Official Oklahoma City Thunder VS Memphis Grizzlies Series Thread: OKC Wins

OKC in a blow out.

120-65

The clock strikes midnight.
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Griz-Thunder: Seven Game 7 tidbits

In the midst of all the "no tomorrow" cliches and what not heading into Game 7, here are seven actual, interesting facts to chew on ahead of tomorrow's Game 7:

* As I tweeted earlier today, Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said he'll start O.J. Mayo at shooting guard. Hollins and the Grizzlies' players all said the spacing it provided for Zach Randolph was crucial in Game 6, because the Thunder have to respect Mayo out to the 3-point line.

* In the first half of Game 6, Battier caught the ball at the high post and hit a cutting Mayo for an easy basket on a play he brought with him from Houston, as our David Thorpe noted immediately on Twitter. "It only works once a game, but it always works," said Battier.

* In terms of big-game experience, it's relatively even. Each side has three rotation players with Game 7 experience (Battier, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen for Memphis; Kendrick Perkins, Nazr Mohammed and Daequan Cook for Oklahoma City).

Each side also has two key players with experience in big, single-elimination international games. (Marc Gasol and Battier for Memphis; Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for Oklahoma City). In the one-and-done scenario of college hoops, five Grizzlies (Mike Conley, Allen, Randolph, Battier and Darrell Arthur) played in the Final 4, while for the Thunder, only Nick Collison, Mohammed, Westbrook and Cook can say the same.

* Allen has guarded Durant most of the series and hounded him into 43.2% hooting, but said he hasn't said "he with us" to Durant once -- something he commonly says to distract shooters he thinks aren't struggling . "I can't do that with him," said Allen. "He definitely not with us."

More notable perhaps, is that Durant has also been unable to set up teammates. In the series Durant has 111 field-goal attempts and only eight assists, or one dime for every 13.9 shots -- nearly double his regular-season rate of 7.2. But Allen and Battier, the two prime defenders, wouldn't say they had him frustrated -- even though he visibly seemed that way at times in Game 6.

Two potential adjustments for the Thunder are 1) to play Durant at the 4 -- which was devastatingly effective in the second quarter of Game 4 -- or 2) to play Kendrick Perkins fewer minutes at the expense of a better mid-range shooter such as Nick Collison. Either tactic would eliminate some of the off-ball double-teaming that reduced Durant's touches in Game 6.

* Memphis just watched film before boarding the plane for Oklahoma City today. "I don't know what we would do at practice," said Hollins. "We've got about six guys that probably wouldn't practice after last night. It's that time of the season. We're playing the same team that we've played six times already."

* James Harden has taken half his shots from beyond the arc and half from inside. One might suggest a different mix based on the results. For the series he is just 6-26 on 3s; but on 2s he's 18-of-26 and has 27 free-throw attempts, making 26 of them.

* Since banging his thumb in Game 6 of the San Antonio series, Darrell Arthur has struggled mightily with his normally accurate mid-range game. Arthur is only 6-of-18 on shoots outside 10 feet in this series and has only converted once beyond 15 feet; at times he's seemed reluctant to pull the trigger or stepped on rather than shooting off the catch. In the regular season he took nearly half his shots from beyond 15 feet and hit 39.0%; he's only tried eight in six games against the Thunder and made only one.
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Griz-Thunder: Seven Game 7 tidbits

In the midst of all the "no tomorrow" cliches and what not heading into Game 7, here are seven actual, interesting facts to chew on ahead of tomorrow's Game 7:

* As I tweeted earlier today, Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said he'll start O.J. Mayo at shooting guard. Hollins and the Grizzlies' players all said the spacing it provided for Zach Randolph was crucial in Game 6, because the Thunder have to respect Mayo out to the 3-point line.

* In the first half of Game 6, Battier caught the ball at the high post and hit a cutting Mayo for an easy basket on a play he brought with him from Houston, as our David Thorpe noted immediately on Twitter. "It only works once a game, but it always works," said Battier.

