Oklahoma City Thunder Blog

Kobe leads Lakers past Thunder in 99-96 thriller

theme — Sat, 19 May 2012 14:12:46 +0000

LOS ANGELES (AP) With their Game 2 collapse still fresh in their minds, the Los Angeles Lakers avoided a sequel with the only game plan they’re confident will work against the younger, faster Oklahoma City Thunder.

They got slow. They got into the paint. And they got to the free-throw line 42 times, incredibly making all but one of those shots.

Kobe Bryant knows it isn’t pretty. He also knows it’s probably the only way the Lakers can pull the high-flying Thunder down to their level.

Bryant scored 14 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers rallied late for a 99-96 victory in Game 3 on Friday night, cutting the Thunder’s second-round series lead to 2-1.

”That’s two games in a row that we controlled the tempo,” said Bryant, who surpassed Gail Goodrich’s 1972 team record of 17 free throws without a miss.

”We did a good job of controlling the pace of the game and being physical,” Bryant added. ”It’s not taxing, it’s fun. It’s a challenge, and we all enjoy that. I know I certainly do. You want to be against an opponent that you respect, and you know is going to bring it physically and emotionally.”

The Lakers were close to a historically insurmountable playoff deficit when the Thunder went ahead 92-87 with 3 minutes left. Instead, they finished on a 12-4 run, scoring six points on free throws in the final 33 seconds and earning the chance to even the series in Game 4 on Saturday night.

Metta World Peace swiped the ball from Kevin Durant and hit two free throws with 12.9 seconds left for the third-seeded Lakers. When Durant missed a potential tying 3-pointer before Andrew Bynum blocked Serge Ibaka’s shot at the buzzer, the Lakers‘ frenzied crowd celebrated only their second victory in the last six playoff games.

”We continued to work, even when they got the lead a couple of times in the fourth quarter,” said Pau Gasol, who had 12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. ”It’s in us. We want to win this series, we want to beat this team, and we will do whatever it takes. Obviously, we know how hard it is going to be, but we are ready for it.”

The back-to-back schedule won’t help the Lakers‘ weary legs in their 11th playoff game in 21 days. Yet while the Thunder have shown more skill and athleticism than the Lakers can match, Los Angeles has largely controlled the tempo for two straight games.

Who knows what’s possible in the shadow of the Lakers‘ 16 championship banners?

”It’s going to take a mental commitment on our part in order to fight through the fatigue we might feel (Saturday),” Gasol said. ”It’s going to be all will, and desire, and effort. Just pushing ourselves through everything and anything that we might be feeling.”

Durant scored 31 points before missing his last shot for Oklahoma City, which seemed poised to move to the brink of its second straight trip to the Western Conference finals. Instead, the Thunder lost for the first time in the postseason – but they didn’t exactly appear shaken by their late struggles.

”It was just one of those games where we didn’t close it out,” Russell Westbrook said. ”But we played hard, and we’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

Westbrook and James Harden scored 21 points apiece for the Thunder, who couldn’t match the Lakers‘ late-game execution after soundly out-executing the Lakers in Game 2.

The Lakers said the 41-of-42 performance at the line was the second-best in NBA playoff history for teams with more than 30 attempts. Only Dallas’ 49-for-50 effort against San Antonio on May 19, 2003, was better.

”We put them on the line,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. ”We can’t do that. Down the stretch, you have to defend them without fouling and rebound the basketball. Unfortunately, we came up short.”

Bynum had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who got 12 points apiece from Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake. The Lakers still got uncomfortably close to an 0-3 deficit, which has never been overcome in NBA history.

Oklahoma City’s bench celebrated a 92-87 lead on Westbrook’s breakaway dunk with 2:55 to play, but the Lakers trimmed away with Gasol’s free throws, Bryant’s layup and several possessions of tenacious defense. Bryant’s free throws put the Lakers ahead with 1:09 to play.

Durant immediately hit a go-ahead jumper with a hand squarely in his face, but Bryant added two more free throws – his 15th and 16th – to put Los Angeles ahead 95-94. The Thunder finished 26 of 28 from the line, but the Lakers went 17 for 18 in the fourth quarter alone.

”We knew they were going to approach the game with a lot of intensity down 0-2,” Durant said. ”We did a great job of fighting back and taking a lead. … We can play any type of basketball. That’s what’s good about our team. We can play fast. We can play slow. That’s what tonight was, and so was Game 2. But both games, we did a good job of fighting. Tonight, we just didn’t come out on top.”

The game was the first of four second-round NBA playoff games in just over 48 hours at Staples Center, also the site of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between and Kings and Phoenix on Thursday and Sunday. The top-seeded San Antonio Spurs will face the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday in an afternoon game before the Thunder and Lakers play Game 4.

Thanks to the NBA’s shortened schedule, the Lakers are playing their first back-to-back playoff games since May 22-23, 1999, in the second round against San Antonio during another season shortened by labor strife.

NOTES: Before the game, Gasol received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for his charity work as a UNICEF ambassador. World Peace won the award last season. … Kendrick Perkins had six points in 30 minutes, but Brooks put no limit on his minutes in the back-to-back games despite the veteran’s sore hip. … NBA Commissioner David Stern, Denzel Washington, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Ice Cube, Redskins QB Robert Griffin III and the Los Angeles Kings’ Mike Richards, Drew Doughty and Jarret Stoll attended the game.

Gotta run!.

Thunder edges Lakers, 77-75 in Game 2

theme — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:28:28 +0000

OKLAHOMA City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (left) tumbles over Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum during the first quarter of Game 2 of their basketball playoffs Western Conference semifinal, in Oklahoma City.

Thunder edges Lakers,

77-75 in Game 2

OKLAHOMA City – Kevin Durant scored 22 points and rattled in the go-ahead basket on a baseline runner with 18 seconds left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final nine points to rally for a 77-75 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals yesterday.

Oklahoma City trailed by seven with 2 minutes left before surging back with a series of defensive stops by its stars to take a 2-0 lead.

Game 3 is Friday night in Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who came up empty on their last six possessions after Bynum’s hook shot made it 75-68 with 2:09 remaining.

After struggling throughout the second half, the Thunder suddenly came alive after Scott Brooks called timeout following Bynum’s basket that gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game.

James Harden drove for a layup before Durant used his height advantage to reach up and tip away a pass from Bryant, who he was guarding. Durant ran out for a right-handed dunk at the other end before Russell Westbrook forced another turnover by aggressively challenging an outlet pass to Bryant along the sideline.

Harden made the next stop, blocking Bryant’s jumper on the next Lakers possession and getting a layup in transition off it to cut the deficit to one in the final minute.

Bryant couldn’t connect again, this time on a 3-pointer, to give the Thunder the ball back with the chance to take the lead and Durant was able to make it happen.

Steve Blake missed a 3-pointer from the right side with about 5 seconds left after Metta World Peace couldn’t get the ball to Bryant on the inbounds play. Durant was then fouled with 0.3 seconds left and made his first try before missing the second on purpose — failing to hit the backboard or rim for a violation.

