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

[purplerelgn]

LA is the only team in the west that can beat memphis

 

[purplerelgn]

LA is the only team in the west that can beat memphis

 

[Hijo Del Promo]

Originally Posted by purpleRElGN

LA is the only team in the west that can beat memphis

 

[Hijo Del Promo]

Originally Posted by purpleRElGN

LA is the only team in the west that can beat memphis

 

[i am that dude]

Originally Posted by itsaboutthattime

i have to give it to the grizz, yall came out and cut our ***..


can someone explain how randolph's little fade away is so unstoppable? seriously, this dude gets like maybe an inch or two off the ground, but somehow he gets it off every time

He likes to catch in normal post position facing away from the basket looking at his post feeder, reverse pivot, little left fake, sweep through, rip through, jab, just basic moves then he eventually just leans back and pulls. It's nice. And his shots literally were barely touching the net since he has that high arc too

 

[i am that dude]

Originally Posted by itsaboutthattime

i have to give it to the grizz, yall came out and cut our ***..


can someone explain how randolph's little fade away is so unstoppable? seriously, this dude gets like maybe an inch or two off the ground, but somehow he gets it off every time

He likes to catch in normal post position facing away from the basket looking at his post feeder, reverse pivot, little left fake, sweep through, rip through, jab, just basic moves then he eventually just leans back and pulls. It's nice. And his shots literally were barely touching the net since he has that high arc too

 

[mronegative]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

And yes they are playing better without him. The team has come together and probably wouldnt have if Rudy never got hurt. I think they wouldve still been a problem, but our ball movement is amazing.

Ewing theory? 
Missed the rest of the game, but I was hyped they won. I can't stand Marc Gasol, but you gotta love this team. They work 48 minutes, not  because they're not good enough like the Sixers, but because their confidence knows no limit. Getting in the paint like they were born there.

 

[mronegative]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

And yes they are playing better without him. The team has come together and probably wouldnt have if Rudy never got hurt. I think they wouldve still been a problem, but our ball movement is amazing.

Ewing theory? 
Missed the rest of the game, but I was hyped they won. I can't stand Marc Gasol, but you gotta love this team. They work 48 minutes, not  because they're not good enough like the Sixers, but because their confidence knows no limit. Getting in the paint like they were born there.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by purpleRElGN

LA is the only team in the west that can beat memphis

eh OKC is more of a threat to the grizzlies than the lakers. Randolph can handle Gasol, Gasol can FORSURE handle Bynum, Battier already has a history with kobe plus OJ will come off the bench, PG is the weakest position for the lake show so Conley should come up big.

 

[abovelegit1]

Originally Posted by MrONegative

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

And yes they are playing better without him. The team has come together and probably wouldnt have if Rudy never got hurt. I think they wouldve still been a problem, but our ball movement is amazing.

Ewing theory? 
Missed the rest of the game, but I was hyped they won. I can't stand Marc Gasol, but you gotta love this team. They work 48 minutes, not  because they're not good enough like the Sixers, but because their confidence knows no limit. Getting in the paint like they were born there.

What has poor Marc Gasol ever done to deserve your hatred?

eh OKC is more of a threat to the grizzlies than the lakers.

 

[usainboltisfast]

Originally Posted by purpleRElGN

LA is the only team in the west that can beat memphis

eh OKC is more of a threat to the grizzlies than the lakers. Randolph can handle Gasol, Gasol can FORSURE handle Bynum, Battier already has a history with kobe plus OJ will come off the bench, PG is the weakest position for the lake show so Conley should come up big.

 

[abovelegit1]

Originally Posted by MrONegative

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

And yes they are playing better without him. The team has come together and probably wouldnt have if Rudy never got hurt. I think they wouldve still been a problem, but our ball movement is amazing.

Ewing theory? 
Missed the rest of the game, but I was hyped they won. I can't stand Marc Gasol, but you gotta love this team. They work 48 minutes, not  because they're not good enough like the Sixers, but because their confidence knows no limit. Getting in the paint like they were born there.

What has poor Marc Gasol ever done to deserve your hatred?

eh OKC is more of a threat to the grizzlies than the lakers.

 

[pmatic]

Grizzlies' offense overwhelms OKC

Maybe the San Antonio Spurs aren't too old, too slow or too unathletic.

Maybe the Memphis Grizzlies are just really, really good.

