Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook has given us gem after gem with his wardrobe choices in this year’s NBA Playoffs. After the Thunder’s 100-96 Game 2 loss to the Heat Thursday, he toned it down a little bit.

We’ve seen teddy bears and we’ve seen the Urkel glasses but this almost looks like something a normal person would wear.

You can’t blame Westbrook for not going too crazy after a loss. It was a tough game for the Thunder and embarrassing from the start as they fell behind 18-2 in the first quarter.

Westbrook struggled from the field, ending up going 10-for-26 with 27 points and received a lot of criticism again for shooting more than Kevin Durant.

Westbrook will always be Westbrook and nowhere is that more evident than what he chooses to wear. The story is now getting away from his shirts though as this series just got serious now 1-1.

Kevin Durant caught the inbound on the left baseline with LeBron James guarding him and tried to go for a quick score to catch LeBron off guard. LeBron fouled Durant but it wasn’t called. Heat win.

“On the last play, I figured they were going to go to him,” LeBron said. “He got a small step on me. I just wanted to try to keep a body on him, make him take a tough shot, and he’s made tough shots all year, all series, and just that one he missed. KD is an unbelievable talent. I think we all know that. We all see that. He can make every shot on the floor. Just try to keep a body on him, take contested shots. He got away from me a couple times, got a couple of 3s that I am not too happy about.”

It would have been nice to see the Thunder get a better look maybe with Durant at the top of the key but it was an opportunistic decision to go for that shot. Durant had an angle and didn’t get the call.

“You know, I think I shot a good shot,” Durant said. “That’s a shot I shoot all the time. I just missed. I was just worrying about the shot. I really couldn’t tell you. I’ve got to watch the film, I guess. I missed the shot man.”

No one will look at Durant and blame him for the Game 2 100-96 loss and nor should they. He scored 32 points (16 in the fourth) and was 12-for-22 from the field.

Russell Westbrook is the one taking all of the heat.

Westbrook scored 27 points on 10-of-26 shooting to go along with seven assists and eight rebounds. He shot a lot. He shot more than Durant. So it’s all his fault.

Westbrook has been criticized a ton over the past few seasons. Whenever the Thunder lose, people look at him as to why. He takes too many shots or needs to pass to Durant more. He never gets any credit when the Thunder win though. All of that is for Durant.

Westbrook is averaging 27-9-8 right now in the Finals but is shooting only 40 percent from the field and has attempted 50 shots in two games to Durant’s 42.

That doesn’t sound like a point guard and that’s because Westbrook really isn’t one. He is a playmaker. He is dynamic. He is the second best player on a team three wins away from an NBA title. He is Westbrook.

Scott Brooks and the Thunder don’t ask him to be a point guard either. They ask him to shoot and to play with his instinct and play harder than any player in the league for 48 minutes. That works for this team.

The problems with Durant not getting enough shots or Westbrook taking too many aren’t because of Westbrook. It’s the design of the offense and when it breaks down, it’s usually Westbrook who shoots.

The Heat came out more aggressive in Game 2 especially on defense and that’s why the Thunder fell behind 18-2. They need to match Miami’s intensity from the tip in Game 3 to avoid falling behind again.

When it comes to having to play with intensity, who would you rather have than Westbrook?

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Miami Heat did what they set out to do. They took one of the first two games in Oklahoma City and now get three in a row at home.

The Heat got out to a great start leading by as many as 17 in the first half and the Thunder were unable to ever fully come back.

LeBron James led the Heat with 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists and went 12-for-12 from the free throw line.

Kevin Durant scored 32 points for the Thunder with 26 of those points coming in the second half. He was in foul trouble for much of the game picking up two in the first quarter and playing with five for most of the fourth.

The Heat led by 12 at halftime and 11 after three but the Thunder came back in the fourth cutting the deficit to as little as two at one point.

After the terrible start for the Thunder, they got their act together once James Harden checked in. Harden scored 10 of his 21 points in the first quarter after just a five-point Game 1.

Dwyane Wade was the catalyst for the Heat to start the game after a tough Game 1. He finished with 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting.

Chris Bosh started the game for the first time since Game 1 of the Pacers series for the Heat. He scored 16 points and had 15 rebounds for Miami.

Durant had a chance to tie the game with nine seconds left in the game but didn’t get the call on a shot he took from the left baseline with LeBron guarding him. There was contact but the referees swallowed their whistles and it allowed for the Heat to finish off the game with the win.

The Thunder need to correct their slow starts to properly compete for the rest of this series. The next three games will be in Miami which will be a challenge for the Thunder now tied 1-1 in the series.

Game 3 will be Sunday at 8 p.m. EST in Miami on ABC.

Westbrook was taking one-handed shots with his right hand after reporters were allowed in to see the end of the session. He then pulled the wrap back and tried a couple with both hands.

