Thundering Ahead To The Finals: OKC Downs Spurs To Advance

Cold-Blooded: Kevin Durant And The Thunder Have Arrived

Kevin Durant and the Thunder moved on to the NBA Finals Wednesday night, dominating the Spurs in the second half of Game 6, and continuing one of the most impressive playoff runs we've seen in years.

Kevin Durant's Huge Third Quarter Leads OKC Past San Antonio

The Oklahoma City Thunder are headed to the NBA Finals and Kevin Durant is a major reason why. Durant scored 34 points in Game 6, but it was his huge third quarter that helped Oklahoma City erase a double-digit Spurs lead.

Durant played all 12 minutes of the third quarter, scoring 14 of his 34 points. Durant made 4-of-6 shots in the third quarter and 4-of-5 free throws. As if the 14 points weren't enough, Durant also pulled down five rebounds, dished out two assists and blocked a shot in the third quarter.

He nearly outperformed the entire Spurs team during the quarter. San Antonio scored 18 points during the third quarter to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and zero blocked shots.

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.

Tony Parker's Second Half-Struggles Doomed The Spurs

A quick glance at Tony Paker's final line of Game 6 and it appears the guard played very well. He scored 29 points and dished out 12 assists. But, in reality, Parker's second-half struggles were a major part of the Spurs' collapse.

San Antonio built a 15-point halftime lead largely thanks to Parker's terrific first half in which he scored 21 points and dished out 10 assists. Parker was also efficient in the first half, making 8-of-14 shots and 4-of-5 free throws.

Unfortunately for Parker and the Spurs, he could not duplicate his strong play in the second half. While Parker attacked the rim relentlessly in the first half, he was forced into more jump shots after halftime. Parker scored eight points with two assists in the second half making just 4-of-13 shots. He didn't attempt a free throw after halftime.

Parker was at his worst when the Thunder were at their best. While Oklahoma City was cutting the San Antonio lead from 15 to one during the third quarter, Parker struggled mightily. Parker made just 1-of-7 third-quarter shots and scored two points during the quarter.

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's Unexpected Star Helps OKC Advance To Finals

Derek Fisher joined the Thunder to provide leadership and experience, but few would have expected him to play the entire fourth quarter in a close-out game in the Conference Finals. Fisher returns to the NBA Finals for the eighth time in his 16-year career, with a chance to win his sixth NBA title.

Derek Fisher, Reggie Miller Have A Secret Handshake

This concerns me.

Thunder Vs. Spurs, NBA Playoffs 2012 Game 6: Thunder Advance To NBA Finals With 107-99 Win

The Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to the NBA Finals with a 107-99 win in Game 6 against the Spurs. The Thunder won the final four games of the Western Conference finals to win the series.

Kevin Durant scored 34 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the way for Oklahoma City. Durant scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the second half. Russell Westbrook was second on the Thunder, with 25 points. For the game, Oklahoma City shot 50 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from 3-point range.

San Antonio jumped out to an early lead and led by 15 points at halftime, but were outscored 59-36 in the second half. After making 9-of-15 three-pointers in the first half, the Spurs made just 2-of-11 3-point shots in the second half. Tony Parker finished with 29 points and 12 assists while Tim Duncan also had a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

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.

VIDEO: Kevin Durant's Hugs Can't Wait Until The Buzzer

The Oklahoma City Thunder just won four straight against a San Antonio Spurs team that had won 20 straight prior to that. They fell behind by double digits in Game 6, then zoomed ahead in the third quarter and out-executed arguably the smartest team in the league. They did it the hard way, shattering so many criticisms of their roster and their on-court chemistry.

All that probably explains why Kevin Durant couldn't wait until the buzzer sounded in Game 6 to give his customary hug to mother Wanda Pratt.

What's underrated about the Thunder is that they have experienced a degree of heartbreak. Last year's Western Conference finals featured a stunning collapse in Game 4. The year before, they competed hard against the Los Angeles Lakers, but just weren't ready. Durant is only 23, but he's experienced much more than your average 23-year-old in the NBA.

All this is to say: Hug your mom before the game ends. Let out that emotion. You deserve it, and so do your teammates.

