CP3’s Clutch 15 PT 4th Quarter Leads OKC Thunder To Game 7 (104-100)

CP3’s Clutch 15 PT 4th Quarter Leads OKC Thunder To Game 7 (104-100)

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by | Sep 1, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder came into this game tonight knowing it was Win or Go Home. Apparently Chris Paul didn’t get the Go Home message as he came out ready to force Game 7. Charles Barkley said “He’s The Best Leader In The NBA” and tonight he proved that once again. This was truly a game of runs as the Thunder and Rockets were hitting each other with their best shots. It just so happened to be the OKC Thunder that finished the game off in excellent fashion. Tonight the Thunder were able to defend James Harden as a collective group without fouling and Lugentz Dort was a huge part of that. Last game Dort struggled from the field but tonight he had 13 huge points that helped OKC in this game. When Dort was left open he attacked the rim and forced Houston to play defense. Late in the game, Dort showed off his confidence in his offense hitting back to back 3 pointers after Chris Paul told him to keep shooting.

 

This OKC team is full of players that continue to contribute at a high level in big moments.  The big moment just so happened to be the 4th quarter in this tight game as it was CP3 time. Chris Paul finished the 4th quarter with 15 points and was able to hit a clutch shot time and time again. One of the things that OKC did down the stretch was they had Houston switch and put Covington on an island by himself against Paul. In that switch, CP3 was able to get to his spot and cook Covington with step-back 3 pointers and tough mid-range jumpers. Chris Paul willed the Thunder to victory in this game and carried OKC on his back it was as simple as that. On the night Paul finished with 28 points and put on a shooting display letting people know why he’s the highest clutch time scorer in the NBA this season.

 

 

Chris Paul didn’t just do it by himself tonight he got help from Danilo Gallinari who finished with 25 points on the night was able to execute on his matchup. When Gallinari’s hitting his shots like he did tonight the Thunder are usually in cruise control to the finish. This game was a lot tighter than OKC would have wanted but to see Gallinari get back into a shooting rhythm was a great sign heading into Game 7. Overall the Thunder played a great game and had 5 players in double figures tonight against Houston. If the Thunder can continue to get this type of output from the second unit in Game 7 it should be a great one. Chris Paul was in a zone tonight and if he can stay in that zone during Game 7 Houston might have a problem.

 

 

The Rockets played a really good game as well tonight against OKC but it came down to turnovers. In crucial moments in the game, Houston made some bad decisions or just missed one of their players on a play. Russell Westbrook took the blame for some of the turnovers as he finished with 17 points and 7 turnovers but don’t expect to see that type of performance from the Brodie in Game 7. Westbrook will bounce back and do better just like the whole Rockets team is expected too. James Harden finished the game with 32 points and was able to get anything he wanted from the field. If the other Rockets role players were hitting shots that they did in Game 5 this would have been a different outcome. Russell Westbrook’s still going to be on a minute restriction and he still has to get back after his injury. So look for Westbrook and Harden to come out very aggressive as they don’t want to lose to OKC in Game 7 on Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

 

Sep 1, 2020 No Comments
James Harden’s 31 PT Performance Leads Houston To Victory (114-80) HOU Leads Series 3-2

James Harden’s 31 PT Performance Leads Houston To Victory (114-80) HOU Leads Series 3-2

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by | Aug 30, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

Oklahoma City started the game off struggling on the offensive side. The Houston Rockets came into this game trying to exploit mismatches and they were able to do just that. The Rockets were pretty much daring Luguentz Dort to shoot the ball as they left him wide open. The last couple of games Dort was able to make the Rockets pay for giving him space but tonight it worked in Houston’s favor. Dort finished the game with 6 points on 3/16 shooting from the field. The three field goals that Dort was able to get were inside as he went 0/9 from the 3 point line. The previous games Dort was able to hit his 3 pointers and this game he wasn’t that effective on the offensive end. Lu Dort did play some good defense on Harden but he’s one of the elite scorers in the NBA and he will always find a way to get his points. James Harden finished with 31 points on the night and was able to score inside and out. Harden had his best game of the series tonight against Lu Dort as he was very efficient and made the right basketball decisions.

 

 

The Houston Rockets got a huge boost of energy as Russell Westbrook made his playoff debut tonight. Westbrook was on a minutes restriction between 22-28 minutes and finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in 23 minutes. You could tell that Westbrook was still trying to get his legs under him coming back from injury. Westbrook had the mid-range going for him and was able to help get his teammates involved really early in this game. The other guys on the Rockets stepped up in a big way tonight for them as Eric Gordon and Robert Covington both combined for 42 points. It looked like every single time the Rockets had to call on the bench or a role player one of those two were able to connect with instant firepower. The Rockets came out in the 2nd half on fire and the only thing that went bad for them was losing PJ Tucker. Early in the 3rd quarter on a screen, it seemed as though Schröder hit Tucker below the belt and Tucker responded with a headbutt. Both players were ejected and it looked like the Thunder’s air was let out of the balloon. The Thunder were down by 20 points when both were ejected but losing Schröder was a huge blow for OKC.

 

 

The OKC Thunder had a tough outing against the Rockets as they scored only 80 points. Dennis Schröder was the spark that OKC needed as he only had 1 point in the 1st quarter and then he finished with 19 points in the 1st half. Schröder was able to get his game going from the inside and out tonight against all the Rockets defenders. Tonight Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 4 points on the night and only took 8 shots total. The Thunder will need SGA to be a lot more aggressive if they want to continue this amazing season. The Rockets were challenging SGA on both ends and once Schröder was ejected you can tell that SGA was trying to get it going but it was too late. Chris Paul finished with 16 points on the night and he will need to be able to get his scoring going ASAP. The good thing about the NBA Playoffs is the fact that this is just one game and the Thunder will look to bounce back to get back into this game. OKC only had 4 players in double figures and they lost Dennis in the 3rd so it was really tough to come back and climb up that hill. Steven Adams is a huge mismatch and the Thunder will need to feed the big man early in Game 6 in order to stay in the series. In-Game 5 tonight Adams finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets can’t contain him and that’s something that everyone all around the world can notice.

 

 

 

Game 6 will be on Monday as the Thunder look to climb out of this 3-2 hole against Houston.

Aug 30, 2020 No Comments
OKC Thunder Tie Series (2-2) With The Houston Rockets After Comeback Victory (117-114)

OKC Thunder Tie Series (2-2) With The Houston Rockets After Comeback Victory (117-114)

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by | Aug 25, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

This series has been a toss-up and Game 4 didn’t disappoint at all when it came to the excitement. Oklahoma City was coming into this game down 2-1 and wanted to get back in this series tonight with a big performance. This was a high scoring game but the game came down to adjustments and defense. Tonight Billy Donovan was able to make the proper adjustments in his lineup as he was able to allow his three guards to continue to attack the Rockets defense like they did in Game 3. Dennis Schröder’s seeing the basket right now bigger than the ocean as he was able to go for a playoff career-high in points tonight going for 30. Dennis has been able to bring that energy to the Thunder team on both sides of the ball and you can tell he’s got his legs back under him from missing those games outside the bubble. It didn’t matter who was in front of Dennis tonight his first step was lightning fast as he was blowing by the Rockets zone defense.  When Dennis’ playing like this on a nightly basis it’s tough for anyone to beat the Thunder because their confidence is at an all-time high. If Dennis Schröder doesn’t win the 6th Man of the Year award it would be a crime because he means that much to this Thunder team.

 

 

Chris Paul came through with another clutch performance in back to back outings and has continued to show people this isn’t a flashback. CP3 finished the game with 26 points on the night but came through in clutch time just like he’s done for OKC during the regular season. Time and time again Chris Paul continues to put his teammates in a position to win and he continues to make the smart offensive play. One thing that really helps CP3 out is the fact that he knows the D’Atoni system and he already knows what the Rockets want to run. Down the stretch, Chris was able to get to his spots and used his stepback to finish the deal against the Rockets when it counted the most. Chris Paul was in the MVP discussion all season and tonight he was able to be extremely valuable in the biggest moments of the game. Billy Donovan has shown trust and faith in his team all season and remained calm when having his three guards take it to Houston on the court. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a quiet 18 points tonight but was all over the boards as he finished with 12 rebounds. Shai is the future of this team while being able to be in the present with leaders like Chris Paul and Dennis Schröder it’s really helped his game grow on a nightly basis. When SGA plays with this type of confidence he’s one of the smoothest players and he’s gaining this playoff experience that can help moving forward in this postseason.

