BOX SCORE

Down two, with eight seconds to go in what might be the most important game to date, Oklahoma City inbounds the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead.

The ball goes in right where you’d want it. To the guy with 45 points. To the guy that’s completely carrying the team. Problem is, Kevin Durant doesn’t catch the ball where he can do anything with it. He’s on the sideline, off-balance and trapped immediately. He has no choice but to give it up. And it lands in the hands of Thabo Sefolosha – the man who passed the ball in – open for 3.

And wouldn’t you know it, in and out. IN. And out. INNNNNN. And out. Take a moment to let out a deep sigh, punch the ground, kick the wall or all the above. It’s what I’m doing right now.

I can assure you it’s not the way Scott Brooks drew it up. I highly doubt a coach as bright at Brooks would set up maybe the most important play of the season for a 30 percent 3-point shooter. And some might say KD should’ve forced the issue. Should’ve taken it into his own hands and made a play. But what was the RIGHT basketball play? Pass it to the open man. LeBron does it all the time. You’re doubled, so someone must be open. And he was. Wide open in fact. In and out.

Now of course, there could’ve been a better design. Get Durant the ball where he’d have more room to operate. Instead of running him baseline off a pick, curl him up toward the top of the key. That’s what OKC did when Russell Westbrook stepped over the line, but try it again. Because you know San Antonio is going to double Durant on the catch, especially if they can use the sideline to help.

That doesn’t take away from the fact that this was an excellent basketball game. If you were a casual observer, I bet this one was a ton of fun. We’ll ignore the two pivotal, backbreaking calls that went in favor of San Antonio (ball out on Richard Jefferson with four minutes left and the phantom foul on Serge Ibaka that gave Manu Ginobili the two game-winning free throws). So bypassing those two glaring blemishes, this was an awesome game. KD was playing at an incredibly high level. The atmosphere was intense. Serge Ibaka potentially made The Leap in tonight’s game alone. It was awesome. If not for, you know, those two calls. But I’m not bitter.

One deserving paragraph on Serge Ibaka: How big was he tonight? The block on Tim Duncan, the charge with two minutes left, the defense in the post, the rebounding, the energy… it was a fantastic game for him. He got all the important minutes late in the game and without him, OKC’s not in this one. He completely locked down Duncan, highlighted best on a play he forced Duncan off the block, poked the ball away twice and ended up forced a fadeaway 15-footer that set off the shot clock. If the Thunder had won this one, I can promise you the first 150 words of this recap would’ve been dedicated only to him. Alas.

Notes:

• Ibaka did provide maybe my favorite moment of the season. After drawing the big charge in the fourth, he laid on his back pumping both arms wildly in the air. It was somewhat comical, but also very awesome.

• Think tonight the Thunder could’ve used James Harden? For one, maybe he’s taking that 3 at the end of the game. Two, instead of getting a zero spot from Kyle Weaver, OKC probably would’ve had 8-10 more points from somewhere. And third, we likely wouldn’t have seen a Westbrook-Maynor backcourt for nearly the entire fourth quarter. Get well soon Beard.

• Kevin Durant had 45 points, tying a season-high. He was 15-24 from the field and 14-15 from the stripe. While that’s great, he scored 47 percent of OKC’s total 96 points. That just can’t happen and the Thunder win. Someone has to provide some extra offense. Jeff Green was solid with 16 points, but OKC only had four players in double-figures and a total of 13 points from Nenad Krstic, Eric Maynor, Thabo and Nick Collison.

• Russell Westbrook definitely wasn’t himself tonight. You could see it. He just lacked his usual energy. I guess he really is a little under the weather. Just 12 points on 5-13 shooting with four assists. The Thunder desperately needed some secondary scoring tonight, and Russ didn’t provide it.

• I haven’t really even mentioned the play with 32 seconds where Westbrook stepped on the line inbounding the ball. Just horrible luck there. He tried to get it in to Durant, it was covered, he pumped and his momentum made him take a half step. Bummer.

• An aside: KD has to be leading the league in fouled-on-a-3 plays. The past few weeks, he’s getting at least one a game.

• Roger Mason Jr.’s hair really bothers me for some reason.

• The day Manu Ginobili retires, I plan on hosting a parade in Bricktown. We’ll burn jerseys, flop on our backs when anyone brushes against us and made big, backbreaking plays in crunch time. Ahhhh, Manu!!! (shakes fist at the heavens)

• Again, a key stretch in this game was when OKC let a double-digit lead slip down to three before halftime. Even with two minutes left before the half, the Thunder led by nine. But a bad foul by Durant right before the horn gave George Hill three freebies and the Thunder led 59-56 going to the locker room.

• Speaking of Hill, a career-high 27 points tonight for him. Of course he picks tonight to do it. Of course.

• Nate Tibbetts, head coach of the Tulsa 66ers, was on the Thunder bench tonight.

• As mentioned, Westbrook finished with four assists. But three of them came in the first half.

• I have to mention it: Tim Duncan is bloody brilliant. His two backdoor passes were absolute art.

• A large factor in this game was Thunder foul trouble. Both Westbrook and Green picked up their fourth fouls four minutes into the second half and sat out most of the third. OKC really just held their head above water for the rest of the quarter. The Thunder scored just 17 in the quarter, mainly because there wasn’t much of an offense on the floor.

• The Thunder played great second half defense. San Antonio shot 53 percent in the first half, but just 35 percent in the second.

• The Spurs turned the ball over just seven times tonight.

