Apr 4, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) celebrates a dunk against San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter (33) in the second half in Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won a crucial game last night beating the San Antonio Spurs 100-88 at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder got out to a big lead in the first half leading by as much as 20 points but would lead by just eight at halftime.

The Spurs came back to cut it to six points after three quarters before the Thunder closed them out in the fourth.

Tony Parker didn’t look entirely healthy for the Spurs and played just 25 minutes scoring two points on 1-of-6 shooting.

The Spurs were led by Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard who each scored 24 points.

The Thunder are now a half game back of the Spurs for the best record in the West.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 45 minutes, 25 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists – A

You could tell the Thunder felt like this was a must-win since they played Durant 45 minutes. KD had a nice all-around game getting a bunch of assists but he also turned the ball over six times. He made half of his shots and hit some big ones. He seems very comfortable making big plays vs. the Spurs which is a great sign for the Thunder if they see them in the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook – 35 minutes, 27 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds – A+

You can’t have expected Westbrook to play any better than this vs. the Spurs. He had exactly the kind of game he needed too. He made 9-of-21 shots and turned the ball over only three times. He obviously outplayed Parker by a wide margin. He was under control attacking the rim and the Spurs just didn’t look ready to defend him.

Serge Ibaka – 34 minutes, 11 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks – B+

Ibaka always plays pretty well against San Antonio and did so again last night. He didn’t score a ton but was efficient and knocked down a corner three as well. He was a force defensively contesting every shot inside. His timing seemed really on point all game.

Kevin Martin – 21 minutes, 2 points, 1 assist, 4 rebounds – F

Just another horrendous outing from Martin who is losing minutes and for good reason. He shot just 1-of-6 from the field and nothing looked like a good shot from him. The Thunder need him to get his act together before the playoffs start or else they will be in trouble.

Kendrick Perkins – 24 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 3 blocks – C-

Perkins got in foul trouble very early in the first quarter. He was mostly concerned with playing Duncan man-to-man and didn’t exactly shut him down. Along with Ibaka though he contested shots at the rim effectively.

Thabo Sefolosha – 27 minutes, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – B+

Sefolosha stepped up in Martin’s absence and the Thunder needed it. An aggressive Thabo is always the best one and when he finds ways to score, it’s hard to beat the Thunder.

Nick Collison – 24 minutes, 2 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison rebounded well but hardly scored only because he didn’t need to. Other bench players stepped up and Collison did all of the little things, which he is very good at.

Reggie Jackson – 14 minutes, 3 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds – C+

Jackson seems to be settling for a lot of outside jumpers lately. He is far better when attacking the rim. His mindset probably hasn’t changed and he’s just being aggressive and taking what the defense gives him.

Derek Fisher – 15 minutes, 17 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal – A+

Fisher played a near perfect game. Knocking down 5-of-7 threes really helped and got the Thunder out to a comfortable lead. You just can’t complain about Fisher when he plays like that and shoots like that.

Scott Brooks – A

The best part about Brooks last night was that he didn’t play Fisher 30 minutes even though he was going off. He stuck to finishing the game bigger with Thabo out there and that is a great sign for the Thunder. Brooks knew last night was a must-win and he played everyone the right amount of minutes to make sure the Thunder won.

Apr 4, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) in the first half in Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder squared off against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night and emerged victorious, winning 100-88.

It was a spirited contest between these two teams, one that saw the Spurs bring it within three on two separate occasions, only to see the Thunder ultimately pull away again each time.

Russell Westbrook scored 27 points and Kevin Durant had 25 led the team, and their effort allowed OKC to grab control of the reins in the race for home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs. Derek Fisher also had a standout night; the man known for big time shots in the clutch hit a season-high five 3-pointers and had 17 points, his most since becoming a part of this time. His hot streak beyond the arc helped the Thunder go on a substantial run in the first half, and the Spurs never really could overcome it.

For San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan each dropped 24 points and had double-doubles. As hot as they were, Tony Parker was the exact opposite: he had just two points in 25 minutes and did not see the court for the final seven minutes of the game.

The Thunder held a commanding lead over the Spurs for the majority of the game, and went into the half up eight points, 52-44. In the third quarter though, things got interesting when the Spurs surged back and cut the lead to six points, 77-71 at the end of the third quarter. The plot thickened in the fourth quarter when, with under five minutes to go, San Antonio cut it to three and threatened to turn the game in their favor. A big-time block by Danny Green–who disrupted what would have been a major slam by Kendrick Perkins–served to silence the OKC home crowd briefly.

But Durant did what he does best, and gave the Thunder fans reason to breathe easy. He laid down a monster dunk that effectively served as the nail in the coffin, and Oklahoma City rolled to the win with that energy boost.

This win was an important one for the Thunder, who still sit a half-game behind the Spurs, because if both teams win out the rest of the season, Oklahoma City has the tiebreaker because they hold a better record against conference opponents.

Oklahaom City advances to 55-20 on the season, and will face the Indiana Pacers next on Fri., Apr. 5.

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the second half at the AT

The number one threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference this season is the San Antonio Spurs, a team that the Thunder dismantled in the Western Conference Finals last year.

The Thunder were supposed to have gotten over the hump that is the Spurs but it doesn’t really feel that way.

James Harden’s departure and Russell Westbrook’s tendencies make it appear that the Thunder still need to figure out how to beat this team.

Westbrook is having another fantastic season but he changes against certain teams. The Spurs (along with the Miami Heat) are one of those teams that can make Westbrook become reckless and the point guard that hurts his team instead of helping it.

Westbrook is second in the NBA in usage rate this season behind only Carmelo Anthony, accounting for 32.1 percent of the Thunder’s possessions. In the Thunder’s two losses vs. the Spurs this season, Westbrook’s usage rate has been 37.4 percent. In their win, it was 26.5 percent.

Too much Westbrook can be a bad thing. Even the most efficient players in the NBA start being less so once they take a certain amount of shots. This is certainly the case with Westbrook who is better in smaller doses than 37.4 percent for the Thunder.

Westbrook has said before (after a loss to the Heat) that he needs to stop putting all of the pressure on his shoulders. He feels responsible to bring his team back on his own when they are down and things are not going well. He knows he needs to trust his teammates more in these situations.

It’s something Westbrook is still learning to do. He hasn’t mastered it yet and definitely not when playing the Spurs.

Tonight, the Thunder will be playing at home after being off the last four days against a Spurs team that is known for resting its players at this point in the season.

The Spurs are without Manu Ginobili, Stephen Jackson and potentially more. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker sat out last night’s game vs. the Magic but they could play tonight.

The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference will be on the line as the winner of this game will be in the driver seat and in control of their own destiny in terms of getting that seed.

The Thunder won’t win without Westbrook playing under control.

Nov 1, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) talks to forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at the AT

In the game of basketball, confidence is a big difference maker, as it can make or break you. It’s hard not to relate it to the NCAA tournament with every year there being an unexpected Cinderella team. This year that team was Florida Golf Coast and Wichita State, as both teams played with loads and loads of confidence.

With the playoffs starting mid-to-late April, Thursday will be Oklahoma City’s last regular season chance at San Antonio. As known, the Thunder are 1-2 against the Spurs this year, with losses on March 11^th, and opening night on November 1^st. Oklahoma City’s only win against San Antonio came all the way back in December.

I know what some are thinking: Why this game? It’s just another regular season game….

This one is different. Thursday’s game has much more meaning then just another win or loss in Oklahoma City’s win/loss column.

If the Thunder lose Thursday’s game, all things go even more South.  With bad loses through the year like Friday’s loss in Minnesota, this young team will get not only critized and questioned badly, but their heads will drop and their confidence level with go South. Questions if letting James Harden walk from Oklahoma City was a horrible idea, or if Scott Brooks is a good coach or not will arise. Most importantly, everyone will hop onto the San Antonio bandwagon and forget who the 2012 Western Conference champs are.

However, on the retrospect, if Oklahoma City’s wins on Thursday night, this team’s confidence level will boast in a big way. Then, we can do this in Game 5 in San Antonio again, and we can start worrying about Miami.

At the moment, San Antonio is three games ahead of the Thunder in the Western Conference. To me, that means nada. Nothing. Because come playoff time, if both teams meet again in the Western Conference Finals, it’s about who’s hotter and who’s playing better basketball at the moment, not about who had the better record or who is the higher seed.

9:30 PM ET on TNT. I think you may want to tune in….

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs forward Tiago Splitter (left) looks on during the second half at the AT

With eight games left in the regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves just a game and a half back of the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the Western Conference.

The Spurs lost last night 88-86 to a LeBron James and Dwyane Wade-less Miami Heat team.

Now Many Ginobili is going to be out for the next three-to-four weeks and could miss the start of the playoffs. Also, Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard will not play tonight as the Spurs play at the Memphis Grizzlies.

Meanwhile, the Thunder are off until Thursday when they will play the Spurs in Oklahoma City, who will have played three games from the time the Thunder played their last game.

Not only is there a good chance the Spurs will lose tonight, but they will be coming to OKC tired and the Thunder may have a very good chance of overtaking them for the No. 1 seed on that night.

The Thunder definitely need to win Thursday because the Spurs already hold a 2-1 season series lead on the Thunder.

The Spurs have a tougher remaining schedule than the Thunder too. They have to play Atlanta after the Thunder and then go at the Nuggets, Lakers and Warriors. There is a good chance that Gregg Popovich will continue to be resting his players the last few weeks of the regular season as well.

The Thunder basically never rest their players which gives them a huge advantage over the Spurs in finishing with the best record in the conference.

We already pretty much know that the Spurs don’t care about the one-seed. They had it last year and still lost to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals but they are still a proven team on the road. They will be more concerned with the health of their guys.

The Thunder may want this one-seed really badly. They have been shaky of late and they will need every advantage possible to advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight season. Expect the Thunder to be chasing this best record as hard as they can.

We will get pretty good idea of who will end up getting the one-seed after Thursday night’s game. It’s essentially a must-win for the Thunder and they normally come through on those when playing at home.

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs players (from left) Patrick Mills, and DeJuan Blair, and Stephen Jackson react from the bench during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the AT

The bench of the San Antonio Spurs led the way last night in their 105-93 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Led by Tiago Splitter, who started but played a lot with the second unit, the Spurs outscored the Thunder bench by over 20 points throughout the game.

This is something that would never have happened a season ago when the Thunder still had James Harden.

So, it’s time to overreact now. Maybe the greatest advantage the Thunder had over the Spurs last season was Harden and that second unit. The Spurs are known for their depth and the Thunder were able to nullify that strength when Harden checked in and led the OKC second unit.

There was no Harden and nothing coming close to resembling him last night in San Antonio for the Thunder. Kevin Martin made just 3-of-8 shots and scored nine points (all on three-pointers). Reggie Jackson and Derek Fisher combined to go 1-for-7 from the field with two assists. Even Nick Collison struggled mildly turning the ball over three times.

The Spurs would go on to outscore the Thunder 35-18 in the second quarter after the Thunder had led 32-22 after the first.

A weak second unit hasn’t been the case for the Thunder all season long. For the most part, their bench has come through more than most teams have. It’s just that when faced against another elite team, Martin and some of the other role players are no longer as effective.

This forced Scott Brooks to alter his rotation early in the season resting Kevin Durant early in the first quarter then starting him in the second. Brooks hasn’t made this an unbreakable rule but may have to go back to it in the playoffs. We may actually see Durant playing close to 46 minutes per game or so in some playoff games.

The Thunder had a good chance to catch the Spurs in the standings last night. Without Tony Parker, the Spurs still managed to get the win at home and instill plenty of doubt in the Thunder faithful.

The Thunder and Spurs will conclude their regular season series April 4 in OKC.

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) and Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second half at the AT

The Tony Parker-less San Antonio Spurs snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder’s five-game winning streak last night beating them 105-93 in San Antonio.

The Thunder were playing a back-to-back and after a great start in the first quarter in which they led 32-22, the Spurs would come roaring back.