Brooks says “obviously there’s a little pain but nothing to prevent him from playing the way he can play.”

via ESPN

Westbrook is not a player that will ever miss a game. He even seems like the type that could thrive off an injury let alone simply be able to play with one.

Westbrook scored 27 points in Game 1 to go with 11 assists and eight rebounds. The Heat could not guard him or even stay in front of him in a lot of cases.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade even switched onto Westbrook a few times and Westbrook went right ahead and drove right by them. The more attention that Westbrook can take on himself, the better it will be for the Thunder and Kevin Durant.

With James Harden scoring just five points, Westbrook was very much needed to show up in the way that he did.

We’ll see tonight if Harden can get his act together but if he doesn’t, Westbrook will once again have to have a big night.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James has been doing it all for the Miami Heat this season and in the playoffs and now he wants some help.

Dwyane Wade hasn’t been entirely himself in the playoffs and in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City he struggled with 19 points on 7-of-19 shooting.

Here’s what LeBron said of Wade:

“A lot of times I try to let him figure it out on his own, but sometimes I go to him and tell him I need one of those games from him, I need one of those performances from him because he still has it,” LeBron said. “He knows he still has it, too, but every player needs a little kick every now and then, no matter how time-tested they are.”

Here we go again with LeBron and Wade trying to figure out playing together. How is LeBron not totally comfortable alongside Wade yet?

LeBron should never be letting anyone do anything on a basketball court. He’s the best player in the NBA and should be taking what he wants.

It’s not that easy for LeBron though. His personality isn’t that and it could cost him another shot at a championship as his Miami Heat are down 0-1 to the Oklahoma City Thunder right now.

In Game 1, LeBron was not the best player. Kevin Durant was. This Heat team isn’t good enough to win games when LeBron isn’t the best player in the game.

LeBron should be guarding Durant more in Game 2. That doesn’t mean Durant will get shutdown but he should make things harder for him.

LeBron has been asked to do so much for the Heat and he will once again be asked to do more in stopping Durant.

The Heat better figure things out soon because coming back from down 0-2 isn’t easy for anyone.

The Thunder won what was an extremely important game for them. Being in their first NBA Finals you expected them to come out and maybe not play their best with all of the excitement.

That’s kind of what happened with the Heat getting out to an early lead too.

In the second half the Thunder really got their act together led by their two stars: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Let’s start with…

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant

All eyes in the NBA Finals are going to be on Kevin Durant and LeBron James. In Game 1, Durant got the best of LeBron as the Thunder win.

Durant guarded LeBron for most of the first three quarters and did a nice job on him.

Durant carried the Thunder on offense to start the game and then finished strong for them with 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Durant went 12-for-20 in the game and got his points pretty easily. LeBron didn’t guard him much in the game either which may have contributed to that some.

The Thunder needed that kind of game from Durant to win Game 1 and they will hope for him to get more help the rest of the series.

Durant does not need to make a lot of adjustments for Game 2. It would be nice if he could continue shooting the ball this well.

Durant can expect better defense from the Heat in Game 2 and expect more pressure. He turned the ball over only twice in Game 1 and will need to keep that number low if the Thunder are going to keep winning games.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James

LeBron wasn’t bad in Game 1 for Miami scoring 30 points to go with nine rebounds and four assists. Durant was just better.

While Durant scored 17 in the fourth, LeBron only scored seven points.

LeBron is going to have to outplay Durant by a significant margin for the Heat to ever beat the Thunder. That’s going to start with LeBron defending Durant more in Game 2.

LeBron started out defending Kendrick Perkins in Game 1 with Shane Battier matched up with Durant. The Heat need LeBron to do a lot of things for them on defense but it looks like now the most important thing will be guarding Durant more.

LeBron was very disruptive against the Thunder pick-and-rolls in Game 1 and if he is guarding Durant more in Game 2, the Heat will sacrifice that defense some.

This should open up more for Russell Westbrook and James Harden to attack and the Thunder need to be ready to take advantage of it.

Offensively, LeBron will simply need to continue scoring 30 or more every game. He is capable of it but it will be interesting to see if defending Durant more tires him out any on the offensive end.

LeBron shot nine free throws in Game 1 so the aggressiveness was there somewhat. He still appears to only attack when he has a definitive advantage and never forces things which is good in some ways but it often feels like he should try and force more.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook

Westbrook was maybe the biggest reason why the Thunder won Game 1. Durant was great but the help he got from Westbrook was more important.

Westbrook scored 27 points with 18 coming in the second half after he got out to a slow shooting start. Westbrook also dished out 11 assists which is a fantastic number for him.

If Westbrook can keep putting up better numbers than Wade then the Thunder should keep winning. He looked very confident in the second half and needs to carry that over to Game 2.