• Big stat: OKC went 2-13 from downtown. The Spurs went 8-25. That’s 18 extra points for San Antonio.

This loss stings. Stings a lot more than some 20-point blowout in Indiana. At least in that game, we knew we didn’t see the Thunder’s best. Tonight, you feel like you saw it. Durant was great, Westbrook was OK in stretches, Green was good and the Thunder bench played big.  It’s a loss and it definitely hurts. It’s going to affect the playoff race and it will surely make me worry more. But even in defeat, the Thunder re-established their identity on the defensive end and played their butts off for 48 minutes. In a strange way, this loss is reassuring. I don’t know how that works. There’s really nothing to hang your head about here. The game was tight until the end, yet OKC just came up short. In and freaking out.

Next up: Houston at home Wednesday night.

San Antonio Spurs (41-27, 16-17 road) vs. OKC Thunder (42-26, 22-11 home)

TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 753)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CST

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 107.1 (16th), Spurs – 110.2 (8th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.6 (7th), Spurs – 104.9 (10th)
Pace: Thunder – 93.0 (14th), Spurs – 91.5 (24th)

View from the enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell

For us fans, it’s a good thing we don’t have to stew and think about the abortion of a game that was played yesterday in Indiana. And I’m sure the players feel exactly the same way. Wipe the brain clean and start anew at home tonight. The problem though is, tonight’s game is a very big one against the San Antonio Spurs.

Fortunately for the Thunder, the Spurs come in after playing a brutal overtime game against Atlanta last night. So the veteran Spurs might be a little tired after that one. Which would be nice, because I don’t know if the Thunder has needed a bounce back win so badly yet this season. So whatever edge they may gain, I’m all for.

San Antonio coming in: As mentioned, the Spurs lost in overtime last night in Atlanta and have lost two of three. However, the Spurs have won eight of their last 10. However again, they are just 16-17 on the road.

THE MATCHUPS
Tony Parker absolutely killed the Thunder the last time these two teams met in OKC (28 points, eight assists), so him not playing is met with a sigh of relief from Thunder fans. The bummer though, is that his replacement, George Hill, is more than capable of playing an extremely good game. He’s a good defender, he’s a good passer and he can shoot. Russell Westbrook, if he’s not still “sick”, will certainly have his hands full. And if the Thunder is to win this one, Westbrook is going to need to outplay Hill.

Richard Jeffersonwill match up with Kevin Durant, which is good because Jefferson shouldn’t be able to guard Durant that well (KD has scored 25, 35 and 21 in three games against SA). Yes, I remember KD only scoring 21 against the Spurs last time, but I don’t forsee that happening again, especially with the way Durant played yesterday in Indiana. The Spurs however, are an extremely smart defensive team and will definitely have a good gameplan for Durant though.

Inside will be key as obviously the Spurs have Tim Duncan and Oklahoma City does not. So much of their game hinges on Duncan inside. When he’s doing his thing on the block, it opens up the outside shot for Matt Bonner, Jefferson, Hill and Roger Mason Jr. And then it also frees Manu Ginobili to drive and slash and kick out. So Jeff Green will need to bring a strong game, as well as Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka off the bench. And I’d expect OKC needed some solid scoring from either Eric Maynor or Kyle Weaver too.

Tonight begins the start of a four-game homestand, and a very important one at that. Upcoming is tonight’s game against the Spurs, Wednesday against the Rockets, Friday against the Lakers and wrapping up with Portland Sunday night. In my mind, 3-1 keeps the Thunder in the hunt for fourth, 2-2 assures us of a playoff spot, 1-3 makes me think eighth might be in our future and 0-4 makes me really, REALLY worry. But it all starts tonight with San Antonio, a team it would be nice to split the season series with and gain a little distance from as well. And it would just be a cherry on top if KD could dunk on Manu Ginobili’s face. That would make me happy.

Tip at 7:00 CDT. Go Big Game.

BOX SCORE

Two nights, two streaks ended. After all the fun and joy we had the past week and half, these last two days were a bit of a buzzkill.

This was the dreaded fourth in five nights game and it showed for Oklahoma City. Call it running out of gas, call it playing shorthanded, but the Thunder just didn’t have enough against the rested, veteran Spurs, dropping a second straight, 95-87.

First, let’s get the Durant streak stuff out of the way. Twenty-nine straight games of 25 points or more is just unreal. We all had visions of this thing lasting forever because KD just scores with ease. It’s almost effortless. Some guys labor for points. Durant puts up 31 on 12-17 shooting like it’s nothing.

I definitely never thought KD’s streak was distracting to himself or teammates. But it was DEFINITELY distracting to me. It’s all I thought about. I’d be staring at the box score constantly worrying about it. Cripes, just 17 with 6:50 left in the third. PICK IT UP KD! I always hoped he’d gets his 25th point in the third quarter because then I wouldn’t have to worry about that AND the actual game during the fourth. Just too much for this Thunder fan’s heart. I kind of feel like Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive after he catches Dr. Richard Kimble. Harrison Ford says, “But it’s over now” and Jones replies, “You know I’m glad. I need the rest.” I wanted the streak to last forever and ever. But now I don’t have look at the box score ever 15 seconds. I need the rest.