The Spurs’ bench drastically outplayed the Thunder’s, especially in the second quarter where they outscored them 35-18.

San Antonio had the momentum from that point on and never looked back.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 40 minutes, 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists – B+

Durant has not had his best games this season vs. the Spurs. They are prepared to defend him as well as any team in the league and when you combine that with Durant’s altered offensive approach this season of being more of a playmaker, it results in games like this. Durant scored 26 but went just 7-for-13 from the field. He did go 11-for-11 from the free throw line but when Russell Westbrook is shooting as much as he is, you can easily see that Durant needed to shoot a little more in a game like this.

Russell Westbrook – 38 minutes, 25 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds – B

It’s a good stat line for Russ but going 11-for-27 from the field vs. the Spurs isn’t going to get the job done. A big key to the Thunder’s success lately has been Westbrook being an efficient shooter. He wasn’t last night and also only went 2-of-3 from the free throw line. Against a team like the Spurs, Westbrook isn’t going to get the same calls when he drives so hard and appears out of control to the basket.

Serge Ibaka – 36 minutes, 13 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks – B+

Ibaka likes playing against the Spurs and that is very good news for the Thunder. He had 16 boards last night which is as dominant as you’ll ever see Ibaka in that department. He scored just 13 but went 4-of-6 on two-pointers (0-2 on threes). You love seeing Ibaka be aggressive enough to get to the line six times as well.

Kevin Martin – 20 minutes, 9 points, 1 steal – D

This just isn’t going to cut it for Martin against a team like San Antonio. We’re starting to see Martin lose minutes now because he can’t get it going against quality competition. This is very worrisome for the playoffs. Martin has been better recently running the offense and picking up a few assists here and there but he had none last night.

Kendrick Perkins – 35 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – C-

When the opposing team’s starting center goes 9-for-11 from the field then it is safe to say that Perkins did not do his job. Not all of Tiago Splitter’s minutes were with Perkins on the floor at least.

Thabo Sefolosha – 31 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – B-

Sefolosha was just a little bit less efficient than he normally is. Of course, that happens when the Thunder are playing the Spurs which is very bad timing for OKC. Overall, Sefolosha wasn’t terrible and it’s really Martin’s fault that we’re even relying on Thabo for offense this season.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds – C

It wasn’t pretty for the Thunder bench last night and that includes Collison. OKC was outscored by 24 in Collison’s minutes which almost never happens. Collison also struggled himself turning the ball over three times.

Reggie Jackson – 11 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds – C+

Jackson had been playing great and the Thunder really could have used another great performance from him last night but that wasn’t quite the case. He went just 1-for-4 from the field but the other aspects of his game were still there (rebounding and a few assists).

Derek Fisher – 12 minutes, 1 point, 1 rebound – D

Fisher’s 12 minutes last night were officially a waste. Why not Ronnie Brewer? This needs to change fast.

Mar 11, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) drives for the basket between San Antonio Spurs forward Boris Diaw (left) and DeJuan Blair (right) during the first half at the AT

The San Antonio Spurs snapped the Oklahoma City Thunder’s five-game winning streak on Monday, with a 105-93 win, and showed why they are still time team to beat in the West.

Thiago Splitter led the winning initiative for San Antonio, making nine of his 11 shots for 21 points, and tacking on 10 boards. Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Tim Duncan also had themselves a game, scoring 17, 16, and 13 points respectively.

For a team coming off its second-worst home loss ever, the Spurs certainly played as if they have no memory of it.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led OKC with 26 and 25 respective points, but it was not enough to lead the Thunder to a first win against San Antonio in six contests. Serge Ibaka was the only Thunder player with double figures, having 13 points and 16 rebounds.

OKC actually led the Spurs by 10 in the first quarter, but from the second quarter on, every single shot they took was contested by a San Antonio player.

With the loss, OKC now posts a 47-17 record, and is still looking for answers as to how to find an advantage and win against San Antonio, as they will undoubtedly be a major foe come playoffs time. They will challenge the Utah Jazz next, on Wed., Mar. 13.

Dec 17, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan (21) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha (2) and Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 1 spot in the Western Conference standings will be on tonight as the Oklahoma City Thunder hit the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs.

The Thunder are exactly one game behind the Spurs in the standings and the two teams have split their season series so far as well.

The Spurs beat the Thunder in their first game of the season back on Nov. 1. Tony Parker hit a game-winning jump shot at the buzzer to give the Spurs the 86-84 victory.

Kevin Durant had just 23 points in that game and Russell Westbrook scored 18 on 6-of-21 shooting.

The Thunder got their revenge on Dec. 17 with a 107-93 win in OKC. Durant was held to just 19 and Westbrook ended up with 22 on 6-for-18 shooting.

Serge Ibaka played one of the best games of his career scoring 25 points to go with 17 rebounds. Kevin Martin scored 20 off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting.

The Spurs are a different team than they have been for most of the season now because they are without Parker, who will miss the next three weeks or so with an injury.

The Thunder are hot right now having won their last five games but tonight will be a back-to-back for them. OKC beat Boston yesterday afternoon convincingly 91-79.

Even without Parker, the Spurs are a tough out. They will run the same offense despite his absence and are still very capable of getting many open shots throughout the night.

The Thunder will need to avoid a lackluster defensive effort to ensure a victory tonight. They’ll also like Westbrook to be better than a 30 percent shooter and for Durant to get closer to 30 as well.

The game will tip at 8:30 p.m. EST and be televised nationally on NBATV.

Feb 11, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The most popular big name being linked to trade rumors these days has been Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks.

We’ve heard Smith’s name mentioned with the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and now the San Antonio Spurs are reportedly interested in him.

The Spurs are among the teams with interest in Hawks forward Josh Smith, a source told Yahoo! Sports. Keep in mind, Hawks general manager Danny Ferry was previously with the Spurs.

Via Yahoo! Sports

Smith is in the final year of his contract making $13.2 million this season. He has come out and said he expects to be signed to a max contract this coming summer and the Hawks are likely not interested in committing that kind of cash to him.

That’s why there is a good chance Smith will be moved by the Feb. 21 trade deadline and the Hawks will try and get something back in return for him.

The Spurs currently have a very value trade piece in Stephen Jackson who is an expiring contract making $10.1 million this season. They could package him along with Tiago Splitter and Nando De Colo or Patty Mills for Smith.

This trade is an interesting prospect because Smith isn’t exactly the efficient type of offensive player that we see the Spurs filling their roster with. He’s not a great outside shooter but would be very good in an up-tempo offense like the one in San Antonio.

Smith is a versatile defender too that would undoubtedly take the Spurs up a notch defensively which is something they need to do to compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Smith would be a solid player to have try and defend Kevin Durant, something the Spurs failed miserably at last year in the Western Conference Finals.

The Spurs have also been linked with the Utah Jazz in a rumored trade for Al Jefferson. It seems like they may see their window closing somewhat and want to try and go all-in this season for a title.

Feb 6, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson (25) controls the ball while defended by Milwaukee Bucks center Samuel Dalembert (21) during the second half at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz won 100-86. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The Utah Jazz have a lot of big men on their roster and rumors about them trading one of them have been going on for awhile.

The San Antonio Spurs have emerged as the frontrunner to land Jazz center Al Jefferson, according to Sheridan Hoops.

The San Antonio Spurs are the front-runners to land Al Jefferson in a trade with the Utah Jazz – and they are frontrunners like Secretariat was in the 1973 Belmont Stakes.

Here’s why, followed by a how.

“Those teams are practically incestuous, they are on such good terms internally,” one NBA source told me Wednesday.

Indeed, Spurs assistant general manager Scott Layden left Utah prior to this season after spending several seasons as an assistant coach for the Jazz and joined R.C. Buford’s staff in San Antonio’s secrecy vault front office. Also, former Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey is now doing the legwork for Utah’s grand pooh-bah, Kevin O’Connor.

The Jazz currently have Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter on their roster. Jefferson is in the last year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Jazz don’t want to see him walk without getting anything in return.

The Spurs can make this work because they have a few things Utah needs. The Jazz need a point guard and the Spurs have both Patty Mills and Nando De Colo to include in a deal. The Spurs can also include Tiago Splitter and Stephen Jackson to match up the salaries.

The Spurs currently have the best record in the NBA and have essentially the same exact roster as a season ago. They made less moves this offseason than any team in the NBA.

Acquiring Jefferson would be huge for the Spurs. Jefferson is one of the few players in the league that demands a double-team from the post. With Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili getting up there in years, Jefferson could take a little pressure off them as another scoring option.

Jefferson is averaging 17.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season while shooting a career-low 47.8 percent from the field.

Size is also one of the few weaknesses of the Spurs. They make up for it in other ways like great ball movement and perimeter shooting which is why they still have the best record in the NBA. When it comes playoff time, San Antonio may be overmatched on the interior with their current roster.

Some of the other top teams in the Western Conference clearly have more size than the Spurs like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers. Jefferson would immediately change that.

The Spurs would likely be straying away somewhat from the kind of basketball that has made them so successful over the past few seasons. Jefferson is going to isolate a lot and hold the ball longer when the Spurs are used to quick, crisp ball movement. But if there’s one team and organization that can make this work and figure it out, it’s San Antonio.

We know that the Jazz are going to move one of their bigs. Do they really want to send their best one to the best team in the league? Maybe not but it will likely yield them the greatest return.

The trade deadline is right around the corner now Feb. 21 which is right after the All-Star break. Expect any big moves like this one to happen right at the deadline.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Christmas Day has come and passed and the NBA season is no officially underway. Most teams have played about a third of their games so far and we’re starting to see some teams break away from the pack.

The Eastern Conference has been decided for some time now as the Miami Heat have established themselves as the clear class of that conference. The New York Knicks are making it interesting playing so well this year and against the Heat in particular, but after those two teams there’s not a lot of competition.

The Western Conference is much stronger. Right now, it’s tough to say who will make it to the NBA Finals in June.

For now, here’s a look at Power Rankings for the Western Conference:

1. Los Angeles Clippers (22-6)

The Clippers hold the best record in the league right now thanks to a winning streak that has reached 14 games. They have really improved their depth this season and the maturation of Blake Griffin has also helped a ton. Chris Paul at the helm will always keep them in contention and their proven success against the Heat and Thunder in the past makes them deserving of this spot.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-6)

Losers of their last two puts a bad taste in your mouth when ranking the Thunder. They had their big winning streak snapped in Minnesota then disappointingly lost in Miami on Christmas Day in the same fashion they did in the NBA Finals. Still, they have been one of the most consistent teams in the league and the best offensively despite still having room for improvement, which is scary.

3. San Antonio Spurs (22-8)

The Spurs have been quiet this season and to no one’s surprise. They have some impressive wins like opening night against the Thunder but have also been beaten a few times by top teams in the conference. They still are the best in the league at getting open shots and if Manu Ginobili can return to his old form by the playoffs, they will have as good a chance as anyone to reach the Finals.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (18-8)

They had a great start to the year and have since cooled down. They can stack up against the elite in the NBA and throw something at them that is very hard to match up with in terms of their size. But there are still questions surrounding this team while the other three above have less.

5. Golden State Warriors (19-10)

One of the biggest surprises of the year has to be the Warriors. Their defense has vastly improved despite Andrew Bogut still being sidelines with an injury. Stephen Curry has stayed healthy and is having a solid year while David Lee is playing some of the best basketball of his career.

6. Los Angeles Lakers (14-15)

You still can’t totally give up on the Lakers who have just recently gotten Steve Nash back from injury. They beat the Knicks on Christmas Day and look to maybe be on the right track now. If Dwight Howard can’t start looking healthier, they really won’t be able to make much noise this season.

7. Denver Nuggets (16-14)

The Nuggets like the Lakers have been disappointing this year. They also have some new pieces that are slowly starting to get better playing together. They have the talent to make a run and finish the year with a good record if that’s the case.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves (13-13)

Minnesota has recently gotten Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio back from injury and that will make a world of difference. Love is still getting his legs back and Rubio’s minutes are still limited. Once they are 100 percent, the rest of the West needs to be on notice.

