Oklahoma City Thunder down but not out yet – NBA Feature
It was only a few weeks ago that the Oklahoma City Thunder faced adversity when they lost the first two games of the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs had an 18 game winning streak
going as they entered the Conference Finals and had not lost in the playoffs till then. Many people were arguing whether they could at all be beaten as they cruised past the Thunder in the first two games.
However, Oklahoma City showed resolve, courage and determination while not backing down from the challenge and handed the Spurs 4 straight losses to win the series 4-2 and secure a place in the NBA Finals for
the first time since the franchise shifted to Oklahoma City in 2008.
The Thunder face an ever greater challenge in the NBA Finals as they go into Game 5 on Thursday night. They face an abrupt end to the season and their dreams of winning an NBA championship are in tatters.
After winning Game 1 of the Finals, the Thunder have since lost three games to the Miami Heat, including one at home. They are down 3-1 in the series and one more loss could send them packing after being so close
to winning an NBA championship. They face the near impossible task of winning three games straight from here on to win the title.
But the Thunder want you to remember the Conference Finals where they had been written off and how they came back.
“Our guys know, it’s fresh in our minds. It was just last series that we were down 0-2. I mean, we’re definitely down. Our back is against the wall, but it’s not over. We still have some fight in us. We’re just
going to have to play tomorrow night with the urgency that you have to play with, that we’ve done,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks.
It’s not like the Thunder do not have an answer for what Miami have been doing so far in the series. They won the first game comfortably, and then lost the next three by a maximum of 6 points. All games have
been close ones, with the Thunder having an opportunity to win the game in the final minutes. However, a lack of experience and relatively poor closing has resulted in the Thunder down 3-1 in the series.
“I don’t think the game comes down to who plays and who doesn’t play. It’s how we play. I think the last couple of games they made a few plays that we did not make, and it always comes down to that,” added Brooks.
The Thunder will be looking towards a better performance from James Harden and a fourth quarter take over by Kevin Durant that we have grown accustomed to now. Harden has been absent in all of the games except
game 2, and his three point shooting and clutch plays are being badly missed by his team.
With Durant being double teamed by the Heat, Harden needs to start scoring to take the pressure off him and spread the floor. The Thunder now need to focus on closing out games, making sensible plays in clutch
and coming out with the victory. And if past record is to be believed, don’t count the Thunder out yet.
Tags: