mrmoves20 wrote:You're having a MONSTER season, y'know? Also, nice going with Durant and Westbrook. Wish you luck heading in to the postseason.
Thunder draw even with Spurs, 110-96
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY
Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook (11 PTS, 6 REB, 11 AST and 4 STL)
Thunder Down Under: Kevin Durant (23 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 1 BLK and 1 STL)
Thunder Protector: Serge Ibaka (16 PTS, 9 REB - 5 OFF, 2 AST, 1 STL and 3 BLK)
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY ARENA - The Thunder locked down the Spurs quite early. They built the lead during the first quarter, and was clearly dominating the opposition. They outscored San Antonio, 39-19. Thabo Sefolosha did a great job of guarding Stephen Jackson, as he was the one who hung the "L" when the Thunder faced them on the road.
Even though Tony Parker scored 21 points, the French Spurs PG was clearly overwhelmed on how Westbrook physically defended him. "All those shots were tightly contested. Russell will become a good player." stated Parker, who also had 9 assists. The Spurs and the Thunder took the same volume of shots at 91, but the Thunder finished better by hitting 44 of them(48%) and the Spurs getting 39(42%).
The Thunder also owned the 3-point land in a tightly contested manner, as both teams hit the same number of three-pointers, but the Thunder had fewer attempts. The Thunder bench, however, was outscored 50-29. Rebounding also became a factor, as Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison did a great job of boxing out and preventing the four-time NBA Champion Tim Duncan from getting offensive rebounds.Photos:
Thunder finishes Pacers, 114-105
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook (22 PTS, 4 REB, 11 AST and 2 STL)
Thunder Down Under: Kevin Durant (30 PTS, 6 REB and 2 AST)
Thunder Protector: Thabo Sefolosha (7 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL and 2 BLK)
With the final meeting versus the Pacers in check, the Thunder would absolutely want to dominate their opponents. They got the "W", but not after working hard to attain it. The Thunder held a 10-point lead throughout the whole game, but after 4 minutes into the fourth quarter, the Pacers immediately fired back and cut the lead to a 1-point deficit.
Later on, despite with the small ball crunch-time lineup the Thunder checked in, the Pacers still shot the lights out. Until Kevin Durant killed them, that is. Kevin Durant was accidentally elbowed by Tyler Hansbrough late during the third quarter, and went to the locker rooms to patch himself up. When he came back to the game, the Thunder had their lead relinquished and the Pacers were leading by 6.
The Oklahoma City All-Star immediately checked back into the game, with a different demeanor far from his usual. The Thunder Forward then scored 10 straight points off of steals, blocks and rebounds. "He came back angry." said Kevin Martin, who was one of the Thunder's late game contributors. "It's a'ight. Move on and forget." Durant said after the game.Photos:
Thunder dominates Knicks at home
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook (34 PTS, 4 REB, 16 AST and 2 STL)
Thunder Down Under: Kevin Durant (37 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST and 3 STL)
Thunder Protector: Serge Ibaka (19 PTS, 12 REB - 6 OFF, 2 AST and 1 BLK)
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY ARENA - It's time to show the world how powerful the Thunder is. After trailing the first half by 5, the Thunder fought back and erased the deficit. There was no distinction between the starters and bench, and everybody wanted to score. Despite Melo's 43 points, 7 rebounds performance, the Thunder attacked with it's four-headed dragon.
The Thunder Core Four all scored in double-digits, combining for 109 points, the most in Oklahoma City Thunder history. The four also grabbed 28 rebounds, 9 of them were offensive ones that helped cut the deficit and build their own lead. Serge Ibaka mostly dominated when Westbrook and Durant were on the bench. The Knicks squad couldn't stop the 6'10" Power Forward from driving and grabbing rebounds.
Westbrook also tied his career-high in assists with his superb performance. He also went 13-of-18 on the floor and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Kevin Durant has not been himself, scoring 35 points on 25 shots with 13 makes. Nevertheless, without his performance, the Thunder wouldn't have grabbed the win. The bench also provided good support by scoring 51 points with it's competitor having 29. They also out-rebounded the Knicks, 43-51. They also defended the perimeter well, as New York only drained one three-pointer.