 

 

 

The Houston Rockets had some chances to really put the Thunder away but never capitalized on it. Houston came out the gate in the second half 8/8 from the field and was up by 15 points. James Harden has been unstoppable in this series as we know he’s going to get his points but when he goes to the bench Houston struggles. Harden was guarded by Lu Dort again tonight as he finished with 32 points and 15 assists. The Thunder can live with Harden getting his points they can’t let the other guys on the Rockets shoot with confidence. Harden has been able to get anything he wanted in this series but it’s all about making him work and OKC has done that. Jeff Green has been killing the Thunder off the bench and he finished with only 10 points tonight. Jeff Green has used the mismatch against Steven Adams to his advantage but tonight the shots he was hitting before didn’t fall.

 

 

In the last two games, Danuel House has been able to score and make the most of the open looks that he’s received in breakdowns. House finished with 21 points tonight as this series has been all about the other guys. It’s clear that Harden has done everything that he can but since Lu Dort has entered the lineup it’s been a little tougher. The Rockets ramped up some of Russell Westbrook’s work as there is hope that he will come back for Game 5. If Russell Westbrook’s available for Game 5 in this series the emotions and physical play will be enhanced as the Brodie’s coming to save the day. Russell Westbrook in this series will be a huge boost to the Rockets as they look to advance to the next round.

 

 

Game 5 is on Wednesday as the series is now tied at (2-2)

 

 

 

Aug 25, 2020 No Comments
3 Headed Snake Of CP3, SGA, Schröder Lead OKC To Game 3 Victory (119-107)

3 Headed Snake Of CP3, SGA, Schröder Lead OKC To Game 3 Victory (119-107)

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by | Aug 23, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder came into this game down 2-0 in the series. Chris Paul said, “I need to be better” and that’s exactly what happened. Chris Paul delivered tonight in a big way as he was able to finish with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Chris Paul was the true leader that we’re used to seeing tonight as he was able to get to his spots and motivate his teammates. Tonight Chris was very aggressive and you can tell he set the tone for the whole OKC Thunder team. When Chris Paul has his offense going it gets his teammates into the game a lot more and it opens up the offense for spacing. The Thunder were able to space the floor a lot better today as they controlled the pace in this one more than Houston did. The lineup that changed the series in my opinion was when Billy Donovan put SGA, CP3, and Schröder in the lineup together.

 

 

The 6th Man of the Year candidate Dennis Schröder stepped up in a big way tonight as he was able to beat the Rockets off the mismatches when they had Gordon or House on him. Schröder was able to showcase his offensive talents and had a game-high for the Thunder with 29 points. Schröder brought the energy and was able to give OKC the edge when it came to attacking the rim. Schröder was hitting his floater, attacking the paint, and was hitting his jumper at a consistent rate. When Schröder plays like this the Thunder are hard to beat. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his great play as he finished the night with 23 points and none bigger than his 3 pointer in the corner coming off the CP3 dish to bring it to overtime. SGA has found his swagger and put his stamp on this series after that huge shot. SGA has the ability to beat the Houston Rockets off the dribble every time he gets downhill and needs to continue that if the Thunder will be successful.

 

 

 

When all 3 of the OKC guards play this good on a daily basis this Thunder team will be tough to get out. All 3 can control the pace of the game on both the offensive and defensive side. The unsung hero for this game against the Rockets was Lugentz Dort who defended James Harden the best that we have seen in recent memory. Dort was able to make it tough on Harden all night long. Dort is a big body that was able to make Harden’s drives tough and he’s been able to defend without fouling. If Lu Dort can keep this defensive intensity up on Harden it gives OKC a great chance.

 

(Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via AP)

 

The aggressiveness of OKC got James Harden fouled out at the start of overtime. Harden was able to finish the game with 38 points and he didn’t even have a great outing shooting from the field. The biggest mismatch that has kept the Rockets in control has been the Jeff Green/Steven Adams battle. Every time that Adams gives Jeff Green any space he’s made the Thunder pay and that continued tonight as Green finished with 22 points. The fact that Jeff Green has been able to get good looks inside and outside when he wants is a problem. The Thunder knows that Harden will get his but the fact that other players have been able to hit some big shots throughout the series has hurt OKC. The Thunder will have to expect that James Harden will not get fouled out again and that he will get some calls next game. James Harden said “We let this one slip” so look for Harden to try and get his game going early in Game 4 on Monday. The Rockets missed a lot of 3 pointers tonight that they have hit in the previous two games and the Thunder will need to continue to contest those 3 pointers if they want to make it two wins in a row.

