Winner of Game 4 takes the series?

[baseline bum]

?

[myhc]

No and my reasoning is this. With Ibaka, this is a totally different series. At this point even if the Spurs take a 3-1 lead, I wouldn't put it past the Thunder to be one of the few teams to have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win. If the Thunder win, I think we can still pull it out but my guess it would have to be in 7.

[RD2191]

Yes

[Robz4000]

Yep

[dav4463]

first to win 4 games

[exstatic]

No and my reasoning is this. With Ibaka, this is a totally different series. At this point even if the Spurs take a 3-1 lead, I wouldn't put it past the Thunder to be one of the few teams to have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win. If the Thunder win, I think we can still pull it out but my guess it would have to be in 7.

The every other day format works again Ibaka. He will never again be as rested and rehabbed as he was tonight.

[Capt Bringdown]

No. OKC has learned that they can always come back against the Spurs. If they can backdoor sweep, they certainly can come back from a 3-1 hole.
Can the Spurs beat a healthy OKC roster?

[exstatic]

first to win 4 games

This.

[myhc]

The every other day format works again Ibaka. He will never again be as rested and rehabbed as he was tonight.


That is a very good point. We'll same how he looks in game 4. If he's struggling and not having the same lift he had tonight, then I would be more inclined to say Spurs take the series.

[spursparker9]

Ibaka - Harden still > Finals experienced Kawhi + Improved Danny Green + Improved Splitter + Improved Patty Mills

[rascal]

Winner of game 5 takes the series.

[slick'81]

No

[Kool Bob Love]

?
Don't spam your own thread with that loser nazi symbol. Fucking moron.:lol

And no....if OKC wins it became a best of 3 with dem spurs having 2 games at home.:toast

[rascal]

The every other day format works again Ibaka. He will never again be as rested and rehabbed as he was tonight.

Better hope for an Ibaka injury because the spurs are not good enough roster wise to beat a healthy OK City.

[Darius Bieber]

No. OKC already has this series in the bag.

[BillMc]

Winner of game 5 takes the series.

This.

[baseline bum]

Don't spam your own thread with that loser nazi symbol. Fucking moron.:lol

And no....if OKC wins it became a best of 3 with dem spurs having 2 games at home.:toast

:cry why it gotta be like that koon bob :cry

[ElNono]

don't know about that... but taking Game 4 would probably seal the deal for the Spurs, IMO

[slick'81]

Obviously if spurs win game 4 their in the drivers seat but easier said then done

[baseline bum]

don't know about that... but taking Game 4 would probably seal the deal for the Spurs, IMO

Tonight looked like every other game against the Thunder this season when they lost 4-0. If this series is tied 2-2 OKC probably takes it. Horrible matchup. But at 3-1 I'd still like the Spurs chances to get hot and win 1 of 2 at home.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

The winner of game 4 takes game 4. The winner of game 5 takes the series.

[rascal]

The every other day format works again Ibaka. He will never again be as rested and rehabbed as he was tonight.

This looks like the spurs only hope.

[Sean Cagney]

Winner of game 5 takes the series.

^^^^^^^ This.

[gameFACE]

Spur have had plenty os series where they go up 2 only to have it even out to 2-2. Then they go and sinn Games 5 & 6. That said. The Spurs are coming back up 3-1.

[ElNono]

Tonight looked like every other game against the Thunder this season when they lost 4-0. If this series is tied 2-2 OKC probably takes it. Horrible matchup. But at 3-1 I'd still like the Spurs chances to get hot and win 1 of 2 at home.

I didn't think so... neither Reggie or Ostrich-face were killing us... this series more than ever has a lot to do with how the Spurs play, and tonight they didn't play well... didn't box out, didn't make open looks, Tony didn't play well, Tiago was invisible... I think if we win Game 4, we close this quick, if we lose Game 4, then the winner of Game 5 likely takes the series, IMO

[Janko]

8 vs 5 is always a horrible matchup tbh

[Horry Hipcheck]

No. Lose Game 4 and it's a best of 3, with HCA. The Spurs have gone up 2-0 and come home for Game 5 tied 2-2 many times, and won. Winning the series becomes much easier for the Spurs if they win Game 4, but losing it isn't their death knell. Losing Game 5 would be.