Ball movement was the key to this game and every Thunder game. They finished dead last in the assists category as a team last season, but today, they are averaging 24.1 assists per game and is currently placed 9th on the league statistics. Oklahoma City also defends well, by limiting their opponents to 93.9 points while scoring 106.7 points for themselves. That's a point differential of 12.8, the highest in the league.Photos:
Thunder wins on the road, 121-95
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook (33 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST and 1 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Kevin Durant (28 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL AND 3 BLK)
Thunder Protector: Nick Collison (5 PTS, 12 REB - 2 OFF and 2 BLK)
After surviving a tough first quarter, the Oklahoma City Thunder kicked things off again and started to run wild. They forced turnovers and got stops, the tempo was completely theirs. The Trailblazers' superstars LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum were indefinitely shut down by the suffocating Thunder defense led by Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha.
The Thunder never looked back and confidently played. They were contesting shots, filling up the paint and drained shots around the court. They finished making 49 shots on 92 attempts, 53%. Although they got eaten at the offensive rebounding, they made up for it by blocking and contesting. Those eventually converted into fast break points, and was an important aspect during the match.Photos:
K-Mart is clutch, scores 55 points and upsets Kings
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Kevin Martin (55 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL and 3 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Serge Ibaka (21 PTS, 16 REB - 8 OFF and 1 STL)
Thunder Protector: Toney Douglas (6 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL and 1 BLK)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - With two last games, Thunder Coach Scott Brooks has decided not to play his superstars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. Many have speculated that the Thunder will be giving away it's last two games in order to rest, and Brooks will not play any player more than 25 minutes. But they were wrong, oh so wrong.
Despite a rough start, the Thunder clung on to the whole game and tried to use every ounce of their abilities and keep up with the Kings. The Duo-less Oklahoma City squad was united. Nolan and Toney were dishing out to the bigs as if they were always open. The bigs, on the other hand, converted opportunities and drew fouls. Kevin Martin kept hitting big shots after big shots and eventually surpassed every offensive aspect he has achieved throughout his career.
The Thunder Sixth Man scored a career-high 55 points and made 20 shots on 33 attempts. He also got 12 of his three-pointers to fall while attempting 21. All new records for the guard who turned 30 last year. Congo Forward Serge Ibaka also added up 21 points and grabbed 16 boards, 8 were offensive ones that brought the offensive onslaught during the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City fought back and eventually erased a 10-point deficit late during the fourth quarter. Kevin Martin started the spark offensively by getting an and-1 layup.
Next possession, Toney Douglas intercepts a pass and starts a fast break that led to a Kevin Martin three. Next, Marcus Thornton jumper, but gets blocked by Kevin Martin, who runs the other way with another three. The fight goes on for a moment with both teams scoring turn by turn, but it was the last three-pointer Kevin Martin made that iced the game. The Thunder leading by 1, 3.4 seconds left. Kings, timeout. As soon as the Kings inbounded the ball, it was intercepted and got stolen by Serge Ibaka. Thunder wins.Photos:
Thunder miserably fall to the Bucks, 135-118
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Jason Kidd (27 PTS, 3 REB, 14 AST and 3 STL)
Thunder Down Under: Kevin Martin (36 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL and 2 BLK)
Thunder Blunder: Kenyon Martin (4 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST and 1 TO)
With the final game of the season, the again Durant and Westbrook-less Thunder squad look to close out the season with style. After getting a close first quarter, the Bucks easily pulled away for the rest of the game. Despite K-Mart's 36 points and Ibaka's solid efforts around the glass, the Thunder lost pretty badly. Nevertheless, the played hard and played great. This game won't affect the playoff seeding.
Brandon Jennings scored his 5000th point and carried the team offensively, scoring 29 points while dishing out 12 assists along with veteran and former NBA champion Jason Kidd, who torched the Thunder the whole game. 4 Milwaukee players had double-doubles and easily disposed the Thunder. OKC, on the other hand, still shot 50% from the field although they got restricted to 86 shots. The Bucks, however, had 111 attempts and made 55.
Free Throws were a huge part of this game, as Serge Ibaka got every whistle and attempts count. He made 9 out of 12 attempts. The injured Nolan Smith also played great, scoring 19 points, grabbed 2 rebounds and also had 2 assists in 22 minutes of playing time. Nick Collison notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, 3 were offensive.Photos:
2012-2013 NBA Season Awards
MVP: Kevin Durant
- "It's a great honor to be selected by the people as the MVP. I won't let you down guys." - Kevin Durant
Sixth Man of the Year: Kevin Martin
- "To be selected at this age, it feels great. I hope I can win it again. Hat's off to OKC." - Kevin Martin
Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks
- "This wouldn't be possible if my players weren't here. It's all thanks to them." - Scott Brooks
Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard
Most Improved Player: Goran Dragic
Rookie of the Year: Damian Lillard
Players of the Month:
November: Kevin Durant (WEST) and Carmelo Anthony (EAST)
December: James Harden (WEST) and LeBron James (EAST)
January: Kevin Durant (WEST) and Kyrie Irving (EAST)
February: Kevin Love (WEST) and John Wall (EAST)
March: Kevin Durant (WEST) and LeBron James (EAST)
April: Russell Westbrook (WEST) and Brandon Jennings (EAST)
Rookies of the Month:
November: Anthony Davis (WEST) and Dion Waiters (EAST)
December: Damian Lillard(WEST) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (EAST)
January: Anthony Davis (WEST) and Dion Waiters (EAST)
February: Damian Lillard (WEST) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (EAST)
March: Anthony Davis (WEST) and Dion Waiters (EAST)
April: Anthony Davis (WEST) and Tyler Zeller (EAST)
League Leaders
PPG: Kevin Durant (31.3 PPG)
RPG: Kevin Love (12.1 RPG)
APG: Rajon Rondo (8.6 APG)
SPG: Brandon Jennings (2.2 SPG)
BPG: JaVale McGee (2.4 BPG)
MPG: Kevin Love (38.5 MPG)
PLAYOFF SEEDING
STANDINGS:
WEST:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (69-13)
2. Los Angeles Lakers (56-26)
3. Denver Nuggets (50-32)
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-36)
5. San Antonio Spurs (45-37)
6. Houston Rockets (45-37)
7. Memphis Grizzlies (42-40)
8. Los Angeles Clippers (42-40)
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9. Golden State Warriors (39-43)
10. Dallas Mavericks (36-46)
11. Utah Jazz (36-46)
12. Sacramento Kings (35-47)
13. New Orleans Hornets (32-50)
14. Phoenix Suns (27-55)
15. Portland Trailblazers (25-57)
EAST:
1. Miami Heat (65-17)
2. Chicago Bulls (48-34)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (48-34)
4. Brooklyn Nets (47-35)
5. New York Knicks (44-38)
6. Charlotte Bobcats (41-41)
7. Toronto Raptors (40-42)
8. Indiana Pacers (38-44)
-----------------------------------------------
9. Detroit Pistons (37-45)
10. Atlanta Hawks (37-45)
11. Milwaukee Bucks (37-45)
12. Washington Wizards (34-48)
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (33-49)
14. Boston Celtics (32-50)
15. Orlando Magic (26-56)
Series Preview WEST
v.s.
- Two good teams facing each other just in the first round of the playoffs. Although it was a bit disappointing that the Clippers only had the eighth seed, whereas they were projected to be seeded from 3 to 5. The Thunder, on the contrary, did what they exactly needed to do. Get the number 1 seed and prove that you are still the Western Conference Champs.
Prediction: Thunder in five.v.s.
- Despite a rough way to start the season, the Lakers managed to get a hold of the second seed and lock it in. Kobe Bryant is chasing his sixth ring, whilst his other all-star teammates are going for their first. The Grizzlies came in hoping to get the 4th or 5th, but was outlasted by the Spurs. Both teams had a solid season, so we may see some solid basketball too.