It look less than 48 hours for that revisionist view of history to come to the fore, after Memphis followed Friday's upset of the top-seeded Spurs with a 114-101 pounding of the Thunder on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Game 2 is Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

What stood out was not just what they did, but how they did it. The Grizzlies simply overwhelmed the home side with their rare combination of brute force, precision passing and scrambling defense, racing out to a double-digit lead in the first half and never suffering a serious threat thereafter. Much like the San Antonio series, there was nothing whatsoever about this game that felt like an upset.

If you're not familiar with these Grizzlies, take another look at the second half of their season: Memphis went 27-11 in its final 38 games before tanking the last two. Throw in the seven playoff games and their record is 32-13 in more than half a season; that's a 58-win pace. Even after losing star forward Rudy Gay for the season, they barely lost a step.

The big surprise on this evening, however, was how badly the Grizzlies dominated Oklahoma City on the offensive end of the floor. Memphis got here as a defensive team, leading the league in forced turnovers and bullying the top-ranked Spurs' offense into submission in the first round of the playoffs.

But their ironclad defense was just OK today. Instead, it was Zach Randolph's low-post dominance (34 points and 10 rebounds), Marc Gasol's precision finishing (9-of-11 for 20 points) and Mike Conley's ball protection (no turnovers, only eight for the team) that ruled the day. Memphis scored at least 27 points in every quarter and rolled up 114 points on just 94 trips, a stellar 120.2 offensive efficiency mark.

"Our offense was actually carrying us early on," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said, "with Zach as our offensive force. Along the game our defense caught up."

"We're so used to the methodical pace of the Spurs series," forward Shane Battier said. "We were really able to push the pace and get some easy baskets. We're better off as a team when we attack early."

Memphis also pounded the Thunder on the offensive glass, earning 17 offensive rebounds and compiling 22 second-chance points. Seven different Grizzlies players accumulated offensive boards, with perhaps none being more important than a hot-potato, flat-footed putback by Battier after the Thunder had cut a 17-point lead to seven midway through the fourth quarter. That was as close as the hosts would get.

"I'm just trying to get it on the rim," Battier said. "With these guys, Zach, Marc, I just try to get it up there. [Serge] Ibaka was coming so I had to get it off."

The offensive boards were part of a larger story. Possession is nine-tenths of the law, as they say, and on this afternoon it was nine-tenths of the game. Oklahoma City had 18 turnovers to just eight for Memphis, and the Grizzlies also had one more offensive rebound. That translates to 11 extra possessions in a 13-point game, explaining nearly the entire difference on the scoreboard.

Randolph, of course, was the key. He was impossible for the Thunder to contain in four regular-season meetings, three of which the Grizzlies won, but the hope was that the trade that rebuilt the Thunder's front line would make Oklahoma City more capable of containing him. On this night, however, their efforts were just as fruitless.

"He's a relentless offensive machine," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks before the game, and his words proved prophetic. Whether floating in rain-making faceup jumpers that barely touched the net as they went through, pounding it in closer to the basket or finding cutters with a new zest for passing, Randolph owned this game from the opening tip. The Thunder tried Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison on him, and none of them were effective.

"You cannot stop him," said Kevin Durant, who was no slouch himself with 33 points. "He's one of the greatest power forwards in the league."

Moreover, the fear of Randolph enabled Gasol to have a big game, too. Any time the Grizzlies ran a high pick-and-roll with Conley and Gasol, the pocket pass to Gasol at the free throw line was wide open because Randolph's defender on the block was so reluctant to leave him.

"Of course they're going to try to collapse the paint," Gasol said. "Most teams play us like that. Not many [centers] are going to pop to that area.

"Mike did a great job of getting into the paint, and finding me rolling or with the little pocket pass for the shot. We just did a good job of moving the ball and being unselfish."

The scariest part for Oklahoma City is that the Grizzlies didn't do anything particularly special to achieve this result.

"We'll just play with our schemes and concepts like it's a regular-season game," Hollins said beforehand.

He had little choice. Having had only 36 hours to prepare after clinching a first-ever series win with Friday's win over San Antonio (or less, if you subtract celebration time, of which the Memphis players most certainly partook) and just a brief walkthrough on Saturday before flying in, Memphis didn't change up anything from how it normally plays.

