This is great news for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and I’m glad for Russell Westbrook. Following Kevin Durant’s departure, many assumed Westbrook would bolt as well.
I love OKC’s squad, which has some serious size and athleticism and can still make a run at the NBA Finals. Westbrook is an amazing player, and now he’s the clear leader of this team. The drama with Durant is gone, and Billy Donovan is a great coach. With Westbrook tied up for three years they can also try to lure another superstar.
Not everyone was as wrong as Skip Bayless on this series. I replied right away to his silly tweet as it was clear after the San Antonio series that Oklahoma City was a team to be reckoned with.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook now have a team around them with some size, so OKC has length along with being perhaps the most athletic team in the NBA. Meanwhile, Steph Curry was awfully quiet for an MVP.
Let’s see what happens next. This should be a great series!
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I wasn’t able to watch Oklahoma City’s mess of a performance in Game 2, but by all accounts they had no business being in that game at the end, and Miami again deserves credit for playing well just when everyone is ready to write them off.
That said, the no-calls on the last play were just pathetic. Lebron James definitely fouled Kevin Durant in the act of shooting, and then he also fouled Russell Westbrook going for the rebound.
This is why the NBA really sucks sometimes, and why David Stern should just keep his fat mouth shut when someone brings up the lottery. I don’t think it’s fixed, and I think most people who immediately assume “conspiracy” are usually just stupid or lazy, but there are too many weird things going on in the NBA year after year for Stern to act self-righteous when someone questions the integrity of his league. They can find a way to ruin even a great matchup like this one, which may be the beginning of an epic rivalry between Lebron and Durant.
It was a tough night for the Heat. Shawn Battier was on fire early and the Heat had a big lead, but they were only up by 7 at the half, and as the game went on it was just a matter of time. Oklahoma City was too fast and too talented, and the Heat players were too tired in the fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant is an assassin. He’s fearless and he has the best shooting stroke since Larry Bird. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook is lightning fast and the Heat have nobody who can hang with him.
Meanwhile, Lebron James didn’t check out and had a solid game, but he didn’t put the team on his back. He didn’t have his outside shot, so he did a decent job of playing more in the paint. But once Battier and Chalmers got cold, the Heat just didn’t have the firepower to hang with the Thunder.
But, it’s just one game. I expect the Thunder to win the series, as they’re deeper than Miami and they’re the only team that’s more athletic than Miami. They also have Kevin Durant. Lebron is playing better, but Durant seems destined to be a winner. All of that said, you can’t count Miami out yet.
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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.
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