Prediction: Lakers in five. [UPDATE]v.s.
- An exciting series indeed. The Rockets return to the playoffs, all due to their All-Stars James Harden and Jeremy Lin. Harden was acquired in the off-season, days before the season starts. This is the the first time the Rockets made the playoffs since the Yao Ming era. Denver, coached by the legendary George Karl, can be seen as an experienced solid deep team playing great basketball despite being "Star-less". Karl did a great job of coaching even without Melo propelling the team.
Prediction: Denver in five. [UPDATE]v.s.
- One of the great matches this year's playoffs has to offer. Old v.s. Young. The Big Fundamental facing off against the Kevin Love-led Wolves. The Wolves also have Spanish Superstar Guard Ricky Rubio, whilst the Spurs present us the classic Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, who had a beastly season. These two teams match each other too much. In almost every aspect, they're on the same page.
Prediction: T'Wolves in seven. [UPDATE]EAST v.s.
- An Eastern Conference Semi-Finals rematch. These two teams faced off and the Heat certainly did not know what hit them. The Pacers, relatively an average team, managed to push the games to six and scared off the Heat. If the Heat lacked LeBron during that time, well, we may have seen a different Finals matchup. Miami, much like the Thunder, had the second best record in the league and are certainly better than last year. The Pacers clinched the season average.
Prediction: Miami in five.v.s.
- This one's pretty self-explanatory. After getting eliminated in the first round last year, the Bulls are back and is hungrier than ever. Along with the healthy Derrick Rose, who has risen, versus the surprising Toronto Raptors, this may be a good series. The Raptors are too young to win though, whilst the Bulls have the experience. Oh, and did I mention that the Bulls traded for DeMarcus Cousins?
Prediction: Bulls in four.v.s.
- Two unexpected teams play for a chance at the title. The Bobcats quickly turned around, from last year's worst team to the 6th seed in the playoffs. Granted, the Eastern Conference are weaker than their Western counterpart, but we cannot change the fact that they made the playoffs 3 seasons after they last made their appearance. The Bynum-led Sixers are thriving in the East and locked up the 3rd seed, something we didn't expect.
Prediction: Philly in four.v.s.
- The battle of New York. One of the greatest rivalry in the history of the league has made the playoffs. Brooklyn, a new franchise relocated from New Jersey, did not disappoint their new fans. Led by Deron Williams, the Nets have managed to go fourth in the easy east. The Knicks, however, was a tad bit disappointing. They had a hot season start, but cooled off after the All-Star Break. Melo has been phenomenal for them.
Prediction: Knicks in six. [UPDATE]
Thunder dominates Clippers, 131-121
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (35 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL and 2 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Russell Westbrook (29 PTS, 5 REB, 11 AST and 3 STL)
Thunder Protecor: Kevin Martin (20 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK)
CHESAPEAKE ENERGY ARENA - The Thunder are back in the playoffs, this time, taking what they definitely deserved. Number #1 seed, granting them Home-Court Advantage. And they certainly used it well. Oklahoma City started off the game hard, grabbing rebounds and contesting every shot. It was a good decision by Scott Brooks to put Sefolosha on Paul, as Thabo made CP3 miss shots with his length.
On the other hand, Westbrook, who was assigned to Jamal Crawford, seemingly annoyed Jamal and made him miserable for the whole night. It got worse as he got blocked from behind by a trailing Kevin Martin. He eventually finished with 24 points on 10-of-23 field goal shooting. Chris Paul had 22, but almost all of those only came off fastbreak steals, Thabo certainly did not give him open shots.
Blake Griffin tortured the Thunder in the offensive rebounding part, but was quickly taken out by Ibaka after a successful dunk. Kevin Durant, who had an amazing night, was the Thunder's life throughout the whole game. By scoring 35, he was able to propel the Thunder back on track after starting slow during the third quarter, where they saw their lead diminish and get cut to five.
