Question For Our Final

Here is my suggestion for a question on our final for Blogging for Journalists.

Give me 3 examples of internet lingo.

Answers may include but are not limited to: LOL(laugh out loud), ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing), LMAO (laughing my a** off), STFU (shut the f***), GTFO (get the f*** out), IIRC (if I remember correctly), TBH (to be honest), SMH (so much hate), BRB (be right back), G2G (got to go), IDK (I don't know), IMHO (in my honest opinion), LTTP (late to the party), TY (thank you), YW (you're welcome), GL (good luck), etc.

OKC Advances To 2nd Round With 100-97 Win Over Denver

I love playoff basketball. Granted it helps that my hometown squad just advanced to the 2nd round with a gritty win over a solid Denver squad but that is neither here nor there. Playoff basketball is more exciting to everyone, especially dedicated fans like myself. Go ahead, ask the casuals. Even they will tell you that playoff games have a more important feel to them. Possessions mean more, misses became bigger, turnovers more costly. 

Speaking of turnovers, OKC had struggled to take care of the rock last night. Turnovers are frustrating to me because many of them are unforced, similar to an unforced error in tennis. I would much rather the other team get a steal or knock it off one of our guys. Why? Because at least the latter requires action from the defender.

From my experience, mistakes are more visible when a team loses and overlooked. But Russell's performance glared at me like a grandma that overheard me say an inappropriate word like, "crap."

Don't get me wrong, I like Westbrook's style of play. But the times he chooses to assert himself on the offensive end seem to come at inopportune times. Like when the scoring champion hits a big three near the end of the game to give the team a chance at victory, please do not shoot your 7th and final 3 pointer after making 0. When you're shots aren't falling, find other ways to take over the game. For example, get 10 assists, lock down on the defensive end or grab a few extra rebounds. Russell is the not the only person that suffers from "checking out" when the offense isn't coming as easy. 

Some other notes from the game:

• I have waited this long, but I can't hold back any longer. Kevin Durant was other-worldly in the last 4 minutes of the game. He missed one shot on the way to racking up 16 points and getting a big block on a J.R. Smith 3. This is the kind of finish that people will talk about. And I don't mean for the next day or two, I mean years.
• Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. Ibaka and Perkins. Iblaka and Perk. That has a nice little ring to it, ya? When Perk gets into better game shape and erases any doubts about his knees, those two will be THE most intimidating front-court, at least physically. Defenders thoughts might echo something like this: "Should I stay down and get bodied up by Perkins, or attempt a shot and get embarassed by Ibaka. Better kick it out."
• Thabo slid under the radar pulling down 8 rebounds to go along with 8 points. The more of a threat he is offensively, the better our offense can execute. 

San Antonio survived last night by some late game heroics coming from Gary Neal, so the Thunder's 2nd round playoff opponent is still yet to be decided. Follow me on twitter, MakingItRainOKC.

Thunder Drop Game 4, Can Advance With Game 5 Win

OKC was behind for most of Game 4. Every time OKC got within striking distance, the Nuggets would push the lead back to a comfortable margin. I sat patiently waiting for OKC to stop settling for long jumpers or stale possessions. I waited for Russell to stop looking for his own offense and create open looks for others. I waited for Kevin to do a move other than shoulder shake, pull-up, CLANG. My patience went unrewarded as none of things happened, ultimately resulting in a loss.

Sure, there are other things you can point out that didn't help us. James Harden scoring only 7 points in 31 minutes. Nick Collison having taken maybe 1 charge in the whole series. Having more turnovers, more fouls and less assists. I could go on, but you get the point.

The Thunder played sloppy, reckless and uninspired. Couple that with a poor start from the field and the Thunder put themselves in a tough spot, especially on the road. Time to further analyze the good and the bad.

Pros

• Serge Ibaka played another good game. 13 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Great line from the 3rd best player on your team. 
• Durant played a lot better than it seemed. 31 points on just under 50% shooting, 5-6 from 3 and 10-11 from the charity stripe. He had to work for every single one of those points.
• OKC out rebounded the Nuggets 50-44.

Before I get to the cons, you may want to go to the bathroom or maybe grab a beverage. Basically, you're going to be here awhile.

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Ready? OK, good.

