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BOX SCORE
Does everyone feel at least a little bit better about a potential Thunder-Nuggets playoff series now?
OK, so it doesn’t necessarily have to mean anything that Oklahoma City has beaten Denver twice in a week, once on each team’s home floor, just as a potential playoff series between them approaches. But most folks would probably feel a lot worse about things if the Thunder dropped both games, or even one. Instead, Oklahoma City thumped the Nuggets 104-89 at home on Friday night to pair with a win on the road Tuesday.
After recovering from an 8-0 Denver run to start the game, the Thunder were rarely troubled by the Nuggets despite finishing an ugly first quarter in a 17-17 tie. Oklahoma City was led largely by reserves on a 20-4 run to seize control in the second quarter, although Denver would whittle the lead to as few as three later in the game. It just never seemed like the Thunder was much at risk of losing the game.
The bad news for the Nuggets is they got thumped with the Thunder’s starting five not shooting particularly well from the field. Kevin Durant was a relatively pedestrian 9 of 21 from the floor, but added 8 of 10 from the stripe to finish with 28 points. The starters as a unit shot only 23 of 56, and the Nuggets would probably have taken that on the spot if you offered it to them before the game. But they couldn’t capitalize on some rather sloppy play in stretches by the OKC starters and looked relatively unfocused themselves. Read more…
Recap
vs. 
Denver Nuggets (48-30, 17-22 road) vs. OKC Thunder (52-26, 29-10 home)
TV: FSOK (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 110.9 (7th), Nuggets– 111.9 (1st)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 107.1 (15th), Nuggets – 107.1 (16th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.7 (13th), Nuggets – 95.6 (2nd)
View from the enemy: Roundball Mining Company
Crazy how much has changed. No longer is this game important in terms of the Northwest Division. Now OKC is chasing Dallas for third and the Nuggets, according to George Karl, might rather lose this game to help out. Read more…
Preview
Christian Peterson/NBAE/Getty Images
Kendrick Perkins’ trash-talking diatribes have been one of my favorite parts of the latter stages of the regular season. I don’t mind the technical fouls they often generate because he hasn’t played enough games to bump up against the suspension threshold.
Instead, they make me laugh out loud. Not only because of Perkins’ scowl, but for how long he keeps talking. Some of them last a solid 30 seconds or even a minute, which is actually a really long time if you think about it. If it seemed to affect his play, it would be a different story — I wouldn’t think they’re so funny. But it doesn’t. It seems to affect his targets more than himself, and the Thunder has a little bit more of an edge with Perkins in the fold. When he gets mad at someone, I’ll chuckle and share an imaginary conversation with Mrs. Patrick James guessing what he has said.
But recently I’ve become tired of the pretend conversations and wanted to see what Perk is actually saying. I found video and tried my best to lip read and see what’s been said. I even managed to find a a less-publicized confrontation or two he’s had during his time in Oklahoma City. Here are a few notable exchanges: Read more…
Commentary
J.A. Adande of ESPN.com on small markets: “And it’s not about getting the fans to buy in so much as it is instilling belief in the best players. Oklahoma City has done that with Kevin Durant, who took a step in the opposite direction of the spotlight-seeking stars this past summer and committed to a five-year extension with the Thunder. When asked recently about the challenge of attracting other stars to join him in Oklahoma City, Durant said, “That’s come to my mind. I guess that’s the way we did it with the draft. They have to come if they’re drafted. But if we continue to just play hard and be a team that comes out and is known for playing hard and playing together. Hopefully, guys that love to play basketball will love to be a part of it.”
Chris Tomasson for HoopsHype on KD: “A lot of people forgot about me this year,’’ said Durant, averaging 27.8 points. “So I guess if I get the scoring title, I guess people will remember me. Last year, I kind of jumped on the scene. I’m the old guy. I’m not going out there and averaging 40 points a game and stuff like that. So people forgot about me. So, hopefully, the scoring title I guess will let people to know, ‘Hey, I’m here still.’’’ Read more…
Bolts
Doug Pensinger/NBAE/Getty Images
The Nuggets have a pretty big game Friday night versus the Thunder. And not because Denver has a shot to catch Oklahoma City, because the Thunder already clinched the Northwest.
Nope, it’s because if George Karl had it his way, he might prefer his Nuggets actually lose.
Via ESPN Dallas:
“If we had to pick and choose on it, we would probably say 55 percent Dallas, 45 percent Oklahoma City, only because Oklahoma City is athletic like we are and they have two great players,” Denver coach George Karl told ESPN 103.3′s Galloway and Company, referring to Thunder forward Kevin Durant and point guard Russell Westbrook. “They have two All-Stars who are really in their prime and have never won on the playoff stage. I just think right now our speed might have more effect against Dallas than it will against Oklahoma City.”
OK, so maybe he doesn’t really want to lose to the Thunder Friday, but it would definitely go a long way in pushing OKC to the three-seed. Right now, the Thunder are just a game back of Dallas with four to play. And OKC sort of has the upper hand. The Thunder actually own the tiebreaker over the Mavs despite losing the season series 2-1 because division winners get precedent. Read more…
Commentary
Getty Images
I kind of feel ridiculous asking this question. It’s a little bit along the same lines of tanking for ping-pong balls.