Durant and Westbrook checked in with five minutes left in the quarter and both wreaked havoc around the court. Russell Westbrook steal. Kevin Durant and-1 dunk in transition. Next possession, Clippers shot clock violation. Thunder with the Kevin Martin three. Ball intercepted by Westbrook, dunks it hard. Just with that, the Thunder pushed the lead to 10 and never looked back.Photos:
Mark. wrote:Just read through this quickly. Top top season, gutted you were just robbed of the 70 win milestone! Durant had a spectacular season. Keep it up!
Durant, Thunder overcome deficit, takes Game 2
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (51 PTS, 13 REB - 3 OFF, 2 AST, 3 STL and 1 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Russell Westbrook (39 PTS, 5 REB, 11 AST and 1 STL)
Thunder Protector: Serge Ibaka (8 PTS, 12 REB - 2 OFF, 3 AST and 1 BLK)
It was definitely a heartbreaking game for the Clippers, and quite a memorable one for the Thunder. The Clippers came in and dominated both ends of the floor during the first half. And it was absolutely the worst for the Thunder. In both quarters, the Thunder scored 27 each, compared to the Clippers' 35 and 38 respectively. But fans saw what they liked to see. A comeback.
The Thunder offense kicked in the second half, and they eventually tied the game by scoring 41 points in the third quarter. On the other hand, the Clippers got 22. Oklahoma City was now riding with the Clippers. Coming in the fourth quarter, the Thunder were very much pumped and Kevin Durant was on fire. Despite making 19 of his 41 shots, he took the steering wheel and propelled the Thunder to another win.
"We don't know when they get hot. We be ready next time." Durant said. And he was certainly right. The fact that the Thunder had become the underdog was clearly disturbing. When asked about the third quarter comeback, Westbrook said "Just play your game, not their game." The Thunder had been eaten on the defensive end and thus, a lead they were all fearing.
Nevertheless, we'll take the "W" no matter how it happened.Photos:
Phil89 wrote:Brilliant second half there. Durant and Westbrook combining for 90 points is crazy. Good luck in LA with the next games.
SWEEP!
Thunder upsets Clippers, 125-120
GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS
Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (47 PTS, 7 REB, and 2 AST)
Thunder Down Under: Russell Westbrook (31 PTS, 4 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK)
Thunder Protector: Kevin Martin (28 PTS, 5 REB 1 STL and 2 BLK) and Serge Ibaka (11 PTS, 15 REB - 7 OFF, 2 AST, 2 STL and 2 BLK)
STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES - And there we have it. The Thunder overcame a 10 point deficit and grabbed the "W", giving them a three to nothing series lead. The Clippers, however, were heartbroken. Just as they thought they could win the match, the Thunder fires back and erases their misdeeds of the first half. Chris Paul was a half-factor for the game, going for 21 points, 8 rebounds and 13 assists, but took 21 shots and making 8.
Jamal Crawford, who torched the Thunder in the last outing, was pretty much non-existent despite his team-high 24 points, as those came from normal shots, not momentum swinging ones. It was Blake who tortured the Thunder. The Clippers Forward had 20 points and 18 rebounds, 6 of those were offensive ones that led to extra possessions. The Clips are now 0-3 and are on pace for being swept. There have been no teams in NBA history to recover from a 0-3 series.
Scott Brooks mainly switched to his 9-man rotation during the game, as four players didn't get enough action. Thabo Sefolosha and Russell Westbrook were both great on the defensive end, making the Clipper guards shoot bad shots and force passes that eventually led to turnovers. Kevin Durant was on fire during the fourth, scoring 18 of his 47 points and paved the way for the comeback.
It was his three-pointer that tied the game at 109 with 1:30 left. After that, the Thunder got sparked and clearly disrupted the flow within the Clippers. Serge Ibaka grabbed boards and hounded them like a dog. Westbrook intercepted nearly every possession the Clippers got, and scored 31 points on an efficient 11 shots in 14 attempts. Kevin Martin shot the lights out, and as for Kevin Durant, well, let's just say that he's being Kevin Durant.Photos:
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