakers just learned they’re not young anymore. Ibaka is the embodiment of the rising Thunder, not yet a starter but no longer a rumor, bounding his way out of anonymity in this, his first NBA season, following his two in Spain, which were, as he puts it, “my first time to play basketball, organizational.”

A story from the Houston Chronicle on the Thunder’s impact in OKC: Although the Thunder have not won over a community by bringing it a championship, they feel a sense of civic pride, even responsibility, because of the way the team was embraced as Oklahoma City’s first top-level pro franchise. From the Thunder Alley gathering outside the arena before games to shirts all over a University of Oklahoma campus usually adorned only in crimson 30 minutes away, Oklahoma City is the latest in a line of small-market, one-major-league-sport towns that have become an NBA specialty. Read more…

Bolts

Why. The. Face?

How could the the Thunder go from obliterating the defending champs in game 4 to being obliterated two nights later? On Sunday morning, the talk was about how the Lakers looked old, fat, and unmotivated. On Wednesday morning, the talk was about how the Lakers look hungry, fresh, and invigorated.

I was so angry while watching the game that I spent a lot of it diagnosing what went wrong, and trying to figure out how to swing the momentum back again.

HOME COURT

My partner in crime at The Lost Ogle, Patrick tweeted during the game:

I wouldn’t think the home court would such a big deal for professionals. Shows what I know.

As a fanbase, we have enjoyed the good that comes with having a team full of players who are right around drinking age. On Tuesday night, and probably in games 1 and 2 without really realizing it, we saw the bad. These guys, who in olden days would have been resting after the NCAA tournament, obviously fed off that Ford Center crowd and were intimidated by the Staples Center “faithful.”

If we think the Thunder can overcome this factor in Game 7, we’re probably deluding ourselves. That being said, they can totally do it. Read more…

Commentary

Top jersey sales were released yesterday and check it out: Kevin Durant is up to No. 9. Mid-way through the season Durant sat at No. 15. So in just a few months, his profile really shot up. Here’s the top 15:

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
4. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
5. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
7. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
8. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
9. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
10. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
11. Nate Robinson, Boston Celtics
12. David Lee, New York Knicks
13. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers
14. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
15. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Note: The list is based on sales at the NBA Store in New York City and on NBAStore.com since the start of the 2009-10 NBA season through April 2010.

News Kevin Durant

Jenni Carlson with a nice story on the Thunder developing our community: ”The Thunder has made folks feel united in a way that this state has never experienced. You could sense it in the late-game sing-a-long that broke out Saturday night at the Ford Center when they played “Sweet Caroline.” You could hear it in the roar that went up when this team came out for warm-ups before the first two home playoff games. You could see it on the streets outside the arena after the home games. Bricktown became a rolling block party Saturday night. Folks hung out of cars high-fiving pedestrians. Fans cheered. Horns blared. A railing that runs along Reno Avenue between Rooster’s and Starbucks became a prime location. Fans stood on that railing and were able high-five pedestrians on the sidewalk and motorists on the street. One out-of-town visitor said Thunder fans were Red Sox like.”

Ron Artest on his performance in the series: ”I don’t care,” he told FanHouse when asked if he felt as if his defense was being overlooked. “All those guys who kill me (in the media) can kiss my (butt). I’d tell them to their face, but I don’t get a chance because I’m not worried about it. “They talk about my offense, but it doesn’t even matter because my defense is so unbelievable. Who cares about offense?” Read more…

Bolts

This isn’t the biggest news in the world, but I thought the “Blue Out” was tremendous for Game 3, and I’m pumped the Thunder is bringing it back for Game 6. No word on what the shirts are going to say or if they’ll have anything smaller than an XXXXXXXL, but we do know that they will be waiting for you on your seat and they will be free.

However, this time there won’t be pom-pons or towels. Instead, we’ll all get THUNDERSTIX. See what they’re doing there? Thunder. Stix. It’s just too perfect. Though those stupid things can get awfully annoying when the kid sitting next to you doesn’t stay within his own personal space zone and let’s the buggers fly all around. Yes, I have dealt with this issue before.

Also, the national anthem will be performed by native Oklahoman, Leona Mitchell, an internationally acclaimed opera star. The Enid native has performed in the greatest opera houses of the world, including stages in New York, Paris, Rome, London, Madrid and Sydney. In 2001, the Grammy Award-winning soprano was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

News

We’re all still recovering from the butt-stomping from last night. So in the meantime, maybe you’d be interested in checking out this story. I didn’t really want to mention it, but Mrs. DT told me to and frankly, she was a little pushy about it. She was also pushy about wanting to trade our Lady Gaga tickets for Game 6 passes, but I had to put my foot down somewhere.

