Latest Headlines
Loading...
LeBron Clutch? Durant Gaffe? 1-1 Tie?
Posted on 15 Jun 2012 by Steven Jones.
In a postseason filled with surprises, it was only fitting that Game 2 of the Finals would end in the least likely manner: LeBron James came through in the clutch. Kevin Durant did not. For a basketball-watching public accustomed to the opposite narrative, this set of facts may seem incongruous. On closer examination, though, it made perfect sense. For further analysis, it would be best to brin...
Continue Reading
Thunder-Heat Has Classic Potential
Posted on 10 Jun 2012 by Steven Jones.
Conspiracy theorists will hiss that the NBA got what it wanted. That may be, but most fans will feel pretty satisfied, too. Tuesday's NBA Finals between Oklahoma City and Miami will feature a dream individual matchup, a star-studded cast, a bevy of intriguing role players, and a contrast in styles that produced two of the most compelling clashes of the 2012 regular season. The two teams involve...
Continue Reading
Thunder Cancel SA’s Finals Trip
Posted on 7 Jun 2012 by Steven Jones.
A week ago, observers wondered how anyone could beat the San Antonio Spurs. The Oklahoma City Thunder had a simple solution: every important player on their team became significantly better. Basketball numbers often lie, but in three critical cases, they tell most of the story of how the Thunder became San Antonio's Kryptonite, and punched its first Finals ticket as a franchise since the Seattl...
Continue Reading
Thunder One Win From Finals
Posted on 5 Jun 2012 by Steven Jones.
The Thunder aren't supposed to be here. Ask any longtime NBA fan. This team should be in Seattle. It should be in the lottery. It should be taking its lumps in the first round. It should be in the middle of one of Kenny and Chuck's “Gone Fishin'” graphics. Been there, done that. A year ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked this same situation in the eye – ahead by double digit...
Continue Reading
Ibaka Early, Durant Late = WCF Tie
Posted on 2 Jun 2012 by Steven Jones.
Announcers and journalists overuse the phrase “game of a lifetime” when reviewing athletic performances. It can only truly apply to players who reach heights that they will never again attain. Tonight, Serge Ibaka played the game of a lifetime. His jump shot, overrated as a weapon by announcers who don't see him often, looked flawless, piercing the net every time he launched it. His...
Continue Reading
Spurs Singe Nets, Burn Thunder
Posted on 30 May 2012 by Steven Jones.
So . . . Serge Ibaka wasn't the answer? One game after pundits, fans, and possibly family members questioned him for leaving his All-Defensive First Team force on the bench, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks gave Ibaka 39 minutes. Those minutes produced 8 points, 10 rebounds (5 offensive), 4 blocks, and 0 wins. It's not fair to rest the Thunder's 0-2 deficit in the Western Conference Fin...
Continue Reading
Thunder Can’t Protect Basket From Late Spurs Surge
Posted on 28 May 2012 by Steven Jones.
Manu Ginobili has spent almost a decade as the NBA's undisputed King of the Unconventional (Lefty) Sixth Men. Tonight, facing the greatest challenger to his throne, he made his strongest statement. Scoring 11 points in a come-from-behind fourth quarter, all on layups and free throws, Ginobili showed James Harden how much he and his beard still have to learn. He set the tone for a Spurs team tha...
Continue Reading
OKC (Th)Under-Dogs Against Mighty Spurs
Posted on 26 May 2012 by Steven Jones.
Fans who've given up on the NBA after the atrocities committed by the Pacers, Heat, Celtics and 76ers these past two weeks are blameless, but wrong. They should give the league one more chance and check out what should be a gem of a Western Conference Finals. The Thunder-Spurs matchup overflows with classical themes: youth vs. experience, raw explosiveness vs. execution, upstart vs. established...
Continue Reading
Thunder Blow Lakers Out of OKC
Posted on 22 May 2012 by Steven Jones.
Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti famously learned his craft as an underling for the San Antonio Spurs. R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich, among others, taught Presti how to thoughtfully construct a team. When given his own team, Presti ingrained the Spurs Code, got lucky with a few ping-pong balls, and set about building his house from the foundation up. Now, he gets to test his te...
Continue Reading
Durant Seizes “Clutch” Title From Kobe
Posted on 20 May 2012 by Steven Jones.
Every modern NBA fan needs an informed opinion in the Great Clutch Debate*. What does “clutch” mean? Who do you consider “clutch,” “un-clutch,” or even “mistakenly believed to be clutch?” Is there a “clutch” gene? A real fan needs answers to all of these questions. * Hereafter, “GCD” The Western Conference Semifinals have ...
Continue Reading
Thunder Run Too Wild For Own Good
Posted on 19 May 2012 by Steven Jones.
For two games, the Oklahoma City Thunder have chosen the path of greater resistance. In 48 hours, they have won one playoff game by 2 and lost another by 3, each time expending far more energy than strictly necessary against a game opponent who no longer seems overmatched. The Thunder had been running between raindrops for at least the past two contests of the Western Conference Semifinals, and...
Continue Reading
OKC Escapes With 2-0 Lead
Posted on 17 May 2012 by Steven Jones.
Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals saw the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers engage in their best Boston-Philly impression, with the Thunder escaping for a 77-75 victory. The game abounded with subplots and wrinkles, aside from the obvious heroes: James Harden struggled all game before racking up 4 critical points in the last two minutes to help OKC back from a 7-point defi...
Continue Reading
Blogger Scorecard
-
Steve Massey said: Don't worry about the vase, my friend; as I plan on living even longer (until my C...
-
Steven Keys said: Yes, very "open" and very disdainful of the "run first QB." And since I won't hav...
-
Steve Massey said: Elmer Fudd didn't land because "wabbiters" was my 'not so obvious' allusion to you...
-
Steven Keys said: You lost me on "Elmer Fudd," Steve, but a Warner Bros. reference is always welcome...
-
Steve Massey said: Steven, what if...AP was a humble fellow, Percy Harvin wasn't such a headache for ...
Loading Twitter feed...
Sponsers
Sponsers