"I think the schedule actually helped us," Battier said. "We felt so good after the Spurs game we just wanted to keep playing. That's the beauty of this team -- we just like to play."

With three more performances like this, they'll get to play for a lot longer than anybody outside West Tennessee expected.
Link

 

[pmatic]

Grizzlies' offense overwhelms OKC

Maybe the San Antonio Spurs aren't too old, too slow or too unathletic.

Maybe the Memphis Grizzlies are just really, really good.

It look less than 48 hours for that revisionist view of history to come to the fore, after Memphis followed Friday's upset of the top-seeded Spurs with a 114-101 pounding of the Thunder on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series. Game 2 is Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

What stood out was not just what they did, but how they did it. The Grizzlies simply overwhelmed the home side with their rare combination of brute force, precision passing and scrambling defense, racing out to a double-digit lead in the first half and never suffering a serious threat thereafter. Much like the San Antonio series, there was nothing whatsoever about this game that felt like an upset.

If you're not familiar with these Grizzlies, take another look at the second half of their season: Memphis went 27-11 in its final 38 games before tanking the last two. Throw in the seven playoff games and their record is 32-13 in more than half a season; that's a 58-win pace. Even after losing star forward Rudy Gay for the season, they barely lost a step.

The big surprise on this evening, however, was how badly the Grizzlies dominated Oklahoma City on the offensive end of the floor. Memphis got here as a defensive team, leading the league in forced turnovers and bullying the top-ranked Spurs' offense into submission in the first round of the playoffs.

But their ironclad defense was just OK today. Instead, it was Zach Randolph's low-post dominance (34 points and 10 rebounds), Marc Gasol's precision finishing (9-of-11 for 20 points) and Mike Conley's ball protection (no turnovers, only eight for the team) that ruled the day. Memphis scored at least 27 points in every quarter and rolled up 114 points on just 94 trips, a stellar 120.2 offensive efficiency mark.

"Our offense was actually carrying us early on," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said, "with Zach as our offensive force. Along the game our defense caught up."

"We're so used to the methodical pace of the Spurs series," forward Shane Battier said. "We were really able to push the pace and get some easy baskets. We're better off as a team when we attack early."

Memphis also pounded the Thunder on the offensive glass, earning 17 offensive rebounds and compiling 22 second-chance points. Seven different Grizzlies players accumulated offensive boards, with perhaps none being more important than a hot-potato, flat-footed putback by Battier after the Thunder had cut a 17-point lead to seven midway through the fourth quarter. That was as close as the hosts would get.

"I'm just trying to get it on the rim," Battier said. "With these guys, Zach, Marc, I just try to get it up there. [Serge] Ibaka was coming so I had to get it off."

The offensive boards were part of a larger story. Possession is nine-tenths of the law, as they say, and on this afternoon it was nine-tenths of the game. Oklahoma City had 18 turnovers to just eight for Memphis, and the Grizzlies also had one more offensive rebound. That translates to 11 extra possessions in a 13-point game, explaining nearly the entire difference on the scoreboard.

Randolph, of course, was the key. He was impossible for the Thunder to contain in four regular-season meetings, three of which the Grizzlies won, but the hope was that the trade that rebuilt the Thunder's front line would make Oklahoma City more capable of containing him. On this night, however, their efforts were just as fruitless.

"He's a relentless offensive machine," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks before the game, and his words proved prophetic. Whether floating in rain-making faceup jumpers that barely touched the net as they went through, pounding it in closer to the basket or finding cutters with a new zest for passing, Randolph owned this game from the opening tip. The Thunder tried Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison on him, and none of them were effective.

"You cannot stop him," said Kevin Durant, who was no slouch himself with 33 points. "He's one of the greatest power forwards in the league."

Moreover, the fear of Randolph enabled Gasol to have a big game, too. Any time the Grizzlies ran a high pick-and-roll with Conley and Gasol, the pocket pass to Gasol at the free throw line was wide open because Randolph's defender on the block was so reluctant to leave him.

"Of course they're going to try to collapse the paint," Gasol said. "Most teams play us like that. Not many [centers] are going to pop to that area.

"Mike did a great job of getting into the paint, and finding me rolling or with the little pocket pass for the shot. We just did a good job of moving the ball and being unselfish."

The scariest part for Oklahoma City is that the Grizzlies didn't do anything particularly special to achieve this result.

