Thunder Storm Back To Spoil Spurs' Homecoming

NBA Playoffs: Spurs Appear Wounded, But That Might Not Be A Bad Thing

The San Antonio Spurs began their run in the NBA Playoffs with a ten-game winning streak. That seems like a long time ago now, however, considering that the Oklahoma City Thunder just defeated them for a third consecutive time in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

The loss, resulting in the first three-game losing streak the Spurs have had to endure all season, would be pretty difficult to put on the Spurs. Instead, it seems like the Thunder have finally reached their potential -- as SB Nation colleague Andrew Sharp notes -- while the Spurs can only see their primes in the rearview mirror.

All isn't lost in San Antonio quite yet, though, because this is the same Spurs team that strung together 20 wins in a row earlier this year. Heck, this is the same team that some thought might sweep the Thunder once they took a 2-0 advantage earlier in the series.

In fact, this might be exactly what the Spurs needed. The vulnerability might even help the Spurs get on track, according to Pounding the Rock's Matthew Tynan.

Popovich entered the locker room - which he never does following a game amidst the media scrum - and walked right up to the 20-year-old rookie who is less than a third his age. He put his hand on Kawhi Leonard's broad shoulder and said something that led the rookie to nod in acknowledgement. Whatever it was he said, and whatever the reason for the brief heart-to-heart, Pop showed he's not the rigid old man most see him as. He knows this was only Game 5, and more importantly he knows he needs his youngest player if this series is to continue.

For the first time all season this team looked human. Suddenly, this machine not only seemed mortal, it appeared wounded. But if there's one thing you hope vulnerability invokes, it's a higher sense of pride - perhaps the most important human emotion in sports. There's no shortage of that with this team, especially in certain corners.

Whether the current setbacks are enough to reinvigorate Tim Duncan and the Spurs remains to be seen, but after reading that ... one has to think they have a chance, huh?

For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

The Thunder Are Beautiful And Terrifying And Only Getting Better

A week after being pronounced dead against the Spurs, Kevin Durant and the Thunder won Game 5 in San Antonio Monday. They're playing beautiful basketball again, looking scarier than ever.

VIDEO: The Best Of Gregg Popovich Interviews, Starring TNT's Craig Sager

How Thunder Have Turned The Tables On Spurs

Six days ago the Spurs had won 10 straight playoff games and led the Western Conference Finals 2-0, and everyone assumed they'd be heading to the NBA Finals shortly. Instead, the Thunder have won three straight to take control of the series.

VIDEO: Breaking Down Manu Ginobili's Missed Game-Tying 3-Point Attempt

Thanks to an especially generous call on a stolen pass by Kawhi Leonard on Thabo Sefolosha (Leonard fouled him), the Spurs got the ball back down three points to the Oklahoma City Thunder with 15 seconds left in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. This gave Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest tacticians this game has ever seen, a chance to draw up a game-tying play. As it turns out, the Spurs got a decent three-point look for Manu Ginobili, but it fell just short, ending the Spurs' upset bid.

But was it a good play? First, check it out yourself.

Before we answer the above question, we have to acknowledge that it's very hard to draw up a good play to get a three-pointer in that situation. The degree of difficulty was very, very high. Popovich's play had multiple options and was at least well executed, which is more than you can say about most plays in this situation.

That said, there's also a lot I didn't like about the play. Let's start with the basics: down three with 15 seconds left, it probably made more sense to be more vigilant about getting a quick two-pointer and extending the game. Instead, it looks like the plan was to get the game-tying three right away.

More specifically, I'm not a huge fan of two key elements of the play: sending the ball-handler to the sidelines, and using Tim Duncan as the screener.

The play featured Ginobili and Duncan running a screen and roll, with Ginobili catching the ball in the middle of the floor going left. Ginobili made contact with Duncan, but the Thunder trapped him, forcing a very difficult pass back to Duncan around the three-point line.

I know coaches do this a lot, but I don't like sending Ginobili to the sidelines. To me, it makes him easier to trap and, frankly, Popovich was lucky in many ways that Ginobili somehow made that pass. A lesser player would have been swallowed up by that trap. This is the risk with sending the ball to the sidelines. If you keep the ball in the middle of the floor, it makes it nearly impossible to double team.

