Dex
01-09-2012, 02:42 PM
http://newsok.com/thunder-beats-spurs-to-win-third-game-in-three-nights/article/3638714#ixzz1izYjuBbz
Thunder beats Spurs to win third game in three nights
BY JOHN ROHDE, Staff Writer, [email protected] Oklahoman
Published: January 8, 2012
Prior to Sunday night's game inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, Thunder coach Scott Brooks freely admitted he wasn't sure what to expect from his team.
OKC was about to play the final game of its back-to-back-to-back sequence and earlier in the day had learned reserve point guard Eric Maynor was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
Adding to the degree of difficulty, the Thunder was about to face the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise that won 61 games last season and on numerous occasions has toyed with OKC in previous meetings.
I have no clue how we're going to respond, Brooks said 90 minutes before tipoff.
The answer came in a 108-96 victory that was so thorough, Thunder starters never left the bench the entire fourth quarter and many in the sellout crowd of 18,203 started heading to the exits with five minutes remaining against the San Antonio Spurs.
Two necessary disclaimers: The Spurs were without all-purpose guard Manu Ginobili, who is out six weeks with a broken bone in his left (shooting) hand; San Antonio also was suffering from battle fatigue, playing their fourth game in the last five nights.
Nonetheless, all is fair when you're forced to play 66 games in 118 days.
The last time NBA players had to play back-to-back-to-back games was in the 50-game season of 1998-99. That year, 64 BTBTBs were played and there were only eight sweeps.
This season, all six teams that have completed BTBTB series thus far have won their final contest. The Thunder is the first team to go 3-0, however.
The Spurs trailed only 54-51 early in the third quarter, but the Thunder blew the game open by outscoring San Antonio 37-18 the rest of the quarter to lead 91-69. The Thunder's biggest lead was 25 with 7½ minutes left in the contest.
Once again, it was the backup unit that sparked OKC, even without the rock-solid Maynor.
The starters wound up barely outscoring the backups, 55-53. Nine Thunder players played between 20 and 28½ minutes.
At halftime, Thunder starters had combined for 26 points. Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka had just two points each.
The reserves, despite playing 25 fewer minutes at that point, combined to score 28.
One of the Thunder's biggest lifts came from reserve forward Nick Collison, who erupted for 10 points in a 3:24 span in the second quarter. In just 22 minutes of play, he finished with a double-double with 12 points (6-of-7 shooting) and 10 rebounds.
Like Brooks, Collison said he wasn't sure what to expect, but he thought the energy would be there.
I felt pretty good, the 31-year-old Collison said, and I figured if I felt pretty good, I know the younger guys probably do, too. I just think the big thing was not to dwell on it (playing three straight nights), make too much out of it. It's not as bad sometimes as people think. I'm glad it happened earlier in the year. I think that was a positive, though I think we all felt fine tonight.
Kevin Durant, who single-handedly took over late on Saturday night at Houston in a 98-95 victory, flirted with a triple-double against the Spurs and finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in just 28½ minutes.
James Harden had 20 points in 21½ minutes. Maynor's replacement, rookie Reggie Jackson, had 11 points and four assists in 23-plus minutes.
Thunder beats Spurs to win third game in three nights
BY JOHN ROHDE, Staff Writer, [email protected] Oklahoman
Published: January 8, 2012
Prior to Sunday night's game inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, Thunder coach Scott Brooks freely admitted he wasn't sure what to expect from his team.
OKC was about to play the final game of its back-to-back-to-back sequence and earlier in the day had learned reserve point guard Eric Maynor was lost for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee.
Adding to the degree of difficulty, the Thunder was about to face the San Antonio Spurs, a franchise that won 61 games last season and on numerous occasions has toyed with OKC in previous meetings.
I have no clue how we're going to respond, Brooks said 90 minutes before tipoff.
The answer came in a 108-96 victory that was so thorough, Thunder starters never left the bench the entire fourth quarter and many in the sellout crowd of 18,203 started heading to the exits with five minutes remaining against the San Antonio Spurs.
Two necessary disclaimers: The Spurs were without all-purpose guard Manu Ginobili, who is out six weeks with a broken bone in his left (shooting) hand; San Antonio also was suffering from battle fatigue, playing their fourth game in the last five nights.
Nonetheless, all is fair when you're forced to play 66 games in 118 days.
The last time NBA players had to play back-to-back-to-back games was in the 50-game season of 1998-99. That year, 64 BTBTBs were played and there were only eight sweeps.
This season, all six teams that have completed BTBTB series thus far have won their final contest. The Thunder is the first team to go 3-0, however.
The Spurs trailed only 54-51 early in the third quarter, but the Thunder blew the game open by outscoring San Antonio 37-18 the rest of the quarter to lead 91-69. The Thunder's biggest lead was 25 with 7½ minutes left in the contest.
Once again, it was the backup unit that sparked OKC, even without the rock-solid Maynor.
The starters wound up barely outscoring the backups, 55-53. Nine Thunder players played between 20 and 28½ minutes.
At halftime, Thunder starters had combined for 26 points. Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka had just two points each.
The reserves, despite playing 25 fewer minutes at that point, combined to score 28.
One of the Thunder's biggest lifts came from reserve forward Nick Collison, who erupted for 10 points in a 3:24 span in the second quarter. In just 22 minutes of play, he finished with a double-double with 12 points (6-of-7 shooting) and 10 rebounds.
Like Brooks, Collison said he wasn't sure what to expect, but he thought the energy would be there.
I felt pretty good, the 31-year-old Collison said, and I figured if I felt pretty good, I know the younger guys probably do, too. I just think the big thing was not to dwell on it (playing three straight nights), make too much out of it. It's not as bad sometimes as people think. I'm glad it happened earlier in the year. I think that was a positive, though I think we all felt fine tonight.
Kevin Durant, who single-handedly took over late on Saturday night at Houston in a 98-95 victory, flirted with a triple-double against the Spurs and finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in just 28½ minutes.
James Harden had 20 points in 21½ minutes. Maynor's replacement, rookie Reggie Jackson, had 11 points and four assists in 23-plus minutes.