Cons

• Russell Westbrook had 30 points on 30 shots. He attempted 7 shots from beyond the arc and made 0. He played almost 39 minutes and netted only 5 assists. Overall, a forgettable game. 
• The turnovers were out of control. 15 turnovers means OKC had 15 possessions that are empty. Less turnovers means more opportunities to put points on the board.
• Nazr and Daequan both got some playing time and scored as many points as I did.
• K-Mart made it rain from the baseline. Not a big deal except Serge didn't even bother putting a hand in his face half of the time. 
• Nobody could stop Ty Lawson. Not Thabo, Russell, Maynor, Harden, etc. I don't expect him to shoot that well again but we have to make his offense harder to come by.
• Yes there is a time for getting technicals. Losing on the road is the not the time. When an underdog is winning at home, a technical is a spark to the crowd's collective lighter fluid. Especially with how chippy this series has been thus far.
• The offense needs some tweaking. I'm not only talking about the plays that are ran throughout the course of the game. I'm talking about inbound plays, half-court sets and last second shot opportunities. The Thunder's offense looks clueless every now and then and the same set of plays that have been ran all season long are beginning to be defended much better. A play for someone other than Durant or Westbrook would surprise a lot of teams. 

OKC returns home for Game 5. Look for them to come out aggressive and confident. I am sure the players want to give the OKC fans their first taste of post-season success.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: Game 5 in OKC, 8:30 pm CT on TNT.

Thunder Save Game 3, Lead Series 3-0

Going into the 3rd game, I was nervous. Why? Because Denver knows how to protect their home court. Also, the scoring from their team is so random that maybe OKC could be overwhelmed in the hostile environment. Plus, I know the Denver fans were going to yell their loudest with the home team winless in the playoffs.

The Thunder got out to a decent start which is a good thing especially playing away from home. If OKC started like they did in Game 1, it would have been over after the 1st quarter. Then all of the national viewers would mercilessly hound the Thunder about being a young team not ready to make the next step, which of course if winning road playoff games.

George Karl hit the nail on the head when he said Durant and Westbrook wouldn't combine for 72 points a game. I knew that, Scott Brooks knew that, heck everyone knew that. Unfortunately they haven't played up to their potential since Game 1. Little does that matter though since OKC has yet to lose to Denver in the last 5 meetings now.

Let's get into the action. Durant started off slowly missing a few jumpers and didn't seem to catch his for the whole game. Westbrook started OKC off on the offensive end by hitting a few pull-ups and controlling the offense. But Serge Ibaka was the main reason OKC had a shot a victory in this one.

Air Congo amassed 22 points, 16 boards, and 4 rejections. Folks that is downright filthy. You could put that line alongside any elite power forward in the league and it would be a great game. Nice sign of what are hopefully things to come for the young Congolese player.

For Denver, they scored collectively, again, with no name really jumping off of the stat sheet. Nene and K-Mart had almost the same line which would be a good thing if one of the two was really good. Unfortunately, Denver is missing the star that has the ability to take over the scoring load, and sometimes entire games altogether.

The end of the game was a complete disaster for both sides consisting of sloppy play and bad passes/shots. OKC escaped with a win and look to sweep with a win tonight.

On a side note, an obviously upset Denver Post writer posted a pretty entertaining read. Go to Daily Thunder for the link.

Here is the box score courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: Game 4 in Denver, 9:30 pm CT.

Game 1 Goes To Thunder, Despite Goaltending Controversy

Ever since the Thunder made the playoffs last year, I have treated playoff games similar to the way a 6 year old might treat Christmas morning. I count the days until the playoffs start and the seconds in between each game anxiously awaiting the next.

With the 1st game behind us, two things must be done. The first is I must post my thoughts and analysis of the game. That is what you are reading. Next, I must ATTEMPT to control my excitement until tomorrow night when I can unleash a fury of towel waving whilst screaming any noise I feel appropriate at the top of my lungs. Saddle up, things are about to get real.

The very beginning of the game felt eerily similar to the beginning of a nightmare I had the night before this game. I dreamt that OKC would come out with poor play exacerbated by no energy and missed shots. And that is exactly what happened. The Nuggets came out on fire jumping to a double digit lead early in the game. Having seen enough basketball, I was fairly confident that Denver wouldn't finish the game shooting 100% and also that OKC wouldn't finish the game shooting 1.5%, so I really wasn't that worried.