9. Houston Rockets (16-12)

The Rockets have been up and down this season but have won their last five games. James Harden and Jeremy Lin are playing better together now. If they can figure that out, they will have a real shot at the playoffs.

10. Utah Jazz (15-15)

The Jazz don’t exactly know who they are and there are some trade rumors surrounding them this year. They are a deep team with more depth on the frontline than just about anyone else. That makes them difficult to handle on a night-to-night basis and major players as the trade deadline approaches.

Dec 17, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; San Antonio Spurs center DeJuan Blair (45) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to be a formidable opponent this season, this time beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-93 for their 11th straight win.

Serge Ibaka had a huge night, leading the team in scoring and tying his career-best effort of 25 points, while also grabbing a season-high 17 rebounds. For the Spurs, Tony Parker and Nando de Colo led the team with 14 points apiece.

The Spurs kept it close in the first half, but the Thunder blew it open in the third quarter when they scored 11 straight unanswered points. Nick Collison capped the run with a put-back that extended the Thunder’s lead to 71-56 with over four minutes still to play in the quarter. Later, Ibaka grabbed an offensive board, and flexed his muscles while running to half court after making the bucket.

For most of the fourth quarter the Spurs’ stars rode the bench, and head coach Gregg Popovich kept them there even when San Antonio cut the 18-point lead down to nine points with more than five minutes still left in the game.

With 11 straight wins, OKC has tied the franchise record for consecutive wins, first set by the Seattle Supersonics in 1996.

OKC advances to 20-4 on the season and sits atop the NBA with the best record across the league. They will face the Atlanta Hawks next, on Dec. 19 at Phillips Arena.

Soobum Im-USA TODAY

The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the San Antonio Spurs tonight looking for their 11th straight win.

The Thunder lost to the Spurs in their first game of the season 86-84 as Tony Parker made a game-winning jumper at the buzzer.

That game was a long time ago and the Thunder had just traded James Harden and hadn’t had time to gel with some of their new players just yet. As a result, the Thunder shot just 37.7 percent from the field for the game with Russell Westbrook performing the poorest making 6-of-21 shots.

Since then the Thunder have become the most efficient offense in the league and lead the lead in true shooting percentage as well with an incredible mark of 59.6 percent.

Kevin Durant has led the way for OKC as he nears 50-40-90 shooting splits and is averaging 27.5 points per game this season. He had just 23 points on 9-0f-18 shooting in the first meeting but did pull down 14 rebounds.

The Spurs have slipped from their offensive prowess a year ago but only a tiny bit as they still rank 5th overall in the NBA. Defensively, the Spurs are also ranked 5th and they do seem to defend the Thunder and Westbrook particularly well.

Two players that didn’t really show up in the first meeting and have been playing better since are Kevin Martin and Serge Ibaka. Martin had 15 points and five assists but was not fitting in as seamlessly with the rest of the offense as he is now. Ibaka finished with only four points in 31 minutes and has been much better than that recently.

The Spurs will be without Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard and most likely Stephen Jackson as well tonight. Jackson targeted tonight as a possible return but now it looks like he will not play. Ginobili did not play in the first meeting either.

Between the two teams, the Thunder have certainly grown the most since their first meeting. It won’t be the same script as then especially since the setting will now be OKC.

Parker will be a handful as usual but Westbrook has been playing at an All-Defensive level this year according to some. Westbrook will offensively have to be much more efficient than he has in the past vs. San Antonio for the Thunder to have their best shot at winning.

Winning 10 games in a row is tough and 11 in a row is even harder. When that 11th team is the Spurs, it becomes that much more challenging. But make no mistake about it, this isn’t just any regular season game for the Thunder. They want to avenge their loss earlier in the year while San Antonio may not feel the same sense of urgency to win a game in December.

At home, it’s never smart to bet against the Thunder but if there is a team in the league who can take down the Thunder in this setting at this point in the season, that team would be San Antonio.

It will be a good one tonight, that’s for sure, with tip-off at 8 p.m. EST.

Brendan Maloney-USA Today

The San Antonio Spurs have fined forward Stephen Jackson $25,000 for the “hostile” Twitter message he sent Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka over the weekend.

“The recent public comments made by Stephen Jackson are absolutely unacceptable, can not be tolerated and do not reflect the standards held by the San Antonio Spurs,” general manager R.C. Buford said in a statement.

Jackson’s tweet read: “Somebody tell serg Abaka. He aint bout dis life. Next time he run up on me im goin in his mouth. That’s a promise. He doin 2 much.”

The tweet was in response to the mini-altercation Ibaka got into with Metta World Peace Friday night when the Thunder played the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ibaka and World Peace got tangled up after a basket and each of them pressed their forearms into the other’s chest. Some words were exchanged but nothing escalated after that and the players were quickly broken up.

The Oklahoma City crowd reacted quite a bit clearly remembering what World Peace did to James Harden last season.

Ibaka has gotten into the faces of a few players over the past few years and is trying to be more of a tough guy it seems for the Thunder. Playing alongside Kendrick Perkins might be rubbing off on him somewhat.

Whether Ibaka is about that life or not, Jackson’s tweet is out of line and there is no surprise a fine went his way. The Spurs reportedly consulted with the league office about the fine.

This little Twitter feud between Ibaka and Jackson adds to the increasing rivalry between the Thunder and Spurs, who met in the Western Conference Finals last season.

The Thunder will play the Spurs next Monday, Dec. 17 in OKC.

Russell Westbrook was totally lost on the final play of this game, leading to a wide open look for Tony Parker on the left wing that ripped the net as time expired to give the San Antonio Spurs an 86-84 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was that kind of night for the Thunder and Westbrook in their season opener.

Parker finished with 14 points and 11 assists and also made a 3-pointer with 28 seconds left that tied the game at 84.

The Thunder tried to get the ball to Kevin Durant on the next possession running him off screens set by Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka but Kawhi Leonard was lurking as the pass arrived and knocked the ball away giving the Spurs the chance to win it on the final possession.

Westbrook will get the most heat for this game and deservedly so. He shot 6-for-21 in the game, had five assists and six turnovers and completely lost Parker on the final possession.

Durant went 9-for-18 in the game, had 23 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Durant was noticeably trying to play more of a distributor role in the game and it led to some early turnovers for him.

The Thunder ran their pindown play with Durant and Westbrook that worked so well in last year’s Western Conference Finals on the last few possessions tonight. Durant didn’t get any touches though in this game.

The Thunder displayed some of the same problems they’ve had the past few years. Durant has to work so hard to get the ball and physical defense from someone like Stephen Jackson can make that very difficult for him.

Westbrook can do a better job of getting Durant touches but it’s the offensive sets too that are the problem. There just has to be easier ways to get the ball in Durant’s hands. It may even be the best option to use him bringing the ball up the court and as the pick-and-roll ball handler.

Kevin Martin made his Thunder debut tonight and was very solid. He scored 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting in 33 minutes. He made 3-of-6 threes, all four of his free throws and also had five assists. He was hesitant to look for his shot though and that’s something he can’t be moving forward this season.

Ibaka was looking for his shot a lot in this one and it was a struggle all night. He played 31 minutes, was 2-of-7 from the field and had just four points.

The Thunder shot 37.7 percent from the field in the game. They were only in it thanks to getting to the line 23 times, 12 offensive rebounds and getting hot from deep in the second half that included a 3-point shot at the end of the third quarter by Eric Maynor that was hoisted from well beyond halfcourt.

The Thunder didn’t have the luxury of playing this game with last year’s team. That all changed when they traded James Harden last weekend and it will take some time for this year’s team to gel.

They didn’t lose tonight because they didn’t have Harden. Westbrook can take less bad shots and turn the ball over less regardless of Harden’s presence.

We saw a lot of Thabo Sefolosha and Hasheem Thabeet tonight and no minutes for rookies Perry Jones III and Jeremy Lamb. This wasn’t surprising because Scott Brooks always favors veterans but this isn’t the Thunder team we will see all season.

Opening up the year on the road in San Antonio is not an easy thing to do. Combine that with the Thunder having so many new faces and it’s not surprising they lost. They played a pretty bad game actually and shouldn’t have even had this good of a chance to win it.

OKC won’t have to wait long to redeem themselves as they will play their home opener tomorrow night vs. the Portland Trail Blazers at 8 p.m. EST.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder will begin the 2012-13 season with a road game vs. the San Antonio Spurs tonight. The game will tip-off at 9:30 p.m. EST and will be nationally televised on TNT.

This will be the first game for the Thunder after trading James Harden to the Houston Rockets last Saturday night. Harden was one of OKC’s best players against the Spurs last season when the teams met in the Western Conference Finals. He averaged 18.5 points per game and shot 49.3 percent from the field and 60.9 percent from downtown in that series.

The Thunder will try to move on from losing Harden with help from the new additions Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb. Lamb my not play much if at all to start the season but Martin will essentially be taking over Harden’s role in terms of playing time.

Martin is very excited to be a part of this Thunder team having been stuck on losing teams for most of his career. He can bring to the floor a lot of what Harden did but he isn’t as dynamic at this point in his career.

As far as the playmaking that Harden did last year, Eric Maynor is returning to the floor tonight after just playing nine games last year before a season-ending knee injury. He isn’t Harden either but he was one of the best backup point guards in the league before he got hurt and will give OKC something they didn’t exactly have last season.

More pressure will now be on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook with Harden gone. While there is no doubt Durant will rise to the occasion, as far as tonight goes playing San Antonio, Westbrook will be another story.

Westbrook struggled against the Spurs last season quite a bit. He averaged just 18.2 points per game in the West Finals (down from 23.6 PPG in the regular season) and shot 37.8 percent from the field. Westbrook also had trouble containing Tony Parker who dominated the point guard matchup in that series.

Westbrook looked very good in the preseason, more comfortable and distributing better so maybe that carries over into tonight. San Antonio is still simply not the ideal matchup for Westbrook who always seems to struggle with them.

Durant on the other hand should be fine and will need to be more than that for the Thunder tonight. He averaged 29.5 points per game and shot 53.2 percent from the field in the West Finals vs. San Antonio. The Spurs don’t really have anyone who can guard Durant straight up on their roster and once Durant figured that out last year in the playoffs, OKC was well on their way to the NBA Finals.

Another player to keep an eye on especially with the departure of Harden will be Serge Ibaka. Ibaka got his contract extension this summer and should try and assume a larger role in the Thunder offense. He averaged just 9.1 points in 27.2 minutes per game last season but in the preseason looked much more aggressive and confident with his shot. Ibaka had one of the best performances of the playoffs in Game 4 of the West Finals vs. San Antonio last year. He went a perfect 11-for-11 from the field and scored 26 points to lift the Thunder to a crucial victory.

Tonight will also be the NBA debut of rookie Perry Jones III who was very impressive in the preseason. He is likely to get more minutes this year with Cole Aldrich and Daequan Cook being shipped to Houston. Against the Spurs, he may be used quite a bit too as the Thunder should play some smaller lineups to match up.

San Antonio is playing a back-to-back tonight having beaten the New Orleans Hornets 99-95 on the road last night. They trailed for a large part of that game before coming back late. The Spurs changed their roster less than any other team in the league this offseason, only adding one player in Nando De Colo, who didn’t even play last night.

Gregg Popovich may choose not to play his big guns major minutes tonight because of the back-to-back and Manu Ginobili is unlikely to play at all, having missed last night’s game as well. The Spurs are as professional an organization as it gets and going to play them in their home opener is no easy task.

The Thunder will face a big challenge tonight in their first regular season game of 2012-13. How will they look without Harden? What can they get from Martin, Jones and Maynor? Are the Spurs now better equipped to take down OKC in a series without Harden in the equation?