 

 

 

Game 4 will be at 3 PM on Monday as the series is Houston (2-1) right now

Aug 23, 2020 No Comments
Houston Role Players Step Up Big Time In Game 2 Victory Over OKC (111-98)

Houston Role Players Step Up Big Time In Game 2 Victory Over OKC (111-98)

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by | Aug 21, 2020 | Featured, NBA

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder made the proper adjustments after struggling in Game 1. Tonight you can tell the Thunder came out with a lot more energy and were locking up defensively. The addition of Lugentz Dort back to the starting lineup helped out big time. The defense that Dort played on James Harden was as good as it gets. Dort was able to defend Harden using his length and his body so he wasn’t giving up any position to Harden. On the night James Harden finished with 21 points on 5/16 shooting from the field. James Harden wasn’t getting the usual calls that would put him on the line as he only attempted 9 free throws. Dort was a huge boost to this team and you can tell that his presence helped other players to be able to get their offense going as well. One of the players that was able to apply pressure to the Rockets defense all night was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he finished with a playoff career-high 31 points. Shai was aggressive from the tip-off and didn’t look back at all. This was the most emotional that was seen from SGA in a long time. You can tell he made it a mission to be able to put the team on his back with his offense and it worked. Shai was hitting stepback 3 pointers and was going in for some of those tough finishes.

 

 

The Thunder played a great game overall as they played their pace throughout the game. In Game 1 the Thunder got caught playing Houston Rockets ball and through 3 quarters the Thunder were in the driver seat with the momentum. Both Gallinari and Schröder were able to contribute to helping SGA on the scoring end as they both combined for 30 points. The two biggest mismatches that OKC tried to execute on in the 1st half was Steven Adams and Danilo Gallinari. OKC has the height advantage and they need to stick to their game plan and it seemed as though they got away from it in that 4th quarter. Chris Paul postgame said that he needs to do better heading into Game 3 and OKC will definitely need his big game. This OKC Thunder team is unstoppable when the 3 headed monsters of Chris Paul, Dennis Schröder, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander all play well. The Thunder will need to come out in Game 3 on Saturday and punch them in the mouth first.

 

 

The Thunder were able to slow down James Harden in this game. It seemed as though every time Harden went to the bench his teammates stepped up big time. Tonight Daniel House was able to drop 19 points and he added 9 rebounds. The Rocket’s small ball worked today as they were able to get a lot of second-chance points off offensive rebounds. It looked like each loose ball just bounced out to a shooter and House was one of those people that benefited. House was hitting 3 pointers and he was able to have his defense help his offense with some easy buckets. The Rockets had 7 players in double figures and they were able to hit big shots in big moments. Austin Rivers came out with some extra juice and had 11 big points during a moment in the game when Harden was in foul trouble.

 

 

Eric Gordon and Jeff Green have been playing out of their minds. Any time the Thunder miss out on a switch or get out to the player too slow it seemed as though Green and Gordon made them pay. Both of them combined for 30 points for the Rockets and they held it down for Harden as he was on the bench. The Rockets bench has stepped up in this series as they’ve been able to score points and hang with OKC with Harden resting. This victory just shows that type of confidence that Houston has been playing with and this has been without Russell Westbrook. James Harden got it going in the 4th quarter but his teammates were able to help him out big time. It was tough for Dort to guard Harden with foul trouble and late in that 4th it didn’t matter who was guarding him. The Houston Rockets had broken the record for most 3 pointers attempted and made in a playoff game. Tonight Westbrook was coaching his teammates on the sideline and encouraging them with unlimited energy. The Rockets small ball has been working but if OKC can get a game from all 3 of their star point guards at once this series can change real quick.

 

 

Game 3 will be on Saturday at 5 pm as the Thunder look to claw back into this series.

 

 

 

Kevin C. Cox/Associated Press

Aug 21, 2020 No Comments