Dwyane Wade

Wade needs to give the Heat a lot more to beat the Thunder. He scored just 19 points in Game 1 on 19 shots. That wasn’t even close to enough.

LeBron has said that he knows Wade still has some great games left in him and the Heat could sure use one on the road for Game 2 tonight.

Wade didn’t get any easy buckets in Game 1 and shot a lot of jumpers instead. He should come out more in attack mode for Game 2 and if he is getting calls, it will be huge for Miami.

Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

James Harden

Harden only scored five points in Game 1 and it kind of went unnoticed because the Thunder still won. He’s definitely going to need more than five for the Thunder to keep winning games in this series.

There wasn’t a lot for Harden to work with in the pick-and-rolls in Game 1 and he will need to adjust his plan of attack tonight. The Heat try and take the ball out of Harden’s hands in the pick-and-roll and it worked well in Game 1.

Harden needs to try and attack earlier in the shot clock and in transition to get going in this series. Harden got off to a similar slow start in the Spurs series and adjusted fine after Game 1. He should do the same against the Heat.

Chris Bosh

Bosh didn’t start Game 1 and played 34 minutes and scored 10 points to go with five boards. It wasn’t nearly enough for the Heat to win.

It is still uncertain whether he will start Game 2 or not but either way he needs to make a much larger impact if the Heat are going to win.

Bosh seems to only give the Heat spot-up shooting right now and he needs to find other ways to score and be effective.

His real value needs to come on defense. The Thunder scored 56 points in the paint in Game 1 and with Joel Anthony getting little run, Bosh is the only real rim protector for the Heat and needs to do a better job tonight.

Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

The Bigs

The Thunder still have a big advantage in this department in the series even though they didn’t take advantage too much of it in Game 1.

The Thunder had 10 offensive rebounds in Game 1 but are capable of much more with the Heat playing so many small lineups.

Nick Collison had a great first game with eight points and 10 rebounds (five offensive) and the more minutes he gets, the better for OKC.

Perkins does not seem to have much effect against the Heat because he struggles against the pick-and-roll on defense and it allowed for a lot of open threes for Miami.

Serge Ibaka didn’t block a shot for the first time in 45 games for the Thunder. He played well on offense though attacking the rim especially and scored 10 points.

Other than Bosh, Haslem was the only real big to play for Miami and didn’t do much. If somehow he can have a solid night, the Thunder could be in trouble because they should dominate these positions.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Spot-up shooters

Miami started out Game 1 great with the production of their spot-up shooters. Battier in particular made his first three 3-pointers in the game and finished with four on the night and 17 points.

The Thunder struggled with Perkins on the floor to get out on Miami’s shooters. The Heat did a nice job too of finding them in semi-transition opportunities after Thunder misses.

Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefolosha stepped up nicely for the Thunder when they needed them. They combined for 15 points.

Sefolosha was key on defense guarding LeBron for most of the fourth and containing him nicely. It will be interesting to see if Sefolosha guards LeBron more tonight.

The Thunder always feel like they’re better with Sefolosha closing out games which will be the case if he guards LeBron in the fourth again.

The best Thunder lineup is usually Westbrook-Harden-Thabo-Durant-Ibaka/Collison. They will get the chance to play this lineup a lot with the Heat going small so much.

Prediction

Before the series started, I predicted the Thunder would win the first two games with Game 1 being the toughest. They overcame a halftime deficit to win that one and I think they have an easier time winning tonight.

At home, it’s always hard to imagine the Thunder losing especially because they have been able to come back so many times.

They have blown out a team at least once in each series this year in the playoffs and I think Game 2 could be one of those games for them.

This game is so important too because all the Heat really have to do is win once on the road to get home court advantage and with the next three games being in Miami, the Thunder can’t afford to lose any momentum.

Players other than Durant will need to play well for the Thunder to win and I think they will. We shouldn’t see another slow start for the Thunder and expect a better performance from Harden and the bigs offensive rebounding.

Miami’s best chances will be 40-plus point nights from either LeBron or Wade. It could happen but it seems less likely than the Thunder playing a more complete game.

Even with a win tonight and going up 2-0, the Thunder’s work will be far from over.

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat 105-94 in Game 1 while Bosh scored 10 points to go with five rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench.

Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday it’s more important that Bosh be put in positions to be aggressive than whether he’s on the court when the game starts. And Bosh is simply amused by all the interest his status is getting.

“I didn’t know it was such a big deal, the starting thing. I just thought people were happy to see me out there,” Bosh joked.

via ESPN.com

The Heat didn’t exactly miss Bosh as a starter in Game 1 since they jumped out to an early lead thanks to good floor spacing with their small lineup.

Bosh could still start with the Heat remaining small if he replaces Udonis Haslem as the starting center which would allow Shane Battier to continue starting.