The other reason that the Thunder trapped, though, is the other reason I didn't like that play. Save for a shocking attempt to sink the Phoenix Suns in the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Tim Duncan doesn't shoot three-pointers. Knowing this, the Thunder left him to cut off Ginobili's drive, then hesitated to get back to him. Duncan took a look at the basket but, as the Thunder expected, his instincts kicked in and he didn't take the shot, instead looking to dish back to Ginobili.

Then again, maybe Popovich had no choice. A better strategy may have been to put in another three-point shooter, but Matt Bonner had been on the bench for nearly the whole game, and nobody else (maybe not even Bonner either) could be counted on to set a good screen.

All that said, Popovich's play design made it too easy for the Thunder to ignore Duncan. Ginobili eventually got an OK look ducking behind the screen, but he was fading away, a lot of time had ticked off and he had already run all the way across the court. This was a tougher shot than it looks.

Again: it's hard as hell to run a good play in this situation, and the Thunder's defense deserves a lot of credit. But I think Popovich may have made a couple miscalculations sending the screen to the sidelines and making it easy for the Thunder to trap Ginobili.

For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

Spurs Vs. Thunder, 2012 NBA Playoffs Game 5: Oklahoma City Takes Series Lead In San Antonio

The Oklahoma City Thunder had to leave the friendly confines of home for Monday night's game in the Western Conference Finals. Luckily for them, however, their momentum from Games 3 and 4 carried over as they were able to pick up a big win on the way to a 3-2 lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the potential seven-game series.

James Harden hit what might have been the biggest shot of the playoffs thus far, given the circumstances, in what ended up being a dagger three-pointer with less than a minute left in the game. The Spurs had a chance to tie it, but Manu Ginobili missed what would have been the tying shot with just a few seconds left on the clock to allow the Thunder to escape with a 108-103 victory.

It seemed as though San Antonio was on its way to a comeback victory after trailing by eight points at halftime, but Harden's dagger three-pointer close the door on any sort of Spurs momentum. The loss was a serious surprise to those that have followed San Antonio's season considering tit was the first time they've lost three consecutive games all season -- especially since it came at what was likely the most inopportune time.

Oklahoma City's stars all did about what is expected, as Kevin Durant scored 27 points -- despite being involved less than he should have been down the stretch -- while Russell Westbrook scored 23 points to go with 12 assists. Harden's night was strong, too, as he finished with 20 points while making 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc to go with a +24 in the +/- department.

San Antonio will need to regroup considering their move of inserting Ginobili into the starting lineup wasn't enough to cure what's currently ailing them. The former Sixth Man of the Year still finished with a game-high 34 points to complement Tim Duncan's 18-point, 12-rebound performance while Tony Parker scored a quiet 20 points, but more changes are going to need to occur for the Spurs to stave off a fourth-straight defeat.

For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

Kevin Durant Needs More Touches

Obvious point is obvious. Can the Thunder hold on in spite of this shaky late-game execution?

Russell Westbrook, Overdribbling

Now’s not the time to break plays offensively like you did dribbling for 16 seconds before committing a turnover.

The Spurs are now down only six. If the Thunder are to win, it might be worth going back to the brush screen that worked so well in Game 4.

Spurs Flustered By Thunder's Defense, Making Mad Dashes To The Rim

There was a moment somewhere early in the fourth quarter where the Spurs, so flustered by the Thunder’s defense, broke everything they stand for offensively. The crisp ball movement is gone, replaced by Manu Ginobili calling 1-4 flat sets (basically, isolations in the middle of the court) and making mad dashes to the rim.

This is exactly what the Thunder want.

Kevin Durant Blocked By Rim, Recovers For Jumper

Pictured: Kevin Durant getting his dunk attempt swatted back by the bottom of the rim.

Not pictured: Durant recovering to hit an eight-foot baseline jumper.

We won’t ever be able to make fun of Durant, will we?

Spurs Really Having Issues With Tim Duncan Out

Back in the first quarter, the Spurs lost a sizeable lead when Tim Duncan picked up his second foul. The Spurs went small, but none of their backup big men were legitimate threats to score, allowing the Thunder to cheat off them and seal off driving lanes. That led to a bunch of Spurs turnovers and a big Thunder lead.

Well, it happened again in the third quarter. With four minutes and 23 seconds remaining, Duncan picked up his fourth foul. At that point, the Spurs were up three. From then on, the Thunder outscored the Spurs 15-3.

The Spurs desperately need Duncan on the floor if they want to have any chance to win. Can he play the full fourth quarter? Can he stay out of foul trouble? That might be what it takes.