Derek Fisher Wants A Thunder Fan To Call Him, Maybe

Derek Fisher has been there before, according to every single person who ever says anything about basketball ever. He shouldn’t need to resort to this kind of stuff to pump the crowd up.

BUT WHO WAS HE WINKING AT?

Tim Duncan Is Posting Up Serge Ibaka, And It's Working

It’s weird to think that going to Tim Duncan post-ups is going deep in Gregg Popovich’s playbook, but I’m sure it’s not the kind of thing the Spurs coach would normally call in this situation. Nevertheless, the Spurs need buckets, Duncan is their star and Serge Ibaka isn’t as good defending the post as Kendrick Perkins is.

Still, it feels desperate. They need to do it, but doing it shows they’re not the team we thought they were. Sorta.

Bill Kennedy Calls Foul For ... FORE LEFT

Sure, this was a legitimate call, but referee Bill Kennedy definitely looks like he's out here practicing his golf swing. And from the looks of it, he needs the practice.

Think he just hooked that one into the gallery.

Russell Westbrook's Electric Slide Needs Work

You don’t do it from the sides of your feet, Russell. Come on now.

The Thunder Have Too Much Athleticism

When do you know a defense is so athletic that it’s almost impossible to score on them? When you’re the normally confident Kawhi Leonard and you’re passing up open 3-pointers because you’re scared that the Thunder’s closeout is more dangerous than it actually is.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker Begin Fourth Quarter On Bench

Gregg Popovich took a major risk sitting both Tony Parker and Tim Duncan at the same time to begin the fourth quarter. Granted, both have played a lot of minutes thus far, but it might have been better to stagger the substitutions so that the Spurs wouldn’t be in a situation where both were out at the same time.

Instead, Popovich played a small lineup and his team lost the lead.

Serge Ibaka Is Guarding Manu Ginobili

More amazingly, he’s doing it successfully.

Spurs Need To Attack In Transition

It’s dangerous to get in a running game with the Thunder, but the Spurs have to continue to remember that playing fast is how they play. They had success late in the third quarter when Tony Parker threw in a gorgeous spin move for a layup on the secondary break, and they need to do that more if they want to win.

Small Lineups Trigger SCORING EXPLOSION

I’m still dizzy from the last few minutes, but there seems to be a simple explanation for all of this scoring from both sides: small lineups. Fed up with Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair, Gregg Popovich put in Stephen Jackson and shifted Kawhi Leonard to power forward. The Thunder countered and, suddenly, nobody has anyone in the game to protect the rim.

The move was necessary for the Spurs given how horribly their offense was looking, but it’s also made life easier for the Thunder on their end.

Thunder Fan's Sign Has Thumb Holes

I didn’t even know these things existed. My mind is blown.

Gregg Popovich Wants To End Tiago Splitter

Tiago Splitter might want to make a run for it. He’s never going to pay off his debt to Gregg Popovich for missing this one defensive rotation. He should run away back to Brazil where Popovich will never find him.

It’s OK, Tiago. You’ll be a free man.

Thunder's Defense Starting To Anticipate Spurs' Drives

Remember when the Spurs were the actors and the Thunder were the reactors? Things have started to change early in this third quarter. The Thunder are now making the extra rotations to shut off the Spurs’ dribble penetration, putting Tim Duncan in tough positions and forcing him to try to make a few too many plays.

When the Thunder put their mind to it, they can do great things defensively.

Spurs vs. Thunder Score: San Antonio Up 15 At Halftime

Facing elimination, the San Antonio Spurs got off to a quick start and took a 63-48 lead into halftime of Game 6.

Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with a first-half double-double. Parker scored 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting while also dishing out 10 assists. Stephen Jackson came off the bench to score 12 points in 14 minutes. Jackson shot 4-of-4 in the first half, all 3-pointers.

The Thunder, who will advance to the NBA finals with a win, trail by 15 points despite shooting well in the first half. Oklahoma City shot 43.6 percent from the floor in the first half including 5-of-11 from three-point range. Kevin Durant leads Oklahoma City with 14 first-half points.

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.