But with the Thunder closing within a game of Dallas with four games left (OKC holds the tiebreaker though because it’s a division winner) it must be asked: Do the Thunder really want the three-seed?
Most have been saying they shouldn’t. Common sense says playing the Lakers in the Western Finals is better than playing them in the second round. But that’s going way too far. Because it should be more about the first round matchup, not what comes after.
Here’s the thing about playing the Lakers: If you want to get to the NBA Finals, you’ve got to beat them at some point. What’s it really matter if it’s in the second or third round? All it means if you can get past them in the semis is that the road gets easier to the Finals. And besides that, since when are the Spurs pushovers? They’re pretty good, remember? Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com actually sees the Spurs as OKC’s kryptonite team. So let’s not get carried away thinking that San Antonio is the easiest team ever.
If the Thunder were to jump the Mavs for third, right now it would be the Hornets who OKC would face in the opening round. Most likely, Portland will claim that spot, so let’s go under the assumption that the Thunder would be exchanging the Nuggets for the Blazers as their first round opponent. So, who’d you rather take? Read more…
Commentary
KD likes him some Gordon Hayward: “Kevin Durant was talking to me during the game (at Oklahoma City),” Watson explained. “He was like, ‘Man, (Hayward) should be starting.’ Kevin Durant loves him. He was talking about how good he was in the game.”
I loved Bruce Arthur of The National Post’s column on Derrick Rose and advanced stats yesterday, mainly because I view it all exactly the same: “But I don’t know how much to trust the numbers. Adjusted plus-minus makes some sense, and then you see that the mercurial Vladimir Radmanovic, along with 25 other players, rates better than Rose. PER is useful, but it fails to measure how empty Kevin Love’s numbers are compared to, say, Chris Paul’s. It makes me feel like a flat-earther to reject the advancement of statistics, and so I don’t. But I don’t think we’re close to a blanket way of figuring out the game. In some areas — in the areas of explaining how — I’m not even sure we’re close.” Read more…
Bolts
Layne Murdoch/NBAE/Getty Images
BOX SCORE
Nice to finally have that out of the way. Officially, the Thunder are 2010-11 Northwest Division champions for the first time since 2004-05 when the team wasn’t here.
Said Kevin Durant: “It’s a great accomplishment, but we want something bigger.”
Naturally, the Thunder tried to make it a bit more difficult than it needed to be. A couple late defensive lapses, mixed with some poor offense, stirred with problems getting the ball inbounds, combined with a missed free throw and OKC had to withstand a late push by the Clippers to take home a 112-108 win.
I think there’s a certain level of justified disappointment that the Thunder didn’t rock the Clippers a bit better. After the disaster in Los Angeles four days ago, it felt like there would be a high level of revenge to be had. And while the Thunder held a double-digit lead for a large portion of the fourth, much in the way they do, the Thunder lost focus for a couple stretches late and made it a bit close. Read more…
Recap
vs. 
Los Angeles Clippers (31-47, 9-29 road) vs. OKC Thunder (51-26, 28-10 home)
TV: FSOK (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: Try this
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 110.8 (7th), Clippers– 105.4 (22nd)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 107.0 (14th), Clippers – 108.5 (18th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.7 (13th), Clippers – 92.7 (12th)
View from the enemy: ClipperBlog
Blake’s return part deux, but even more than that, a big time revenge game, but even more than that, a chance to officially clinch the Northwest Division. I would think the Thunder will be ready to go for this one.
OKC and the Clippers just played so not much has changed since the last time. Because I’m busy and lazy at the same time, I’m just going to direct you to what I said leading up last time, because nothing has really changed.
Tip at 7:00 CT. Go Clinch And Get Revenge Thunder.
Preview
Really great stuff from Darnell Mayberry on Kendrick Perkins and his propensity to pick up technical fouls. Already he has five in just a few weeks with the Thunder. Russell Westbrook leads the team with eight, but that’s a full season of course.
As Mayberry wrote, Perk tried to explain what’s going on when he picks them up.
“It’s times that you can get a good tech,” Perkins explained. “You set the tone every now and then.”
Most of Perkins’ five technical fouls in a Thunder uniform have come from altercations with opposing players. Jawing. Pushing. Stare downs. That sort of stuff. But Perkins doesn’t think techs of that variety are a problem. In those situations, Perkins said he’s intentionally pushing other players’ buttons. He’s playing the role of the schoolyard bully, testing and taunting his competition to see how far they’ll allow him to go.
As Perkins said, if he pushes and is not pushed back he knows he has the upper hand. If he barks and his man backs down, he know he’s won the game within the game.
When it comes to the refs, however, Perkins is more careful.
“I try to pick and choose,” Perkins said. “Sometimes it may look like I’m attacking the ref or swearing or cursing at a ref but I’m not. Sometimes I’m just telling him to get his head in the game or something to that nature.