The Lakers got a desperation try but World Peace’s long pass for Bynum was intercepted by Harden.

Westbrook added 15 points for Oklahoma City, which matched its lowest scoring total of the season but still gutted out the win.

Historically, the loss makes a huge difference. Los Angeles is 29-12 when splitting the first two games of a seven-game series and has lost 17 of 19 when falling into a 2-0 hole. The Lakers’ last comeback was in the 2004 West semifinals against San Antonio.

The Thunder have won all nine of their series after leading 2-0, dating back to the franchise’s days in Seattle.

In a game that was nip-and-tuck throughout, the Lakers started inching away early in the fourth quarter while Westbrook was on the bench.

Bryant drilled a jumper from the left wing and Blake followed with a 3-pointer before World Peace hit one of two free throws for a 69-63 advantage with 7:27 remaining — the Lakers’ largest lead to that point.

Westbrook returned then but only provided the briefest of sparks for the struggling Oklahoma City offense, and Bynum’s second straight basket — on a left-handed hook shot at the left block — made it 75-68 with 2:09 to play.

Until that point, Oklahoma City had made only 7 of 27 shots in the second half while committing eight turnovers.

After getting ripped apart by the Thunder’s pick-and-roll attack and giving up 119 points in Game 1, the Lakers made it an emphasis to put up more resistance in the rematch and it showed. Matt Barnes shuffled back and forth around three Nick Collison screens to contest Harden’s jumper and preserve the Lakers’ 22-21 lead after one quarter.

The Lakers’ defense was at its best just after halftime as they got out of a 48-45 deficit by holding Oklahoma City scoreless for the first 4 minutes and allowing just two baskets in the first 8 minutes. But Los Angeles still couldn’t create any sort of a cushion and Westbrook’s wide-open 3-pointer from the left corner — after World Peace airballed a similar shot on the opposite end — had the Thunder back within 57-56 with 3:31 left in the third.

Notes: The NBA on Wednesday fined Devin Ebanks $25,000 for actions related to his Game 1 ejection and Bynum $15,000 for failing to speak to reporters Tuesday. Bynum, who has had recent disciplinary issues within the team, talked at the Lakers’ morning shootaround Wednesday and called it a make up for skipping the previous day. “I think he’s learning. Is he going to be a perfect citizen the rest of his career? I don’t know,” coach Mike Brown said. “He’s bound to make mistakes. I think everybody makes mistakes.” … World Peace has said he supported Scott Brooks to become Sacramento’s coach back in 2007, when Brooks had been an assistant under Eric Musselman. “Little does he know, if I would have got the job, I was going to ask for him to be traded,” Brooks joked. He then called World Peace, or Ron Artest at the time, the third-best two-way player at the time behind Bryant and Kevin Garnett. … Harden caught World Peace with an inadvertent elbow to the face in the first quarter. (AP)

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PBT: Lakers-Thunder no longer teacher vs. student

theme — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:09:47 +0000

Two years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round of the 2010 NBA Playoffs. It was supposed to be a nice learning experience for a team on the rise, a quick lesson from the reigning champs as to how the playoffs work. Instead, the world was introduced to the intensity of the Oklahoma City crowd, and the Lakers generally looked inept in their efforts to dominate the less experienced team. The Lakers went on to win the title, because that’s kind of their thing. Struggle when they don’t have to actually try, then kill everything in front of them once they get going. The league took notice, though, and it was the big step forward for the Thunder into the spotlight.

My, how things have changed.

Now the Thunder enter Monday night as the prohibitive favorite, having handled the Lakers in all but their last meeting, an overtime home win for the Lakers that featured Metta World Peace taking out the Thunder’s third best player. The student has become the master, so to speak. But can they win out over the more experienced team, with Kobe Bryant and a huge size advantage?

Five things to note as the series kick off.

1. If You Want Blood, You Got It: This thing is no longer a friendly little-brother thing. It’s a full-blown rivalry. The Thunder have taken it to the Lakers, and James Harden was actually talking trash to Kobe Bryant in a Thunder win earlier this season. You know, the one before Metta World Peace “accidentally” elbowed him in the side of the head giving him a concussion. Kendrick Perkins has had an issue with Andrew Bynum for years dating back to his Boston days. Serge Ibaka goes at Pau Gasol, and Kevin Durant hates being guarded by MWP. The Lakers will always think they rule the roost and the Thunder just knocked off the Mavericks who tossed them last year. They have something to prove. This is going to be a rough series with emotions running high in the madhouse that is Chesapeake Energy Arena

2. On Guard: Anyone else notice that Ty Lawson destroyed the Lakers? Because Ty Lawson destroyed the Lakers. The Lakers have lacked a good perimeter defender for point guards for years. Ramon Sessions has not helped the situation. Russell Westbrook is the same model as Lawson, fast and explosive, only maybe faster, definitely more explosive, and a better overall scorer. In the 2010 series, Kobe Bryant switched onto Westbrook and did the lion’s share on him. The problem with that is that James Harden has stepped up and become the playmaker that OKC needs as a third option. If Bryant handles Westbrook, they’re just letting Harden loose. Switch MWP onto Harden to defend him without elbowing him, and there’s that problem of Kevin Durant. Someone’s going to get loose for OKC. It’s just a matter of the Lakers picking their poison.

3. Big And Bad And Lazy All Over: Kendrick Perkins does really well against huge athletic centers. But Andrew Bynum’s size is still going to win out most times… if he exerts himself. Bynum could have ended the Nuggets series in five games had he tried. He chose not to, and the series went to seven. How much effort will he give in this series? Likewise, Serge Ibaka is going to have a hard time with Pau Gasol who can shoot over him from mid-range which is where Ibaka struggles. If Gasol is engaged, which again, flip a coin, the Lakers have so much length they can punish the Thunder inside. If not, the game becomes about transition and perimeter and that’s where the Thunder live.

4. Unlikely Heroes: The playoffs have been rife with unlikely heroes. Among these was Steve Blake, hitting five threes in Game 7 vs. Denver. Can the Lakers get great shooting from Blake and MWP over the course of a series despite all evidence to the contrary outside of Game 7? Can Daequan Cook or Thabo Sefolosha makes plays? What about Jordan Hill? No, seriously, what about Jordan Hill? This series is likely to be close and whoever gets a step up from the unlikely guys may come out on top.

5. The Finest Hour: Kobe Bryant was magnificent in Game 6 in a lost cause. In Game 7, he played in the flow of the offense and encouraged his teammates to do their job. Kevin Durant struggled early on vs. the Mavericks before breaking loose. This series is about two evenly matched teams with history and talented rosters. But it’s about Kobe vs. Durant. The Thunder don’t have a defender like MWP to stick on Bryant, but Durant is the best scorer in the series. Either Bryant is going to add to his already insane legend, or Durant’s going to make the biggest statement of his.