This loss shouldn't surprise anyone, and it shouldn't be viewed as a sign of things to come. The cliff jumpers are having their cake right now but if the Spurs just make their shots, and spread the floor better, things even out. KD and Westbrook can't beat them on their own, and Ibaka isn't the missing piece to make it happen either. Reggie Jackson has yet to really show up, and tonight they only got modest contributions from Butler, Fisher, and Adams. If the Spurs don't pussy out, if Parker connects and makes smarter drives, and Duncan isn't the weak little bitch that he was tonight, the games are winnable. Not by the 17 and 35 point margins some of us assumed would be the norm, but they're winnable.

[dg7md]

I don't think so, if they win it's tied 2-2 with us going back to SA with it tied. Series hasn't begun until a team loses at home.

[baseline bum]

Spurs fans are in some serious denial if they don't think this is a really bad matchup for the Spurs. Just like they were in denial about Ibaka being healthy and the report from Presti being complete bullshit. Spurs better come out and steal Game 4, otherwise they gotta take 2 out of 3 against a team that has owned them all year.

[Malik Hairston]

I agree that game 4 is a must-win..if the Spurs lose game 4, they become the underdogs, even with HCA..

[baseline bum]

I don't know why Spurs fan thinks this would be like coming back home 2-2 against Seattle in 05 or something. Spurs are now 0-5 this season against the Thunder when they have Ibaka shutting their offense down.

[slick'81]

Lotta pressure on spurs going into a must win game4

[poop]

LOL at all the posters completely ignoring the Ref-freethrow factor.doesnt matter what the spurs do or dont do...the refs will determine this series.

[GrandeDavid]

Lol

[Horry Hipcheck]

I don't know why Spurs fan thinks this would be like coming back home 2-2 against Seattle in 05 or something. Spurs are now 0-5 this season against the Thunder when they have Ibaka shutting their offense down.

Same reason you're setting the barn on fire over one loss. Taking things that look like other things and assuming they're automatically the same.

[Horry Hipcheck]

Lotta pressure on spurs going into a must win game4

They'll play like it, but it's not. Pressure's still on OKC to hold steady at home. They'll feel more relaxed, but they're in deep shit if they come back to SA down 3-1.

[spurs10]

It would be nice to take one up there, but not necessary. The 21-0 discrepancy is very concerning. My only good feeling from this game is we played like crap and they still needed 21 freebies to beat us. At one point before garbage it was 31-7 in the free throws. Hard to beat that kind of shit.

[baseline bum]

So you guys would be confident in the Spurs winning 2 of 3 from a team they would be 0-6 against?

[ElNono]

I don't know why Spurs fan thinks this would be like coming back home 2-2 against Seattle in 05 or something. Spurs are now 0-5 this season against the Thunder when they have Ibaka shutting their offense down.

I don't put a lot of stock in the regular season, tbh... I don't think Pop puts a lot of stock either... the last playoffs game we played against them before this series was in 2012...

They're not a favorable matchup, but on paper, neither was Portland... OKC is obviously a solid team, otherwise they wouldn't be here, but this was a game where the Spurs didn't play well... I don't think Abaka had a lot to do with Diaw, Danny, Kawhi missing open shots, or Tony just turning the ball over and over... they outscored and outhustled us even when Ibaka was on the bench... just a bad game... we'll see what Game 4 brings. If it's "shutting down", then yeah, there's concern. If we go back to the norm, it doesn't really matter...