We will start to answer these questions tonight at 9:30 p.m. EST on TNT.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

San Antonio Spurs Team Overview

The Spurs had the best record in the Western Conference last year for the second straight season. They were a juggernaut for most of the regular season and that carried into the playoffs as they swept the first two rounds and then went up 2-0 in the West Finals vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder won the last four games of that series and the Spurs ended their season in disappointment again. This summer, they made the fewest changes to their roster of any team in the NBA. Tim Duncan re-signed for three more years accepting less money and they also re-signed Danny Green and Boris Diaw.

Nando De Colo is the only new face that may see some run. The French guard played in the Olympics with Tony Parker and Diaw and within the Spurs’ system could become another key contributor for their team.

Everyone is always ready to write off the Spurs but then they come out and almost always prove their critics wrong. With the Thunder beating them in the playoffs last year and the Lakers acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, everyone has once again forgotten about the Spurs.

But they like it that way and they won’t be going away just yet.

Last year

The Thunder played the Spurs three times in the regular season last year. The Thunder won the first meeting 108-96 in OKC early on in the year on Jan. 8 then the Spurs won the final two meetings.

Kevin Durant averaged 22.7 points, 4.7 assists and 9.3 rebounds per game vs. the Spurs in the regular season. He shot just .468 percent from the field and .273 percent from downtown.

Russell Westbrook averaged 22.3 points and 5.7 assists per game and shot .448 percent from the field. James Harden averaged 19.3 points per game and shot .594 percent from the field and .417 percent from three.

The Thunder and Spurs met in the Western Conference Finals and the Spurs looked well on their way to the NBA Finals after the first two games of the series in San Antonio. That changed when the series shifted to OKC as the Thunder took control and went on to win the final four games.

Durant averaged 29.5 points, 5.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game in the series. He shot .532 percent from the field and .357 percent from three. He attempted 9.3 free throws per game and shot .911 percent from the line.

Westbrook averaged 18.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. He shot just .378 percent from the field and attempted only 3.8 free throws per game.

Harden averaged 18.5 points per game and shot .493 percent from the field and .609 percent from three.

The matchup

The Spurs had the best offense in the NBA last season in terms of points per possession and overall efficiency. They looked that way against the Thunder for the most part too.

They were second best in the league on spot-up plays and best in transition and the pick-and-roll. Tony Parker spearheaded the offensive attack as he ended up making First Team All-NBA and was deservedly in the conversation for MVP.

The Spurs were in the middle of the pack defensively ranking 14th overall during the regular season. They did struggle vs. isolation plays (26th) and the pick-and-roll (29th), two areas where the Thunder offense thrived.

The Spurs’ offense was still the best in the playoffs and even against the Thunder in the West Finals. They could not stop the Thunder on offense though and the more talented team would eventually win the series.

It was a close series though and if San Antonio had pulled out Game 5, we could be talking about them winning an NBA title instead. The Spurs were close and this matchup between them and the Thunder was a very fun one.

Next year

Again, everyone expects the Spurs to take a step back next season. They probably won’t. They are one of the toughest matchups for the Thunder and it should stay that way next season.

Tony Parker is still very much in his prime and the way he runs that Spurs offense they can beat the Thunder every time. During the regular season when you aren’t playing the same team again and again, the Spurs have the advantage against the Thunder since they are so superior to any other team in the league in the way the carry themselves on a nightly basis.

They will play four times in the regular season first in San Antonio on Nov. 1, then in OKC on Dec. 17, then in San Antonio on March 11 and finally in OKC April 4.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Most of the big names in the NBA have already found a home this offseason but there are still a few players out there in search of a team.

Michael Redd is one of them and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been grouped in as a possible suitor for the veteran 3-point specialist. Derek Fisher, who finished last season with the Thunder, could find his way to San Antonio.

Sam Amico of Fox Sports says: “Apparently no interest from Cavs on Ohio guy Michael Redd, but teams mentioned as possible suitors include the … Wizards, Nuggets, Grizzlies, Bulls, and yes, Thunder, who still have a spot available in the backcourt after Derek Fisher’s departure. Both Redd and Fisher are unrestricted free agents, and while clearly past their primes, could still help a team looking for shooting and a veteran presence off the bench. As for Fisher, it would not surprise me to see him end up with the Spurs.”

The Thunder don’t exactly have a spot open in the backcourt. With Eric Maynor returning from injury and the signings of Hasheem Thabeet and Hollis Thompson this summer, OKC has a full roster.

That doesn’t mean it would be impossible for them to sign another player like Redd. Redd averaged 8.2 points per game last season in 51 games with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 15.1 minutes per game but shot just .318 percent from three, despite playing with Steve Nash.

Whenever people are trying to come up with possible destinations for 3-point specialists, the Thunder’s name is often brought up. Such has been the case with Sacramento Kings’ guard Jimmer Fredette as well.

Fisher was signed by the Thunder last season after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Houston Rockets at the trade deadline and then waived by Houston. He played in the final 20 games for the Thunder averaging 20.4 minutes per game and 4.9 points per game.

Fisher played a lot of important minutes in the playoffs and had some big moments which we are used to seeing from him.

The Spurs don’t seem to have any kind of need for Fisher with guards Tony Parker, Gary Neal, Patty Mills and Nando De Colo already on the roster. Not to mention Fisher’s past being a Spurs killer and the unforgettable 0.4 seconds left shot.

The point with Fisher is that he only wants to go somewhere where he can win. That’s why teams like Chicago, Miami and now San Antonio are being linked to his name.

It seems unlikely that Fisher will become a Spur just like it seems unlikely the Thunder will change their roster anymore before next season.

Jackson has a rap album that will be coming out at the end of this month or the beginning of next month. Durant will be somewhat a part of it.

You mentioned that KD is on the album. How do you kind of stay away from getting grouped in with all of the other NBA players who try their hand at rapping? A lot of people have this and that to say about players who make music, so how do you kind of stand alone on that?

I don’t care, I don’t pay attention to it, I’m me. Who cares what people say? I mean, people’s opinions are like buttholes—everybody has one. I don’t even pay it attention.

So Durant’s kind of nice with it?

Yeah, KD can go, man. I respect him for even getting on the track with me, because a lot of athletes are scared to even get on the same song with me ’cause they feel I’m gonna embarrass them. I’m just happy he took the time to do it, and he really killed the verse so a lot of people are gonna be surprised by it.

via XXLMag.com

It’s good to see Durant not stepping down from the challenge of getting on the same song as Jackson, as intimidating as that may sound.

Durant and Jackson had a little history on the basketball court together in the Western Conference Finals. Jackson was a late pickup for the San Antonio Spurs last season and was great for them in the playoffs, especially against the Thunder, and was matched up with Durant a lot in the series.

Durant’s movie ‘Thunderstruck’ will be hitting theatres Aug. 24 and a new scene from it has been released.

Durant is the man. This movie will be amazing and only because of Durant’s acting skills, which should be all-time.

Here are draft grades for every team:

New Orleans Hornets
No. 1 overall – Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
No. 10 overall – Austin Rivers, G, Duke
No. 46 overall – Darius Miller, G/F, Kentucky

The Hornets really couldn’t go wrong possessing the first overall pick in the draft and chance to take Anthony Davis. Davis has a chance to be a franchise changer and playing alongside Eric Gordon in New Orleans is a good start. The Hornets took Rivers 10th overall which is what they wanted to do. The Hornets believe Rivers can play some point for them although he is a scoring guard at heart. Gordon is a good playmaker himself though so the two may be able to share ball handling duties a la Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The Darius Miller pick is nice too. He is an athlete that could make it in the NBA and was a teammate of Davis’ at Kentucky.

Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 28 overall – Perry Jones, III, F, Baylor

To win a championship, sometimes it takes a little luck. The Thunder got the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft with the No. 28 pick. Perry Jones III we knew was going to fall because of concerns mainly surrounding his knee but sliding this far to a franchise that is perfect for him just seems unfair to the rest of the league. It was a Spurs-like snag for OKC and they know it already. Jones III has lottery talent and top-5 pick potential. One knock on him is that he never really stepped up and dominated and was more of a supporting role type of mindset and player. Well, come on down to OKC that sounds just fine!

Grade: A+

Charlotte Bobcats
No. 2 overall – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
No. 31 overall – Jeffrey Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt

The Bobcats were supposed to either trade the No. 2 pick or take Thomas Robinson if they couldn’t. Instead, they shocked everyone selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall. MKG is a player that will shine no matter where he plays, even in Charlotte. He has the potential to be the second best player in this draft class and it was a wise choice to make here by Michael Jordan. Jeffrey Taylor is a good pick too in the second round. Taylor was projected to go a little earlier in the draft and is a nice value find at 31.

Grade: A

Washington Wizards
No. 3 overall – Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
No. 32 overall – Tomas Satoransky, G, Czech Republic

The Wizards got the man they wanted at No. 3 but had to hold their breath and pray before doing so. As the Bobcats were shopping the No. 2 pick, any team that may have gotten it was probably going to take Bradley Beal second overall. The Wizards desperately wanted an elite shooter and wing to place alongside John Wall and they believe Beal is that guy. Beal measured just under 6-foot-5 so he’s not huge but he is physical and can do a lot of things on a basketball court. Tomas Satoranksy in the second round apparently is friends with Jan Vesely which makes that pick awesome too.

Grade: A

Sacramento Kings
No. 5 overall – Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

It was impossible not to fall in love with Thomas Robinson watching him break down after being selected fifth overall by the Kings. He won over a lot of fans with that reaction. Robinson is touted as one of the surest things at the top of this draft. The Kings wanted him bad too at No. 5, more than anybody else. Sacramento was going to pull off a trade with this pick with Houston if Robinson was off the board but obviously that didn’t happen. Robinson and DeMarcus Cousins are going to be able to get a lot of rebounds playing together.

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons
No. 9 overall – Andre Drummond, PF/C, Connecticut
No. 39 overall – Khris Middleton, SF, Texas A&M

The Pistons are extremely happy that Andre Drummond fell to them. Before the draft, they were hoping for this but planning to settle on John Henson. Drummond has as much upside as anyone in this draft. There are questions surrounding him but he is very young. It was the right pick here for Detroit without question. Khris Middleton isn’t someone that jumps out as a great pick here but at No. 39, there’s not a lot to expect.

Grade: A

Milwaukee Bucks
No. 14 overall – John Henson, PF, North Carolina
No. 42 overall – Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky

The Bucks were pretty happy to see John Henson at No. 14 especially after trading down from 12 with Houston. Henson is the kind of guy Milwaukee wanted and someone who will block a lot of shots and grab some rebounds but really needs to put on some weight first. Doron Lamb is another player they were happy to see at No. 42. He could have gone in the first round and is an irrational confidence guy who can shoot and play some D too.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 4 overall – Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
No. 17 overall – Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

It wasn’t a huge shocker that Cleveland took Dion Waiters No. 4. They were planning on possibly doing so and after being unable to trade up to No. 2 and take Beal, Waiters was the next guy on their list, probably just ahead of Harrison Barnes. It wasn’t an overly popular pick but Waiters has an NBA-ready body and next to Kyrie Irving should do well. With Tyler Zeller sliding in the draft, the Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a trade with Dallas to get to No. 17 and take the North Carolina center. They gave up three picks for Zeller so they must really like him. Now with a core of Irving, Waiters, Thompson and Zeller, Cleveland’s future looks kind of alright.

Grade: B

Portland Trailblazers
No. 6 overall – Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
No. 11 overall – Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
No. 40 overall – Will Barton, SG, Memphis

Before the Draft, Portland was intent on keeping their 6th and 11th picks and they also loved Damian Lillard. Six may sound high for Lillard but Portland did something smart: picking their favorite guy and not caring where they did it. They then filled a need at 11 with Meyers Leonard, the center from Illinois. Portland was projected in some mocks to take Andre Drummond and either Austin Rivers or Jeremy Lamb. That sounds a little better than what they ended up with. They get Will Barton at No. 40 which is another solid value pick as he was projected late-first by many.