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Western Conference semifinals preview: OKC Thunder…

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:04:02 +0000

Posted: 12:31 PM ET May 14, 2012

By Ben Golliver | NBA Blogger

Previewing the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers.

How They Got Here

Oklahoma City Thunder: The West’s No. 2 seed with a record of 47-19. Beat Dallas Mavericks in 4 games.

Los Angeles Lakers: The West’s No. 3 seed with a record of 41-25. Beat Denver Nuggets in 7 games.

Biggest Strength
Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder emerged as one of the NBA’s truly elite teams this season on the backs of a super efficient offense, constructed around scoring champ Kevin Durant, the league’s leading scorer, an All-Star point guard in Russell Westbrook who can create his own shot at will and make plays for others, and Sixth Man of the Year James Harden, who provides a third scoring option late in games who also happens to have uncanny vision and decision-making. In the regular season, OKC had the second best offense in the league, trailing only the San Antonio Spurs. Ditto for the postseason. While a number of postseason games have been played in the 70s and low-80s, the Thunder averaged 99.8 points per game in sweeping the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers didn’t look consistently great on either side of the ball as they struggled through a 7-game series with the Denver Nuggets in the first round, but their size and skill in the post won out in Game 7. When he decides he wants to pay attention, Andrew Bynum is the best center remaining in the playoffs, by a mile. His presence and activity opens up opportunities for Pau Gasol, and the pair combined for a ridiculous 39 points, 35 rebounds, 7 assists and 10 blocks in Game 7 versus the Nuggets. Oklahoma City has good frontcourt depth, especially if Kendrick Perkins is available after suffering a hip injury against Dallas, but the likes of Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison simply can’t match L.A.’s interior firepower. Kobe Bryant won’t be able to win this series alone; it will take big numbers from all three of L.A.’s stars to spring the upset.

Biggest Weakness

Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder turned over the ball on a greater percentage of their plays (26.5) than any other team during the regular season. Much of that is attributed to the high-risk, high-reward style of play favored by Westbrook, who prefers to relentlessly attack a defense and live with the consequences rather than passively ball-protect. The good news: OKC’s turnover rate against the Mavericks dropped to 22.7, a better-than-average rate among playoff teams, and Westbrook averaged 2.5 per game, down from 3.6 in the regular season. Of course, the turnovers are only as bad as their impact on OKC’s offensive flow, especially late in games. The Thunder were bounced from the 2011 playoffs because they could not consistently generate good shots in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles Lakers: Depth is the bugaboo for L.A., who got consistent production from just five or six players throughout the Denver series. In fact, L.A.’s bench averaged 19 points per game against the Nuggets, barely better than the 18.6 points per game that Harden averaged against the Mavericks by himself. Steve Blake has been L.A.’s most reliable reserve in the playoffs and his 19 points in Game 7 were critical. Whether he’s capable of getting that hot again is anybody’s guess. The short rotation used by coach Mike Brown saw Bryant average 40+ minutes against the Nuggets with both Gasol and Bynum topping 40 on multiple occasions. To make matters worse, the Lakers are going from one track meet to another. The Nuggets were No. 2 in pace during the regular season while the Thunder were No. 5.

X-Factor

Oklahoma City Thunder: Harden is a tempting choice as X-factor but he’s such a key component and he plays such heavy minutes, especially in crunchtime, that starting two guard Thabo Sefalosha is probably a better choice. Sefalosha will once again fill the designated “guy to annoy Kobe Bryant as much as possible” role, a job he has approached with selflessness and commitment. Bryant never got off against OKC during the regular season, averaging 24.3 points per game and shooting a combined 23-for-75 (30.7 percent). A repeat of those numbers would make it impossible for L.A. to keep up offensively in this series. Of course, Bryant always cranks it up in the postseason. Sefalosha might not be defending Bryant on game-deciding possessions but his early work will be important in helping limit the future Hall of Famer’s overall output.

Los Angeles Lakers: The Game 7 return of Metta World Peace was a major swing against Denver, as his ability to limit both Danilo Gallinari and Andre Miller helped push L.A. over the top. Having World Peace available from the start of the Thunder series is big for L.A., who otherwise would be ill-equipped to defend the Durant/Westbrook/Harden trio. As the postseason pressure continues to mount and World Peace is subjected to a hostile environment, his ability to conduct himself better than he did in last year’s second round or when he elbowed Harden earlier this season will be of paramount importance to the Lakers. L.A. simply cannot survive another meltdown.

Match-Up Advantage

Oklahoma City Thunder: The point guard position has been L.A.’s hole. It was exposed again against the Nuggets, with Ty Lawson averaging 19 points and 6 assists per game and getting to the hoop seemingly at will. The problem gets worse thanks to Westbrook, who has the quickness to destroy either Ramon Sessions or Steve Blake off the dribble plus the athleticism and leaping ability to finish above the Lakers’ big men. L.A. can use Bryant against Westbrook but that requires a ton of defensive energy and likely isn’t a sustainable strategy. The Lakers will do what they can to get Westbrook to revert to bad habits (turnovers, poor shot selection) and may try to rough him up or set off his quick temper if conventional defensive methods don’t suffice.

Los Angeles Lakers: Bynum against Perkins and company is L.A.’s most reliable bet. Bryant has the ability to outproduce Harden but L.A.’s supporting perimeter cast is unlikely to keep up with the Thunder’s star-studded wings. The potential advantage is in the middle thanks to Bynum, who averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Thunder during the regular season and is as unguardable as NBA centers get when he is getting the touches his talent demands and decides to show up ready to play. Bynum is an enigma and looked to have checked out multiple times against the Nuggets; half-hearted play or a disengaged attitude simply won’t work against the win-obsessed Thunder.

Will Win If…

Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder will win if they stick to the script: Force-feed Durant, feast on their point guard mismatch, use heavy doses of Harden late, defend aggressively and hit the boards hard as a team. OKC doesn’t need to play above its head to win four out of seven, especially with an excellent home court advantage (28-7 at home this season, including the playoffs).

Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers will prevail if they get a signature effort from Kobe Bryant, steady and focused play from Andrew Bynum, some help from their perimeter shooters, and if OKC relapses in the ball control and shot selection departments. In other words, a lot has to go right.

Prediction: Thunder in six.

Tags: Andrew Bynum, James Harden, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Nick Collison, Pau Gasol, Ramon Sessions, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, Steve Blake, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

The Key to the Lakers-Thunder Series Lies Beyond…

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:19:00 +0000

After sweeping the defending champion Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the 2012 NBA playoffs, it seems only fitting that, in their quest to win their first NBA title since relocating from Seattle, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have to get past yet another Western Conference powerhouse, the Los Angeles Lakers.

One of the most storied organizations in the history of the NBA, the Lakers have been at the forefront of the league more often than not. Now, though, it seems that the time has come for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to pass the torch on to Kevin Durant and company.

At this point in the season, it’s no secret that the Thunder are the favorites to represent the West in this year’s finals. The team is stacked with talent from top to bottom. Between Durant, who finished second in the MVP voting, Russell Westbrook, an All-Star point guard, and now James Harden, the sixth man of the year, Oklahoma City has more than enough offensive weapons to carry them to the promise land. And given their relatively young age as a group, this team is built to last.

