The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-111 Tuesday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. Lead by Tony Parker who scored 34 points on an incredible 76% shooting from the field, the Spurs never trailed the Thunder, and at one point lead OKC by 22. Until 2:30 remained in the 3rd quarter, San Antonio executed brilliantly offensively off of pick and roll penetration by Tony Parker, who seemed to effortlessly weave through the Thunder's defenders creating open shots for both himself and his teammates. At that point, the Thunder unconventionally employed what became known as the Hack-a-Splitter strategy to disrupt San Antonio's offensive flow. On five consecutive possessions the Thunder intentionally fouled Thiago Splitter, sending him to the free throw line where he converted on 6 of 12 shots in the game. In the 4th quarter the Thunder were able to cut the Spurs' lead down to 6 points after head coach Scott Brooks decided to use a smaller lineup by removing starting center Kendrick Perkins, who was ineffective in assisting Russell Westbrook in guarding Parker on the pick and roll. With a smaller, more athletic lineup on the floor Oklahoma City was able to make the proper defensive rotations to prevent the Spurs from having wide open shots on the perimeter. Brooks also made an adjustment which proved to be crucial in the final minutes of the game by switching on every Parker pick and roll. The Thunder was ultimately unable to pull through, despite monster games from its big three of Kevin Durant (31 points), Russell Westbrook (27 points) and James Harden (30 points off the bench.) In order to win the next game, OKC is going to have to receive better performances from the rest of team, which combined for only 23 points. The Spurs on the other hand were given a boost by role players like Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard who finished with 10 and 18 points respectively.
Showing posts with label Kawhi Leonard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kawhi Leonard. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Spurs win 20th straight game to take 2-0 series lead over the Thunder
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-111 Tuesday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals. Lead by Tony Parker who scored 34 points on an incredible 76% shooting from the field, the Spurs never trailed the Thunder, and at one point lead OKC by 22. Until 2:30 remained in the 3rd quarter, San Antonio executed brilliantly offensively off of pick and roll penetration by Tony Parker, who seemed to effortlessly weave through the Thunder's defenders creating open shots for both himself and his teammates. At that point, the Thunder unconventionally employed what became known as the Hack-a-Splitter strategy to disrupt San Antonio's offensive flow. On five consecutive possessions the Thunder intentionally fouled Thiago Splitter, sending him to the free throw line where he converted on 6 of 12 shots in the game. In the 4th quarter the Thunder were able to cut the Spurs' lead down to 6 points after head coach Scott Brooks decided to use a smaller lineup by removing starting center Kendrick Perkins, who was ineffective in assisting Russell Westbrook in guarding Parker on the pick and roll. With a smaller, more athletic lineup on the floor Oklahoma City was able to make the proper defensive rotations to prevent the Spurs from having wide open shots on the perimeter. Brooks also made an adjustment which proved to be crucial in the final minutes of the game by switching on every Parker pick and roll. The Thunder was ultimately unable to pull through, despite monster games from its big three of Kevin Durant (31 points), Russell Westbrook (27 points) and James Harden (30 points off the bench.) In order to win the next game, OKC is going to have to receive better performances from the rest of team, which combined for only 23 points. The Spurs on the other hand were given a boost by role players like Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard who finished with 10 and 18 points respectively.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
First half thoughts from Game 1 of the 2012 Western Conference Finals
1. Battle of the 6th men
The series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder features a battle of the top two 6th men in the NBA. Manu Ginobili ended the first quarter on an absolute tear, knocking down several difficult shots including a fadeaway three pointer at the buzzer, and finished the half with 10 points off the bench. Ginobili's production is huge for San Antonio which is desperate for a player who can join Tony Parker in creating easy shots for both himself and his teammates. James Harden, the 6th man of the year struggled with his shot, converting on only 1 of 9 shots in the half. Oklahoma City will need him to shoot better in the second half in order to stay in the game when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook rest on the bench.
2. San Antonio turnovers
In recent years coach Gregg Popovich has transformed San Antonio from a slow paced defense oriented team into one of the highest scoring teams in the NBA. San Antonio attempted to play the first half at a pace that bordered on out of control. After committing 14 first half turnovers which lead to countless easy buckets for the Thunder who excel in transition, the Spurs must take care of the ball better in the 2nd half in order to force the Thunder to try to score in the half court, which the Thunder struggle to do when they aren't making their jump shots. Durant and Thabo Sefolosha used their length and athleticism to disrupt the passing lanes, combining for 6 first half steals.
3. Kevin Durant, scoring extraordinaire
Durant, a Washington D.C. native, is the NBA's three time defending scoring champion at only 23 years old. Durant led all scorers with 13 first half points, including several incredibly difficult jumpers over Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs rookie shutdown perimeter defender. Although scoring 13 first half points is nothing special for Durant, his performance this deep in the postseason at such a young age is nothing short of spectacular. This season Durant has continued to develop his overall game and has expanded his effect on the game beyond merely scoring by substantially improving both his passing and defense. Durant has already matured into arguably the greatest clutch player in the NBA, and as the game progresses his play will only continue to improve.
The series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder features a battle of the top two 6th men in the NBA. Manu Ginobili ended the first quarter on an absolute tear, knocking down several difficult shots including a fadeaway three pointer at the buzzer, and finished the half with 10 points off the bench. Ginobili's production is huge for San Antonio which is desperate for a player who can join Tony Parker in creating easy shots for both himself and his teammates. James Harden, the 6th man of the year struggled with his shot, converting on only 1 of 9 shots in the half. Oklahoma City will need him to shoot better in the second half in order to stay in the game when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook rest on the bench.2. San Antonio turnovers
In recent years coach Gregg Popovich has transformed San Antonio from a slow paced defense oriented team into one of the highest scoring teams in the NBA. San Antonio attempted to play the first half at a pace that bordered on out of control. After committing 14 first half turnovers which lead to countless easy buckets for the Thunder who excel in transition, the Spurs must take care of the ball better in the 2nd half in order to force the Thunder to try to score in the half court, which the Thunder struggle to do when they aren't making their jump shots. Durant and Thabo Sefolosha used their length and athleticism to disrupt the passing lanes, combining for 6 first half steals.
3. Kevin Durant, scoring extraordinaire
Durant, a Washington D.C. native, is the NBA's three time defending scoring champion at only 23 years old. Durant led all scorers with 13 first half points, including several incredibly difficult jumpers over Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs rookie shutdown perimeter defender. Although scoring 13 first half points is nothing special for Durant, his performance this deep in the postseason at such a young age is nothing short of spectacular. This season Durant has continued to develop his overall game and has expanded his effect on the game beyond merely scoring by substantially improving both his passing and defense. Durant has already matured into arguably the greatest clutch player in the NBA, and as the game progresses his play will only continue to improve.
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