“As I got older, I developed good relationships with the guys so they know how I am and they have a higher tolerance for me. And I know how to approach them. I just pick and choose. Some days I try to get a tech. Other days, I just mess with them every now and then.”
Commentary
Sebastian Pruiti of NBA Playbook with a terrific post on how Perk affects Ibaka: “Ibaka is so dangerous as a weakside shot blocker, but until Perkins arrived, he was unable to be that threat to the best of his ability. The reason why is because Ibaka was forced into defending more centers while being the on ball defender more (vs. being the one coming from the weakside). A few reasons why this is less than desirable for Oklahoma City. First, with Ibaka covering centers, there is a size difference that forced him into situations where he would front the basketball.”
A lot of talk about Jeff Green yesterday. It started with a big post at Celtics Town: “Part of Green’s allure is that, during the best of times, he can make basketball look as easy as riding a bike downhill. Some players just look like natural basketball players. They move with a certain grace, an elegance that makes the game look effortless. Green’s one of those players. Even when he’s racing past Charlie Villanueva, he looks like he’s gliding. Even when he’s working hard, he looks like he’s hardly working. He’s one of the few players capable of joining Ray Allen in the “Players Who Probably Don’t Even Need to Shower After a Game” club. Yet despite all that smoothness, Green doesn’t contribute on a nightly basis.” Read more…
Bolts
AP Photo
BOX SCORE
I had seen this story before. At least I thought I had. The Thunder held a nice first half lead behind a hot start from Kevin Durant, was playing terrific defense and really appeared to have assumed control of the game.
Then the Nuggets closed the first half on a big run and cut a 13-point Thunder lead to one. Then KD started the second half 0-6 from the field to go along with Russell Westbrook going 1-6 in the third. The Nuggets had gone from being down to up three with four minutes left in the third. Oklahoma City looked to be out of sorts, pressing and ready to melt down again.
And then Eric Maynor checked in.
The Thunder immediately ripped off seven straight and finished the quarter on a 13-7 run. OKC went down again briefly to start the fourth, but with Maynor at the wheel the Thunder went on a 15-0 run to go up 13 on the Nuggets. The ball started moving, James Harden was scoring, Durant hit a couple jumpers and got to the line and just like that, OKC was playing the way we know it should. Read more…
Recap
vs. 
OKC Thunder (50-26, 22-16 road) vs. Denver Nuggets (47-29, 31-7 home)
TV: FSOK (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 754)
Stream: N/A
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 110.9 (6th), Nuggets– 112.1 (1st)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 107.2 (15th), Nuggets – 107.2 (16th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.6 (13th), Nuggets – 95.6 (2nd)
View from the enemy: Roundball Mining Company
File this one under “kind of sort of really important.” Because drop this one and not only have you lost three straight, but now it’s only a two game lead over the Nuggets. Thing is, Oklahoma City has never had an easy time against Denver in the Rockies. That was when the team was centered around Carmelo Anthony, but still, since becoming the Thunder, the team hasn’t won there.
I’m reminded of a big one against the Nuggets last season where OKC had a chance to close in on the Northwest lead, but didn’t show up at all, getting blown out by Denver. Like I said yesterday, I hope this team has learned. Read more…
Preview
Zach Lowe of SI likes a new play by OKC: “This can unfold in a variety of ways, but the basics are the same: Russell Westbrook and a Thunder big man will run a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc while Durant lurks elsewhere — sometimes along the baseline, sometimes on the wing. After freeing up Westbrook, the screener will begin his roll to the hoop only to suddenly veer in the direction of Durant’s defender just as Durant is curling out to the perimeter and preparing to catch a pass from Westbrook. The action is designed to free Durant for a jumper, but it can also produce a second pick-and-roll, with Durant as the ball-handler.”
An amazing post from Sham Sports looking at each team’s unsigned draft picks: “[Pleiss] is one of the best players on a Brose Baskets Bamberg team that is absolutely blowing away the rest of the German Bundesliga. Since the end of the ALBA Berlin dominance, there have been six champions in the past seven Bundesliga seasons, including Bamberg, who won it last season. Casey Jacobsen was a big part of why, as was Pleiss, and they’ve both been key cogs again this year as Bamberg have stormed to a 27-2 record.” Read more…
Bolts
Getty Images - The national anthem doesn’t exactly fire Russell Westbrook up evidently.
What’s the same thing you hear from and about young teams over and over? They’ll learn from that… that’s a good experience… there’s a lot to study from that loss.
Well, here’s a chance to prove it.
Last season, playing as the youngest team in basketball and surprise playoff contender, the Thunder was pushing not just into the playoffs, but potentially up the ladder for better than the eight-seed. Which was important because Oklahoma City wanted to avoid the Lakers at all cost.
But in April, the previously stellar Thunder defense sagged, the team pressed a bit and went 5-4 to close out April heading into the playoffs. This also off a solid March in which OKC went 11-5.
The swing game really was what’s known as the Tony Brothers Game, in which OKC dropped a tough one in Salt Lake City to the Jazz 140-139 after there was an obvious blown call on the final play. A shame too, because Kevin Durant’s effort to get the Thunder back in it was something else. Read more…
Commentary