And it’s funny, Durant had 21 points and 12 rebounds tonight, a pretty fantastic game for anyone not named Kevin Durant, yet we’re disappointed. The bad part about it is, 17 of those points came in the first half and zero in the fourth quarter. So if I’m doing my math correctly here, that’s just four in the second half, all in the third. And that’s what ultimately cost the Thunder. Russell Westbrook had 13 points in the fourth quarter but the team only had 20. Nobody could make a shot tonight (39.8 percent from the field). Just one of those nights.

Westbrook carried the Thunder offense for a stretch in the fourth, but wound up 6-21 from the floor. He did have seven assists and six rebounds, but I guess he felt the need to shoulder the load a bit. He got carried away in stretches, really forcing things. At times, he’s almost too dynamic and athletic for his own good. The offense was just stagnant with too much dribbling and too much standing around. The Thunder offense is at its best when people are moving, cutting, screening and passing. Westbrook can create shots at will but when he forces things too much, everything just goes to hell. Again, not saying he was necessarily bad because his 6-21 shooting includes a horrific 0-7 start and without him OKC might not be in this at all. It’s just that he fell a little in love with his own number late in the game. That’s all.

Notes:

• If you love the NBA and don’t hate Manu Ginobili, you’re either a Spurs fan or you suck at life. In the pregame, I said, “In two games Manu Ginobili is 0-18 against the Thunder. So expect him to explode for 35 on 10-12 shooting.” Ginobili’s line: 26 points on 9-18 shooting. I continue to hate you and your annoying bald spot Manu.

• The Spurs went small to start the fourth and Scott Brooks responded with Maynor, Westbrook, Harden, Thabo and Durant. Thabo at the four and Durant at the five. Kind of a fun lineup to watch.

• Thabo was a little more aggressive on the offensive end than usual. He notched a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds and was 5-8 from the floor. And for the most part, he played some pretty fantastic defense.

• OKC killed itself again at the free throw line. The Thunder missed eight (16-24) and worst of all, KD only got there six times. If you want a reason the streak ended, look there first. He’s been getting to stripe 10-11 times during this run.

• Serge Ibaka sat this one out with a sore back and Nick Collison rested an injury too. So the Thunder was extremely shorthanded down low. But the team did an excellent job on the glass as a full unit. The starters grabbed 12, 13, 4, 8 and 6 rebounds with James Harden reeling in seven off the bench.

• Byron Mullens saw a little burn in the first half because of the injuries. Zeroes across the board in two minutes of play. In a word, he looked tentative.
  

• The Thunder clearly had a plan to push the pace a bit tonight. More transition, especially in the first half, than usual.

• Jeff Green had a quiet solid night. Nineteen points and four rebounds along with some excellent hustle.

• Does anyone have any theories as to why Nenad Krstic shoots the ball so much better in the third quarter? Does he urinate on his hands at halftime? Change shoes? Say some kind of magical prayer? He went 0-5 in the first half for zero points. The third quarter, he’s 3-4 with eight points. I don’t get it.

• I can tell you this, if I see the Cox commercial that goes, “Hey man, you’re a friend you know. Where you’ve been, or where you go. Floating doow-owwwn, a slow moving stream. You know where you are…” one more time, I will either drag my TV outside and back over it with my car or stick my arm down the garbage disposal. I haven’t decided yet.

• How good is Jeff Green at avoiding charges while being in mid-air? It’s just extremely impressive the way a guy 6’9 can control his body like that.

• If this year was an audition to decide between Elyssa Walker-Campbell and Tom Werme, Werme has my vote. He’s great on the sideline and he doesn’t ask incredibly awkward questions with his eyes being opened super-wide.

• DeJuan Blair is a nice rebounder, he really is. But man, he really gets away with subtle pushes. But that’s what great rebounders do, I guess.

• What’s the deal with the Thunder and giving up coast-to-coast layups at the end of the third quarter? I mean, WHAT’S THE DEAL?

• Here’s what makes absolutely no sense to me and we’ve seen it a lot lately: When an official under the basket makes an out of bounds call one way and then the other team freaks out and then the official looks to the other ref allllll the way out by halfcourt, says something probably along the lines of, “Did you see Tim Duncan’s face? He looked mad. Let’s change it.” And then they swap the call. I don’t get this.

Everyone kind of had a feeling this one might go this way. It’s not a bad loss by any means. Again, a tired Thunder squad against a rested Spurs team. OKC was coming off an emotional loss where its streak was snapped. San Antonio was returning home after a long road tilt. Honestly, I’m kind of impressed the Thunder hung so tough and kept the energy level so high throughout. Players were on the floor, taking charges and diving for lose balls. OKC was shorthanded without Ibaka and Collison, yet they hung tough on the glass, actually outrebounding the Spurs. This loss is certainly forgivable. Now a loss Friday at home to Minnesota on the other hand, well that’s kind of must-win.

Remember this is just one loss. It doesn’t count for more than that. And here’s some news: The Thunder will lose again this year. What, you expected them to win out?

Next up: The Wolves again Friday at the Ford Center. REMEMBER, DT NIGHT AT TAPWERKS BEFORE THE GAME. BE THERE.

OKC Thunder (33-22, 17-11 road) at. San Antonio Spurs (31-23, 19-10 home)

TV: KSBI Thunder TV (Cox 15, HD 715)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:30 CST

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 106.3 (17th), Spurs – 109.3 (7th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 102.9 (3rd), Spurs – 104.8 (11th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.6 (16th), Spurs – 91.4 (24th)

View from the enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell

So what happens after you lose? Do you play again? Do you have to go home for the rest of the season? It’s just been so long since it happened that I’ve forgotten. It’s funny though thinking about it. Last year, it was a strange feeling if we won. Now, it’s getting odd if we lose. I think I like it better this way.