The Heat are going to need more from Bosh to beat the Thunder in this series whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Spoelstra announced an hour before Game 1 that Bosh would be coming off the bench and he will likely make the announcement around the same time before Game 2 which tips at 9 p.m. EST on ABC tonight.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat 105-94 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals to jump out to a 1-0 series lead.

It was a crucial win for the Thunder. When the team with home court has won Game 1 of the NBA Finals, they have gone on to win the series .796 percent of the time.

Heading into the NBA Finals, many people thought that most of the pressure was on the Miami Heat. They may not have been the Vegas favorites but they made it to the Finals last year, are more experienced than the Thunder, and of course have LeBron James whom the pressure always seems to find.

But on the road for the first two games in a 2-3-2 format, the pressure wouldn’t normally be on the Heat if not for those other circumstances. They really need to just steal one of the first two games of the series on the road against a team that had never been to this kind of stage before.

If you can survive the first two games on the road and possible win one, getting three straight at home is a huge advantage. Not only do you have the chance to win three in a row but it can completely change the feel of a series and swing momentum back in your favor.

The pressure was really on the Thunder. They need to win the first two games of this series. Losing just one would be almost a death sentence having to then play in Miami for three straight games.

In the first few minutes and first half of Game 1, it looked like Miami might have been on their way to winning Game 1.

The Thunder came back though. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook outscored the entire Heat team in the second half and Durant finished the fourth with 17 on his own.

The Thunder basically overcame any stage fright they might have had playing in their first NBA Finals. Durant came out as cool as ever scoring the first eight points of the game for the Thunder including two 3-pointers and he also did a great job containing LeBron on defense.

The Thunder got exactly what they needed from their best player and they’re going to need it again tonight.

The Heat may not be the most consistent team in the NBA but they can bounce back from losses and have games where they look like the best team in the league.

The Heat have the luxury now of being able to adjust to a Game 1 loss. They didn’t do some things they should have and can swing the advantage to their side if they correct those things tonight.

Most notably, LeBron was not guarding Durant for much of the game. Erik Spoelstra used LeBron to do just about everything else on defense. LeBron started out on Kendrick Perkins and was involved a lot in defending OKC’s pick-and-rolls.

This may have taken a little pressure off Durant at certain points of the game, leading to him scoring 36 points relatively easily.

As things may get tougher with LeBron on Durant in Game 2, the rest of the Thunder players will need to step up.

This is another big test for this Thunder team. While taking a somewhat comfortable 1-0 series lead, can they muster up the same intensity necessary to win a very important Game 2 too?

The Thunder haven’t taken any games off all season, let alone in the playoffs. They will come out with the same hunger to win as they did in Game 1.

So the series hasn’t changed much at all yet for the Thunder. Not only was Game 1 a must-win for them but Game 2 is also. They haven’t accomplished anything yet and the important thing is that is how they feel too.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

James Harden had an uncharacteristically bad showing in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals as the Thunder lost 101-98 to the Spurs.

Harden scored 19 points in that game and was 7-for-17 from the field but did not attempt a single free throw for the first time this year.

Harden did not look himself as the Spurs’ game plan to defend the Thunder in the pick-and-roll worked very well.

The Spurs basically let the Thunder ball handler come off the screen with no pressure and gave them space, playing to defend the drive.

For Harden, this seemed to work especially well. Harden’s game is simple when you look at where he attacks the defense. He either shoots threes or attacks the rim and does very little in between.

Harden hit a few threes in the game but couldn’t get anything going toward the rim. The Spurs were ready for him and contested without fouling and also drew two charges on him.

The midrange pull-up jump shot was the look San Antonio was conceding Harden and he rarely took it. Harden rarely takes midrange shots in general, attempting just 1.1 shots per game this season from between 10-to-15 feet.

In Game 2, we saw Harden adjust.

Here we see Harden confidently take three midrange jump shots and make all of them. This helped to open up the rest of Harden’s offensive game as well.

Harden scored 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and from the free throw line. Harden only attempted one 3-pointer in the game too.

Having Harden play well is vitally important for the Thunder and while Oklahoma City is still down 0-2 in the series, it would feel a lot worse if Harden had played two poor games as well.

Expect Harden along with Durant and Westbrook to play a little better when they are at home for Games 3 and 4 and get this series back even at 2-2.

Soobum-Im-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder have fallen 0-2 in the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, most recently losing 120-111 Tuesday night.

Durant scored 31 points to go with five rebounds and five assists in the game but scored only four points in the fourth quarter.

“We lost,” Durant said. “There’s no moral victories for us. We’re upset about the loss.”

The Thunder trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter while the Spurs were simply putting on an offensive clinic.

The Thunder finally came alive in the fourth quarter especially on defense and would cut the deficit to as little as six points.

The Thunder showed in the fourth quarter of Game 2 how they can beat the Spurs and they showed in the first three quarters of Game 1. Those are good things but not good enough for this team.

