Thursday Bolts – 5.12.16

Jenni Carlson: “They are winning this coaching battle, though the Thunder’s head man

would rebuff the notion that a coaching matchup even exists. Donovan has challenged such conventions several times during these playoffs. Still, there’s no two ways around this fact: on one bench is arguably the best coach in NBA history, on the other bench is an NBA coaching rookie, and if you woke up today after a Rip Van Winkle nap, you’d have a hard time knowing which is which.”

Berry Tramel: “Acrobatic drives to the basket. Goofy turnovers, including a double dribble, a violation you might not see called in a thousand games. Clutch 3-pointers, including a 31-footer with OKC down six points in the fourth quarter and the shot clock nearing zero. Maniacal rebounds that no other human could replicate. Free safety defense, running around just looking for steals, leaving Tony Parker open as if he’s Andre Roberson. Game-winning plays at crunch time. Thirty-five points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and eight turnovers. Buy your ink by the barrel when filling out Westbrook’s stat line. Then after the game, a fashion show on the interview podium, where the can’t-miss stuff is not what Westbrook says, but how he looks. The bitter-beer response at reporters’ faux pas, incredulous countenance at questions that disgust him, eyes that light up when he hears something he likes from partner Kevin Durant.”

I wrote a thing about Russ and KD.

The Legend Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript: “And against the Spurs, pace and style mean just about everything. The Thunder now head back to Oklahoma City with a chance to close out the series. Against all odds, they’ve found a way to win not once, but twice against the best home team of all time, one of only two squads in NBA history — along with the 1986 Celtics — to complete a 40-1 season at home. All it took was one of the best halves of Russell Westbrook’s season.”

The NBA admitted it got two calls wrong at the end of Game 5.

Tom Ley of Deadspin: “It seems like every time he gets a defensive rebound, Westbrook immediately turns and breaks to the other end of the court. The ensuing sprint is equally reckless and calculated, and sometimes it ends with Westbrook kicking it out to an open teammate for a spot-up three. It’s more fun when he outruns his own teammates or decides to take the shot himself, though, because that’s when things like this happen.”