OKC Thunder vs Houston Rockets: Game 3 preview

Apr 16, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attempts to control the ball during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

With their backs against the wall the OKC Thunder return home needing to win both Games 3 and 4 to even the series versus the Houston Rockets.

OKC Thunder look to get in the win column in their first round series versus the Houston Rockets back home in the friendly confines of Chesapeake Energy Arena. There are key issues and adjustments to make following two consecutive losses in Houston.

Lessons Learned from Games 1 and 2:

Talent Differential

There are obvious takeaways from the two losses. Even with a strong defensive effort in Game 2, clearly Houston is stacked with talent that Billy Donovan can’t counter. The minute Westbrook rests no OKC lead is safe. And, without solid trust in his teammates to hit their open shots it’s putting Westbrook in the position where he feels he has to do everything himself.

The Rockets haven’t necessarily been killing the defensive end of the court. In spite of that fact, the reality is with their fire power, all the Rockets need is to hang within striking distance and produce one good defensive quarter to win the games. At season end, there were pundits who had the audacity to say Westbrook and Harden have equal roster talent. After two games, clearly the variance in talent is obvious.

Non Westbrook Lineup Tweaks are Crucial:

That said, Westbrook had his team fully engaged through the first half of Game 2. But, once the double digit lead was erased while he rested and Houston’s snipers caught fire he went away from doing what worked to get OKC the lead. Forcing shots especially off tired legs is recipe for disaster. Ultimately, Westbrook and company have to play a perfect game on both games to win and that pinpoints the other discrepancies.

Youth and Defensive Liabilities:

Part of the issue for Donovan stems from this need for OKC to play perfect ball. Victor Oladipo has shown moments of good defense or offense, but has yet to consistently string both together through an entire game. Enes Kanter offers a solid offensive reserve weapon, but his defensive short comings don’t erase the differential. Doug McDermott spaces the floor and perhaps should be considered as a starting rotation piece, but is Donovan’s hesitancy over his defense?

Alex Abrines can nail 3-point shots and space the floor, but with his limited experience it’s a lot to ask for him to stop wings like Trevor Ariza, Eric Gordon or Lou Williams. Ditto for fellow rookie Domantas Sabonis who is tasked with trying to stop Nene, Capela, rotate out to the perimeter on Ryan Anderson or clog the paint. While Sabonis has huge upside expecting him to perform all these tasks seems unrealistic.

So what can the Thunder do to get back in this series?

MUST READ: Five ways to stop James Harden

https://twitter.com/okcthunder/status/852658161622364160

Keys to Winning Game 3:

If the first half of Game 2 hadn’t occurred then there would be reason to wave the white flag, but it did so let’s point to what can work.

Keep it Simple: The Rockets aren’t a top defensive squad and tend to drift off in games for long portions. OKC need to keep everything simple in their offense, but be extremely focused and accurate.

Lock Down Defense: OKC proved when they play focused defensively, they can hold the Rockets in check, they’ll need 48 minutes of consistent defense to get there.

Wise time-outs, and rotation choices: Donovan has to be very smart with his rotation choices and utilizing time outs specifically when Westbrook hits the bench.

Rebounding and Westbrook Choices: Clearly the Thunder roll as Westbrook does, but Russ needs to be wise with his choices particularly in the second half. Ball movement and defense worked to get them a lead in Houston, so when Houston applies pressure he needs to be aware and have patience. Returning to what works (ball movement and player motion) can work in the second half, but Russ needs to trust his teammates to produce late in games.

Home Cooking: It’s no secret the Thunder play much better at home, and for the youngsters on the squad this is especially true. Sure, OKC are in a must win situation, but they need to keep their heads, feed of the Peake energy and take it one game at a time.

Oladipo, Gibson, Kanter, McDermott, Anyone? Someone other than Westbrook has to step up and become the secondary option. This is especially true when Russ rests. Sure, the Brodie has demonstrated super human feats this season, but he needs to get some help. Most importantly he needs to finish the game with the same trust in his teammates that he starts games with.

Bottom line:

As the Grizzlies demonstrated last night one win can get a team back in a series. And, everyone knows if OKC get one win, Brodie might just go animalistic and pull out a game all on his own. Chin up Thunder fans, just like the Thunder, one possession, one quarter, one game at a time.

Predicted Line-ups

Oklahoma City Thunder Starters:

Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
Shooting Guard: Victor Oladipo
Small Forward: Andre Roberson
Power Forward: Taj Gibson
Center: Steven Adams

Oklahoma City Thunder Bench:

Point Guard: Semaj Christon, Norris Cole
Shooting Guard: Doug McDermott, Alex Abrines,
Small Forward: Jerami Grant, Kyle Singler, Josh Huestis
Power Forward: Domantas Sabonis, Nick Collis on
Center: Enes Kanter

Houston Rockets Starters:

Point Guard: James Harden
Shooting Guard: Patrick Beverley
Small Forward: Trevor Ariza:
Power Forward:Ryan Anderson:
Center: Clint Capela

Houston Rockets Bench:

Point Guard: Eric Gordon, Bobby Brown, Isaiah Taylor
Shooting Guard: Lou Williams,
Small Forward: *Sam Dekker. Troy Williams
Power Forward: Kyle Wiltjer
Center: Nene Hilario, Montrezl Harrell, Chinanu Onuaku

Injury Notes: Sam Dekker remains out with a wrist injury

Game Specifics:

More from Thunderous Intentions

Playoff History: Breaking down the meetings between the two teams, the OKC Thunder hold a decided advantage 24-15.

The Line: Kind of interesting the odds makers have the home town Oklahoma City Thunder favored by 2.5 points with an over-under of 224.0 points.

The Venue: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City Thunder

The Tip: 9:30 PM ET (8:30 PM CT)

TV: FS Oklahoma HD

National TV: ESPN

Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC / 930AM (ESP)

Check back after the game for the TI Game 3 Roundup offering insight on highlights from the match.

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