“We’re not here to try to make it a close game or make it a good fight,” said Russell Westbrook who scored 27 points to go with eight assists and seven rebounds in Game 2. “We’re here to win.”

The formula that worked for the Thunder in Game 2 was a small lineup consisting of Westbrook-Fisher-Harden-Durant-Ibaka. It’s what brought them back but you still felt like Scott Brooks could have made one more adjustment to play Thabo Sefolosha instead of Derek Fisher.

Fisher has a history of hitting big shots and truthfully has been big for the Thunder in the playoffs but he was 2-for-11 from the field in Game 2 and the Thunder could have used another athletic wing like Sefolosha on the floor at the end.

The Thunder also went small in Game 1 in the fourth quarter only without Serge Ibaka. The Spurs scored 16 of their 39 fourth quarter points in the paint in Game 1 and afterwards Brooks said he regretted not playing Ibaka down the stretch.

The Thunder have shown signs of how to beat the Spurs but they will need to put together a full game to pull off a win in this series. The Spurs are just that good.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook brought the ball up the court with 58 seconds left and the Oklahoma City Thunder trailing the San Antonio Spurs 115-107 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Westbrook proceeded to do what Westbrook does.

He hoisted a 25-foot 3-pointer that did not go in, effectively ending any chances of the Thunder completing a remarkable comeback.

*Queue Twitter killing Westbrook for this*

Westbrook is back in the playoffs and so are his haters. This time, it took until the Western Conference Finals for them to come out because, well, there was nothing wrong with Westbrook in the first two rounds.

You’re going to hear today:

“Westbrook shouldn’t be shooting more than Durant.”
“Russell Westbrook is not a true point guard.”
“The Thunder will never win a title with Westbrook as their point guard.”

Fact: if you have watched the Thunder play basketball this season and not overwhelmingly felt like they were on the verge of becoming the next NBA dynasty, you are a complete idiot.

The Thunder will start winning NBA titles one day. It might be this year or it might not be for another year or two. Russell Westbrook will be there for those titles.

If you watch the Thunder play and not just look at the box score, you know how good Westbrook is and how important he is to this team. They aren’t playing in the Western Conference Finals without him.

Kevin Durant is the best player on the Thunder but Westbrook is a close second and there are nights when he is better than Durant. He does more things than Durant can. He does the things that Durant cannot.

Westbrook does Westbrook.

The Thunder made a decision to let Westbrook be himself. When it works, it’s awesome. When it doesn’t, it can be ugly.

Learning to win a title is all about discovering your identity as a team when you have the talent (and the Thunder do). This is what we’re seeing right now with them. It’s a process and the Thunder having to beat a team like San Antonio that knows their identity better than anyone is part of the path.

Maybe the Thunder figure out how to overcome San Antonio in this series or maybe it takes another year.

It will happen one day and Westbrook will be a huge part of it.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-111 Tuesday night to go up 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals.

The Spurs led by 16 entering the fourth and survived a furious Thunder comeback attempt to hold on for the win.

The Thunder cut the deficit down to six with 5:39 left in the game but that would be as close as they got.

The Spurs scored 37 points in the third quarter and led by as many as 22 points. The Thunder would turn to a hack-a-Splitter at the end of the third which helped them start to comeback.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 31 points to go with five assists and five rebounds. Durant had just four points in the fourth quarter though.

James Harden had a nice bounce-back game with 30 off the bench and was 10-of-13 from the field and the line.

Russell Westbrook struggled again for the most part shooting and containing Tony Parker. He would finish with 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds and improved his defense on Parker in the fourth quarter.

Parker was the catalyst for San Antonio with 34 points and eight assists and was 16-of-21 from the field.

The Spurs shot 55.1 percent from the field in the game while the Thunder only shot 42.0 percent. The Thunder attempted 36 free throws in the game, had 16 offensive rebounds and had 26 fast break points.

The Thunder went on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 112-105 with 1:52 to play before Manu Ginobili stepped up and made a huge three on the next possession.

Ginobili scored 20 points off the bench and was again a really tough cover for Harden.

The Thunder did play small again in the second half but did it with Serge Ibaka on the floor. Ibaka was absent for the final 16 minutes of Game 1 but played a big role in this game with eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Ibaka played better defense on Tim Duncan than he did in the first game and allowed the Thunder to go to a defense where they could switch on almost every pick-and-roll.

When the Thunder turned up their defensive intensity, they once again gave their fans a glimpse of their potential and showed everyone why they have the highest ceiling in the league.

The Thunder have made huge strides this season but the Spurs are reminding them that their journey for a championship isn’t complete yet.

This series is far from over however heading back to Oklahoma City for Games 3 and 4. The Thunder have shown signs of how to beat the Spurs and if they can put an entire game together they could turn this series right around.