I can’t be the only one though that gets nervous after losses, especially when Oklahoma City has to turn around and play another tough team the next night. It’s like I have this ongoing fear that every loss is going to be the beginning to a miserable slide that ends up putting a damper on this excellent season. Like I said, I’m just not really all that used to this winning thing.

As for tonight: OKC is 13-8 when coming off a loss. So that’s good news. Tony Parker is questionable. I suppose that’s good news, but we thought Steve Nash being out would be good so who knows. The bad news is that this is the dreaded fourth game in five days for the Thunder. So heavy legs along with heavy hearts from the night before are going to be tough to shake.

San Antonio coming in: While the Thunder will be tired, the Spurs should be rested. They last played on Sunday, losing to Detroit in the last game of an eight-game road trip. So this is their first trip home since being away for eight. San Antonio is 5-5 in its last 10 and 19-10 at home.

THE MATCHUPS
Tony Parker is questionable, but much like Goran Dragic, George Hill is a more than capable backup. He’s extremely athletic, a savvy defender and can hit the 3. Russell Westbrook will certainly have his hands full on both ends of the floor, no matter who is starting at point for the Spurs. Kevin Durant has a clear advantage over Richard Jefferson at the three. Jefferson just has not been himself this year in any way. But with KD surely being tired both mentally and physically, you’ve got to wonder a little about him tonight.

But without Parker, the Spurs have been playing three guards with Roger Mason, Hill and Keith Bogans. So it’s possible Jefferson will check Jeff Green if San Antonio hangs with that lineup. Bogans is a worthy defender that will likely guard Durant if Jefferson doesn’t.

Of course there’s Tim Duncan inside, who OKC really has no answer for. DeJuan Blair grabbed 20 boards at the Ford Center the last time these two teams played and it’s likely Duncan could do the same. The main advantage the Thunder have on him is speed and quickness. Don’t be surprised if OKC runs a little more tonight. Finally, Manu Ginobili comes off the bench with Blair and Antonio McDyess to give San Antonio an excellent second unit. However, in two games against the Thunder, Ginobili is 0-18 from the floor and 0-8 from 3. So expect him to explode for 40 tonight.

It’s a big rebound game against a tough opponent on the road. Not ideal, but this Thunder team typically plays well in these types of games. It was a bummer to lose the streak and while there’s a chance to start one in the opposite way tonight, there’s also a good chance to get right back on track. It’s a big game in terms of playoff seeding and also tie-break terms. Not the end of the world to lose, but it sure would be nice to win.

Tip at 7:30 CST. Go Okay See.

(Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

After Oklahoma City pummeled the Knicks Wednesday night, I wrote about how most of the time I like a good close game with big moments and clutch plays. Let me clarifiy: I’m pretty sure I only like close games like that when Oklahoma City wins.

But make no mistake, the Thunder’s 109-108 overtime loss to the Spurs was an excellent game. Definitely the best of the season thus far. If Russell Westbrook’s jumper as time expired didn’t hit back-iron and had fallen and the Thunder had won, this one would have been tucked away in a special place for me. Like as in, best professional game I’d ever attended. But it didn’t. So I’m not too keen on storing this one in the memory banks.

OKC dug a 19-point hole early that it couldn’t get all the way out of until there were two minutes left in the third. The Spurs jumped out early in the fourth, but a couple big time stops and great execution on the offensive end forced the game into an extra frame. And then it wrapped up the way any great game should – star players made plays, the officials made questionable calls that one side loved and the other side hated and it all came down to one final possession. There were highs and lows, but in the end, pretty much all lows.

I’m kind of sort of past all the moral victory stuff, but honestly, after the way the first 16 minutes of this one went, I kind of have to give it up to the Thunder for even being in a position to win. Of course, that’s no excuse to dig yourself a big hole and lose, but still. Still.

And yep, San Antonio did this without Tim Duncan. But DeJuan Blair did a decent job of filling in for Timmy and by “decent job” I mean he turned into freaking Wilt Chamberlain. Blair (who as everyone will remind me for the rest of my life, was the 37th pick overall last June), had 28 points, 21 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. He was absolutely a bull inside and OKC had no match whatsoever. The only thing that stopped Blair was his sixth foul, which James Harden drew on him with an and-1 in overtime.

But we have to talk for a minute about the Spurs’ last possession. I’m no ref whiner and I hate the people that constantly beg for calls, but this has to be covered because, well, it decided the game. Through a Thunder fan’s eyes, it looked like a travel by Manu. He went airborne with no where to go, passed the ball and then recovered it himself. So, it should have been a travel. The replays of it kind of stink and maybe the ball grazed Antonio McDyess’s jersey. But even if it did, there’s no way an official saw that. No way. Again, bear in mind I’m a shameless homer, but that’s a travel by Ginobili and OKC should have had the ball. I’m convinced. Even Spurs color man Sean Elliot even said San Antonio got away with one there, and that’s after he nearly threw a fit over some earlier calls going against his team (or so I’m told). So… if there’s a whistle there, maybe things would have been different.

But give credit to Manu. That was one heckuva play to save the day. The whistle didn’t blow and in the end, it doesn’t matter. Of course I thought the travel should have been called, but it wasn’t and the Thunder had a chance regardless. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m rather irked it wasn’t called. And by “irked” I mean, I may or may not have pushed the guy standing next to me out of Loud City after it in instant anger.