Grade: B

Golden State Warriors
No. 7 overall – Harrison Barnes, G/F, North Carolina
No. 30 overall – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
No. 35 overall – Draymond Green, F, Michigan State
No. 52 overall – Ognjen Kuzmic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite his overall disappointing feeling, many still feel Harrison Barnes can be an All-Star in the NBA. Getting him at No. 7 was a pretty solid pick for the Warriors, who are starting new next year post-Monta Ellis and with Andrew Bogut. Festus Ezeli with the last pick of the first round is understandable too and he is a high-character guy who will work hard for them. Draymond Green is another good pick to get in the second round. The Warriors didn’t have a flashy draft but they made some value picks and that’s always a good strategy.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets
No. 12 overall – Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut
No. 16 overall – Royce White, F, Iowa State
No. 18 overall – Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

The Rockets were stockpiling draft picks with one thing on their mind: Dwight Howard. That hasn’t happened yet and now feels like it won’t. They were hoping to move up to No. 5 to take Andre Drummond but since Thomas Robinson fell to the Kings there, they weren’t trading that pick. The Rockets will settle for three pretty solid players starting with Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 who has a lot of pro potential as a scorer. When they took Royce White at No. 16, you knew they weren’t trading their picks anymore. White has gotten a lot of buzz this draft as a more athletic Boris Diaw who plays a little like Charles Barkley too. Terrence Jones two picks later is another talented forward that can do a variety of things. You always feel players Daryl Morey drafts are guys who can find a spot in the NBA. The Rockets just had bigger sights for this draft than this.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns
No. 13 overall – Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

It’s just about official now that Steve Nash is on his way out in Phoenix. Kendall Marshall is their point guard of the future. Marshall was one of the best assists men in college the past two seasons and has drawn comparisons to Mark Jackson and Andre Miller so yeah, he’s not quick. He’s fun to play with and will make the players around him better. They like that in Phoenix.

Grade: B

Chicago Bulls
No. 29 overall – Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

The Bulls were either going backup point here or combo-guard shooter. Marquis Teague is a talented player with this pick and someone who may be able to play alongside Derrick Rose some. It’s nothing special for the Bulls but a good pick nonetheless. Bulls fans were dying for Perry Jones III to slip one more pick into their laps.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors
No. 8 overall – Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
No. 37 overall – Quincy Acy, PF, Baylor
No. 56 overall – Tomislav Zubcic, PF, Croatia

The Raptors would have loved to see Harrison Barnes fall one more pick into their laps. They would have loved even more to move up and snag Dion Waiters. They settle for Terrence Ross who can do things that will make him have a solid NBA career: shoot threes and defend. Quincy Acy in Round 2 could be a Reggie Evans type which is something this franchise has experience with. Tomislav Zubcic will not come over right away. If Toronto gets Steve Nash, a lot of their problems will appear solved.

Grade: C+

Orlando Magic
No. 19 overall – Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
No. 49 overall – Kyle O’Quinn, C, Norfolk State

The Magic are in a weird situation and have been ever since Dwight Howard started pouting. Howard ran their head coach and GM out of town and still wants out himself. He hasn’t gotten it yet but it’s really only a matter of time. Orlando’s picks of Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn may have been logical, but they won’t make their fans feel better yet

Grade: C+

Boston Celtics
No. 21 overall – Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
No. 22 overall – Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
No. 51 overall – Kris Joseph, SF, Syracuse

We knew Jared Sullinger would drop, we just didn’t know how far. The Celtics are in a rebuilding stage now and looking to bulk up their front court with Sullinger and Fab Melo. The Celtics were hoping for Royce White here or to trade up and take Doc Rivers’ son Austin Rivers in the lottery. The best case scenario for Kris Joseph (taken No. 51 overall) is Gary Forbes, according to DraftExpress.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia 76ers
No. 15 overall – Maurice Harkless, SF, St. John’s
No. 27 overall – Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi State

Philadelphia fans are not happy with the decision to take Maurice “don’t call me Moe” Harkless 15th overall. When you draft a guy who plays the same position as your best player at No. 15, it never feels like it makes sense. Harkless came out after just one year at St. John’s and is said to have some pro potential but he’s nothing special. The 76ers traded up with Miami to get Arnett Moultrie at No. 27. It’s just another lateral move here for Philly. Their fans want more than that.

Grade: C

Denver Nuggets
No. 20 overall – Evan Fournier, SG, France
No. 38 overall – Quincy Miller, G/F, Baylor
No. 50 overall – Izzet Turkyilmaz, PF, Turkey

The Nuggets surprisingly went with Evan Fournier at No. 20 despite some talent sitting on the board. Fournier will not come over to the NBA next season but was the highest rated international prospect of the draft. The Nuggets clearly weren’t looking to try and strike gold with late first round picks this year. They’ve already accomplished that with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Their pick at No. 38 felt a little better. Some fans wanted Quincy Miller with the 20th pick so getting him this late is a win in that sense. Miller is young with a ton of potential but has the usual question marks. Denver went with another international product late in the second round that we won’t see in the NBA right away.

Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks
No. 23 overall – John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
No. 43 overall – Mike Scott, F, Virginia

Nothing special here for Atlanta. John Jenkins could be decent but he won’t turn any heads. He can really shoot it though and might get some run for the Hawks where Josh Smith is on the way out. It would have been great if Atlanta had decided to draft Marquis Teague here and run an all-Teague backcourt with his brother Jeff. Love the Mike Scott pick.

Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks
No. 24 overall – Jared Cunningham, G, Oregon State
No. 33 overall – Bernard James, C, Florida State
No. 34 overall – Jae Crowder, F, Marquette

It doesn’t seem like Dallas was trying to do a ton in this draft. They dealt their 17th overall pick to Cleveland probably because there was no one they were in love with. They got three picks back for it and didn’t do anything crazy with them. One of the cooler moments in the draft though was Bernard James having his name called and walking to the podium. The crowd started chanting “U-S-A” because James served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dallas’ main priority this offseason is wooing Deron Williams and/or Dwight Howard.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies
No. 25 overall – Tony Wroten, Jr., PG, Washington

The Grizzlies wanted a point guard and a lot of mocks had them going with Marquis Teague but they choose Tony Wroten, Jr. instead. Jay Bilas calls Wroten, Jr. a taller Rajon Rondo. That means he’s a good passer and can’t shoot a lick. Maybe it’s what Memphis needs and there is some upside there.

Grade: C

Utah Jazz
No. 47 overall – Kevin Murphy, SG, Tennessee Tech

Utah has enough young players from the last few drafts that they didn’t care too much about this year. Kevin Murphy is the only player from this draft to score 50 or more points in game last year in college. Why not?

Grade: C

Miami Heat
No. 45 overall – Justin Hamilton, C, LSU

Miami could have had Perry Jones III at No. 27 and it would have been just as scary as OKC getting him if not more so. They just didn’t want to have to pay a first rounder this year. Their cap space will be tight the next few seasons. They trade down here and get a 7-footer which they need. Something tells me we won’t see a ton of Justin Hamilton playing for the defending champs.

Grade: C

San Antonio Spurs
No. 59 overall – Marcus Denmon, G, Missouri

The Spurs drafted him so he’ll be an All-Star in four years. Marcus Denmon feels a little Patty Mills/James Anderson. The Spurs probably aren’t expecting too much from Denmon though.

Grade: C

New York Knicks
No. 48 overall – Kostas Papanikolaou, F, Greece

Not doing anything here. The home crowd really loved this pick at least.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers
No. 53 overall – Furkan Aldemir, PF, Turkey

Love this pick. He may never play in the NBA but he is a great rebounder and can only score on putbacks, according to Fran Fraschilla. What’s not to love?

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Lakers
No. 55 overall – Darius Johnson-Odom, SG, Marquette
No. 60 overall – Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Darius Johnson-Odom plays the wrong sport. He’d be an awesome football player and used that to his advantage in college for Marquette. He will look a lot smaller in the NBA. If Robert Sacre is playing for the Lakers next season, it won’t be a good thing.

Grade: C-

Brooklyn Nets
No. 41 overall – Tyshawn Taylor, PG, Kansas
No. 54 overall – Tornike Shengelia, PF, Georgia
No. 57 overall – Ilkan Karaman, PF, Turkey

Brooklyn not trying to go crazy here. They are just praying for Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to hookup in their new city. Tyshawn Taylor might make it as a backup point in this league but nothing more. Tornike Shengelia goes by “Toko” and is a 6-foot-9 scorer who is good at attacking and can score around the rim well but has no jumper. Ilkan Karamen has a ton of tattoos and may “never play in the NBA” according to Fran Fraschilla.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 58 overall – Robbie Hummel, SF, Purdue

Kevin Love, Chase Budinger and now Robbie Hummel. Good luck rest of league.

Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers
No. 26 overall – Miles Plumlee, PF, Duke
No. 36 overall – Orlando Johnson, SG, UCSB

This may have been the worst draft pick ever, worse than Sam Bowie. With names like Perry Jones III, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli on the board, Indiana elects to take the worst Plumlee brother, Miles. If they weren’t Indiana and known for their white hoopsters, this would be an even worse pick. It’s still so horrible though words can’t describe it. There’s nothing that could make this pick ever make sense. They get Orlando Johnson from UCSB in the second round who was a 20-point scorer last year and might do something for them.

Grade: F

The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs gave NBA fans one heck of a series in the Western Conference Finals this year.

It was a matchup of the two teams in the NBA who were playing far better than anyone else: the Spurs reaching a 20-game win streak after going up 2-0 in the series and the Thunder growing right before our eyes into what looks to be a potential dynasty.

The Spurs were the best team in the NBA. They hadn’t lost in the playoffs and not since April 11 when the series began. Their offense did not feature a top individual scorer in the league but instead a cast of players that knew their exact roles.

They played perfect basketball. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon. This wasn’t the boring, grind it out Spurs team of old but a fun, up-and-down team that wowed with the extra pass.

And in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals it looked like they were going to put the young Thunder back in their place. They outclassed them in a basketball sense and unintentionally mocked their style of play.

They appeared unbeatable until the inevitable started to happen: the changing of the guard in the Western Conference. The Thunder began to realize their potential.

OKC ran the Spurs out of the gym in Game 3, made them look old. Then in Game 4, Kevin Durant gave us one of the playoffs’ best gems, dropping 18 in the fourth quarter including 16 in a row for the Thunder. He struggled in the series somewhat until then, finally showing us just how godly he can appear.

Game 5 was the true test for the up-and-comers. On the road in San Antonio, you knew the Spurs would be ready after losing two-straight. The Thunder were not intimidated in the slightest. They stuck to their game plan and survived a furious Spurs comeback thanks to individual prowess in shot making.

The Spurs did not die right away in Game 6 in OKC, racing out to an 18-point lead in the first quarter. Tony Parker was brilliant but then the Thunder started to come back. Aided by the best crowd in the NBA, there was no stopping what was coming. The future became the present.

For the first time since 1998, a team not named the Mavericks, Lakers or Spurs would be representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. And the Thunder beat all three of those franchises in these playoffs.

This series will be and should be remembered for a lot of things that made it so great. But we’ll always remember most that it was the moment the Thunder came into their own, realized their potential and took that next step toward becoming a champion.

Robert Mayer-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting to find out who they will play in the NBA Finals after eliminating the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals by winning the final four games of that series.

The Western Conference has been playing at a much higher level of basketball in the playoffs than the Eastern Conference. In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs and Thunder matched up as the two best teams in the NBA.

In a perfect world, that would have been the NBA Finals. The feeling for a lot of people was that it was and that now the Thunder will easily win the NBA Finals no matter who they play.

They will be the favorites and have earned that right. They have been playing significantly better than either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics.

But there is one player who could stop the Thunder from winning the NBA title: LeBron James.

LeBron had one of the greatest performances in NBA history last night as the Heat beat the Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to force a Game 7.

LeBron had 45 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists and went 19-for-26 from the field in 45 minutes. He single-handedly made sure the Heat were not going to be eliminated in Boston.

This year with this Heat team we are seeing that the only way they will win the title is if LeBron plays at this level – which should be what every fan ever wanted from LeBron.

LeBron won his third MVP this season averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game while shooting .531 percent from the field.