Game 3 will be Thursday night at 9:00 p.m. EST on TNT.

Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs are leading the Oklahoma City Thunder 55-44 at half time of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

The Spurs shot 57.9 percent from the field in the first half while the Thunder shot just 36.2 percent.

The Spurs are doing their thing on offense moving the ball perfectly while the Thunder have been unable to slow them down and match them on the other end.

Kevin Durant and James Harden lead the Thunder with 14 points each.

Tony Parker leads the Spurs with 17 points and five assists.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder will get another chance to steal a game in San Antonio tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST on TNT.

The Thunder blew a golden opportunity in Game 1 as they could not hold on to a nine-point lead after three quarters.

The Spurs came roaring back finally looking like the offensive juggernaught they have been all season in that final quarter scoring 39 points including 16 inside the paint.

The Thunder lost any rhythm they had in that final period as Russell Westbrook and James Harden completely deferred to Kevin Durant on offense and the Thunder’s small unit was ineffective on both ends of the floor.

Westbrook and Harden know they have to step up tonight for the Thunder to have a chance and they all know that ball movement must improve against a team like the Spurs to win.

Brooks also has said he regretted not bringing Serge Ibaka back into the game in the fourth quarter to help protect the paint that San Antonio so easily penetrated to.

The Thunder showed in the first three quarters how to beat the Spurs. They played great defense and contested the spot-up outside looks San Antonio got. The Spurs were 9-for-23 on spot-up shots in the game and 5-for-14 on spot-up threes.

The Thunder then got out on the break and did some damage and were 8-of-14 on transition shots in the game. They were unable to score at all on the fast break in the fourth quarter and that had mostly to do with an inability to get stops or force turnovers.

The Thunder had nine offensive rebounds in the first half and none in the second. They became more isolation-heavy in the second half and combine that with going small and it won’t result in many second-chance opportunities for any team.

The Thunder need to continue to commit on defense and they should but the offense needs to be better too starting with Westbrook and Harden.

Westbrook became an erratic attacker in Game 1 as his jump shot was not always falling. He needs to be more under control in Game 2 and after a game of seeing how the Spurs guarded him, he should do a better job of this tonight.

Harden was out of it in Game 1 as he became frustrated that his shots were not falling. He did not attempt a free throw for this first time all season in that game and committed two uncharacteristic charges as well.

If Harden can get his offense going like usual it will help rejuvenate him on defense too which is very important since he will again find himself matched up with Manu Ginobili who had a big Game 1.

Tonight feels like a must-win for the Thunder. You need to win once on the road to win the series and going down 0-2 is a tough hole even for the Thunder.

You can always count on the Thunder this season to play hard every night. They will give it their best shot tonight and if that is not enough, winning the series will get tougher but won’t be impossible.

The Thunder have been doing this all season. Their talent wins out more often than not and they are able to suddenly turn up their play when their backs are against the wall and win games.

This wasn’t the case last year though and was sort of the knock on this team. They gave up some big leads last year in the Western Conference Finals against Dallas and looked young and inexperienced in doing so.

This year they are starting to look like those teams that are ready to start winning titles. They’re looking like the ’91 Bulls or the ’00 Lakers. They’re hungry and more talented than anyone else and are figuring out the best way to win games.

We saw it again last night with James Harden becoming the primary ball handler down the stretch. The Thunder’s jump shots simply were not falling and Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were able to get shots going to the rim.

So the Thunder called on Harden to do this and while he had a few turnovers, it was the right decision to make and turned the tide of the game.

The Thunder trailed 75-68 with 2:08 to play in the game. They didn’t let the Lakers score again and scored the final nine points of the game themselves.

Durant and Westbrook forced turnovers on the next two possessions on what should have been simple passes for the Lakers. Harden blocked Kobe’s shot and then the Lakers missed their final two 3-point attempts.

The Lakers got this lead playing solid defense and establishing their inside presence on offense. It was nowhere to be found late in the game and Kobe’s hero ball doesn’t work against the Thunder especially when Thabo Sefolosha is checking him.

This is now three games so far in the playoffs that the Thunder should have lost but they are a cool 6-0 instead.

This team is starting to feel like they are destined to make the Finals this year. They have the talent to back it up too.

The Thunder trailed 75-68 with 2:08 left to play in the game. The Lakers did not score the rest of the way.

Kevin Durant made a 7-foot runner with 18 seconds left to put the Thunder ahead 76-75.

The Lakers had a chance to take the lead on the next possession and elected to go with an open Steve Blake in the corner shooting a 3-pointer. He missed the open look and the Thunder rebounded the miss and sealed the victory.

Durant didn’t shoot a lot in the game but led the Thunder with 22 points and also had five assists and seven rebounds.