VIDEO: Russell Westbrook Destroys The Rim On Alley-Oop Dunk

Come on, Russell Westbrook. Why are you resorting to violence? The rims in the AT&T Center didn't do anything to you. There's no need to attack them as vigorously as this finish on a lob from Kevin Durant on the fast break after a Spurs turnover.

Next time, please be more considerate of those rims. Thank you.

If The Spurs End Up Losing...

… They’ll want to point to two third-quarter possessions defensively. On one, everyone fell asleep on a baseline out of bounds, giving Kevin Durant a wide-open three-pointer. On the other, Stephen Jackson let Durant get right around him easily with a drive from the top of the circle, and nobody stepped up as Durant waltzed down the lane for a layup.

Crunch-time possessions matter most simply because there’s less time remaining to rectify the mistakes made on them, but every play truly does matter. These were two critical possessions the Spurs’ defense botched.

Manu Ginobili's Threes Make DeJuan Blair Happy

Rarely will you see Tony Parker get taken out to free Manu Ginobili, but that’s exactly what Gregg Popovich did in the third quarter. That’s how good Manu has been. His fourth three, which came when Thabo Sefolosha got held up on a screen, brought the house down.

All this has been very amusing to DeJuan Blair on the bench. Here he is enjoying the Ginobili Show.

The Spurs' Ball Pressure Is Outstanding

For all the love that the Spurs’ offense, specifically, Manu Ginobili, is getting, the Spurs are back in the lead because they have stepped up their defensive pressure. It’s not just Tony Parker — everyone is hugging their man like their life depends on it.

It’s worth asking again: how long can the Spurs keep that up?

Tony Parker Is Really Pressuring Russell Westbrook

In the early stages of this third quarter, Tony Parker has really pressured Russell Westbrook defensively, picking him up well behind half-court and making it hard for him to get the ball up the court.

Can this work for the entire second half? We’ll see, but so far, it’s given the Spurs the energy jolt they needed.

Spurs Starting To Create Some Space

The beginning of the second half couldn’t have gone better for the Spurs. They’re attacking Kendrick Perkins in pick and rolls, using his lack of mobility to create space quickly. The flow of their offense is back, and no longer are they freaking out over the Thunder’s length and athleticism closing off passing lanes.

Of course, soon, Perkins will go out and the Spurs will have to deal with the athleticism problem again. Until then, though, this is a nice sign for San Antonio.

Ernie Johnson Finally Shows He Can Get Mad

Russell Westbrook Is Playing A Great Game

The stats may not show it, but Russell Westbrook has been outstanding in this game. Normally, he isn’t very crisp brushing off ball screens in running pick and roll. But in this game, he’s been fantastic, changing speeds just when his primary defender is off-balance. That’s why he’s been living in the lane and finding teammates for open jumpers and dunks.

The Spurs Are Not Creating The Shots They Want

Recently, the San Antonio Spurs have done a good job of creating open shots, but they aren’t going in. For example, Tony Parker had nobody within 10 feet of him in the right corner, and he still missed a wide-open three.

Why? Well, the previous statement kind of answers the question. Parker took just 24 corner threes all year, proving that it’s just not a comfortable shot. Confused by the unfamiliarity, his shot was out of rhythm and he missed.

That’s the problem the Spurs face right now. They rely so heavily on creating spacing to get the shots they want, but when a team closes off that space, as the Thunder have done so beautifully in this game, the Spurs are pushed to areas of the court they don’t want to be. Without a dynamic offensive threat capable of scoring all over the court (besides maybe Manu Ginobili), this is problematic.

You could say this is the downside of extreme efficiency.

Serge Ibaka Tells Manu Ginobili To Come At Him

We often tend to forget the mano-a-mano battles that happen over the course of an NBA game. It’s a team game, sure, but players love thinking about it in individual terms. That’s why reminders like this one from Serge Ibaka, guarding Manu Ginobili on a switch, are always fun.

It’s all posturing, but it’s still meaningful. It remains to be seen if Ibaka’s actions will be painted as self-assured or arrogant.

Derek Fisher Tries Flopping On A Buzzer Beater

Derek Fisher attempted a three-pointer at the end of the first quarter that probably wasn’t going in, but that didn’t stop him from trying to induce some sort of whistle from the referees.

Either that, or he thinks falling backwards actually helps his shot go in.

