Thunder vs Spurs: Game 6

The Oklahoma City Thunder showed they meant business these playoffs as the showed their resolve with an emphatic come back win against the reeling San Antonio Spurs. Rarely has a series taken such a sharp change of events as the once seemingly invincible Spurs have been thrown out by the burgeoning power in Oklahoma.

“This is a group of young men that has unified this city and this state as never before.”
— Thunder chairman Clay Bennett

 

 

After being down by as many as 18, the Thunder refused to keel in and took the game from the Spurs. After having 21 points and 10 assists in the first half alone, Tony Parker was significantly quieter during the remainder of the game, finishing with 29 and 12.  Steven Jackson was big as well, hitting 6-7 three pointers on his way to 23 points. But it was Kevin Durant who was victorious with 34 points and 14 rebounds.

Thunder vs Spurs: Game Five

The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their momentum as they notched their third win in their series against the San Antonio Spurs and one away from the NBA Finals. In a perhaps unforeseen turnaround, the Thunder have won three in a row and suddenly people are saying that the Spurs look to old. With the loss today, the Spurs lost three in a row for the first time this season. Kevin Durant led the way for the Thunder with 27 points on 10-19 shooting while James Harden had 20 points of the bench.

“Bottom line is you can’t turn it over 21 times for 28 points. That’s what we did again. Turnovers have been theme during the entire deal.”

— Spurs coach Greg Popovich

Manu Ginobli was huge for the Spurs, scoring 34 points, including 2 big threes to bring the game close. However, it was not enough as the Spurs now face elimination from the playoffs.

Thunder vs Spurs: Game One

The San Antonio Spurs fought back late to take a Game One victory at home over the dangerous Oklahoma City Thunder. On the verge of giving up home court advantage and losing their first game of the playoffs, the Spurs rode a tremendous Manu Ginobli to victory. Ginobli had 26 points off the bench in a encouraging return to form for the Spurs.

“(Ginobili) is just left-handed and crafty. He can get to the rim. He made plays in the fourth quarter, and we stopped moving the ball.”
— Oklahoma City’s James Harden

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points and 10 rebounds, but for one of the few times in his career, fell over in the 4th. After veteran Stephen Jackson was moved on to Durant, the long armed terror only managed to get up two shots in the final period. A poor return from a usually reliable performer. James Harden had 19 while playoff warrior Derek Fisher added 13 points

Spurs vs Clippers: Game Four

The San Antonio Spurs kept up their perfect record in the playoffs and posted a 18 game winning streak as they swept the Los Angeles Clippers. Winning 102-99 in LA, the Spurs were led by none other than Tim Duncan. Seemingly hell bent on adding another ring to his collection, Duncan scored 21 points and added 9 rebounds. Tony Parker filled out the usual suspects alongside Manu Ginobli who had 17 and 11 points respectively.

Chris Paul had a big game with 23 points and 11 assists, as well as 6 rebounds. Blake Griffin also had 21 points.

Spurs vs Clippers: Game Three

A 24-0 run from the veteran Spurs left the Clippers faithful wondering what could of been as the Spurs topped the Clips yet again to take a more than likely insurmountable 3-0 lead. 28 points from Blake Griffin however was a reassuring sight for the future. For now however, Tim Duncans 19 points and 13 rebound game, complimented by 4 assists, will come out on top. Still youthful guard Tony Parker added 23 points and 10 assists.

“We did not plan on being down that much in the first quarter, but we understood that they were going to make a run early, and we needed to sustain. We’ve been through enough of them to understand that’s how it goes. It was great poise by our entire team.”
— Spurs forward Tim Duncan

Whilst it looks likely that the Clippers will be leaving these playoffs in a sweep, this can be nothing but a positive season for this young team. Griffin playing against the master himself in Tim Duncan, in playoff time, is a huge learning experience for the young man.

Jazz vs Spurs: Game Four

Despite a desperate rally from the Utah Jazz, the San Antonio secured themselves a much wanted rest when the finished their sweep with a 87-81 victory. The Jazz were down 21 late, but fought hard to bring it back to a close margin. Al Jefferson led all scorers with 26 points and 10 rebounds while Paul Millsap dominated the boards as he tore down a total 19 rebounds while also putting in 10 points.  Gordon Hayward’s poor series continued as he he didn’t make the scoreboard, missing all seven of his shots.