There will be no shortage of headlines in this matchup, as the two teams kick off Game 1 of the conference semifinal tonight in Oklahoma City. It’s safe to say that the star players (namely Bryant for the Lakers and Durant, Westbrook and Harden for the Thunder) will make their impact felt. However, the wildcards in this series are two entirely different players, the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum and the Thunder’s Derek Fisher.

Simply put, if the Lakers allow the Thunder to control the paint the way the Denver Nuggets were able to in their first round series against L.A, then they don’t stand a chance.

This is where Bynum comes in. Bynum, who has a tendency to be non-existent during stretches of time, will have to make his presence felt from the get-go. On defense, Bynum will have to take advantage of his size against Oklahoma City’s bigs. It won’t be easy, but he will have to keep the athletic Thunder guards from penetrating to the hoop. Offensively, it will be crucial for him to stay within his realm and not get trigger-happy. Too often we’ve seen Bynum rely on his jump shot, something that he will have to steer clear of. If Bynum can have a strong inside presence, it will open things up for Bryant and the rest of the Lakers, perhaps giving them an edge in the series.

On the other end of the spectrum, for the Thunder, the play of Fisher could determine whether the team can beat L.A. and move on to the next round. As good as Oklahoma City is offensively, the Lakers are no pushovers on defense. The second-ranked defense in the league will do everything in its power to slow down the fast-paced offensive attack of the Thunder. And if the Lakers do figure out a way to put the clamps on the Thunder stars, Fisher will have to step up and be Oklahoma City’s fourth scoring option.

While they probably won’t need him as much in their first two home games, the Thunder will likely rely more on Fisher when the series shifts over to Los Angeles in Game 3.

If all else fails, the Thunder will count on Fisher’s knowledge of the Lakers to give them an edge. Fisher, who has played in over 900 games in a Lakers uniform, is more than familiar with the triangle offense that the Lakers like to run. His knowledge of the Lakers’ plays and tendencies may very well be the difference in this series.

It will be interesting to see how the Lakers’ crowd will react to Fisher’s return to the Staples Center. Fisher, who won five rings as a Laker before being waived by his former team earlier in the season, got a standing ovation when the Thunder traveled to L.A. back on March 29. But that was the regular season. Now, it’s the playoffs.

This one has the potential to be one of the most entertaining playoff series we’ve seen in a long time.

Stats via NBA on Yahoo! Sports.

Gurvinder Singh Gandu is a New York City-based writer with west-coast roots. He has followed the Los Angeles Lakers for more than 20 years, both as a fan and an analyst. Follow him on Twitter @SINGHinBROOKLYN.

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Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder…

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 20:03:00 +0000

The Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder playoff schedule begins on Monday night (May 14). This second round match-up of the 2012 NBA Playoffs could turn into an instant classic, with the Thunder looking to supplant the Lakers as the team to beat in the Western Conference.

In the first round, Oklahoma City swept the Dallas Mavericks in four games. The series showed just how good that Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have become as well as showcasing a new toughness on defense. The Lakers had a tougher time with the Denver Nuggets, taking seven games to advance to the second round. Now the Thunder and Lakers meet to decide which team advances to the Western Conference finals.

Games 1 and 2 of the series will take place in Oklahoma City, before the teams head to Staples Center for Games 3 and 4. The league has released a majority of the schedule for the second round matchup, but they are also holding back some information on Games 5-7. Those games could become contingent on how the Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs series plays out as well as how the Los Angeles Kings do in the 2012 NHL playoffs.

All of the dates are now set in stone, with just the start times for the last three games in question.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Schedule

Game 1 : Monday, May 14 – LA Lakers at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m. PT (TNT)

Game 2 : Wednesday, May 16 – LA Lakers at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m. PT (TNT)

Game 3 : Friday, May 18 – Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, 7:30 p.m. PT (ESPN)

Game 4 : Saturday, May 19 – Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, 7:30 p.m. PT (TNT)

Game 5 : Monday, May 21 – LA Lakers at Oklahoma City, TBD (TNT)

Game 6 : Wednesday, May 23 – Oklahoma City at LA Lakers, TBD (ESPN)

Game 7 : Sunday, May 27 – LA Lakers at Oklahoma City, TBD (TNT)

Source:

NBA Playoff Hub

Gotta run!.

Ready or not, Lakers set for series opener with…

theme — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:29:05 +0000

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder series was already going to be rollicking, a classic case of young vs. old. Then came the bonuses from the basketball lords the last two months.

Derek Fisher ended up with the Thunder after being traded by the Lakers in March. James Harden took an elbow to the side of the head from Metta World Peace last month.

Welcome to the newly refurbished Western Conference semifinals.

The Thunder has awaited this matchup longer than the nine days since its first-round sweep of Dallas. It goes back to April 22, when World Peace earned his seven-game suspension and the ire of everybody in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) newest city.

“It’s going to be intense,” Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said. “The crowd’s obviously going to have a field day with that and I’m sure their players will generate some type of energy from it. For us, we’ve just got to keep our poise and do what we do.”

There’s also the Fisher factor.

He was traded by the Lakers in a straight salary dump, his former team so eager to get rid of the $3.4 million he was owed next season that it also included a first-round draft pick to appease Houston.

Fisher, 37, wasn’t pleased. He told the Rockets to waive him and, sure, keep the millions he was due next season just to let him sign with a contender.

He ended up with the Thunder, where he averaged 4.9 points in the regular season and 8.3 points in the playoffs.

Now he’s gunning for his sixth championship ring, which would put him ahead of you know who.

“It’s like brothers,” said Bryant, Fisher’s teammate for more than 12 seasons. “You compete with your brother. Somebody’s got to win and you’d rather it be you. Somebody’s going to have bragging rights in the summertime.”

Two years ago, when Bryant and Fisher were still teammates, Oklahoma City gave the Lakers all sorts of problems in the first round before falling in six games.

Pau Gasol’s last-second tip of Bryant’s miss turned an apparent Game Six loss into a 95-94 victory with the flick of two hands.

“I kept battling, kept hustling,” Gasol said at the time, and he’ll have to do more of it this series.

Oklahoma City is all grown up now, if that can even be said about a team with a ridiculous nucleus of under-25 guys.

Kevin Durant is 24 years old. Russell Westbrook is 23. Serge Ibaka and Harden are 22. Kendrick Perkins, the old man of the group, is 27.

The Thunder lost to Dallas in last year’s West finals and finished second in the West this season, six games ahead of the Lakers.

“They’re going to be fighting and scratching and clawing that much harder because they’re starting to taste what their goal needs to be just a little bit,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. “So we’re going to have to play better. It has to be better than what it was in this [first-round] series. Yes sir.”

Added Bryant, after a laugh: “Yeah, just a little.”