[mercos]

I believe so. The Spurs have no show games like this at least once a series, so you can write off game 3. However, if OKC comes back and wins game 4 in a similar fashion, by taking the Spurs out of their offense, they should be favored to win the series at that point. We have long known that Ibaka has the Spurs number. The hope was that we had built up enough head of steam that his return wouldn't be enough to stop us. That still may be the case, but game 4 will be the biggest indicator. Hard to write off two losses in a row given the history between these teams. (Recent history, not 2012)

[Horry Hipcheck]

It would be nice to take one up there, but not necessary. The 21-0 discrepancy is very concerning. My only good feeling from this game is we played like crap and they still needed 21 freebies to beat us. At one point before garbage it was 31-7 in the free throws. Hard to beat that kind of shit.

Any number of instances of progression to the mean for the Spurs could have resulted in a victory. Poor shooting, FT discrepancy, turnovers were high, lost the rebound battle - and it was nearly a two-possession game on that Mills 3 in the 4th. Spurs play even slightly better than they did, and we could be discussing a 3-0 lead. As mortal as OKC makes the Spurs look, they were awfully mortal themselves.

[Harry Callahan]

Only if SA wins.

[baseline bum]

I don't put a lot of stock in the regular season, tbh... I don't think Pop puts a lot of stock either... the last playoffs game we played against them before this series was in 2012...

They're not a favorable matchup, but on paper, neither was Portland... OKC is obviously a solid team, otherwise they wouldn't be here, but this was a game where the Spurs didn't play well... I don't think Abaka had a lot to do with Diaw, Danny, Kawhi missing open shots, or Tony just turning the ball over and over... they outscored and outhustled us even when Ibaka was on the bench... just a bad game... we'll see what Game 4 brings. If it's "shutting down", then yeah, there's concern. If we go back to the norm, it doesn't really matter...

I don't get the Portland comparison. The Spurs blew two early season games to Portland, then won both of the late season games. Meanwhile the Spurs have barely been competitive against Oklahoma City except for the two games when Ibaka was out.

[ElNono]

I don't get the Portland comparison. The Spurs blew two early season games to Portland, then won both of the late season games. Meanwhile the Spurs have barely been competitive against Oklahoma City except for the two games when Ibaka was out.

I just don't get the regular season comparisons either... the Spurs rest players, flat out don't play them, they don't go out of their way to actually gameplan specifically for them... OKC isn't a favorable matchup, but the Spurs can beat them.

Like Gino said in the presser, Ibaka isn't the sole reason for a 20pt turnaround... if the Spurs don't play well, they'll lose games, no matter who's out there...

[Horry Hipcheck]

So you guys would be confident in the Spurs winning 2 of 3 from a team they would be 0-6 against?

More confident in that than I am in Suddenly Super Serge returning and carrying the Thunder to 4 wins in 5 tries. That team has gotten almost no bench production, and if Parker just steps up his game then Ibaka becomes almost a non-factor on defense. You pay so much attention to the regular season, you're certain to remember that Parker torched OKC for 37 this year. Yeah, they still lost, but not because Ibaka's some natural born Parker stopper. Elsewhere in the league, has anyone forgotten that Miami couldn't hang with Brooklyn this season? I wouldn't call the Nets a healthy matchup, per se, but if you wanna look at regular season results and assume the playoffs will be the same, let's talk about that. Or how Dallas fans could have looked at their two-season record against the Spurs and assumed they'd get swept before pushing them to 7.

There's no guarantee OKC would have won Games 1 and 2, either, just because Ibaka showed up and - surprise! - OKC won Game 3. Ibaka doesn't single handedly give OKC a victory instead of a 35 point loss, in which KD and Westbrook combine for a laughable 30 points.

The Spurs played well below season averages in almost every category in this game, and it was never more than a ten point deficit until that back breaking call against Mills and the subsequent run OKC went on to push it to 14 in the 4th.

Let Darius be the troll, he's marginally better than you at it.

[baseline bum]

More confident in that than I am in Suddenly Super Serge returning and carrying the Thunder to 4 wins in 5 tries. That team has gotten almost no bench production, and if Parker just steps up his game then Ibaka becomes almost a non-factor on defense. You pay so much attention to the regular season, you're certain to remember that Parker torched OKC for 37 this year. Yeah, they still lost, but not because Ibaka's some natural born Parker stopper.