And while I’m complaining a bit, how much is Kevin Durant held throughout a game? I mean, seriously. Especially on the last possession, I think Richard Jefferson actually crawled inside KD’s jersey. That’s a tough call to make, but the Thunder couldn’t get the ball into Durant’s hands because of it. He was being bear-hugged and I think George Hill possibly tied his feet together as well. Again, you’ll never see that call, so if the official is going to swallow his whistle in that respect, Durant needs to just get pissed and give a big ‘ol push-off to break free. And if he gets tagged for it, that’s when I come running out of the stands wielding a t-shirt cannon pointed at you-know-who.

Notes:

• OKC is now 0-3 in overtime. You know what that means? TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS IN THE FIRST 48 FROM NOW ON GUYS.

• KD took a season-high 31 shots tonight. His jumper wouldn’t fall at all in regulation, but he got it done by attacking the rim. It was some of the best penetration he’s had this year (I know, I know… that’s what she said). But in overtime, he took over and hit jumper after jumper. He was plain stinking awesome. He finished with 35 points on 14-31 shooting (45 percent is pretty good for an off night), five rebounds and three assists. He did pick up seven turnovers though.

• More on KD: He was 3-9 from 16-23 feet, 3-10 from 10-15 feet, but 6-7 at the rim. Like I said, he was excellent in that regard tonight.

• I guess KD was the stud of the evening for OKC, but Russell Westbrook was nearly equally fantastic. He was the reason the Thunder even had a chance period. Twenty-five points (9-24), 13 assists, six rebounds and only three turnovers. He ran the offense perfectly down the stretch and in OT and of course hit the HUGE jumper to force the extra five. He needed one more to fall though. Bummer.

• One thing though about Westbrook: Tony Parker abused him early. Parker got anywhere he wanted and his step-back jumper was killer. Russ just didn’t have the length to really contest it. Parker had 22 points at the half and Thabo switch over to Mr. Longoria to start the second half. And if you need reason to believe Thabo is an elite defender, see here: After halftime Parker didn’t score until there was under three minutes left in the fourth and had just six points after halftime. Yep, Thabo’s good.

• For I think the first time this year, Nenad Krstic didn’t begin the second half in a game he started. Nick Collison instead got the call and it was a great decision by Scott Brooks. I like Krstic, I really do, but he had no value tonight. He played just nine minutes, didn’t score and didn’t grab a rebound. Collison had eight rebounds and eight points and did a decent job putting tourniquet on the gaping wound DeJuan Blair had opened up in the first quarter.

• Jeff Green was really solid. He had 16 points (7-9) and 10 boards, but if he could have grabbed one more, OKC probably wins. He was stout defensively down the stretch as he got caught in a couple switches on Manu and Parker, but he held his own. I thought he had a great game.

• I heard some M-V-P chants for KD while he was at the line tonight. It bugs the heck out of me when it happens at Staples for Kobe, but I’ll admit, I joined in tonight with a big grin on my face.

• James Harden: 12 points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes. But he took just five shots. He passed up a couple good looks from 3, which in hindsight, I really wish he had taken. But his defense was surprisingly good on Ginobili in the fourth and in overtime. That’s a big step for him.

• The play Scott Brooks drew up late in the fourth that freed Thabo for the dunk to tie the game was brilliant. KD was a total decoy and the Spurs bit, especially because Durant had just burned them on the same play right before. He ran off Thabo’s pick, two Spurs went with him and Thabo slipped to the rim. It was kind of like how a football team would run a bubble screen just to set up a little hitch-and-go on the next play. Perfect execution there.

• Another thing about Manu: He was 0-10 and scored just two points, but easily made the play of the game. Even if it was a travel.

• After giving up 35 points in the first quarter, OKC got back in it by holding the Spurs to 13 in the third. A big difference was just that San Antonio started missing the shots they were hitting earlier.

• The small linuep of Eric Maynor, Westbrook, Harden, Durant and Green is what got OKC back in this game in the second quarter. It really gave the Spurs fits.

• There are about a billion more thoughts from this game, but I’ll just leave it be and let the gallery discuss from here.

Don’t sign me up for a moral victory. This one stung. I walked out of the Ford Center with my head hung low, feeling like someone had just informed me a pet I owned was severely injured or something. And here’s where I ponder getting all sappy and talking about how it’s a blessing to even get to feel this kind of pain, because you know, we have a team now, but I’m going to fight the urge. Forget the sunshiny feelings. This one plain hurt. It looked bad from the beginning but these guys fought. They never quit. They had a rabid home crowd screaming for them and they felt like they were letting them down. So they scratched, clawed and worked their way back in a game against an elite team and had a chance to win.

Yes, it would have been a huge win. In the long run as this team pushes for the playoffs, we may look back on it and think what if. But if we learned anything tonight, it’s that these guys aren’t going to quit. And while there’s nothing good to take out of that, I do have to say I’m kind of proud of them, win or lose. It truly was a fantastic game and there were moments where we all thought, “Holy crap, these guys are going to do it.” Kevin Durant nearly went nova and took the thing over like only the brightest of stars do. But it just wasn’t meant to be. Which sucks.

Next up: At Dallas Friday night.

San Antonio Spurs (23-13, 6-7 road) vs. Okla. City Thunder (21-16, 11-8 home)

TV: KSBI-52 (Cox 15, HD 715)
Stream: Click Here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CST

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 106.1 (20th), Spurs– 111.5 (4th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.4 (7th), Spurs – 104.2 (8th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.4 (17th), Spurs– 91.2 (25th)

View from the enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell

A note: While discussing the game this evening, please keep your language clean. Please.

I’m ready for a statement. There have already been a few (Orlando, at Phoenix) but this one would catch some attention, especially with the team being five games over right now. No longer would it be seen as a “Oh, that’s cool. The Thunder surprised the Spurs,” but maybe now it would be, ” Oh man, this Thunder team is serious.”

The good (and bad) thing about it is, OKC has a couple chances to make that statement this week with games against San Antonio tonight, Dallas and Miami. So as exciting as it could be to win even one of the three (honestly they should win one of the three) there is a real possibility to drop three straight. But at home in front of what promises to be a jacked up crowd, against a team you’ve beat once on the road and that also played last night, this is an opportunity.

The Spurs coming in: San Antonio walloped the Lakers at the AT&T Center last night and have won two straight. The Spurs have also won 8 of 10 overall and sit third in the West. (OKC is actually just three games behind San Antonio.)

THE MATCHUPS
It’s got to be understood, there’s nothing really Oklahoma City can do to match up on Tim Duncan. He’s Tim Duncan and he’s one of the greatest ever and he’s having one of his best seasons ever. Jeff Green will be overmatched. Nick Collison will certainly work hard, but I mean, come on. Serge Ibaka has the size and athleticism to match up with Duncan, but Ibaka’s IQ isn’t high enough to stick with Timmy I think.

But the key will be limiting the other positions. Russell Westbrook needs to at least push the matchup with Tony Parker. I love Kevin Durant against Richard Jefferson, both offensively and defensively, though Thabo will surely see time on both Parker and Jefferson. Keeping DeJuan Blair off the offensive glass will definitely be a key.

San Antonio’s bench is extremely deep and in the games OKC has won against the Spurs, San Antonio didn’t shoot well from 3. So perimeter defense and hitting the glass are the two biggest keys for the Thunder tonight.

Win or lose, we know this Thunder team is good. But the further we get into this season, the more these type of home games mean. Right now, OKC is just 2-9 against current West playoff teams. Granted, one of those wins is against the Spurs, but that says the Thunder’s beating teams comparable or worse than them, and not stepping into the next tier. A game like this would be a step in that direction. By no means will I be flipping over tables and shaking my fist in anger if OKC loses, but it would be nice to keep the momentum going (8-2 in the last 10!) and do it by beating a contender.

Tip at 7:00 CST. Go Statement.

BOX SCORE

Go ahead and take a look at the box. It’s kind of weird how close this thing was. Only one field goal separated the two teams tonight and just one three with the same 3fg% of 16.7%.  The teams were only separated by two rebounds, had the same number of steals and were in the same ball park on turns. The two big stats that stand out are the 10 blocks by the Thunder (3 for the Spurs) and the 9 extra charity stripe freebies. Nads Krstic was the man with three blocks and Kevin Durant had 13 of his 25 points at the line.

I thought most of the first half of tonight’s game was actually a little dull as far as entertainment value goes. I felt like we were actually kind of lucky to only be down by 7 at the break.  We weren’t shooting especially well and weren’t defending to any great degree. We allowed the Spurs to drop 28 on us in the second quarter and shoot 8/16. The saving grace is that they were not hitting from deep.

Our guys in blue came out smokin’ in the third putting 14 quick points on the board in the first 4 minutes and knotting it up at 53 apiece.  Whatever Brooks said at halftime was working as the Thunder seemed to have  all the hustle and passion. We finished the third by scoring 32 points on 62.5% shooting while holding the Spurs to just 21 points.

The Spurs  really made a tight game of it in the fourth quarter with much better shooting (10/21). The Thunder were really working and hustling on defense but almost shot themselves in the foot with turnovers and missed free throws.  Still despite the missteps the drama at the end made the game that much more interesting and intense.

• Coach Pop was using a defensive scheme that the Thunder better get used to: denying Kevin Durant the ball and then if that fails, double team him as soon as he catches it.  It worked really well in the second quarter. Most surprising is how George Hill was doing most of the denying. He was fronting KD and working hard to deny him any chance at handling the rock.  I saw more than one turnover trying to get it to him and the rest of the Thunder offense drove to a grinding halt. It was with this scheme that the Spurs opened up a 1o point lead at 36-46. KD was 1-4 in his 9 minutes in the quarter.

• When I saw the starting lineup for San Antonio with DeJuan Blair and Tim Duncan who was a game time decision I thought we would surely get the snot beaten out of us on the boards. Duncan vs Krstic and Blair vs. Green are just two uninspiring matchups for us as far as rebounds go.  But Blair got his second foul fairly quickly in the first and didn’t play much (11 minutes/1 rebound) while Duncan did get 10 boards he spent a lot of his time out of the paint trying to defend Krstic. We actually won the board battle 40-38 and 10-8 on the Orebs.

• I was a big DeJuan Blair fan last year in College, and he is a bull, but at this level I’m not sure he is a full time starter anytime soon. He has to be able to defend somebody and the league is full of Power forwards and Centers that stretch the floor with outside shooting or move their feet well on pick and rolls. He got matched up on KD on a switch and he couldn’t begin to move his feet fast enough to stay in front of him.