The Lakers had seven games’ worth of practicing for the speed of Westbrook thanks to Denver point guard Ty Lawson. The Lakers are also now used to an active frontcourt, with special gratitude to Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee.

“We’ll win this championship if we commit to defense,” Andrew Bynum said after collecting a playoff career-high 18 rebounds and blocking six shots in Game Seven.

The problem is Durant. Nobody on the Nuggets came close to his skill level. World Peace will be matched up against Durant, though that hasn’t always worked out so well.

After the Lakers got drilled by the Thunder in February, 100-85, Bryant marveled at Durant, who had 33 points.

“Oklahoma does a fantastic job over there,” he said at the time. “They do a great job of putting [Durant] in the right place so he doesn’t have to work too much.”

It was also a hint to the Lakers’ coaching staff: Help me.

Bryant is in a better mindset these days, averaging 29.1 points and shooting 44.8 percent in the first round, a bump from his 43 percent regular-season average.

He showed rare on-court joy in Game Seven, drilling a fadeaway three-pointer with 48.3 seconds left, falling into the courtside seats, popping up and high-fiving fans as he ran to the other end.

The issue in Oklahoma City is really rest.

The Thunder will have had 215 hours of recovery time between games. The Lakers? Barely 45 hours.

“It’s something we can’t think about,” Brown said. “We don’t have time to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves.”

It’s probably a good way to act. Sympathy and Oklahoma City just don’t seem to go together.

In Photo: Kobe Bryant predicts an intense series. (AP)

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Don't expect Peace accord in Lakers/Oklahoma…

theme — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:24:44 +0000

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, second from right, gives a thumbs up to forward Metta World Peace, second from left, as forward Pau Gasol, left, of Spain and Denver Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo, right, look on during the first half in Game 7 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Saturday, May 12, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) (Mark J. Terrill)

Metta World Peace won’t shake James Harden’s hand tonight when the Lakers face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

It’s nothing personal, but World Peace doesn’t acknowledge opposing substitutes.

If the Lakers’ starting small forward was worried about the reception he’s expected to receive from Harden and Thunder fans after cracking the backup guard on the head with a wicked elbow April 22, he wasn’t saying so publicly.

World Peace received a seven-game suspension from the NBA for his violent act, inviting near universal condemnation. His ban ended in time to help rescue the Lakers in Game 7 of their conference quarterfinal series against

the Denver Nuggets, however.

He’s now ready to face the booing and whatever else comes his way against the Thunder in the next round. If he plays as well tonight as he did in Saturday’s clincher, then he figures to get an earful from the Oklahoma City faithful.

World Peace (the former Ron Artest) was a difference-maker in Game 7 against the Nuggets and needs to be again in this series when matched against the Thunder’s Kevin Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer during the regular season.

It didn’t take long for World Peace to fire the opening salvo late Saturday, when he said he wouldn’t shake Harden’s hand or acknowledge his presence whenever he enters the game because, as he said, “I don’t shake substitutes’ hands.”

“My concern is executing the coach’s game plan,” he added.

World Peace then went on to criticize some of the Thunder players for refusing to engage in the customary pregame ritual of a handshake, a fist pound or a hug and a slap on the back. He said center Kendrick Perkins refuses to engage, going back several years.

“I used to go and shake hands,” World Peace said when pressed for details. “I’ve been playing against Kendrick forever. Kendrick will never shake your hand, so I’d have to go and find Kendrick and shake his hand.

“In Boston (when Perkins was with the Celtics during the 2010 NBA Finals), every game I’d have to go to him and say, `Hey,’ and then tap him on the butt. He don’t touch my hand. But I’m getting tired of making that walk.”

World Peace said he wasn’t worried about the reception he’s bound to receive tonight from Oklahoma City’s fans. Kobe Bryant acknowledged it and said it might be something the Lakers need to get past in order to play their game.

“It’s going to be intense,” Bryant predicted. “The crowd is obviously going to have a field day with that. I’m sure their players will generate some type of energy from it. For us, we’ve just got to keep our poise and do what we do.”

World Peace’s return to the active roster Saturday made the Lakers whole again and they benefited from his defensive intensity and his shooting touch from the perimeter. They’ll need all that and more from him against the Thunder.

The World Peace vs. the Thunder storyline is one of many in this series.

It is, after all, the first playoff matchup between the Lakers and Derek Fisher since they traded him to the Houston Rockets on March 15, creating an opening at point guard to acquire Ramon Sessions from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bryant and Fisher teamed to help bring five championships to the Lakers in this century, including titles in 2009 over the Orlando Magic and in ’10 against Perkins and the Celtics, a seven-game rumble that featured several key baskets from Fisher.

“It’s like brothers,” Bryant said of tangling with Fisher, who plays a backup role with the Thunder. “You compete with your brother. Somebody has got to win, you’d rather it be you. Somebody has to have bragging rights in the summertime.

“In terms of what he brings to their team, his experience, his leadership, I don’t really know what their locker room dynamics are over there, but with us he was a true inspiration for the entire ballclub.”

Most likely, Bryant won’t battle head-to-head with Fisher, however.

Bryant, a shooting guard, has defended Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook (UCLA) in the past and figures to do it again in this series.

The Thunder’s Thabo Sefolosha will check Bryant. Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka will face off with Pau Gasol at power forward and Perkins and Andrew Bynum will do battle at center. World Peace will guard Durant and perhaps Harden at times.

In many ways, the Nuggets were the perfect warm-up act for the Lakers’ rumble with the Thunder. Denver was young, fast and athletic but lacking in the star power and the snarl the Lakers expect to see from Oklahoma City.

“I think we know them pretty well,” Gasol said of the Thunder. “We know their personnel and we know what they’re good at. We know who we’re facing. We know how hard it’s going to be and we know it’s a quick turnaround.

“So, we have to stay ready, mentally and physically, for another battle.”

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OKC’s Durant tired of begin No. 2

theme — Sun, 13 May 2012 09:37:48 +0000

—
OKLAHOMA CITY – When the NBA’s MVP results were announced Saturday, Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant found himself in a familiar spot: second.

Just the seventh player to win three straight scoring titles, Durant ended up behind Miami’s LeBron James in balloting for the league’s top individual honor. It was the second time in the last three years that Durant finished second in the voting, both times beaten by James.

“I’ve been second since high school, man. Second drafted. Second-best player in high school. Second in the MVP votes twice,” Durant said when the Thunder finished practice, shortly after James was presented his MVP trophy in a ceremony in Miami. “I’m over that being second stuff.”

James earned 85 out of 121 possible first-place votes. Durant got 24 first-place votes, was second on 83 ballots and was no worse than fourth on anyone’s ballot – getting just one tally in that category.

Durant finished fifth in the voting last season, when Chicago’s Derrick Rose won it, and second in 2010.

“I’m always motivated. Me not winning MVP doesn’t make me more motivated than I already was,” said Durant, who was picked behind Greg Oden in the 2007 draft. “This is just a great opportunity for us to have a chance to compete for a world championship.

“I just want to go out there and be me. I can’t think about it too much because I didn’t win it. Just go out there and be me and I’ll live with the results.”