Thunder Keep Cheating Off Spurs Shooters

As they have since Game 2 of this series, the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to cheat off the Spurs’ shooters to cut off penetration by Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Despite the shooting prowess of so many of the Spurs’ wing players, the Thunder are making sure their weakside defenders (guys not guarding the ball) have a foot in the paint when a pick and roll is set, helping before the guards drive and not after.

It’s a strategy that works because the Thunder are so athletic, but it’s also not new. The Spurs need to figure out a counter, and quick. One good sign: Danny Green, who is struggling mightily with his shot, took advantage of the open space by attacking the defense upon receiving a kickout, creating a layup for DeJuan Blair.

Thunder Keep Cheating Off Spurs Shooters

As they have since Game 2 of this series, the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to cheat off the Spurs’ shooters to cut off penetration by Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Despite the shooting prowess of so many of the Spurs’ wing players, the Thunder are making sure their weakside defenders (guys not guarding the ball) have a foot in the paint when a pick and roll is set, helping before the guards drive and not after.

It’s a strategy that works because the Thunder are so athletic, but it’s also not new. The Spurs need to figure out a counter, and quick. One good sign: Danny Green, who is struggling mightily with his shot, took advantage of the open space by attacking the defense upon receiving a kickout, creating a layup for DeJuan Blair.

The Spurs' Lineup Is Weird

The Thunder are charging back in this first quarter, and I use that word purposely. Nick Collison did a brilliant job sliding to cut off Tim Duncan’s drive and draw his second foul on a charge. Because of that, this is your current Spurs lineup.

-Tony Parker
-Gary Neal
-Danny Green
-Stephen Jackson
-DeJuan Blair

Nobody is taller than 6’6’’.

Here Is Craig Sager's Suit For The Night

It'll be great when Craig Sager has to give the between-quarter interview to Gregg Popovich while wearing this.

Thunder Need To Settle Down

I think the Oklahoma City Thunder will be OK despite their slow start. They’ve created some decent opportunities, but they’re rushing everything because their poise is shaken from the early foul ridiculousness. Keep those shoulders square, motions fluid and minds cleared, and good things will come.

Serge Ibaka Already Has 2 Fouls

We’ve played 53 seconds, and Serge Ibaka has two fouls. Nick Collison also has one. If those three plays happened in Oklahoma City, maybe one is called a foul, and that’s only because Manu Ginobili pulled a Chris Paul move and stopped in his tracks to let Ibaka run over him from behind.

Shaquille O'Neal Rides An Imaginary Horse

Or at least I think that’s what he’s doing in this GIF. I’d tell you the context, but this is probably better without that.

NBA Playoffs 2012, Spurs Vs. Thunder Game 5: Manu Ginobili Moves Into Starting Lineup

Having lost the previous two games of the Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs will make a major adjustment prior to Game 5 of the series. Sixth-man extraordinare Manu Ginobili has moved into the starting lineup, replacing the struggling Danny Green. The Spurs are hoping this adjustment can help break a 2-2 deadlock in the series.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has made this adjustment often when the Spurs were struggling in the playoffs in the past, so it's not that surprising he did it again. In this case, though, the hope is that this will free Ginobili to not have to defend James Harden as much, which sapped his offensive energy in Game 4 of the series. Switching Green, a better defender, to match up with Harden may get his game going.

For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

NBA Playoffs 2012, Spurs Vs. Thunder Game 5: Kevin Durant Could Have Another Big Game

Kevin Durant had one of the finest playoff games of his career in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, scoring 36 points, dishing eight assists and grabbing six rebounds in the Thunder's series-tying win over the Spurs. History indicates that he might well have an encore in store for Game 5.

Durant's scored 30 or more points 13 times in his playoff career, which is already an impressive 36 games long. And four of those performances came immediately on the heels of a previous 30-point game, including, most recently, the back-to-back 31-point outings that helped the Thunder beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals.

One thing you probably won't see Durant do again is hand out eight assists. That mark was his new playoff high, topping multiple six-assist games. He's only now coming into his own as a playmaker, with these Western Conference Finals marking the first series that has seen Durant notch five assists in at least three games in his playoff career.

For more on the Spurs, check out Pounding the Rock. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City.

And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA page.

Durantula Unleashed: How Kevin Durant Was Freed

How did Kevin Durant single-handedly carry the Thunder to a Game 4 win over the Spurs in the fourth quarter? He didn't really do it single-handedly.

NBA Playoffs 2012, Spurs Vs. Thunder Game 5: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Spurs will try to buck the Thunder's momentum back at home with the Western Conference Finals tied 2-2.