LeBron is averaging 30.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in the playoffs and shooting .512 percent from the field.

LeBron has been even better as the playoffs have gone on. He averaged 30.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game against the Pacers. Against Boston, LeBron is now averaging 34.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists and shooting .542 percent from the floor.

Yikes.

But while LeBron is putting up insane numbers and playing the best basketball of his career, the fact still remains that the Thunder are the better team.

The better team does not always win the championship though. Having the best player in the NBA Finals can often be more important.

LeBron has the potential to be that guy against the Thunder. It won’t be nearly as easy because Kevin Durant will be matched up with him and even the numbers he is putting up now wouldn’t be that much better than Durant’s.

In a sense, the matchup of LeBron and Durant will be the biggest. But it’s not everything. It’s more about if LeBron can do everything for the Heat like he has been.

That would take LeBron to a level worthy of winning a championship. We’re finding out that it’s not just about being the best player in the NBA to win a championship. You have to be the best player you can be to win one, too.

If you hit your potential and are the best player, you’re not losing. That was the ultimate difference in last year’s finals between LeBron and Dirk Nowitzki.

This year’s Finals may very well come down to the same thing. If we see LeBron take a step back down like he did last year, then the Heat certainly aren’t beating the Thunder. If Durant is contained by LeBron and outplayed by him, the Thunder could lose.

It’s a little unfair to break down this potential series to LeBron vs. Durant and that won’t be all it is about. It’ll just be the most important thing.

The key for the Thunder will be to make the series into a LeBron vs. Durant battle. That takes LeBron out of the mode of doing everything for the Heat if he is solely concerned with his matchup with Durant. It will then allow the rest of the Thunder players to play better than the Heat’s, and they will.

That’s why the Thunder should win this series. LeBron will have to focus all of his energy into defending the best offensive player in the world and then try and become the better offensive player on the other end. No one has had so much pressure and responsibility to come through to win a title.

But that’s LeBron’s world. He has all of the talent and thankfully he has to use it all to ever become a champion.

Whether you hate LeBron or love him, NBA fans are in a win-win situation no matter how it all plays out.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have advanced to the NBA Finals after beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals.

The Thunder won Game 6 107-99 despite trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 34 points and 14 rebounds.

The Thunder will await the winner of Miami and Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston leads that series 3-2 with Game 6 tonight in Boston.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant gave NBA fans one of the great performances in NBA history in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

Durant played all 48 minutes of Game 6, scored 34 points to go with 14 rebounds and five assists as the Thunder beat the Spurs 107-99 and advance to the NBA Finals.

But Durant will be the first one to tell you it isn’t about him.

The Thunder won as a team. They beat the Spurs together. This is true. But Durant was nasty.

It wasn’t just that he played the whole game and scored 34 points. It’s that there was no question he was coming out of the game. There was no way.

“I wasn’t going to take him out.” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. “I wasn’t going to take him out I don’t care how many times he looked at me fatigued.”

The Thunder fell behind by 18 points in the first quarter. But anyone who watches the Thunder knew that it wasn’t over. They’re not the Heat. They were going to fight back.

The Thunder were leading 103-99 with 38 seconds to go and the ball. Durant had the ball at the top of the key, got doubled then found Kendrick Perkins wide open down low for the “icing on the cake” dunk.

Timeout Spurs. Durant hugs his mom. The Thunder are going to the NBA Finals. He’s only 23.

“It’s almost like a Hollywood scripts for OKC in a sense,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said after the game.

This entire season has been all about the Thunder growing up as a team. Where they failed last season, they succeeded this year.

Since 1998, only three teams from the Western Conference have made it to the NBA Finals: the Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs. The Thunder just beat each of them.

They found their identity. They made it all work. Durant is the reason why.

The Thunder dynasty is just beginning and Durant’s Game 6 will always be remembered.

The Thunder will await the winner of Miami and Boston in the East to see who they play.

The Thunder will have home court regardless of who comes out of the East.

The full schedule for the NBA Finals looks like this:

• Game 1 – Tuesday June 12 – MIA/BOS at Oklahoma City – 9:00PM – ABC
• Game 2 – Thursday June 14 – MIA/BOS at Oklahoma City – 9:00PM – ABC
• Game 3 – Sunday June 17 – Oklahoma City at MIA/BOS – 8:00PM – ABC
• Game 4 – Tuesday June 19 – Oklahoma City at MIA/BOS – 9:00PM – ABC
• Game 5 * – Thursday June 21 – Oklahoma City at MIA/BOS – 9:00PM – ABC
• Game 6 * – Sunday June 24 – MIA/BOS at Oklahoma City – 8:00PM – ABC
• Game 7 * – Tuesday June 26 – MIA/BOS at Oklahoma City – 9:00PM – ABC

*if necessary

The Thunder trailed by as much as 18 points in the first half and were down 15 at halftime.

Westbrook and the Thunder never stopped fighting and would overcome the deficit to come out with the win.

Once again, Westbrook didn’t disappoint with his postgame outfit.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 34 points, 14 rebounds and five assists and played the entire game.

The Thunder lost the first two games of this series on the road before winning the final four games. They become just the 15th team in NBA history to come back from 0-2 to win a series.

Russell Westbrook poured in a nice night as well scoring 25 points to go with five assists and eight rebounds.

James Harden scored just eight points in the first three quarters but finished with 16 points including two huge threes in the fourth quarter.

The Thunder weathered a furious start to the game by the Spurs and Tony Parker in particular. Parker scored 17 points in the first quarter and finished with 29 and 12 assists.

Tim Duncan had a throwback game for him with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

The Thunder trailed by 18 points in the first quarter and for most of the first half. Durant made a very difficult 3-pointer at the end of the first half to cut the halftime deficit to 63-48.

The Thunder outscored the Spurs 32-18 in the third quarter and had all of the momentum headed into the fourth.

This was once again the passing of the guard. The Thunder will be the first team not named the Mavericks, Lakers or Spurs to represent the West in the NBA Finals since 1998.

Oklahoam City will await the winner of Boston and Miami in the East. The Celtics lead that series 3-2 with Game 6 in Boston tipping tomorrow night.

So much beloved that a local store in Oklahoma City has remodeled their building to resemble the head of Harden, beard Mohawk and all.

The store is called Ketch Design Center. They specialize in selling wallpaper and window covering products.

Harden truly deserves this. He has been nothing short of spectacular in the playoffs for the Thunder so far most recently draining a huge 3-pointer at the end of Game 5 to help the Thunder go up 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals.

The Thunder will look to close out the Spurs tonight and advance to the NBA Finals at home for Game 6, tipping at 9 p.m. EST on TNT.

Soobum-Im-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the biggest game in franchise history Wednesday night. This has been the case for the last three games too though.

The Thunder are one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals and get a chance to win that game at home for Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

This series has completely changed from the way it started.

The Spurs won the first two games at home and looked magnificent in doing so. They reached a 20-game winning streak after Game 2, the third longest in NBA history.

The Thunder were down 0-2. A spot where only 14 teams have come back to win a series from in this league. They looked like the old Thunder. The team too young to overcome a bunch of crafty veterans who “have been there before.”

The Thunder hadn’t been there before but everyone has to get there somehow.

The Thunder made adjustments for Game 3. Thabo Sefolosha started guarding Tony Parker, they went small more with Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook started distributing. It worked and the Spurs had no answer.

The fact of the matter is that the Thunder are the more talented team. They have more talent than any team in the NBA for that matter. They appeared that way in the first two rounds but not at the start of this series.

Talent always wins out in the NBA. This once again feels like the passing of the guard in the Western Conference. Except the Thunder grow up faster than anyone could have imagined and do so without allowing us to blink.

Kevin Durant parallels the team maturation. He has taken his game to new, well-rounded levels becoming a distributor for the first three quarters of Game 4 before scoring 18 points to close out the Spurs in the fourth.

Durant made just one field goal in the first half of Game 5 on the road then couldn’t miss in the second half.

There was supposed to be another team that “has been there before” who would slow this Thunder team down this year. The Spurs looked like they may have been just that but who pictures them winning in Oklahoma City tonight?

The Thunder have simply become too good. But their greatest test is still ahead.

The Spurs will not roll over and die. They have something to fight for too. They’re playing for one last shot at a title. This Thunder team just doesn’t care though.

The best part about this Thunder team is that they come to play every night. If you expect them to lighten up in Game 6 now that they are up in the series, you simply haven’t seen them play much this year.

They don’t know how to do that.

We keep looking for signature moments of when the Thunder finally turned into a championship team. We have seen some and we will see some more in Game 6.

They don’t care about that either though. The only moment that will matter for them will be when they beat a team for the fourth time in the NBA Finals.

That’s why they won’t lose Wednesday night.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

It’s easy to look at Russell Westbrook’s box scores against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals and say he has been struggling.

That is true to some extent. He is averaging 16.8 points per game and shooting .351 percent from the field.

But that’s not the whole story.

Westbrook and the Thunder as a team struggled against the Spurs at the start of this series. They lost the first two games while San Antonio was off looking like the best team in the league.

Westbrook averaged 22.0 points per game in those losses but was severely outplayed by Tony Parker on the other end especially in Game 2 when Parker scored 34 points.

The Thunder made adjustments when they went home. Scott Brooks slid Thabo Sefolosha over onto Parker on defense, allowing Westbrook to play more comfortably off the ball and roam the passing lanes.

This helped the Thunder team in general and was the most noticeable adjustment but Westbrook changed his offensive mindset as well.

Westbrook averaged 23.6 points per game this season for the Thunder, fifth best in the NBA. That’s a lot for a point guard as many will criticize but it was necessary for this Thunder team. Having him as a scorer who sometimes shoots more than Kevin Durant is what their formula was to win.

The best part about Westbrook’s improved offensive game became his deadly pull-up midrange jumper. When he was hitting that, he looked as good as any player in the league. When he wasn’t though, he morphed into a reckless rim attacker, out of control and ugly.

The jump shot was not falling for Westbrook to begin this series. So he did what Westbrook does. He started attacking and doing so in an uncalculated manner. It was not working for the Thunder.

The jump shot has never started falling but the Thunder have started winning. Westbrook started playing like more of a point guard.

His drives became directed at setting up teammates rather than looking to score. Westbrook has averaged 7.8 assists per game in this series after averaging just 5.6 per game in the regular season and just over four per game in the first two rounds.

Westbrook had maybe his best game in Game 5 scoring 23 points but also dishing out 12 assists.

A huge key to the Thunder winning Game 4 was the performances by the Thunder bigs. Serge Ibaka made all 11 of his shots and finished with 26 points. Thank Westbrook some for that.

All year we have talked about the growing up and maturation of this Thunder team. They do it at an incredible rate and we are seeing it again in this series.

Young teams don’t usually make adjustments like this in the middle of a series against a team with a 20-game winning streak and live to tell about it. The Thunder are within one win of an NBA Finals appearance.

They are proving that they are the most talented team in the NBA. Durant might be the most talented player in the league.

But its Westbrook too who is responsible for this run. His ability to change his game this series, sacrifice his role. He’s growing up right along with the rest of this team and it isn’t good news for the rest of the league.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder broke through last night in the Western Conference Finals winning Game 5 on the road in San Antonio 108-103 to take a 3-2 series advantage.

The Thunder have won the past three games of this series after losing Games 1 and 2 on the road.

The Thunder will have a chance to close out the Spurs at home Wednesday night in Game 6. But what if they don’t? Could they win again in San Antonio in a Game 7?

The Thunder have been playing with their backs against the wall in this series ever since losing the first game. It was an unfamiliar place for this team but they have fought back and bought themselves a little bit of breathing room.

In a sense, they have two chances to win one game. But winning at home seems so much more likely. But then doesn’t it also feel unlikely that the Thunder would beat the Spurs in four straight games essentially sweeping them?

The good news for Thunder fans is that this team doesn’t take games off, ever. They never threw in the towel in a game in the regular season and they’ve proven it in the playoffs as well with impressive comeback victories over Dallas and the Lakers.