"We'll just play with our schemes and concepts like it's a regular-season game," Hollins said beforehand.

He had little choice. Having had only 36 hours to prepare after clinching a first-ever series win with Friday's win over San Antonio (or less, if you subtract celebration time, of which the Memphis players most certainly partook) and just a brief walkthrough on Saturday before flying in, Memphis didn't change up anything from how it normally plays.

"I think the schedule actually helped us," Battier said. "We felt so good after the Spurs game we just wanted to keep playing. That's the beauty of this team -- we just like to play."

With three more performances like this, they'll get to play for a lot longer than anybody outside West Tennessee expected.
Link

 

[pmatic]

More recaps;

When LeBron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach, many in the league imagined a team that would be very strong on both sides of the court. They would fly at the basket and score at will. They would guard with a passion. They would impose their physical will on opponents and nobody could do anthing about it. That's what we saw on the first day of second round action in the NBA playoffs. Except, we saw it from the Memphis Grizzlies!

Hey, Miami played great too. We'll talk about them in a second. But, the jaw dropper of the day came in the early game...when the Memphis Grizzlies simply manhandled the favored Oklahoma City Thunder. You don't often use the phrase "men against boys" in the NBA. And, we may not see anything quite like this again the rest of the way. But, for 48 minutes on the first Sunday of May, the Memphis Grizzlies pushed, and shoved, and bullied their way to shockingly easy 114-101 road victory.

MEMPHIS 114, OKLAHOMA CITY 101
2-point pct: Memphis 51%, Oklahoma City 45%
3-pointers: Memphis 3/8, Oklahoma City 6/14
Rebounds: Memphis 45, Oklahoma City 42
Turnovers: Memphis 7, Oklahoma City 18
1's and 2's: Memphis 105, Oklahoma City 83

Memphis became the first team in the playoffs this year to top the century mark on 1's and 2's. They were a force inside, the likes of which we haven't seen yet (except from them in the first round!). OKC just seemed to bounce off of them and fall by the wayside whenever Memphis needed a basket. Or, worse, Memphis passed the ball around well beore finding a guy all alone underneath the hoop for a dunk or lay-in.

BEST "1'S AND 2'S" TOTALS THIS YEAR IN PLAYOFFS
Memphis 105 today vs. Oklahoma City
New Orleans 97 in Game 1 vs. the Lakers (Paul's masterpiece)
Memphis 96 in Game 6 vs. San Antonio
Memphis 94 in Game 5 vs. San Antonio
Boston 92 in Game 4 vs. New York
Denver 91 in Game 1 vs. Oklahoma City

Memphis shows up three times on that list, sandwiched around Chris Paul's huge series opener in LA when the Lakers played some of the most passive defense ever recorded (3 forced turnovers). Boston is on this list against shorthanded New York after the Knicks gave up. Oklahoma City shows up defensively in that awful first game performance in the paint vs. Denver that they were able to salvage late.

It's good news for OKC that they recovered from that debacle to win the series. But, Memphis is much more physical than Denver...and, unlike the Nuggets they have a plan late in close games. The right word may be "relentless." Memphis just keeps pushing its way toward the basket daring anyone to deny them.

What was so interesting today wasn't just the bullying on offense. Memphis continued to show the value of forcing turnovers on defense. We've talked about this since first noting their off-the-charts excellence during the regular season. If you watched the game, you saw several strip steals and guys constantly darting into passing lanes. Memphis won the stat 18-7, meaning they had 11 fewer wasted possessions. You can do a lot of damage with extra opportunities when you've got bullies in the paint.

I'm trying to find the right metaphor. Maybe the Green Bay Packers offense from the Vince Lombardi era...and last year's New York Jets defense...all rolled into one basketball team. Brute force on offense, and a disruptive defense that takes the ball away.

Now, a team like that is a good bet to win a championship. But, it's tough to say right now that Memphis is truly that team. Oklahoma City made them LOOK that good today.

Bouncing back in the series doesn't involve any mysteries. The Thunder have to get tougher inside (which they did vs. Denver). Russell Westbrook has to get over his Kobe complex and stop trying to force everything before getting frustrated at the drop of a hat.