Other

J.A. Adande: ”Coming home helped. The Staples Center crowd, which Jackson called “laid-back” as he doubted it could provide the same edge as the vociferous Oklahoma City fans, responded to the moment as well as the Lakers did. “The crowd was a lot better than it was the first two games here,” Kevin Durant noted. Another benefit from the change of venue: The Thunder didn’t own a time-share at the free throw line the way they did in Game 4, when they had 48 attempts. It was a loosely whistled game, in which a lot of contact on Thunder drives went uncalled. (The Thunder still wound up with more free throws than the Lakers in the first half, but like the Lakers in Game 4 Oklahoma City couldn’t convert on the few opportunities they had. Final attempts: 31-24, Lakers).”

Lee Jenkins of SI: “The defending champions finally showed up to Staples Center on Tuesday night, fashionably late as always. They limped in looking old and tired and beaten. They sprinted out looking unstoppable. The Lakers, convalescent compared to the puckish Oklahoma City Thunder, seemed to find their legs all at once. They led 10-0 after four minutes. They led by 20 in the second quarter. They led by 30 in the third. Whether the Lakers go on to repeat as champions is anybody’s guess, but in a 111-87 thumping of the Thunder in Game 5, they at least showed they are still capable.” Read more…

Bolts

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

BOX SCORE

It’s a seven game series.

Kevin Durant has said it multiple times. And it’s best you keep that in mind. Especially after Game 5. Because boy, that was not fun.

It was just a spanking. A total butt-kicking. It was ugly from the start and stayed ugly for pretty much the entire 48. But it only counts as one loss. We knew that Oklahoma City would have to win one game in Los Angeles if the Thunder wanted to take this series. Obviously, this wasn’t the one. Read more…

Recap LA Lakers

 vs.

LA Lakers (2-2, 2-0 home) vs. Okla. City Thunder (2-2, 0-2 road)

TV: TNT (Cox 31, HD 730)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 9:30 CDT

Series: Series tied at 2-2

View from the enemy: Forum Blue and Gold

Ready for a gross understatement, accompanied by a scary stat? This game is absolutely critical. In the NBA’s history, the team that wins Game 5 with a series tied 2-2 wins the series 83 percent of the time. And Phil Jackson is 15-0 in these situation. Aren’t we feeling good now? Read more…

Preview LA Lakers

Gwen Knapp of the SF Chronicle says the Thunder are making the Lakers look old: “But the 21-year-old scoring king and his mates are threatening to bring down a pillar of the old guard. Worse, they’re making Bryant look definitively old-guard, reminding viewers that those little nagging injuries tend to start dragging down all players, but especially smaller guys on the perimeter, after age 30.”

Darnell Mayberry says a win tonight is vital: ”Newsflash: what the Thunder must do tonight at 9:30 is win. Lose and it could be time to turn out the lights on this playoff party. A loss tonight would mean Oklahoma City has to win Game 6 on Friday in Oklahoma City and steal the closeout Game 7 on the Lakers’ court Sunday. It could happen. But it wouldn’t be wise to bank on it.” Read more…

Bolts

I found this humorous. Someone has a Craigslist ad that is willing to negotiate their Lady Gaga tickets for a show at the Ford Center July 20, for a pair of Thunder playoff tickets for Friday’s Game 6 against the Lakers.

Tickets for Lady Gaga range from $49.50 to $175 (face value of course). For Game 6, they range from $12 to $375. On StubHub, Game 6 tickets are going for $239 to over $2,000 for a pair of floor seats. For Gaga you’re looking at between $90 and $1,500.

The ESPN Trade Machine accepts this deal, but OKC needed to toss in some cash considerations and a conditional 2013 second round pick.

(h/t @danjhunt)

Riff Raff

Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images

As amazing as it was to experience Game 3 and then marvel at the stunning woodshed performance of Game 4, one thought has still remained in the back of my mind, hanging thick and stifling in the air like a dense fog refusing to lift in the face of morning’s light.

They have to win in Los Angeles. The Thunder must steal a game in the Staples Center to win the series.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still celebrating the Thunder holding serve at home just as hard as anyone else, especially with all of the love that the team is receiving nationally, the hype and marvel that the deafening fans and the rocking Thunderdome have sparked across the NBA landscape, and the reality that after four games with the defending champs, this series is all tied up and we’re now looking at a best of three matchup where anything can happen.

But just like Kevin Durant said when Ric Bucher commented that he didn’t seem very surprised or enthusiastic at what the team was able to accomplish in Game 4, “This is a seven game series.”

The time for confetti and shouts of joy ended Sunday morning (or more likely Sunday night, after all, that 21 point demolition deserved an extra half day to savor and celebrate on the Sabbath) because despite the euphoria and electricity permeating the OKC area and probably the entire state/country of Thunder fans, those two games are over and they served their purpose. The Thunder protected their house. And now they have to make like a thief in the night and steal a victory away from the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Like Clark noted rather prophetically last week, nothing changes in a playoff series until the home team loses on their own floor. So even though the momentum has shifted and the Thunder are the clear aggressors in this matchup moving forward, everything is realistically as it should be.

But that’s where things get interesting because as daunting as it may seem for the Thunder to pickup a win in LA, recent history shows that it’s not near as formiddable a task as you might think it is. Read more…

Commentary LA Lakers, Playoffs