Durant said after the season that he considered it his best year yet, and that if he didn’t win the MVP, it wouldn’t overshadow the improvements he made in passing, becoming Oklahoma City’s leading rebounder and shooting a career-best 50 percent.

James finished the season ranked third in scoring at 27.1 points per game and averaged 6.2 assists and 7.9 rebounds while shooting a career-best 53 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range.

Durant averaged 28 points, 3.5 assists and eight rebounds. He shot a career-best 50 percent from the field and made 39 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Both teams finished 46-20, second in their conferences.

“I’m proud of Kevin. He works every day to be in this position, to be considered an MVP-caliber player,” coach Scott Brooks said. “He’s 23. He has a lot of years to get that award if that’s what he is going out looking to get, but he has never mentioned it to me that, ‘My focus is to get the MVP.’ He wants to win the championship, like all the other guys on our team, and if that happens, it’s great.”

Durant and the Thunder were going through their seventh straight day without knowing opponent in the Western Conference semifinals. Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers were play Game 7 in their first-round series Saturday night, with the winner advancing to play in Oklahoma City on Monday night.

The MVP presentation was going on while the Thunder were wrapping up what Brooks called a “chippy” practice, noting that his players are “done seeing each other and competing against each other; they want to play another opponent.”

Center Kendrick Perkins remained day to day with a strained muscle in his right hip and went through only noncontact work before practice started. Brooks said he could be a game-time decision Monday night.

In the league’s postseason awards, the Thunder made a good showing. James Harden won Sixth Man of the Year, power forward Serge Ibaka finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and Brooks was sixth place in Coach of the Year. Russell Westbrook tied for 11th in the MVP voting with Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, getting one fourth-place vote and one fifth-place vote.

“LeBron, that’s like unheard of for a guy to get three out of four MVPs,” Durant said. “A good friend of mine. I’m happy for him and of course I would love to have the MVP but at the same time, I’ve just got to keep improving, keep getting better and hopefully I’ll have one soon.”

Durant is attempting to be the first player from the franchise, which relocated from Seattle in 2008, to be chosen MVP.

“Kevin has worked himself into this position, to be considered an MVP,” Brooks said. “LeBron, Kevin and a few others are going to be in that position for the next 10 years. It could be a coin flip every year. Those guys put up great numbers and their team wins games.”

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Durant 2nd again to LeBron in MVP race

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:00:08 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) When the NBA’s MVP results were announced Saturday, Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant found himself in a familiar spot: second.

Just the seventh player to win three straight scoring titles, Durant ended up behind Miami’s LeBron James in balloting for the league’s top individual honor. It was the second time in the last three years that Durant finished second in the voting, both times beaten by James.

”I’ve been second since high school, man. Second drafted. Second-best player in high school. Second in the MVP votes twice,” Durant said when the Thunder finished practice, shortly after James was presented his MVP trophy in a ceremony in Miami. ”I’m over that being second stuff.”

James earned 85 out of 121 possible first-place votes. Durant got 24 first-place votes, was second on 83 ballots and was no worse than fourth on anyone’s ballot – getting just one tally in that category.

Durant finished fifth in the voting last season, when Chicago’s Derrick Rose won it, and second in 2010.

”I’m always motivated. Me not winning MVP doesn’t make me more motivated than I already was,” said Durant, who was picked behind Greg Oden in the 2007 draft. ”This is just a great opportunity for us to have a chance to compete for a world championship.

”I just want to go out there and be me. I can’t think about it too much because I didn’t win it. Just go out there and be me and I’ll live with the results.”

Durant said after the season that he considered it his best year yet, and that if he didn’t win the MVP, it wouldn’t overshadow the improvements he made in passing, becoming Oklahoma City’s leading rebounder and shooting a career-best 50 percent.

James finished the season ranked third in scoring at 27.1 points per game and averaged 6.2 assists and 7.9 rebounds while shooting a career-best 53 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range.

Durant averaged 28 points, 3.5 assists and eight rebounds. He shot a career-best 50 percent from the field and made 39 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Both teams finished 46-20, second in their conferences.

”I’m proud of Kevin. He works every day to be in this position, to be considered an MVP-caliber player,” coach Scott Brooks said. ”He’s 23. He has a lot of years to get that award if that’s what he is going out looking to get, but he has never mentioned it to me that, ‘My focus is to get the MVP.’ He wants to win the championship, like all the other guys on our team, and if that happens, it’s great.”

Durant and the Thunder were going through their seventh straight day without knowing opponent in the Western Conference semifinals. Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers were play Game 7 in their first-round series Saturday night, with the winner advancing to play in Oklahoma City on Monday night.

The MVP presentation was going on while the Thunder were wrapping up what Brooks called a ”chippy” practice, noting that his players are ”done seeing each other and competing against each other; they want to play another opponent.”

Center Kendrick Perkins remained day to day with a strained muscle in his right hip and went through only noncontact work before practice started. Brooks said he could be a game-time decision Monday night.

In the league’s postseason awards, the Thunder made a good showing. James Harden won Sixth Man of the Year, power forward Serge Ibaka finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and Brooks was sixth place in Coach of the Year. Russell Westbrook tied for 11th in the MVP voting with Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, getting one fourth-place vote and one fifth-place vote.

”LeBron, that’s like unheard of for a guy to get three out of four MVPs,” Durant said. ”A good friend of mine. I’m happy for him and of course I would love to have the MVP but at the same time, I’ve just got to keep improving, keep getting better and hopefully I’ll have one soon.”

Durant is attempting to be the first player from the franchise, which relocated from Seattle in 2008, to be chosen MVP.

”Kevin has worked himself into this position, to be considered an MVP,” Brooks said. ”LeBron, Kevin and a few others are going to be in that position for the next 10 years. It could be a coin flip every year. Those guys put up great numbers and their team wins games.”

There is the quick update of the day.

Oklahoma City Thunder Watching for Denver…

theme — Sat, 12 May 2012 23:44:00 +0000

For the last two weeks, most fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder believed that their Round 2 opponent would be the Los Angeles Lakers. After jumping out to a 3-1 series lead over the Denver Nuggets, it looked like tonight could be the start of the Thunder-Lakers series. However, Denver had other thoughts and won the next two games to tie the series at 3-3.

What happens if the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of their series?

I’m sure if anyone told Thunder head coach Scott Brooks that the Nuggets had no chance to beat the Lakers, he would have laughed. Brooks knows how good of a coach his mentor, George Karl, is. He also knows that Karl understands how to win without any real superstars. For the last two games, that is what Denver has been doing.

The 17-point win in Game 6 is enough to make some Thunder fans start to wonder if it is the Denver Nuggets who will be coming to town for the Round 2 series.

Last season, Oklahoma City played Denver in the postseason and eliminated the Nuggets despite the fact that Denver team fought their way into the postseason, despite trading away their superstar Carmelo Anthony. Now, one year later, they are putting up a fight against the Lakers despite losing Nene, Kenyon Martin and Raymond Felton from their postseason roster in 2011.