Russell Westbrook, who was the biggest matchup issue for the Lakers in Game 1, scored just 15 points in Game 2 and went 5-for-17 from the field.

Despite trailing in the fourth and not a lot happening on offense, Oklahoma City went with James Harden as the primary ball handler down the stretch. He came through with some tough lay-ins and finished the game with 13 points.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum led the Lakers with 20 points apiece in the game. Bryant again was not efficient going 9-for-25 from the field.

This was a game that the Thunder should not have won and would not have won a year ago. This team is different though. They know how to tough out games like this. With their backs against the wall they rise to the occasion.

Game 3 will be Friday in Los Angeles with Game 4 the next day on Saturday. Los Angeles isn’t excited to play back-to-back at their age and the Thunder should have no problem taking at least one on the road.

The Thunder won Game 1 by an impressive 29 points and played near perfect basketball.

Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Russell Westbrook scored 27 points to lead the Thunder. Both were on their game and focused early on shooting very well from the field.

The Lakers tried to establish their inside game early and did a decent job of doing so but were unable to sustain it and once the game was out of hand it no longer mattered. Assuming the Thunder don’t shoot quite as well as in Game 1, Andrew Bynum’s 20-point, 14-rebound performance could be an issue for the Thunder to deal with.

Kendrick Perkins is a game-time decision tonight after re-aggravating his right strained hip in the third quarter of Game 1. His defense on Bynum and Pau Gasol will be much needed for the Thunder to win again.

The Thunder don’t need to double-team anyone on the Lakers including Kobe Bryant. Bryant shot 30 percent against Oklahoma City in the regular season and scored just 20 points in Game 1.

Thabo Sefolosha can get up into Bryant enough to make it difficult and without the same first step from earlier in his career, Bryant has to settle for more jump shots and is less effective.

The Thunder play great at home and while it will be tough for them to exactly replicate Game 1 they should still win again. A loss is a loss but a 29-point blowout says something more like the Thunder are the superior team in this series by far.

World Peace and Harden have been connected ever since World Peace connected with a vicious elbow on Harden late in the regular season. World Peace was suspended seven games and returned to the court for the second time in Game 1 in Oklahoma City Monday night.

World Peace said he wouldn’t shake Harden’s hand before the game because he doesn’t shake “substitutes’” hands. As fate would have it, the two were matched up often during the Thunder’s 29-point Game 1 win.

This elbow wasn’t as bad by World Peace but a sign that he isn’t backing down in any way from his characteristic physical style of play.

World Peace even seemed more locked in while hearing the boo birds making two 3-pointers in the opening quarter of Game 1. World Peace also hurt the Thunder while playing against the second unit that Harden leads by banging down low and using his strength.

Harden and the Thunder got the best of the Lakers in Game 1 and Harden played well himself. He scored 17 points and was aggressive getting to the line 10 times and making nine of those attempts.

Expect Mike Brown to look to continue putting World Peace on the court when Harden is out there. The Thunder often go small with Harden in and he essentially is matched up with forwards when he is in.

The Lakers don’t go small much and usually start Pau Gasol in the second and fourth quarters at the four. The Lakers had success with Gasol and World Peace out there with their second unit and that will mean more of World Peace and Harden guarding each other.

As of right now it seems to be the only edge LA could have going inside to World Peace. If some of these next few games are close and resemble physical playoff basketball, don’t be surprised if World Peace and Harden continue to exchange chippy plays.

Perkins re-aggravated his strained right hip that he suffered against Dallas in the last round when he went up for a dunk in the third quarter of Game 1 against the Lakes.

Scott Brooks said in practice yesterday that Perkins would be a game-time decision tonight.

Perkins is very valuable for Oklahoma City especially against the Lakers in this series. Andrew Bynum was one of the only bright sports for the Lakers in Game 1 and Perkins is the man assigned to cover him.

Nazr Mohammed did play well in Game 1 however and will be getting the minutes Perkins does if he doesn’t play.

I take a look at the Game 2′s last night and give my thought on Rajon Rondo’s suspension and Amare Stoudemire’s injury. I break down if the Knicks have a chance to comeback in their series and how the Thunder have done so far against the Mavericks.

You can also download the podcast here.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder dodged bullets down the stretch on their way to a 102-99 Game 2 win over the Dallas Mavericks to take a 2-0 first round series lead.

Dirk Nowitzki missed a wide-open 3-pointer with the Mavericks leading 97-96 with 1:13 left in the game.

The Thunder then got bailed out on their next possession at the end of the shot clock with Jason Terry committing a bad foul on Kevin Durant. Durant made both free throws to put the Thunder ahead 98-97.

Dirk would get another good look on the next possession down on the left block with Serge Ibaka switching on to him. Dirk went to his patented stepback one-footed jumper and did not get the friendly roll, not the roll that Durant got in Game 1.