We know the Spurs aren’t going to roll over and die either. Game 5 was supposed to be their best shot of coming out and winning again in this series but it didn’t happen.

The Spurs made adjustments that worked somewhat but not enough. They’ll try and figure out the Thunder again on the road in Game 6 but it won’t be easy for them.

The Thunder have the best home crowd and home court advantage in the entire NBA. This is pretty much a fact by now. Role players always play better at home and this is certainly the case with the Thunder’s as well.

Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins played huge roles in the Thunder winning Game 4 of this series. Ibaka went 11-for-11 with 26 points and Perkins added 15 points.

They disappeared somewhat on the road last night. It was Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden that saved the day in Game 5.

The Thunder are their best team at home and that’s what we will see tomorrow night. This series has pitted the two best teams in the league right now playing the best basketball and it has been any basketball fan’s dream come true.

The Spurs will give it their best shot too. What will that add up to? The Thunder have proven they are the more talented team with the higher ceiling when playing well.

And they don’t lose at home.

Westbrook had 23 points to go with 12 assists in the game.

Then he didn’t disappoint after the game. Another gem from Westbrook with his wardrobe choice. After Game 4 it was teddy bears. Now it’s … well, I’m not even sure.

Enjoy.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

This is what it looks right before the start of a dynasty.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been growing and learning all year long. They’ve taken the next step and then they’ve taken the one after that.

This was yet another “next step” for them.

The Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 108-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals Monday night to go up 3-2 in the series.

The Thunder lost the first two games of this series before winning the next two at home and then Game 5 on the road.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting.

James Harden hit the biggest shot of the night though draining a stepback 3-pointer over Kawhi Leonard with 32 seconds left to put the Thunder ahead 106-101.

Harden made a 3-pointer and was fouled for a 4-point play with 5:17 left that gave Oklahoma City a 101-88 lead.

The Spurs would score the next 11 points to cut their deficit to just two with 1:54 left in the game.

The Thunder did not execute perfectly down the stretch. They did not get many stops. They simply won because of their superior talent.

Russell Westbrook finally ended the Spurs’ run nailing a jumper with 1:40 left to put the Thunder up 103-99.

Westbrook finished with 23 points in the game but his 12 assists were by far the most impressive stat he had.

The Thunder had 22 assists as a team as they have continually improved with their ball movement in this series.

Manu Ginobili scored 34 points to lead the Spurs. He started the game for the first time in the series and was really the only player giving the Thunder fits.

The Thunder knew it was going to be tougher on the road. It was. Serge Ibaka picked up two quick fouls and only played 20 minutes in the game. The Spurs started making shots that they weren’t in Games 3 and 4.

But a soon-to-be champion wins a game like this. The best part about watching the Thunder is seeing them grow. This has been the best example of that yet.

The work for Oklahoma City is far from over though. The Spurs will not quit. The Thunder get a chance to close out this series at home Wednesday night in Game 6.

Manu Ginobili has been one of the Spurs’ best players in this series against the Thunder. Will Popovich consider starting him?

Ginobili is averaging 16.8 points per game, shooting .541 percent from the field and .467 from three in this series. He averaged 23.0 points per game in the first two games and only 10.5 in Oklahoma City.

Changing the starting lineup would be a pretty dramatic adjustment but one that could work.

The Thunder adjusted in the last two games switching Thabo Sefolosha on to Tony Parker on defense. Sefolosha has done a much better job than Russell Westbrook on Parker and it has freed Westbrook to play off the ball on Danny Green and rove the passing lanes.

If Ginobili were inserted into the starting lineup, Westbrook or Sefolosha would obviously have to guard him.

The Spurs would be giving up what has been a pretty big advantage with their second unit against the Thunder. James Harden would have a greater chance to go off with Ginobili not on the floor against him and this move could hurt the Spurs in that sense.

If Popovich does decide to make this adjustment then credit the Thunder. They did their job winning at home, making adjustments and putting their opponent into a position where they felt they needed to adjust (even though that team had won 20 games in a row before Game 3).

Tonight is the pivotal Game 5 that will likely decide the series. It is in San Antonio and will tip at 9 p.m. EST on TNT.

Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant added to his increasing list of clutch moments with his fourth quarter performance in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals vs. San Antonio Saturday night.

Durant scored 18 points in that quarter including a stretch of 16 in a row. He was unstoppable and the Thunder needed every one of those shots too.

Durant is now well on his way to becoming the best closer in the league.

“I’m not where I want to be, but I’m going to keep growing in those situations,” Durant said. “I think those tough times are going to help me get better.”

Before this series, Durant made three game-winning shots in the first two rounds of the playoffs, most notably his fadeaway in Game 1 against Dallas.

Durant has been known as one of the best offensive players in the league ever since he came into the NBA. He has led the league in scoring in each of the last three seasons.

But becoming a closer takes more than a well-rounded offensive arsenal. It’s about wanting the ball, demanding the ball and knowing that if you fail, the blame is on you.

You want a closer to have the right attitude and you want him to have the talent. We always knew Durant had the game but the mental side wasn’t always there.

The Thunder have done a great job this year putting him in position to take his closing role to another level.

The Thunder were criticized last season for not being able to get Durant the ball late in games and he often would be pushed way beyond the 3-point line before receiving a pass.

The Thunder have changed that this season and nowhere was it more noticeable than the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Spurs.

Scott Brooks finds something that works and he sticks to it. It was a simple offensive play that got Durant the ball every time in a spot he was very comfortable in and spaced the floor to his left and right with Russell Westbrook and James Harden to help avoid doubles.

“His ability to make shots under pressure is great,” Brooks said. “But I like the fact this year he’s really stepped up on making plays and making the right play.”

The Thunder were able to tie up this series after losing the first two on the road. They have simply done what they were supposed to winning at home.

While Durant was spectacular closing out Game 4, the role players really played a huge role in why the Thunder won the past two games. It’s no secret that role players often shrink on the road and for the Thunder to withstand that, another big game from Durant will be necessary.

We found out what we probably already knew was true at the end of Game 4: the Spurs can’t match up with Kevin Durant. The Thunder will need to again take advantage of this in Game 5 to go up in this series and get in position to advance to the NBA Finals.

Beth Hall-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder did their job at home and have tied up the Western Conference Finals series at 2-2.

The Thunder will return to San Antonio for Game 5 where it will get tougher to continue the great play they demonstrated at home.

The Thunder made adjustments after the first two games of this series though. They made major adjustments to their rotation and on defense and it worked. Heading back to San Antonio they are not the same team that lost the first two games of this series.

Kevin Durant is prime to perform at a high level as well. He had been holding back from a potentially huge performance until the fourth quarter of Game 4 when he scored 18 points to help lead the Thunder to victory.

Durant is not the whole team or was not solely responsible for the Game 4 win, but role players dim on the road while stars continue to shine. Durant may need to assume the larger role he took on at the end of Game 4 for the Thunder to take the lead in this series.

Russell Westbrook has been quiet in the Thunder’s two wins at home. He scored only 17 points in the last three games but did make an impact on defense and as a playmaker. He cannot forget that he is a player capable of leading the Thunder as a scorer.

If the Spurs come out of the gate strong back at home in Game 5, it may be up to Westbrook to lead the Thunder back. He has been the guy who has done it all year for them when they have fallen behind in games and he might have to remember that Monday night.

Tony Parker averaged just 14 points per game in two games in Oklahoma City after dominating the Thunder in the first two games. Thabo Sefolosha has drawn the duties of containing Parker and risen to the occasion.

Parker and the Spurs will have to figure out the Thunder’s new approach to defending their pick-and-roll to give themselves a good shot of winning Game 5.

At the end of the day it comes down to the role players. At home, the Spurs’ should be better. The Thunder got an 11-for-11 night from Serge Ibaka in Game 4 as well as 15 points from Kendrick Perkins. If those disappear and Danny Green and Boris Diaw step up, the Spurs will be in good position to start winning again.

The Thunder dictate this series though. They have total control in every game. If they play their best, they will not lose. They know what they have to do to stop the Spurs and beat them. It will be tougher on the road but it is the next step for them.

Will they take it?

Lil Wayne tweeted before Game 3 how he was not allowed into the game. The reason was because he did not have a ticket.

“That’s not the point, though,” he told The Associated Press in an interview Friday night. “It’s the players stepping up but of course the players aren’t white. I don’t want to be sitting there on behalf of you and I’m sitting next to a (person) that’s like `I don’t want this (guy) sitting next to me.’ (Forget) you … I’m in Forbes.”

The Thunder organization said that Lil Wayne was requesting “front row tickets only” for Game 3.

Lil Wayne sent a text message to ESPN saying: “They denied me the tix. Didnt want me in their arena. They also said if I do come, I can only sit behind the bench, not on the floor & that I wouldn’t be able to get any special escort nor entrance. They said its the ‘Oklahoma way’.”

The team responded: “We are completely sold out, had nothing available at all. We would love to have him at our game, but he needs a ticket.”

Kevin Durant and James Harden reached out to Lil Wayne after Game 3 and offered him tickets for Game 4.

Lil Wayne said he always feels welcome in other arenas. He said that he likes to think he energizes the players since most are fans of his music.

“That’s like me going on stage and … seeing LeBron (James) in the crowd with his hand up,” Lil Wayne said. “I’m going to perform a little bit harder.”

It seems there was a lot of poor communication by everyone regarding Lil Wayne’s hopes of attending the Western Conference Finals in Oklahoma City.

Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant scored 18 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs to help the Thunder even the series at 2-2 with a 109-103 win.

Durant had scored 18 points in the first three quarters for Oklahoma City and then completely took over in the fourth scoring 16-straight points for the Thunder in one stretch.

Durant had only scored 10 points in the fourth quarters of Games 1-3 combined heading into Game 4 and was just 1-for-5 from the field as well.

The Thunder found something that worked and they went to it the rest of the game. Scott Brooks will do this a lot in the fourth quarters of games.

Brooks did this with James Harden in the fourth quarter of Game 4 vs. the Mavericks in the first round. He did it with the Russell Westbrook and Durant pick-and-roll back in January against the Warriors too.

The Thunder ran the same exact play on 10-consecutive half court possessions in the fourth quarter beginning at the 7:25 mark with the Thunder ahead 86-80 and ending with 1:04 left and the Thunder leading 105-96.

It’s a simple play that the Thunder have run many times before and is very effective because it involves Durant, Westbrook and Harden.

Westbrook brings the ball up and waits for Harden to come off two screens on the baseline and pop out to the left wing. After Westbrook passes to Harden, he goes and sets a downscreen on Durant’s man on the right block. Durant then pops up to the top of the key and Westbrook flattens out to the right corner.

The play worked against the Spurs last night in every way possible. When Durant got the ball at the top of the key, he scored nearly every time in an isolation situation. When the Spurs switched the screen and had Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili on Durant, he took advantage and scored going to the rim.

The Thunder even got Harden two wide open 3-point looks from the set when Kendrick Perkins would come up to set a back pick on Harden’s man after Durant made the catch.

This set is nothing special for the Thunder but you don’t have to be special with your play-calling with the Thunder. It works because it spaces the floor nicely and puts Durant in an area where he is very comfortable going to work.

The Thunder hadn’t found a go-to play yet against the Spurs in fourth quarters. They had go-to plays against the Mavericks and Lakers and now look to have found something for San Antonio.

With the series headed back to San Antonio for Game 5 Monday night, the Thunder can expect a much tougher effort from the Spurs than they saw in Oklahoma City. Role players aren’t as good on the road so more of the burden will lie with Durant.

Durant is ready for this though especially after his 18-point fourth quarter in Game 4.

Westbrook only had 7 points on 2-of-10 shooting in Game 4 but the amount of Polo teddy bears definitely made up for that in some sense.

The series is now tied at 2-2 with it heading back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Monday.

We’ll look forward to what Westbrook brings us after Game 5.

Matthew Emmonsj-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant scored 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 in game 4 of the Western Conference Finals to even the series at 2-2.