* In terms of big-game experience, it's relatively even. Each side has three rotation players with Game 7 experience (Battier, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen for Memphis; Kendrick Perkins, Nazr Mohammed and Daequan Cook for Oklahoma City).

Each side also has two key players with experience in big, single-elimination international games. (Marc Gasol and Battier for Memphis; Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for Oklahoma City). In the one-and-done scenario of college hoops, five Grizzlies (Mike Conley, Allen, Randolph, Battier and Darrell Arthur) played in the Final 4, while for the Thunder, only Nick Collison, Mohammed, Westbrook and Cook can say the same.

* Allen has guarded Durant most of the series and hounded him into 43.2% hooting, but said he hasn't said "he with us" to Durant once -- something he commonly says to distract shooters he thinks aren't struggling . "I can't do that with him," said Allen. "He definitely not with us."

More notable perhaps, is that Durant has also been unable to set up teammates. In the series Durant has 111 field-goal attempts and only eight assists, or one dime for every 13.9 shots -- nearly double his regular-season rate of 7.2. But Allen and Battier, the two prime defenders, wouldn't say they had him frustrated -- even though he visibly seemed that way at times in Game 6.

Two potential adjustments for the Thunder are 1) to play Durant at the 4 -- which was devastatingly effective in the second quarter of Game 4 -- or 2) to play Kendrick Perkins fewer minutes at the expense of a better mid-range shooter such as Nick Collison. Either tactic would eliminate some of the off-ball double-teaming that reduced Durant's touches in Game 6.

* Memphis just watched film before boarding the plane for Oklahoma City today. "I don't know what we would do at practice," said Hollins. "We've got about six guys that probably wouldn't practice after last night. It's that time of the season. We're playing the same team that we've played six times already."

* James Harden has taken half his shots from beyond the arc and half from inside. One might suggest a different mix based on the results. For the series he is just 6-26 on 3s; but on 2s he's 18-of-26 and has 27 free-throw attempts, making 26 of them.

* Since banging his thumb in Game 6 of the San Antonio series, Darrell Arthur has struggled mightily with his normally accurate mid-range game. Arthur is only 6-of-18 on shoots outside 10 feet in this series and has only converted once beyond 15 feet; at times he's seemed reluctant to pull the trigger or stepped on rather than shooting off the catch. In the regular season he took nearly half his shots from beyond 15 feet and hit 39.0%; he's only tried eight in six games against the Thunder and made only one.
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Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

Originally Posted by SneakerPro

Originally Posted by al3x89

i want memphis to win, but OKC/Dallas series will be much better
Click to expand...

Memphis actually has a good chance to beat Dallas, OKC doesn't.
Click to expand...


Other way around.
Click to expand...
no sneaker has it right ......dallas will mop thunder in 5......dallas could lose in 6 to memphis 
 
Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

Originally Posted by SneakerPro

Originally Posted by al3x89

i want memphis to win, but OKC/Dallas series will be much better
Click to expand...

Memphis actually has a good chance to beat Dallas, OKC doesn't.
Click to expand...


Other way around.
Click to expand...
no sneaker has it right ......dallas will mop thunder in 5......dallas could lose in 6 to memphis 
 
If OKC wins I'd be shocked if they beat Dallas, Memphis not so much. If Dallas wasn't my team I'd bet money on Memphis.
 
If OKC wins I'd be shocked if they beat Dallas, Memphis not so much. If Dallas wasn't my team I'd bet money on Memphis.
 
Originally Posted by SneakerPro

Originally Posted by al3x89

i want memphis to win, but OKC/Dallas series will be much better
Click to expand...
Memphis actually has a good chance to beat Dallas, OKC doesn't.
Click to expand...
God you need to keep your mouth shut.
laugh.gif


OKC/Dallas or MEM/Dallas won't be better than the OKC/Mem series, it's been amazing.
 
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