On the other hand, Oklahoma City has their entire lineup back intact, minus injured Eric Maynor but adding Lakers’ legend Derek Fisher. There is also the chance that the Thunder may have to go into Round 2 with Kendrick Perkins on the injured list, which makes a team like Denver preferable over a team like the Lakers, who come in with big man Andrew Bynum.

Plus, Denver has no real answer for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in their defense. Oklahoma City has to be cheering for the Denver Nuggets to beat the Lakers tonight. I know I am.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and is an avid sports fan that has lived in Oklahoma for over 40 years. He used to religiously follow the Dallas Mavericks until Oklahoma City found a team to call their own.

Source: ESPN

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Thunder's Kevin Durant finishes 2nd in MVP for…

theme — Sat, 12 May 2012 23:26:41 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY
– When the NBA’s MVP results were announced Saturday, Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant found himself in a familiar spot: second.

Just the seventh player to win three straight scoring titles, Durant ended up behind Miami’s LeBron James in balloting for the league’s top individual honor. It was the second time in the last three years that Durant finished second in the voting, both times beaten by James.

“I’ve been second since high school, man. Second drafted. Second-best player in high school. Second in the MVP votes twice,” Durant said when the Thunder finished practice, shortly after James was presented his MVP trophy in a ceremony in Miami. “I’m over that being second stuff.”

James earned 85 out of 121 possible first-place votes. Durant got 24 first-place votes, was second on 83 ballots and was no worse than fourth on anyone’s ballot — getting just one tally in that category.

Durant finished fifth in the voting last season, when Chicago’s Derrick Rose won it, and second in 2010.

“I’m always motivated. Me not winning MVP doesn’t make me more motivated than I already was,” said Durant, who was picked behind Greg Oden in the 2007 draft. “This is just a great opportunity for us to have a chance to compete for a world championship.

“I just want to go out there and be me. I can’t think about it too much because I didn’t win it. Just go out there and be me and I’ll live with the results.”

Durant said after the season that he considered it his best year yet, and that if he didn’t win the MVP, it wouldn’t overshadow the improvements he made in passing, becoming Oklahoma City’s leading rebounder and shooting a career-best 50 percent.

James finished the season ranked third in scoring at 27.1 points per game and averaged 6.2 assists and 7.9 rebounds while shooting a career-best 53 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range.

Durant averaged 28 points, 3.5 assists and eight rebounds. He shot a career-best 50 percent from the field and made 39 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Both teams finished 46-20, second in their conferences.

“I’m proud of Kevin. He works every day to be in this position, to be considered an MVP-caliber player,” coach Scott Brooks said. “He’s 23. He has a lot of years to get that award if that’s what he is going out looking to get, but he has never mentioned it to me that, `My focus is to get the MVP.’ He wants to win the championship, like all the other guys on our team, and if that happens, it’s great.”

Durant and the Thunder were going through their seventh straight day without knowing opponent in the Western Conference semifinals. Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers were play Game 7 in their first-round series Saturday night, with the winner advancing to play in Oklahoma City on Monday night.

The MVP presentation was going on while the Thunder were wrapping up what Brooks called a “chippy” practice, noting that his players are “done seeing each other and competing against each other; they want to play another opponent.”

Center Kendrick Perkins remained day to day with a strained muscle in his right hip and went through only noncontact work before practice started. Brooks said he could be a game-time decision Monday night.

In the league’s postseason awards, the Thunder made a good showing. James Harden won Sixth Man of the Year, power forward Serge Ibaka finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and Brooks was sixth place in Coach of the Year. Russell Westbrook tied for 11th in the MVP voting with Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, getting one fourth-place vote and one fifth-place vote.

“LeBron, that’s like unheard of for a guy to get three out of four MVPs,” Durant said. “A good friend of mine. I’m happy for him and of course I would love to have the MVP but at the same time, I’ve just got to keep improving, keep getting better and hopefully I’ll have one soon.”

Durant is attempting to be the first player from the franchise, which relocated from Seattle in 2008, to be chosen MVP.

“Kevin has worked himself into this position, to be considered an MVP,” Brooks said. “LeBron, Kevin and a few others are going to be in that position for the next 10 years. It could be a coin flip every year. Those guys put up great numbers and their team wins games.”

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Off the Dribble: The Numbers Are Adding Up for the…

theme — Sat, 12 May 2012 22:11:33 +0000

Last season the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team in N.B.A. history to reach the conference finals. The Thunder lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 4-1, in that series, but Oklahoma City exacted a measure of revenge by sweeping the defending champions in the first round of this year’s playoffs.

That the Thunder have improved so quickly — in 2008-9, Oklahoma City was arguably one of the three worst teams in the league — is a credit to the blueprint drawn up by General Manager Sam Presti when he was hired five years ago.

Presti has built the Thunder through the draft, selecting Kevin Durant in 2007, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka in 2008, and James Harden in 2009.

Win shares is an estimate of the number of wins a player contributed to his team through his offense and his defense. Those four players accounted for 35.7 of Oklahoma City’s 47 win shares, the most in the league by a team’s top four players.

And while Oklahoma City’s marquee stars, Durant and Westbrook, are familiar to even the most casual N.B.A. fan, Harden and Ibaka may hold the key to the Thunder’s title hopes.

Harden was named the winner of the N.B.A.’s Sixth Man of the Year award on Thursday, and for good reason, as he is one of the most efficient shooters in the league.

Effective field-goal percentage is a shooting percentage that adjusts for the extra point provided by the 3-point shot. Harden was second among all qualified players this season, with an effective field-goal percentage of .582.

Not only is Harden an effective shooter from the field, but he also excels at getting to the free-throw line. Harden averaged .587 free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt, the third-best rate in the league and the best by a non-center.

And once he gets to the free-throw line, Harden takes advantage of his opportunities, finishing the regular season with a free-throw percentage of .846, a rate well above the league average, .752.

Harden’s prowess from the field and the free-throw line may best be summarized by looking at his true shooting percentage (a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws). Harden’s true shooting percentage of .660 was second in the N.B.A. and, more impressive, was the highest in N.B.A. history among guards with at least 1,000 points scored.

While Harden’s forte is offense, Ibaka has emerged as a defensive force, finishing second to the Knicks’ Tyson Chandler in the balloting for the N.B.A.’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Ibaka is a shot-blocking machine, leading the league in blocks, block per game, blocks per 48 minutes and block percentage (an estimate of the percentage of 2-point shots blocked by a player while he was on the floor).

Among qualified players, Ibaka’s average of 3.65 blocked shots per game was 1.49 higher than that of the runner-up, JaVale McGee. That margin is the second largest in N.B.A. history, trailing only Mark Eaton’s 2.88 blocks per game in 1984-85.

Even when Ibaka was not blocking shots he was influencing them, as Oklahoma City opponents shot just .420 from the field while he was on the floor. That mark was the ninth-lowest rate in the league among players with at least 1,000 minutes played, and it was the lowest on the Thunder.