Durant finished with 36 points, eight assists and six rebounds and at one point had scored 16 straight points for the Thunder in the fourth quarter.

Durant got some help in the game from the Thunder bigs especially Serge Ibaka who didn’t miss a shot making all 11 of his shots and scoring a career-high 26 points to go with three blocks.

Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins really made the difference early for Oklahoma City as Perkins scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half.

The Thunder shot 56.4 percent from the field in the game and had 27 assists as a team. The Spurs shot 50.0 percent and if not for Durant taking over could have easily stolen this game.

Russell Westbrook again didn’t need to be a scorer for the Thunder with just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting.

James Harden came out of the gates slow but made a few big threes late and finished with 11 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.

Tony Parker, who dominated in the first two games of this series, scored just 12 points in Game 4 and averaged only 14.0 per game in Oklahoma City.

The adjustments the Thunder made in Game 3 and in the end of Game 2 have carried over into Game 4 and the Thunder now look to have control of this series.

The Spurs knew what was coming in Game 4 and could not counter well enough to get the win.

As we’ve seen in this series, playing on your home floor is a big deal. While the Thunder seem to have changed their style effectively to give them the advantage in this series, the Spurs have a chance to do the same as the series shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 Monday night.

Role players always play better at home and that’s why Durant closing out the game in such a dominant fashion is so important for the Thunder. He hadn’t really had it going in this series and no on the heels of a big game, might carry that over to the road and really give the Thunder a great shot to win Game 5.

Game 5 will tip at 9:00 p.m. EST on TNT Monday night.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder will have a chance tonight to even their series with the San Antonio Spurs at 2-2 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

The Thunder lost the first two games of the series before winning Game 3 at home 102-82.

The Spurs and especially their offense looked unstoppable in the first two games but the Thunder adjusted in Game 3 and it really worked.

Thabo Sefolosha was the biggest change as he guarded Tony Parker for most of the game and put together his best game of the year with 19 points and six steals.

The Thunder continued with their small look that began being effective in the fourth quarter of Game 2 and they now look like they could have the upper hand in this series.

Kevin Durant has averaged 26.7 points per game so far in the series but still has yet to have a big game by his standards.

Russell Westbrook has been the quietest of the Thunder big three and scored just 10 points in the Game 3 win. He did play a very well-rounded game however also dishing out nine dimes.

Westbrook did not have to chase Parker around in Game 3 and tonight will probably not again and should start to find better rhythm offensively.

James Harden has also come on strong after a slow start to the series and is again the relentless attacker of the rim for the Thunder second unit. At home, Harden is always at his best and will have to be again for the Thunder to even this series.

The Thunder made adjustments and they worked in Game 3. The Spurs will try and do the same tonight. If they are going to win it will have to be with great ball movement and shot making because the Thunder know that their defensive strategy is working and they have the athletes to dictate the results of the matchup.

The game will tip a little earlier tonight at 8:30 p.m. EST on TNT.

Lil Wayne didn’t have a ticket.

The reason was at first unknown why he couldn’t get into the game but for it to be something as simple as not being able to get a ticket is pretty funny.

Lil Wayne’s tweet made it seem like it could have been something else and he finished the tweet saying “Go Spurs.”

Thunder spokesman Dan Mahoney said: “We’d love to have him at a game, but like anyone else, he needs a ticket.”

“Lil Wayne, that’s my guy,” Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said. “I took a picture with him at All-Star break.”

Westbrook is going for hipster but might be closer to nerd with some of his looks.

Here is what he wore after Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals Thursday night.

Yes, he killed it again.

Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t going to get swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. You knew they’d be better at home and they were Thursday night in Game 3 as they impressively won 102-82.

The Spurs looked unbeatable in the first two games which lengthened their winning streak to 20 games in the process. It would be understandable for them to lose a game to the Thunder who are an extremely talented team.

But they lost by 20. The Thunder made significant adjustments and they worked. That’s a bigger deal.

The Thunder changed their rotation from Games 1 and 2. They played Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha much more than they had been and it changed everything.

Sefolosha really took advantage having one of his best games of the year scoring 19 points, making six steals and making four threes.

It was on the defensive side that the Thunder really improved. The Spurs torched the Thunder in Game 2 and in the fourth quarter of Game 1 and it led to Scott Brooks changing the way the Thunder defended the Spurs’ pick-and-roll.

The Thunder went with a small lineup more often in Game 3 and in the fourth quarter of Game 2. They started switching everything and playing with a sense of desperation that was absent before.

Sefolosha took on the task of guarding Tony Parker in Game 3. Parker scored 34 points on 16-of-21 shooting in Game 2 but was held much more intact in Game 3 with just 16 points.

Sefolosha is one of the best defenders in the league and clearly relished the challenge of defending Parker but the rest of the Thunder defense stepped up as well.

Russell Westbrook seemed much more comfortable playing defense off the ball more rather than chasing Parker around pick-and-rolls. He could more freely roam and disrupt passing lanes and later in the game swarmed Manu Ginobili so much on a possession, the Spurs couldn’t even pass him the ball.

Kendrick Perkins, who was somewhat called out for his inability to defend the pick-and-roll, looked like a different player last night. His activity and movement in general was much better and he even stopped Parker and Ginobili from scoring when he switched out on them in one-on-one situations.

A loss might be just one loss but the Thunder team that lost the first two games of this series in San Antonio is no more. The Thunder team we saw in Game 3 is closer to the one we will see for the rest of this series.

The Spurs know what they are and who they are. They will play that way every night. The Thunder are still growing and after losing the first two games had a sort of luxury to adjust and improve.

The Spurs will get that chance for Game 4 too Saturday night in Oklahoma City at 8:30 p.m. EST.

Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder were in a must-win situation. They came though.

The Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 102-82 to win Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals and make the series 2-1.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 22 points, five assists and six rebounds.

Thabo Sefolosha was the difference in this game as he was the second-leading scorer for the Thunder with 19 points. He also had six steals and held Tony Parker to just 16 points.

The Thunder trailed by two after the first quarter but really turned it up in the second quarter to take control of the game. The Thunder made adjustments by playing Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka more against the second unit of San Antonio and it worked great.

James Harden scored 15 points off the bench for the Thunder while Manu Ginobili scored just eight points.

Russell Westbrook became a point guard for a night dishing out nine assists to go with 10 points and was plus-29 in 33 minutes.

In the first two games of this series, the Thunder played the wrong lineups and the Spurs took advantage winning both at home. The Thunder changed that in Game 3 and may have changed the series.

The Thunder are the more talented team in this series and when they play to their potential, they won’t be beat.

It wasn’t just that the Thunder made adjustments tonight. It’s that the adjustments they made worked. That changes a series. They didn’t simply finally win a game.

This game felt different than the first two because the Thunder adjusted. The Spurs will have the chance to do that in Game 4.

The Thunder will host the Spurs for Game 4 Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on TNT.

The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the San Antonio Spurs 54-41 at the half of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.

Kevin Durant leads the Thunder with 16 points.

James Harden has scored 11 points off the bench and Russell Westbrook has eight points.

Tony Parker leads the Spurs with 11 points.

The Thunder have held the Spurs to 40.0 percent shooting from the field and have forced 13 turnovers so far.

The Thunder look better in Game 3 and the rotation Scott Brooks is using has worked better.

Lil Wayne is often seen courtside for NBA games usually in Miami or Los Angeles.

Was going to go to the Thunder game tonight but was denied by the team to be in their arena. Wow. Smh. Go Spurs!

— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) May 31, 2012

It should be mentioned that James Harden dates Lil Wayne’s ex-girlfriend, Trina. Maybe this is why.

Did The Beard deny Lil Wayne access to Chesapeake Arena?

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are in a do or die situation tonight for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Thunder are down 0-2 in the series and only 14 teams in the history of the NBA have come back from that deficit to win a playoff series. Zero teams have come back from down 0-3.

Durant is ready to “pull a Rondo” tonight if that’s what it’s going to take for the Thunder to win.

“I could play two games in one day,” Durant said.

That won’t be necessary but Durant will certainly play big minutes tonight. He is averaging 41.5 minutes per game so far in this series and 29.0 points.

The Thunder seem to struggle whenever Manu Ginobili and the Spurs’ second unit comes in. The Thunder reserves just can’t match them and keeping Durant or Russell Westbrook on the court at all times might be a good idea.

Durant played the entire second half in Game 1 and it seemed to wear him down. He was fouled a lot in the fourth quarter too and forced to go one-on-one a lot of times which didn’t help either.

Durant shouldn’t need to play the whole game. The Thunder just need to maximize him as much as possible when he is out there. Letting him isolate doesn’t accomplish this. Running Durant off screens and posting him up would.

The Thunder were down 0-2 two years ago against the Lakers in the first round and went on to win the next two at home and even up the series. They will play better and with more energy with their home crowd behind them but they will need more help than just that to beat the Spurs.

Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder are down 0-2 to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals but get a chance to bounce back in the series at home tonight for Game 3.

The Thunder have always played much better at home than on the road and that has a lot to do with how great their fans and home crowd always is.

The Thunder can use all the help they can get as they are up against the hottest team in the NBA right now. The Spurs haven’t lost since April 11 and have won 20 straight games, tied for the third longest streak in NBA history.

The Spurs traditionally made their championship runs behind a great defense but this year it’s their offense that is leading the way, especially in this series. The Spurs have shot 60.2 percent in the last five quarters of this series and the Thunder haven’t had an answer for them.

OKC showed a small glimpse of how to stop the Spurs’ offense as they furiously tried to come back in the fourth quarter of Game 2. The Thunder played a small lineup switching every pick-and-roll and forced a lot of deflections and tougher shots than the Spurs were used to.

The Thunder will have to bottle up that energy for most of a game if they want to slow down the Spurs’ offense.

But Scott Brooks elected to play Derek Fisher with that small lineup instead of Thabo Sefolosha and it really held the Thunder back. If Fisher continues to get bigger minutes than Sefolosha, the Thunder will continue to not reach their potential in this series.

The other worry is that the Thunder big three played pretty well in Game 2 and they still lost. Kevin Durant scored 31, Russell Westbrook scored 27 and James Harden scored 30. It wasn’t enough.

Durant has put up huge overall numbers but has been quiet in the fourth quarter scoring just a total of 10 points so far in the two games. He’s not LeBron so it’s not that big of a deal though.

Westbrook will be the key in Game 3 though as Durant and Harden have figured out how to be efficient, Westbrook has yet to.

Westbrook will need to be aggressive taking his midrange pull-up jump shot. He hasn’t been hitting it so far in this series and it has turned him into the reckless rim attacker that OKC doesn’t want to see.

The Spurs are defending the pick-and-roll in a way to allow for the midrange pull-up to be available too. Harden adjusted in Game 2 and it resulted in a big game for him. Westbrook needs to do the same to help the Thunder turn the tide in this series.

The Thunder will continue to play small and do so with Serge Ibaka. That was an adjustment in Game 2 that was obvious and worked better than when the Thunder went small in Game 1 with Kendrick Perkins instead of Ibaka.

Perkins is not made for this series. The Thunder traded for him last year to get by the Lakers. Against the Spurs, the Thunder would be better off with Jeff Green since they are playing small ball.

Perkins is the Thunder’s best post defender but the Spurs aren’t even posting up. They’ve taken just seven shots on post-ups so far in this series and made only two.

The Spurs are doing almost nothing but pick-and-rolls and that’s where Perkins struggles because he doesn’t move well laterally. The Spurs have made 23-of-37 shots in the pick-and-roll in the first two games. Ibaka and Nick Collison do a much better job than Perkins defending those plays.

Tony Parker torched the Thunder in the pick-and-roll in Game 2 scoring 34 points on 16-for-21 shooting.

The Thunder have too slowly been making adjustments in this series and that’s part of why they are down 0-2. Coming back home should help but they need a complete game every night to comeback in this series.

The Thunder can’t afford to take a step back on offense and need to play better defensively. It wasn’t going to be easy to beat the Spurs but now it feels closer to impossible.