GETTING TOUGHER INSIDE VS. DENVER
Game One: 57% allowed on 2-pointers
Game Two: 38% allowed on 2-pointers
Game Three: 42% allowed on 2-pointers
Game Four: 36% allowed on 2-pointers
Game five: 47% allowed on 2-pointers

That was three stellar games in a row after the soft performance they survived in the series opener. OKC started to slack back off in Game Five, but that was okay because they outrebounded Denver 35-4 in the defensive zone that night. Today, they only outrebounded Memphis 26-17 in the defensive zone. Awful.

Westbrook's patience? Let's create a "patience index" for him and see what develops. For now, I'll add missed shots, turnovers, and personal fouls, because those things seem to follow him around when he gets frustrated.

WESTBROOK'S "PATIENCE INDEX"
Game One Denver: 18
Game Two Denver: 21
Game Three Denver: 15
Game Four Denver: 26 (loss)
Game Five Denver: 18
Game One Memphis: 26 (loss)

Obviously mid 20's is awful. And, it's hard to be impressed with some of those others even though OKC was winning. Westbrook hasn't topped 40% from the floor since Game One. And, he's got a "Shoot first, tell me what a great scorer Kevin Durant is later" mentality at the moment...which is a big problem if you're not breaking 40% from the floor!

Game Two is Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. After the service break, the ball is clearly in the Thunder's court.
Link

Grizzlies make Thunder stand up and take notice in Game 1 victory

Kevin Durant stared down at the final stat sheet, his eyes locked on the numbers like he was willing them to change. The Grizzlies took it to Oklahoma City, 114-101, on Sunday in Game 1 of this second-round series, connecting on 49.4 percent of their shots, racking up 52 points in the paint and yanking down 17 offensive rebounds that led to 22 second-chance points. That physical, bruising style that Memphis clobbered San Antonio with in the first round was packed up and redeployed in Oklahoma City with clubbing force.
"We didn't come out with any urgency, didn't have any energy," Kevin Durant said. That could not be more true. The Thunder started the game flat and stayed that way, save for a few frantic second-half flurries. This Oklahoma City team played arrogantly, entitled, like simply showing up would be enough to earn them a win. They coughed up the ball (18 turnovers), refused to share it (16 assists) and watched as quick shot after quick shot bounced off the iron.

"I can't put words in their mouth," said Memphis guard Mike Conley. "But they were going one-on-one a lot early. We play a little bit different."

No kidding. Memphis' offense doesn't move the ball as well as Boston or score as much as Denver. But it's no less effective. The Grizzlies' bruise brothers, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, continue to beat down any defender put in front of them. Gasol (20 points, 13 rebounds) overwhelmed Kendrick Perkins in the post while Randolph (34 and 10) performed like a PlayStation Create-a-Player, knocking down jumpers, put-backs and sweeping, Tommy Heinsohn-like hooks.

"Their bigs are talented and skilled," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "They are not just scorers or rebounders. They are playmakers. The one thing I admire in [Randolph's] game is that he is relentless. He's always playing. You know he loves the game. We have to do a better job of controlling him."

Added Durant, "[Randolph] is the best power forward in the league."

The Thunder have a few pretty good players too -- a truth that was muddied over 48 minutes of sloppy play. You aren't going, to win an isolation war with Memphis, though Oklahoma City appeared doggedly determined to try. Russell Westbrook needed 23 shots to get his 29 points, while Durant hoisted jumpers (21 shots) whenever he saw the slightest sliver of space.

Stick with Westbrook though, for a minute. The 6-foot-3, 187-pound guard is arguably his team's most skilled player, a point guard in a strong safety's body, gifted with blurring speed and freakish athleticism. Westbrook made significant strides this season, adding a three-point shot to his arsenal and distributing the ball (8.2 assists per game) at a career-best clip.

But in his second postseason go-round, Westbrook has regressed. His playmaking has started to taper off. The reckless, kamikaze-like assaults on the rim have become more frequent, drives that too often end in a missed shot or a turnover. As inviting as a flat-footed Conley looks on the perimeter, the scenery changes significantly with the quick hands and burly bodies of Randolph and Gasol clogging the paint.

The Thunder need the point guard, not the pure scorer. Durant (33 points) will continue to be Durant and it's reasonable to assume an ineffective James Harden (five points) will bounce back in Game 2. Westbrook has a decided advantage against Conley, who can't stay in front of him and isn't strong enough to hold his ground behind him. Westbrook can draw defenses to him on dribble-drives and pull double-teams his way on post-ups. It's his decision-making that must improve. There is no need to bull his way to the basket or launch an acrobatic shot at the rim. Not with Harden lurking on the perimeter or Durant hustling to find the open spot.