Tim Duncan, Quietly Brilliant

Tony Parker got all the early accolades, and Stephen Jackson is hitting all the three-pointers, but the catalyst to the Spurs’ first half is Tim Duncan. We talked a bit about Duncan’s impact before, and everything said there continues to hold true. Duncan has 13 points in the game, and he probably dribbled three times to get those 13 points. He’s been that decisive.

Duncan’s also done a subtle thing defensively to contain James Harden. He’s laid back on pick and rolls involving Harden, forcing him to shoot mid-range jumpers instead of giving him a lane to get to the basket. Harden has looked tentative all game and is just 2-6 from the field.

Stephen Jackson Has Pressure Tied Up To His Bed

Stephen Jackson has hit four 3-pointers in the first half, fulfilling the proclamation of his famous 2004 quote that he "makes love to pressure." This is him basking in the afterglow.

Manu Ginobili Is Agile

There are two things about this sequence that stand out. First, Manu Ginobili managed to block Kevin Durant cleanly on a break. Second, Ginobili gets both feet down inbounds, then nearly makes the save. It was, simply, an incredible display of body control, even if he didn't actually save possession.

Spurs' Defense Hasn't Been Great Thus Far

As great as the Spurs’ offense has been, their defense has been a bit shaky. Not bad, mind you, just not great. Credit goes to the Thunder, especially coach Scott Brooks, who has drawn up some nice plays to get his stars open looks late in this second quarter.

The Spurs also need to do a better job of getting back. The Thunder are getting too many clean 3-pointers in transition.

Spurs Have The Attacking Advantage

Back when I was a kid and still thought I could play basketball, one of my coaches summed up the game perfectly. "The actor is the one that always wins," he said. "It’s the reactor that loses."

That’s what’s happened throughout this series. For the first time in a very long time, the Spurs found themselves being the reactor in Games 3 through 5. They surveyed the Thunder’s defense too much, particularly in Game 5, and their offense went nowhere.

But in Game 6, the Spurs are making immediate moves as soon as they catch the ball. There’s no catching and holding. There’s catching and immediately moving.

It’s a simple point, but it’s also so important to make.

Tony Parker Is Aggressive, Awesome

Despite my earlier (slight) downplaying of Tony Parker's first-quarter success, the Spurs guard really has been fantastic. It takes two to tango, and while Tim Duncan has been doing a great job setting screens, Parker is also coming off them and looking to make quick moves. This, too, was absent in Games 3 through 5.

The Spurs’ success is based on spacing, so when the head of the snake (Parker) is just a bit slow coming off screens, the whole operation breaks down. All season, Parker has been spectacular with his timing. He’s rediscovered that in Game 6.

Stephen Jackson: 'We Ain't Going Nowhere'

It’s an 18-point Spurs lead, and Stephen Jackson has a message for the TNT crew.

In case you can’t read lips, he’s saying, "We ain’t going nowhere."

Russell Westbrook's Dunk Is The Only Good Thing That's Happened To The Thunder

The good news for the Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook is into this game and dunking with a ton of authority.

The bad news: everything else.

Tim Duncan Is Empowering Tony Parker

Tony Parker is on fire to start this game, scoring 17 points and dishing out five assists in the first nine minutes, but his performance also illustrates why Tim Duncan is great. While Parker is playing well, it’s Duncan’s screens that are getting him open, and it’s Duncan’s confidence in his own jumper that is not only giving Parker assists, but also keeping the offense flowing.

Duncan’s hesitation has been a major issue in this series thus far, as it’s allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to load up their defense and cut off driving lanes. In this game, though, Duncan is making quick decisions, beating the Thunder to their spots. That must continue for the San Antonio Spurs to win.

If it does, Parker should continue having a big game.

Spurs Are Poised, But Mostly, They're Hitting Shots

It is true that the San Antonio Spurs are off to a very strong start in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but I’m not sure I’d bang the drum about them playing "poised." I guess they are, but I think they’re mostly just making shots. While Tony Parker has gotten into the lane a couple times, the main source of offense for the Spurs has been midrange jumpers.

Those shots are open, sure, but the Thunder probably will live with them if it means keeping the Spurs off the 3-point line and out of the lane.

2012 NBA Playoffs, Thunder Vs. Spurs Game 6: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Oklahoma City Thunder will attempt to advance to the NBA Finals with a victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 on Wednesday night.