James Harden would make all four of his free throw attempts in the final 25 seconds to close the door on the Mavericks. Harden finished the game with 15 points, was 2-for-7 from the floor but 10-of-10 at the line.

Durant had another tough shooting night going 5-for-17 but still scored 26 points thanks to 14-for-16 at the line and pulled down 10 rebounds. He also had seven turnovers in the game.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Russell Westbrook carried the load again for the most part with his midrange game clicking again. He scored 29 points and had just two assists.

The Thunder had just 13 assists as a team but went 37-for-39 from the free throw line.

The Mavericks were hitting from three in Game 1 but tonight made just 5-of-23 attempts. Dirk led the team with 31 points and made all 11 of his free throw attempts.

The Thunder went small again a lot in the second half and fourth quarter with Derek Fisher on the floor instead of Ibaka. Fisher scored11 points in the game including a big 3-pointer to put the Thunder ahead 92-88 with 5:26 left in the game.

Dallas wasn’t able to exploit the Thunder going small as much because they went small too with Dirk at the five and a lineup with Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Delonte West.

The Thunder certainly have passed the test in these first two home games, grinding out close victories in both. They started defeat straight in the eyes twice and rose to the occasion each time. This is something that didn’t happen last year for them.

The series is not over though. Dallas is ready to go back home and defend their homecourt and wait to come back and steal one in Oklahoma City.

Game 3 will be played on Thursday night and the game will again be on TNT.

The Thunder lead Dallas 57-50 at halftime behind 15 points from Russell Westbrook and 14 from Kevin Durant.

Dirk Nowitzki is again looking like 2011 Playoffs Dirk with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Dirk had some chippy moments in the first quarter as well with Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins.

The Thunder went on a 21-4 run starting with 1:22 left in the first quarter and led 42-27 with just under seven minutes to play in the half. Dallas fought back some when Dirk checked back in.

Derek Fisher helped give the Thunder second-unit a nice lift scoring eight points on 4-for-5 shooting.

Jason Terry who was very hot from the start in Game 1 didn’t score until the final 30 seconds tonight and has just three points.

The Thunder are executing pretty well overall tonight and if they can turn up the defense some in the second half they should be able to come away with the victory. This game feels like the only way they’d let it slip away is if they suddenly went cold from the field.

A 2-0 lead heading to Dallas will be extremely important for the Thunder in this series.

Dirk Nowitzki and Kendrick Perkins exchanged some rough shoves early on in Game 2 of the first round series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks.

Nowitzki was frustrated by some physical work by Perkins on the offensive glass and lost his cool throwing a blatant elbow to Perkins’ chest. Perkins immediately retaliated with what almost looked like a punch.

The two received technicals and the incident didn’t escalate any further.

Nowitzki was frustrated a play earlier when he was hit in the face inadvertently by Serge Ibaka following a made jump shot and gave Ibaka a shove running back on defense.

The Thunder have played physical with Nowitzki because that is the best way to handle the reining Finals MVP. Nowitzki should be used to this but obviously felt it was excessive tonight.

The series is getting chippy.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder came back to win Game 1 at home against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night thanks to Kevin Durant doing this.

Durant struggled in the game however going 10-for-27 from the field for 25 points.

The Thunder relied more on Russell Westbrook and his midrange game which was on point. Westbrook scored 28 points to lead the Thunder but his best work was his defense on Jason Terry in the fourth quarter.

Terry was 8-of-9 from the field with 20 points in the first three quarters before Westbrook switched on to him and held him to 0-for-1 shooting and 0 points in the fourth.

Dirk Nowitzki came alive in the fourth after a slow start and the Mavericks were truly looking like the team that win the NBA title last season. Nowitzki scores 11 points of Dallas’ final 13 points but Kendrick Perkins slows him down in the final minutes to help allow the Thunder to come back.

Oklahoma City played with a much better defensive intensity in the second half and they will need to repeat that in the first half of Game 2 to ensure another victory.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Serge Ibaka played great offensively with 22 points but can the Thunder expect that again from him tonight?

Durant will need to be more efficient and Westbrook will need to continue hitting his jump shot. But the Thunder need to get to the line more too only attempting 20 free throws in Game 1.

Westbrook only attempted one free throw and when he’s hitting his jumper sometimes becomes more one-dimensional in his approach. He needs to find a better balance with attacking and looking for his jump shot.

Dallas made 10-of-22 three-pointers and they shouldn’t shoot that high of a mark in Game 2 tonight.

It felt like Dallas played great and Oklahoma City was scrambling to get back in the game Saturday night. It is then very fortunate the Thunder are able to pull out the win and be in position to go up 2-0 tonight.

James Harden continues his strong play against Dallas in Game 1 with 19 points and 9-of-10 free throw shooting. He is the key for this Thunder team to go far in the playoffs and will be especially vital in this matchup with Dallas.