Memphis sent a message in Game 1 and it would behoove Oklahoma City to hear it. These scrappy Grizzlies won't go away quietly, won't pat themselves on the back after the first round and simply accept elimination. Clearly, the Thunder are the more talented team, but talent doesn't always carry the day. The Spurs understand just how tough the Grizzlies are and now the Thunder get it, too. They are in a dogfight now, and they better be prepared to mix it up.

Link

 

[pmatic]

More recaps;

When LeBron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach, many in the league imagined a team that would be very strong on both sides of the court. They would fly at the basket and score at will. They would guard with a passion. They would impose their physical will on opponents and nobody could do anthing about it. That's what we saw on the first day of second round action in the NBA playoffs. Except, we saw it from the Memphis Grizzlies!

Hey, Miami played great too. We'll talk about them in a second. But, the jaw dropper of the day came in the early game...when the Memphis Grizzlies simply manhandled the favored Oklahoma City Thunder. You don't often use the phrase "men against boys" in the NBA. And, we may not see anything quite like this again the rest of the way. But, for 48 minutes on the first Sunday of May, the Memphis Grizzlies pushed, and shoved, and bullied their way to shockingly easy 114-101 road victory.

MEMPHIS 114, OKLAHOMA CITY 101
2-point pct: Memphis 51%, Oklahoma City 45%
3-pointers: Memphis 3/8, Oklahoma City 6/14
Rebounds: Memphis 45, Oklahoma City 42
Turnovers: Memphis 7, Oklahoma City 18
1's and 2's: Memphis 105, Oklahoma City 83

Memphis became the first team in the playoffs this year to top the century mark on 1's and 2's. They were a force inside, the likes of which we haven't seen yet (except from them in the first round!). OKC just seemed to bounce off of them and fall by the wayside whenever Memphis needed a basket. Or, worse, Memphis passed the ball around well beore finding a guy all alone underneath the hoop for a dunk or lay-in.

BEST "1'S AND 2'S" TOTALS THIS YEAR IN PLAYOFFS
Memphis 105 today vs. Oklahoma City
New Orleans 97 in Game 1 vs. the Lakers (Paul's masterpiece)
Memphis 96 in Game 6 vs. San Antonio
Memphis 94 in Game 5 vs. San Antonio
Boston 92 in Game 4 vs. New York
Denver 91 in Game 1 vs. Oklahoma City

Memphis shows up three times on that list, sandwiched around Chris Paul's huge series opener in LA when the Lakers played some of the most passive defense ever recorded (3 forced turnovers). Boston is on this list against shorthanded New York after the Knicks gave up. Oklahoma City shows up defensively in that awful first game performance in the paint vs. Denver that they were able to salvage late.

It's good news for OKC that they recovered from that debacle to win the series. But, Memphis is much more physical than Denver...and, unlike the Nuggets they have a plan late in close games. The right word may be "relentless." Memphis just keeps pushing its way toward the basket daring anyone to deny them.

What was so interesting today wasn't just the bullying on offense. Memphis continued to show the value of forcing turnovers on defense. We've talked about this since first noting their off-the-charts excellence during the regular season. If you watched the game, you saw several strip steals and guys constantly darting into passing lanes. Memphis won the stat 18-7, meaning they had 11 fewer wasted possessions. You can do a lot of damage with extra opportunities when you've got bullies in the paint.

I'm trying to find the right metaphor. Maybe the Green Bay Packers offense from the Vince Lombardi era...and last year's New York Jets defense...all rolled into one basketball team. Brute force on offense, and a disruptive defense that takes the ball away.

Now, a team like that is a good bet to win a championship. But, it's tough to say right now that Memphis is truly that team. Oklahoma City made them LOOK that good today.

Bouncing back in the series doesn't involve any mysteries. The Thunder have to get tougher inside (which they did vs. Denver). Russell Westbrook has to get over his Kobe complex and stop trying to force everything before getting frustrated at the drop of a hat.