Credit: Steve Dykes/Getty Images

The bench was the driving force behind the Spurs win, with Manu Ginobli scoring 17 points off the bench. Tiago Splitter also had 10 points in a good showing for the Brazilian. The Spurs are certainly looking dangerous heading further into the playoffs, especially with Ginobli beginning to find his feet.

“We ignore that. We’ve been hearing that for 10 years.”
— Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich on how his team responds to other people saying San Antonio is too old to compete for another NBA championship.

Spurs vs Jazz: Game Three

Tony Parker’s MVP level play and a sprightly Tim Duncan continued to power the San Antonio Spurs over the Utah Jazz as they took a commanding and near insurmountable 3-0 lead heading into the final game in Utah. With Parker scoring 27 along with Duncan adding in 17 and running the floor like a much younger man, the Spurs were rarely challenged in what ended up being a fairly routine win.

The Jazz were led by a 21 point double from Al Jefferson and Devin Harris who both reached the mark. But it was a mediocre 9 points from usually high scoring power forward Paul Millsap that really let the Jazz down in the long run. Young Gordon Hayward struggled all night, missing 9 of his 10 shots to score only 4 points. Whilst the effort has been there for the Jazz, it is difficult to see anything else than a sweep now.

Spurs vs Jazz: Game Two

The San Antonio Spurs used double digit scoring from 7 players to lift them to a huge Game Two win over the Utah Jazz. Heading into Utah after this game, the Spurs certainly gave themselves the best chance to close out the series in Utah with the big win. No doubt this will certainly be hugely demoralizing for the Jazz. The gap between the number one seed and the eighth is certainly evident on the Western side of the conference.

“We were aggressive and we wanted to make sure we matched their energy,”

Spurs guard; Tony Parker

From a simple stats view, starting ‘center’ Boris Diaw only had 11 points, but was a preposterous +41 in the plus/minus column. Tony Parker also pushed a double double, scoring 18 points and dishing out 9 assists. Rookie Kawhi Leonard had 17 points while Tim Duncan kept up his ageless play with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

In a miserable game for the Jazz, only Al Jefferson and Josh Howard were the only ones to crack double digits, both scoring 10 points apiece. Enes Kanter’s play was the only slight positive for the Jazz, scoring 8 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in around 15 minutes of play.

Coach of the Year Greg Popovich also accepted his award for his work in getting an older Spurs list to where it is today.

 

Spurs vs Jazz: Game One

Final Score 106-91 Spurs win (Spurs lead 1-0)

Tony Parker had 28 points and handed out 8 assits as the San Antonio Spurs got the start they wanted as they won against eighth seed Utah. With memories of their collapse last year still lingering, the Spurs quickly dismissed any thought of an upset with a 14 point win at home. Tim Duncan also looked sprightly with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Boris Diaw, handed the start at center officially, had 9 points, while Stephen Jackson had 14 off the bench.

 

 

The front court for the Jazz did their job as Hayward, Millsap and Jefferson combined for 53 of the Spurs 91 points. However, the guards for the Jazz struggled mightlily, especially Devin Harris, who had just 7 points as well as 5 turnovers in his duel with fellow veteran Tony Parker. Parker definitely finished with the points by the end of the night.

“I think everybody knows what happened last year (in the first-round playoff loss to Memphis), and everybody is very motivated this year. ”

– Parker

 

D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images

With the win, the Spurs get over their six time playoff series funk when it came to winning Game Ones. The Spurs were dominant from the very beginning as the Jazz held their last lead during the first quarter, never to lead again for the rest of the match.

