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.