GETTING TOUGHER INSIDE VS. DENVER
Game One: 57% allowed on 2-pointers
Game Two: 38% allowed on 2-pointers
Game Three: 42% allowed on 2-pointers
Game Four: 36% allowed on 2-pointers
Game five: 47% allowed on 2-pointers

That was three stellar games in a row after the soft performance they survived in the series opener. OKC started to slack back off in Game Five, but that was okay because they outrebounded Denver 35-4 in the defensive zone that night. Today, they only outrebounded Memphis 26-17 in the defensive zone. Awful.

Westbrook's patience? Let's create a "patience index" for him and see what develops. For now, I'll add missed shots, turnovers, and personal fouls, because those things seem to follow him around when he gets frustrated.

WESTBROOK'S "PATIENCE INDEX"
Game One Denver: 18
Game Two Denver: 21
Game Three Denver: 15
Game Four Denver: 26 (loss)
Game Five Denver: 18
Game One Memphis: 26 (loss)

Obviously mid 20's is awful. And, it's hard to be impressed with some of those others even though OKC was winning. Westbrook hasn't topped 40% from the floor since Game One. And, he's got a "Shoot first, tell me what a great scorer Kevin Durant is later" mentality at the moment...which is a big problem if you're not breaking 40% from the floor!

Game Two is Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. After the service break, the ball is clearly in the Thunder's court.
Link

Grizzlies make Thunder stand up and take notice in Game 1 victory

Kevin Durant stared down at the final stat sheet, his eyes locked on the numbers like he was willing them to change. The Grizzlies took it to Oklahoma City, 114-101, on Sunday in Game 1 of this second-round series, connecting on 49.4 percent of their shots, racking up 52 points in the paint and yanking down 17 offensive rebounds that led to 22 second-chance points. That physical, bruising style that Memphis clobbered San Antonio with in the first round was packed up and redeployed in Oklahoma City with clubbing force.
"We didn't come out with any urgency, didn't have any energy," Kevin Durant said. That could not be more true. The Thunder started the game flat and stayed that way, save for a few frantic second-half flurries. This Oklahoma City team played arrogantly, entitled, like simply showing up would be enough to earn them a win. They coughed up the ball (18 turnovers), refused to share it (16 assists) and watched as quick shot after quick shot bounced off the iron.

"I can't put words in their mouth," said Memphis guard Mike Conley. "But they were going one-on-one a lot early. We play a little bit different."

No kidding. Memphis' offense doesn't move the ball as well as Boston or score as much as Denver. But it's no less effective. The Grizzlies' bruise brothers, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, continue to beat down any defender put in front of them. Gasol (20 points, 13 rebounds) overwhelmed Kendrick Perkins in the post while Randolph (34 and 10) performed like a PlayStation Create-a-Player, knocking down jumpers, put-backs and sweeping, Tommy Heinsohn-like hooks.

"Their bigs are talented and skilled," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "They are not just scorers or rebounders. They are playmakers. The one thing I admire in [Randolph's] game is that he is relentless. He's always playing. You know he loves the game. We have to do a better job of controlling him."

Added Durant, "[Randolph] is the best power forward in the league."

The Thunder have a few pretty good players too -- a truth that was muddied over 48 minutes of sloppy play. You aren't going, to win an isolation war with Memphis, though Oklahoma City appeared doggedly determined to try. Russell Westbrook needed 23 shots to get his 29 points, while Durant hoisted jumpers (21 shots) whenever he saw the slightest sliver of space.

Stick with Westbrook though, for a minute. The 6-foot-3, 187-pound guard is arguably his team's most skilled player, a point guard in a strong safety's body, gifted with blurring speed and freakish athleticism. Westbrook made significant strides this season, adding a three-point shot to his arsenal and distributing the ball (8.2 assists per game) at a career-best clip.

But in his second postseason go-round, Westbrook has regressed. His playmaking has started to taper off. The reckless, kamikaze-like assaults on the rim have become more frequent, drives that too often end in a missed shot or a turnover. As inviting as a flat-footed Conley looks on the perimeter, the scenery changes significantly with the quick hands and burly bodies of Randolph and Gasol clogging the paint.

The Thunder need the point guard, not the pure scorer. Durant (33 points) will continue to be Durant and it's reasonable to assume an ineffective James Harden (five points) will bounce back in Game 2. Westbrook has a decided advantage against Conley, who can't stay in front of him and isn't strong enough to hold his ground behind him. Westbrook can draw defenses to him on dribble-drives and pull double-teams his way on post-ups. It's his decision-making that must improve. There is no need to bull his way to the basket or launch an acrobatic shot at the rim. Not with Harden lurking on the perimeter or Durant hustling to find the open spot.