While Ibaka is not an offensive force, he is effective on that end of the floor. Ibaka shot .535 from the field, led the team with an average of 2.9 offensive rebounds per game, and finished fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 9.1 points per game.

As expected, Harden and Ibaka played key roles in Oklahoma City’s dismantling of Dallas. And even though Harden and Ibaka have yet to earn the accolades of their All-Star teammates, the Thunder will not win an N.B.A. title without further contributions from the two of them.

What do you guys think about this.

The Numbers Are Adding Up for the Thunder

theme — Sat, 12 May 2012 22:00:30 +0000

Last season the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team in N.B.A. history to reach the conference finals. The Thunder lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 4-1, in that series, but Oklahoma City exacted a measure of revenge by sweeping the defending champions in the first round of this year’s playoffs.

That the Thunder have improved so quickly — in 2008-9, Oklahoma City was arguably one of the three worst teams in the league — is a credit to the blueprint drawn up by General Manager Sam Presti when he was hired five years ago.

Presti has built the Thunder through the draft, selecting Kevin Durant in 2007, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka in 2008, and James Harden in 2009.

Win shares is an estimate of the number of wins a player contributed to his team through his offense and his defense. Those four players accounted for 35.7 of Oklahoma City’s 47 win shares, the most in the league by a team’s top four players.

And while Oklahoma City’s marquee stars, Durant and Westbrook, are familiar to even the most casual N.B.A. fan, Harden and Ibaka may hold the key to the Thunder’s title hopes.

Harden was named the winner of the N.B.A.’s Sixth Man of the Year award on Thursday, and for good reason, as he is one of the most efficient shooters in the league.

Effective field-goal percentage is a shooting percentage that adjusts for the extra point provided by the 3-point shot. Harden was second among all qualified players this season, with an effective field-goal percentage of .582.

Not only is Harden an effective shooter from the field, but he also excels at getting to the free-throw line. Harden averaged .587 free-throw attempts per field-goal attempt, the third-best rate in the league and the best by a non-center.

And once he gets to the free-throw line, Harden takes advantage of his opportunities, finishing the regular season with a free-throw percentage of .846, a rate well above the league average, .752.

Harden’s prowess from the field and the free-throw line may best be summarized by looking at his true shooting percentage (a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals and free throws). Harden’s true shooting percentage of .660 was second in the N.B.A. and, more impressive, was the highest in N.B.A. history among guards with at least 1,000 points scored.

While Harden’s forte is offense, Ibaka has emerged as a defensive force, finishing second to the Knicks’ Tyson Chandler in the balloting for the N.B.A.’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Ibaka is a shot-blocking machine, leading the league in blocks, block per game, blocks per 48 minutes and block percentage (an estimate of the percentage of 2-point shots blocked by a player while he was on the floor).

Among qualified players, Ibaka’s average of 3.65 blocked shots per game was 1.49 higher than that of the runner-up, JaVale McGee. That margin is the second largest in N.B.A. history, trailing only Mark Eaton’s 2.88 blocks per game in 1984-85.

Even when Ibaka was not blocking shots he was influencing them, as Oklahoma City opponents shot just .420 from the field while he was on the floor. That mark was the ninth-lowest rate in the league among players with at least 1,000 minutes played, and it was the lowest on the Thunder.

While Ibaka is not an offensive force, he is effective on that end of the floor. Ibaka shot .535 from the field, led the team with an average of 2.9 offensive rebounds per game, and finished fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 9.1 points per game.

As expected, Harden and Ibaka played key roles in Oklahoma City’s dismantling of Dallas. And even though Harden and Ibaka have yet to earn the accolades of their All-Star teammates, the Thunder will not win an N.B.A. title without further contributions from the two of them.

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Thunder not sure if layoff will help or hurt

admin — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:39:57 +0000

OKLAHOMA CITY —
There’s finally an end in sight to this layoff.

The Oklahoma City Thunder practiced Friday for the first time since learning their next game will be Monday night at home against Denver or the Los Angeles Lakers for the start of the Western Conference semifinals.

By then, Oklahoma City will have had eight days off since completing a first-round sweep of defending champion Dallas. But is that for better or for worse?

“I guess we’ll see when Game 1 comes,” All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook said. “I don’t really know if it helps us or hurts us, but hopefully it’s for the good.”

In NBA history, teams with exactly eight days off between playoff rounds have won their next series eight of 14 times, according to STATS LLC. Those teams had lost five out of seven before the Mavericks came off an eight-day break to beat Oklahoma City in last year’s West finals. In Game 1 of the next series, the more rested team is 7-7 and 4-7 over the last 35 years.

So there’s an argument to be made that such long breaks can allow teams to rest or rust.

“I think both of those perspectives can be right, depending on the two teams,” veteran guard Derek Fisher said. “I think a team that has played seven games and had to not just physically play at a certain level, but emotionally get to a certain high point to compete that hard, two days later they’re going to still be there. So they could easily come into the next series playing at a completely different level than the teams that’s been off.”

On the other hand, he said, there can be a letdown after a Game 7 victory. The Nuggets and Lakers will play their deciding game Saturday night, 47 hours before the winner will start the next round in Oklahoma City.

“Regardless of who our opponent is,” Fisher said, “we have staples and a foundation that we have to play with. And if we stick to those things, who cares about the opponent and how many games they played before they got to us?”

Coach Scott Brooks has filled the break by alternating between exhausting, training camp-style workouts and days off. There was a strenuous practice Wednesday, an optional session Thursday when James Harden was honored as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and then another long workout Friday. A light session was planned for today.

The plus side has been extra time for everyone to get healthier, notably center Kendrick Perkins. He has not practiced this week because of a strained muscle in his right hip. Thunder officials said he’s day to day.

The potential down side, of course, is that a team loses its edge.

“It’s always in the back of your mind,” Brooks said. “We did have a good rhythm playing against Dallas. But you can’t worry about. You have to focus on what you’re up against.”

Brooks described the workouts as “sharp” and “crisp.” He says his players’ enthusiasm — keeping score in practice — has kept them at the top of their game.

“What’s fun about this team is there’s still a certain intensity and a competitiveness between the guys that exists that’s really fun,” said Fisher, who joined the team in late March. “Being on veteran (Lakers) teams the last couple years, that’s something that practice wasn’t always the most energetic. …

“As close as these guys are, they don’t necessarily like each other a lot of times during practice. It gets pretty tense out there. That’s part has been good, and that’s what you need to keep everybody at a certain level.”

Still, the five-time NBA champion added: “There’s nothing like a game.”

“I’m definitely anxious to play,” Westbrook said. “I get tired of sitting at home watching everybody else play every day and we ain’t playing no time soon.”

The end is finally near.

“Sometimes it gets tough with this many days without a competitive game. You start to lose that edge and that drive that you develop when you’re playing game,” Fisher said. “As soon as we start on Monday, regardless of who it is, we’re going to have to get right back to work.”

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