Tag: Kevin Durant (Page 3 of 13)

Gregg Popovich praises Oklahoma City

June 7, 2012 / Gerardo Orlando

After the Oklahoma City eliminated his San Antonio Spurs last night, Gregg Popovich was the epitome of class, as usual.

San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich reflected on how great a run the Thunder were on after dismissing the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks (4-0) and Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) in the playoffs before eliminating the Spurs.
“As sad and disappointed as we are, it’s almost like a Hollywood script for OKC,” Popovich Said.
“They went through Dallas, last year’s NBA champion, and they went through the Lakers and they went through us. Those teams represent 10 of the last 13 championships.
“They will face either Boston or Miami and that will be 11 of the last 13 championships. I don’t know if anybody has ever had a run against teams like that. “I think that’s incredible. I think it’s pretty cool for them.”

I was a little skeptical of the Thunder’s chances to win a title this year due to the youth of their superstars, but Kevin Durant is a much different player than Lebron James. Durant is a true competitor and a leader, and he has some great talent around him with James Harden and Russell Westbrook. If Miami somehow makes it past Boston, I have confidence that the Thunder can take them out.

Gregg Popovich James Harden Kevin Durant Russell Westbrook

Spurs try to rebound for game 5

June 4, 2012 / Gerardo Orlando

When an elite team like San Antonio stumbles, everyone has a theory. Here’s Gregg Doyle:

Do something, Gregg Popovich. Same goes for you, Tim Duncan. Do something. Anything. Do more than what you guys did as the Western Conference finals shifted to Oklahoma City, and I’m not just talking geographically.
This series is now knotted at two games each and the Spurs remain in possession of the home-court edge, but the momentum and the mojo and the nasty have shifted to the Thunder. They took a series that was slipping away after two games in San Antonio, and they grabbed it by the throat. And they are squeezing.
Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan? They’re choking.

Really? That’s what’s happening? They’re choking?

Give me a break. Doyle might have some good points in his column but he sounds like a fool. Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan are great at what they do, but they’re also facing an amazing Oklahoma City team led by the incomparable Kevin Durant. They’re not choking. They just happened to lose two games to Durant and company on their court. It’s not choking, it’s basketball. Let’s stop with the over-analysis.

NBA

Gregg Doyle Gregg Doyle over-analysis Gregg Popovich Kevin Durant over-analysis Tim Duncan

Kevin Durant steps up

June 3, 2012 / Gerardo Orlando

Kevin Durant leads Oklahoma City to a 2-2 tie with the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

Durant is treating the postseason like an extension of his barnstorming tour last summer, when he lit up playgrounds from Harlem to L.A. In the first round of the playoffs, he beat the Mavericks with a game-winner. In the second round, he beat the Lakers with two. And in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night, when the Spurs cut the deficit to four points in the fourth quarter, Durant embarked on an unforgettable onslaught that cements his status among the NBA’s elite closers.
He scored 16 consecutive points, with a torrent of fadeaways and turnaround jumpers, plus a floater in the lane and an ally-oop from the baseline. He burned through two San Antonio defenders, first Kawhi Leonard and then Stephen Jackson, and when he was done the de facto NBA Finals were tied 2-2. “I just try to take it on, try not to be nervous,” Durant said. “Sometimes it’s nerve-racking playing those games like that. But I just try to calm down and go with my instincts.”

So much for the Spurs being invincible.

This shouldn’t be surprising, however, as we have two excellent teams battling for a spot in the Finals. Now we’ll see if the Spurs can get it back together in Game 5.

Kawhi Leonard Kevin Durant Stephen Jackson Western Conference Finals

Spurs take game 1 over Thunder

May 28, 2012 / Gerardo Orlando

The Spurs found a way to win game one against Oklahoma City despite looking terrible for three quarters.

– Gregg Popovich challenged his team to get nasty with their defense, and Stephen Jackson responded with tough defense on Kevin Durant.

– Russell Westbrook is getting a ton of heat for his lame play in the 4th quarter, but Gregg Doyle just eviscerates him in this column, pointing out that Westbrook’s game is as hollow as the lenseless glasses he was wearing to show off the new nerd look that he and other prima donna’s like Prince James and Dwyane Wade are sporting these days.

– Youth is definitely a factor in a series like this. That has to be an advantage for the Spurs, and it’s one of the reasons that Heat-haters like me would rather see the Spurs take on the Heat.

– Manu Ginobili came up big for the Spurs in the 4th quater and finished with 26 points.

NBA, Video

athletes with nerdy glasses Dwyane Wade Gregg Popovich Kevin Durant Manu Ginobili nasty defense Prince James Russell Westbrook Stephen Jackson