• I was reading some pre-game stuff and found myself on Pounding the Rock where they had a preview for tonight’s game. There they had the head to head matchups (not being sure if Parker or Duncan would be playing). They had Richard Jefferson vs. Kevin Durant as “tied”. They had Matt Bonner and Krstic as advantage Spurs, and they had Russell Westbrook with a “slight advantage” over George Hill. Hmmm….me thinks somebody smokin’ the crack pipe.

• I thought tonight that we are really beginning to see the ref’s giving Kevin Durant the “superstar” calls. You know the ones like Kobe and LeBron and Carmelo get where just about anytime they miss a shot and there is somebody defending them the whistle blows? Not that KD isn’t working for his offense. He is driving the lane with authority and he’s not afraid to body up, but he is getting a lot of trips to the line on fouls that are hard to see.

• Speaking of fouls, I really like the Spurs and think they are a classy bunch, but is it just me or do they do a lot of crying about fouls?

• I enjoyed the couple of possessions where Ginobili was matched up with Harden. More than one guy (me included) thought that Harden’s game sort of resembled Ginobili’s what with both being lefty’s and going to the rim lefty so often. On one play Harden was dancing around a screen and took a little jab step and step back jumper and faked Ginobili back to Argentina.

• It’s been mentioned before but doesn’t it seem like we really bite on a lot of up fakes?  I noticed a lot in the Orlando game and the second Sacto contest; tonight as well.

• My blood pressure went through the roof when Sefolosha missed the first free throw late in the fourth that could have put us up by seven, instead getting the lead at six. George Hill then made a stepback three to cut the game to just one possession. Later he (Sefolosha) botched the inbound pass which led to a turn with 30 seconds left down by three. Luckily he busted his arse to get down the court and help KD tie up Jefferson for a turn.

• Sefolosha had a genius backside block on a Tony Parker drive. He seems to play big time defense on the Spurs in general and Parker specifically. He blocked that game tying shot by Parker in the win last season.

• How about that breakaway coast to coast Harden jam? (the picture at the top of the page is that dunk I think. Notice Harden’s hand at Ginobli’s throat?) I thought it funny that KD was waving his arms yelling for a pass because he was open for a jumper. NOT! The beard also had a beautiful crossover and drive to the hole for an “AND1″.

• The “good” Westbrook was on display tonight. Check out his line: 19 points on 7/13 shooting, 11 assists, 5 boards and ZERO TURNOVERS. Nice!! He was still -1 on raw +/-, but the scoreboard tells all.

• It’s been noted before but did everyone notice that Ginobli finally accepted the obvious and got a little buzz cut thing going? And along those same lines Nads Krstic was clean shaven today instead of his usual “slept under the bridge/euro scruffy” look? Let’s hope that clean shaven thing makes it’s way up to the lid.

• There was a great sequence where Parker and Westbrook got tangled up fighting for a loose ball in the fourth and Parker went down. When he got up he was crying to the ref and jawing at Westbrook. It didn’t look like Westbrook had much to say in return, but on the next play he took Parker to the hole for a strong finish.

Go Thunder!

Oklahoma City Thunder (4-4, 2-2 road) at San Antonio Spurs (4-3, 4-0 home)

TV: KSBI-HD (Cox 15, HD 715, Tulsa Cox 3)
Stream: Click Here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 7:30 CST

View from the enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell

Offensive Rating: Thunder – 101.0 (22nd), Spurs – 113.2 (3rd)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 97.3 (3rd), Spurs – 110.2 (25th)
Pace: Thunder – 90.6 (25th), Spurs – 90.5 (26th)

Everybody had visions of going to San Antonio 5-3. It would have been a really nice buffer. That way you know you’re coming home at least a game over .500. Now, at 4-4, Oklahoma City has got to win in San Antonio to achieve that. Just not the position we wanted to be in.

But here’s what’s encouraging: The Thunder can play the Spurs game. The Thunder is ready and willing to play an ugly, defensive game where points don’t come easy. In fact, OKC may be better equipped because of some of the injury concerns with the Spurs. And if you look, OKC is actually statistically far and away better defensively than San Antonio. The Spurs have been great offensively and poor on the other end. OKC has been the exact opposite, efficiency wise. Interesting.

THE MATCHUPS
Both Tim Duncan and Tony Parker are listed as questionable. So who knows what’s going to happen there. Regardless, the Spurs are a good team even without them. The addition of Richard Jefferson has been so huge because he gives an added scoring dimension. We’ve all been impressed by Kevin Durant’s improved defense, but this is probably the best offensive guy he’s had to go against.

I like the shooting guard matchup because it’s defender versus defender. It actually wouldn’t shock me if Thabo guarded Jefferson and Durant matched up against Bogans. If Duncan doesn’t play, DeJuan Blair will likely start so I’m really interested how Jeff Green plays against the undersized, physical Blair.

Russell Westbrook will have George Hill on him which won’t be easy because Hill is an athletic defender. I’m sure Russ is looking to rebound after a poor showing in Los Angeles. Two of Westbrook’s best games last year were against San Antonio.

So much of this game will depend on balanced scoring from the Spurs with Manu Ginobili leading the way. The Spurs are 4-0 this season at home and are never easy to beat at the AT&T Center. Even without Duncan and Parker, the Spurs are still a solid team and this won’t be easy. So I honestly don’t know what to expect.

Tip at 7:30. Go Thunders.

(AP Photo/Eric Gay)

One thing that’s nice about preseason is that your team can play an absolutely horrid game, yet you can sit back and say how it didn’t matter and then point out some positives. And that’s exactly what I plan on doing. The Thunder got walloped in Austin, 119-102, but it was a competitive first 21 minutes though OKC got completely run the last 27. It was 53-50 with 2:55 remaining in the first half. Then San Antonio went on to outscore the Thunder 66 to 52, and had stretched the lead out to 28 at one point.

But hey, it doesn’t matter! It’s just preseason and it doesn’t count! Which is good because I’d really like to forget that I watched that second half. And while the Thunder played some seriously sloppy defense throughout the game, it’s tough to defend against a team that hits 14-19 on 3-pointers (11-14 in the first half) and hits 58 percent from the floor. Some of that were the pathetic closeouts and bad rotations on the defensive end by OKC, but some of it was just deadeye shooting by the Spurs.

Kevin Durant was absolutely lights out early, going for 19 points on 9-12 shooting. But he hit only two of his next 10 shots, finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds. It’s really too bad I hate Texas or otherwise I would have enjoyed this game more. It was neat (I guess) to see him honored and welcomed back. It looked like he was kind of pressing in the second half and frustration set in a bit when the margin was widened and his shot got off. He turned it over a few times and took a couple bad shots.

Russell Westbrook dished out another nine assists and turned it over just three times, which is very nice. But he scored just four points on 2-7 shooting. And before I say this next thing, understand that I know that it’s preseason and this is where you work on things and that it’s early. I know this. But… while I love Russ the Distributor, I think we need a little of Russ the Scorer. I don’t want to say he’s being too passive because he’s not, but nobody can break down an opponent on this team as well as he does. And he can’t get so locked into pass first that he gives away nice drives at the rim in favor of a pass. Who would have thought I’d ever be saying that? Again, I LOVE the way he’s turning into a true point guard, but the Thunder’s going to need him some as an offensive threat. I’m pretty sure it will come naturally which will make everything gel together wonderfully, but his passiveness is just something to note.

Westbrook did make some excellent passes tonight, passes that he never would have come close to seeing last year. While he finished with the nine assists, I counted AT LEAST five passes that directly resulted in an OKC player getting fouled for two free shots. He’s playing so patient and within himself right now. Like I said, you’d love to see the scoring come a little more. And I think it will. Which combining that with the new patient Russ and we’ve got ourselves a real deal point guard.

I really think Etan Thomas is going to give this team meaningful minutes. He looks healthy and is giving productive minutes. Which is something the Thunder absolutely did not get from the backup five last season. If he can play tough defense, rebound and give a solid 15 minutes a night, then I’m pumped. Remember, we got him for Chucky Atkins and Damien Wilkins. I think we already won that trade just in terms of preseason production.

• Welcome to the team James Harden! Finally we see a little of what we all loved about him. We knew it was coming. There was absolutely no reason to panic after a few preseason games, but it sure was nice to see Harden bust out of his offensive funk. He hit three DEEP 3s, drove the lane, created with the dribble and had a couple of very sweet assists. He finished with 17 points on 5-10 shooting but also handed out three helpers and grabbed five boards.

• Thabo Sefolosha was lets say, off. He went 0-6 from the floor and 1-4 from the line. And was a -25 in 25 minutes. Not an awesome game for Thabo.

• Another bright spot tonight though was Jeff Green’s offensive game. He showed it all – inside, outside, driving, back-to-the-basket. It was very nice. He finished with a game-high 24 on 10-16 shooting. Just two rebounds though.

• I really wish we had DeJuan Blair. I don’t know where he’d go since we’ve already got a bit of a logjam at the four, but it’s hard to ignore 17 points and 10 rebounds in just 15 minutes.

• Boy it really looks like Manu has lost quite a bit of hair on his crown. I thought Nenad Krstic had some follicle deficiencies. I think Manu has bigger problems.

• Nick Collison played just eight minutes and grabbed one board. Also, OKC was outrebounded 46-35.

• Russell Westbrook did have three blocks including one on Blair, which was awesome.

• The replacement refs stink. I realize they’re trying but man, there sure are a handful of crappy calls each game. Good thing it appears the real refs have reached an agreement to come back.

Now we’re left with just one more tuneup. And good thing too. I’m a little sick of these meaningless games. It’s hard to be upset when your team plays a crappy game when you know it doesn’t matter. It’s also equally as difficult to get excited when they play well. I’m ready for some real emotions.

Next is the last preseason game, Thursday at home at 7:00 against the Kings.

San Antonio Spurs (3-2) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (2-3)

TV: Thunder TV – KSBI 52 (Cox 15, HD 715)
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM)
Time: 7:30 CDT

View from the enemy: 48 Minutes of Hell

Second to last. This is the second to last warmup game before the real deal. By that token alone, I’m excited about this game.

It’s also Kevin Durant’s homecoming and Scott Brooks said KD would play more minutes tonight. Even though Durant went to that “school” down south, I’m happy for him and I’m sure he’s going to really enjoy being back there. He got a little misty when his jersey was raised to the rafters last spring and I’m sure he’ll feel similar emotions tonight while his name gets chanted all night. So good for him.

But this is the back end of a back-to-back, so this should be nice preparation for the team. It’s something you have to deal with all season and while most the team is used to it, getting your legs back after a game the night before isn’t just something you remember how to do.

I get the feeling we’ll see more of the starters tonight and maybe lower rotation guys at the Ford Center Thursday against the Kings. Maybe it’ll be the other way around but regardless, the tuneups are almost over so it’s time to start thinking about playing for real.

Tip at 7:30 CDT. Go Kevin Durant.