When things finally settled down, the Thunder started to play a more relaxed and free-flowing game. It is at these times when the athleticism of OKC really begins to shine. KD started to warm up creating this cup of confidence. When he continued to torch the nets, that cup runneth over spilling onto his teammates and spreading through the crowd. Once the crowd was ignited, the snowball of momentum started to pick up pace and culminated in a small run that brought OKC to within 1 at the half.

When the two teams jogged out to resume play, OKC managed to hold on to a piece of the buzz they took into halftime with them and continued their inspired play. Then, as if the Nuggets could get anything going right, Nene fell to the floor after banging knees with Kendrick Perkins. If there was any point in the game where the Thunder needed a run, it was with the talented Brazilian headed to the locker room for treatment.

As Kevin Durant entered "the zone", the basket turned into an ocean for the lanky superstar. He could have shot granny shots from half-court and I would have expected them to swish through. Then, for no apparent reason, Russell tried put his stamp on the game. Unfortunately, the time he tried to do so pushed Durant to the back-burner. I don't mind Russ having free reign, but that time that free reign is exercised in its fullest is the concern.

With the game coming to a close, every single play, shot, pass, turnover, foul, etc. became more and more important. In particular I am referring to the jumper by Westbrook that appeared to be touched by Kendrick Perkins while the ball was still in the cylinder. For those who haven't heard, the NBA has apologized for the ruling saying it should have been whistled for interference.

I admit, I initially thought the ruling was right. Apparently I saw what the referees claimed to see, or not see. While this did affect the game, it wasn't THE game changer. Denver could have done several things to win the game. Making free throws that haven't changed since middle school would be a start. Playing defense on either of the two all-stars for the other team also would have helped. Rules are rules. But, a win is still a win. Luckily for the Nuggets, this is a series, not just one game. In the end, the better team will move on.

Thunder Drop Easy One, Lose To The Clippers 98-92

Are you kidding me? Not only did this loss surprise me, I also have to deal with a developing hatred of the hometown superstar. Blake Griffin not only flopped his way to 26 points and 16 rebounds, he complained every step of the way. While it's nice to marvel at his power and athleticism, the same needs to be taken into consideration on the defensive end. You're telling me this physical specimen can get steam rolled by any of our post players. Give me a break.

But then Air Congo lifted off to contest a Blake Griffin dunk. I know you just read that last statement and thought, "Doesn't he know that nobody has the nerve to do that." In spite of the popular belief that challenging a BG dunk would be like trying to out-crazy Charlie Sheen, Serge did this.

Excuse me, while I reenact me launching out of my chair with a raucous "Hell Yeah!"
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Ok, I'm back. Let's get on with the bad news already.

First, I'm talking about Russell Westbrook. 9 points on 1-12 from the field is pathetic. Also, he needs to take care of the ball. He doesn't dish out enough assists to warrant 4 or 5 turnovers. He did net 3 steals in the game and still did a decent job of getting assists. Overall, a very forgettable night for the dynamic point guard.

As for our other star, Durant didn't do much to help. Don't get me wrong 24 and 6 won't get complaints from me but on a night when Russell isn't enough to balance the scoring load, Durant may have to take over a little more than usual.

Off the other bench, BG and Eric Gordon supplied most of the attempts for the Clippers. While OKC did a decent job of keeping both of them at a respectable percentage, BG got to the free throw line all night. I'm not saying all, or even most, of the fouls were bad, but it felt like at times he was very well defended and still got the whistle. As for Eric Gordon, the two 3's he made were at crucial points in the game. If a guy isn't hitting one night, but you hope the shots he does make come at the right time, and they did for LAC.

And the technical foul situation was absolutely out of control. As soon as a ref gave anyone a technical, a massive snowball of technicals would start rolling downhill handing out technicals to anyone that came in a 5 foot radius of said referee. Ridiculous.

Overall, a bad loss that makes people wonder if the Thunder might be coasting into the playoffs like they did last year. The loss to the Clippers makes tonight's game a must-win scenario. Okay maybe not a must win but I am really excited to watch this game solely for playoff speculation alone.

Here is the box score for the OKC-LAC game courtesy of ESPN.

Next up: @ Denver Nuggets, April 5 at 8 pm CT.