Western Conference Playoff Preview

San Antonio (1) vs. Utah (8)

Game 1 – Sun. April 29, Utah at San Antonio, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN
Game 2 – Wed. May 2, Utah at San Antonio, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Sat. May 5, San Antonio at Utah, 10 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Mon. May 7, San Antonio at Utah, TBD
Game 5 * Wed. May 9, Utah at San Antonio, TBD
Game 6 * Fri. May 11, San Antonio at Utah, TBD
Game 7 * Sun. May 13, Utah at San Antonio, TBD

Things are much different this time around for the San Antonio Spurs. This time they’re not limping into the playoff but instead have all their superstars healthy and raring to go. Tony Parker is playing MVP basketball, Manu Ginobli has embraced his new role off the bench with vigor and Tim Duncan is doing the same he has for years, if only slower. The Jazz have the tall timber that could bother the Spurs in Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap brusing their way through the lane. With no true defensive center left in San Antonion, this is where the Jazz can win the series. But the electric offense of the Spurs should be too much for the Jazz. Expect a reasobably easy series win here.

Oklahoma City (2) vs. Dallas (7)

Game 1 – Sat. April 28, Dallas at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 – Mon. April 30, Dallas at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Thu. May 3, Oklahoma City at Dallas, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 4 – Sat. May 5, Oklahoma City at Dallas, 7:30 p.m., TNT/R
Game 5 * Mon. May 7, Dallas at Oklahoma City, TBD
Game 6 * Thu. May 10, Oklahoma City at Dallas, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. May 12, Dallas at Oklahoma City ,TBD, TNT

Surely the Thunder were hoping for an easier first round matchup than with the reigning champs. Championship experience runs deep in the roster and the Mavericks pose a real threat to the Thunders potential championship run. But the absence of defensive anchor Tyson Chandler, who now makes port in the Knicks key, will seriously effect the Mavs chances. Whether ageing center Brendan Haywood can stand in the way of the likes of Russel Westrook and Kevin Durant will hold one of the main keys to the series. Also, Serge Ibaka will have to stay with Dirk Nowitzki. Same thing with Shaun Marion on Kevin Durant. It’s there for the Mavs to win, but the Thunder will probably go on to the second round out of this one.

L.A. Lakers (3) vs. Denver (6)

Game 1 – Sun. April 29, Denver at L.A. Lakers, 3:30 p.m., ABC/R
Game 2 – Tue. May 1, Denver at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Fri May 4, L.A. Lakers at Denver, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Sun. May 6, L.A. Lakers at Denver, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue. May 8, Denver at L.A. Lakers, TBD
Game 6 * Thu. May 10, L.A. Lakers at Denver, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. May 12, Denver at L.A. Lakers, TBD, TNT

Well the Lakers got here. And if it wasnt for Ron Artest’s flailing elbows, they would of arrived in one piece. Playoffs seem to turn this team into another creature. It’s said so often, but the Lakers are built for the playoffs. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol give them unmatched size and now with Ramon Sessions running the point, there’s even an element of speed in Lakerland. However, Sessions’ number one task will be to slow down rocket point guard Ty Lawson, who could very well claim to be one of the All Stars of the second half of the season. But Bynum’s improved low post play and rebounding will be the key here. There’s simply noone who can match up with him in the league, let alone on the Nugget’s roster. Look to him to have a big series and possibly an opinion changing playoffs as the Lakers get the win here.

Memphis (4) vs. L.A. Clippers (5)

Game 1 – Sun. April 29, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 2 – Wed. May 2, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 – Sat. May 5, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, 4:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 – Mon. May 7, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD
Game 5 * Wed. May 9, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, TBD
Game 6 * Fri. May 11, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD
Game 7 * Sun. May 13, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, TBD

The Clippers gave up homecourt advantage in the dying stages of the regular season and that could very well make all the difference as the Grizzlies building is one of the more hostile environments around the league. It’s a difficult building to win in, as the Spurs showed last time around. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin form a dangerous duo and one that could very well win the series for the Clippers. However, if the bustling Zach Randolph can get Blake into foul trouble early, then the Clippers could be in a bit of trouble. Paul is one of the better clutch performers in the league and the matchup between him and Tony Allen during crunch time is something to look forward too. The Clippers don’t really have anyone to match up with Rudy Gay, the hard running and slashing guard likely to cause some headaches for the Clippers. This one is almost too close to call, but the edge goes to Lob City in this one.