OKC Thunder: 5 takeaways offer film on how to fix what’s wrong after game 2 loss
OKC started the game asleep. Defensive rotations were a shambles and there was no energy or communication on court.
On the Clippers very first possession, the Thunder make a host of errors. Lets break it down.
- TFerg commits to closing off the baseline despite Schroder doing a fantastic job on Patrick Beverley. Ferguson’s decision causes the floor to become unbalanced.
- Patterson correctly rotates to Harris but the lack of communication between Ferguson and Adams causes both to commit to Gallo. The Italian fakes the long ball for an easy slam down the lane.
- Throughout this whole sequence, TFerg guards nothing but fresh air.
Another defensive lapse comes on the break.
- With Clippers in transition, Adams tells Patterson to fan to the corner to guard an open Gallinari. Pat doesn’t get the memo in time and Harris makes the extra pass to Gallo who drains the open three.
- PG could’ve switched across with Pat in the paint. With Adams intent on stopping the ball, George rotates to Gallo and Pat rotates on to Marcin Gortat whose rolling to the hoop.
The Clippers shot a scintillating 47.8 percent from the field (11-23) and 50 percent from three (4-8) to lead the opening period 27-20. Despite multiple defensive lapses, OKC managed to hang around, lucky to only be trailing by 7.
The second and third quarters were a different story. Oklahoma City held Los Angeles to 44 points on 43.8 percent shooting and generated 16 more shot attempts (48 attempts versus 32 for the Clippers). OKC also had nine offensive rebounds and six steals while only turning the ball over six times (Los Angeles had 12 turnovers).
The best defensive sequence came with 5.4 seconds to go in the second quarter. Abrines does a fantastic job staying in front of Galinari with Adams assisting with help defense. While the Galinari was able to convert the shot, the defensive rotation is exemplary.
Steven Adams was a plus-17 during this stretch and was easily OKC’s most effective player.
However, the final quarter was OKC’s ultimate downfall. The Thunder forced just one turnover, were out-rebounded 12-10 while giving the Clippers 11 free throw attempts in the closing stanza. Strangely, Abrines played the entire fourth quarter and Adams playing all but 47 seconds. With Adams, PG, Schroder, Abrines and Grant on the floor, Oklahoma City were a combined negative-99.
Defensive plays like this make coaches lose their minds.
- Four players collapse in on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for no reason.
- What is Patterson and Abrines doing?
Two minutes later, another defensive brain lapse appears.
If the OKC Thunder hope to be an elite defense, these things cannot happen with such regularity. Abrines gave Boban a free hug and gift wrapped a three for Luc Mbah a Moute.