Memphis sent a message in Game 1 and it would behoove Oklahoma City to hear it. These scrappy Grizzlies won't go away quietly, won't pat themselves on the back after the first round and simply accept elimination. Clearly, the Thunder are the more talented team, but talent doesn't always carry the day. The Spurs understand just how tough the Grizzlies are and now the Thunder get it, too. They are in a dogfight now, and they better be prepared to mix it up.

Link

 

[ag 47]

Originally Posted by xbiker47

Westbrook will be thunders downfall

According to some, he's the modern day Starbury.

 

[ag 47]

Originally Posted by xbiker47

Westbrook will be thunders downfall

According to some, he's the modern day Starbury.

 

[pmatic]

“You can’t stop him,’’ Durant said. “He’s an animal . . . He’s the best power forward in the league.’’

Perkins didn’t rubber stamp that endorsement. Perkins declined to name his top power forward, but it’s not Randolph.

“If he says so,

 

[pmatic]

“You can’t stop him,’’ Durant said. “He’s an animal . . . He’s the best power forward in the league.’’

Perkins didn’t rubber stamp that endorsement. Perkins declined to name his top power forward, but it’s not Randolph.

“If he says so,

 

[GaBeGRaMz]

...

 

[GaBeGRaMz]

...

 

[IATT]

Originally Posted by GaBeGRaMz

If the Thunder lose to Grizz.

Billups for Westbrook.

and are ppl really forgetting that marbury wasn't exactly all there?!

i know westbrook needs to learn how to be more of a facilitator on offense.. but dude is 22 and is still learning the PG position (played SG at ucla.. collison was the point)

 

[IATT]

Originally Posted by GaBeGRaMz

If the Thunder lose to Grizz.

Billups for Westbrook.

and are ppl really forgetting that marbury wasn't exactly all there?!

i know westbrook needs to learn how to be more of a facilitator on offense.. but dude is 22 and is still learning the PG position (played SG at ucla.. collison was the point)

 

[i am that dude]

Originally Posted by GaBeGRaMz

If the Thunder lose to Grizz.

Billups for Westbrook.

No sir. For all of his faults, and he has had 1 terrible game (game 4 last series), a regular bad game (game 5), and tonight was fairly decent, I want no parts of Billups. If we could get Jrue Holiday somehow, I'm on it though. And of course, CP3, even though Russ murked him in all their meetings this yr.

I need to be a coach. It's amazing these dudes get paid millions of dollars and aren't noticing, or correcting anyways, things I have noticed.

The big problem with Perkins defense on pick and rolls, and also why Gasol will have so many open 15 footers this series, is that Perk doesn't hedge/show then get back. He likes to stay an extra 5 or 6 seconds and help the guard out by keeping Conley/Lawson/etc from being able to turn that corner, than after a few moments he turns and gets back. Well, that's fine but the rest of the team behind him isn't always (in fact never is) in tune with that so if you pass to Perkin's man, he is ALWAYS open because Perk isn't really quick enough to get back faster than the pass. So as long your spacing 2 passes away (generally Ibaka's man) is good enough, whoever Perk is guarding is ALWAYS open on the roll or the pop. Just keep Ibaka's man on the other side because Serge is athletic enough to make up for not being there.

Then Perk gets mad and yells at Ibaka or KD, because he's helping and nobody's helping him. Then he was cussing Russ out for taking so many bad shots. I know players yell at each other all the time, and it doesn't mean anything, but I think he legitimately doesn't like dude or his game/shot selection/not passing. I've been watching that dynamic since the first homegame which I made the 3hr drive to (was Bobcats).

Also, ALL of Westbrook's turnovers aren't his fault. At least 3 tonight where the result of KD not being able to get open enough for the pass. KD has the same problem with smaller defenders Dirk Nowitzki used to have, and players hold/grab/push him off the ball when he's trying to break free and he isn't strong/aggressive enough to completely break free or seal for good enough post position to make a clean pass and a lot of times trying to get him the ball and waiting for him to get open enough takes so much time, by the time you do or the time the passer decides to reverse the other way because it'll take too long, there's 4 seconds on the clock and you have to force something.