There's no guarantee OKC would have won Games 1 and 2, either, just because Ibaka showed up and - surprise! - OKC won Game 3. Ibaka doesn't single handedly give OKC a victory instead of a 35 point loss, in which KD and Westbrook combine for a laughable 30 points.

The Spurs played well below season averages in almost every category in this game, and it was never more than a ten point deficit until that back breaking call against Mills and the subsequent run OKC went on to push it to 14 in the 4th.

Let Darius be the troll, he's marginally better than you at it.

But at that point Ibaka would only need to lead them to two wins in three tries.

[Horry Hipcheck]

But at that point Ibaka would only need to lead them to two wins in three tries.

Which he isn't going to do on his own, and I'll reiterate that the Spurs pretty much couldn't have played any worse in his return and were a few calls away from taking it to the wire.

[Capt Bringdown]

I don't get the Portland comparison. The Spurs blew two early season games to Portland, then won both of the late season games. Meanwhile the Spurs have barely been competitive against Oklahoma City except for the two games when Ibaka was out.

This. OKC is asserting their will against the Spurs. And Ibaka is flat out dominating us. When one player makes such a huge impact on your entire offense, what else can you call it but utter domination?
We were all hoping to see something different tonight, but I think deep down most of us expected this.

[Agloco]

Any number of instances of progression to the mean for the Spurs could have resulted in a victory. Poor shooting, FT discrepancy, turnovers were high, lost the rebound battle - and it was nearly a two-possession game on that Mills 3 in the 4th. Spurs play even slightly better than they did, and we could be discussing a 3-0 lead. As mortal as OKC makes the Spurs look, they were awfully mortal themselves.

There's a lot of truth in this. Ibaka going 6 for 7 to boot. But he does have a history of going nuts on us.

[Horry Hipcheck]

There's a lot of truth in this. Ibaka going 6 for 7 to boot. But he does have a history of going nuts on us.

I won't be surprised if he continues to do so. But the Spurs won't continue to shoot this poorly, rebound this poorly, or turn the ball over so much. Games 1 and 2 in 2012 were much closer to Spurs losses than people care to remember. The Thunder had SA solved in Game 2 but couldn't surmount the lead the Spurs had built, and the rest is history. Ibaka may have been out for the first two this time, but those annihilations were no flukey result of that. The Spurs were more aggressive, more fluid, and more polished than they were against OKC in their last outings. Ibaka will make the series more competitive, but the Spurs can overcome that. There's no Harden to pour in 20+ a night, Sefolosha might as well be dead, and Jackson hasn't torched them yet. So far in this series, minus some signs of life from Fisher, it's been 8 or 9 on 2-3. Tonight, the roles switched. If the Spurs just play slightly better, they can win close games.

[slick'81]

We don't know though what would have happend in games 1&2 if ibaka was healthy

[Agloco]

This. OKC is asserting their will against the Spurs. And Ibaka is flat out dominating us. When one player makes such a huge impact on your entire offense, what else can you call it but utter domination?
We were all hoping to see something different tonight, but I think deep down most of us expected this.

I think we've gotta take this with a grain of salt. OKC at home, playing not to go into a 3-0 hole, and their defensive ace coming back from injury. Yes, some of this was home cooking but there was more at work than the trend we saw during the regular season.

Concerning it is, but I'm not passing judgement until after game 4. If this happens again then I'm of the opinion that Ibaka is just that disruptive to the Spurs on his own. The Spurs will have to depend on home cooking to see them through. I believe that they have the horses this time around to get it done.

[Agloco]

I won't be surprised if he continues to do so. But the Spurs won't continue to shoot this poorly, rebound this poorly, or turn the ball over so much. Games 1 and 2 in 2012 were much closer to Spurs losses than people care to remember. The Thunder had SA solved in Game 2 but couldn't surmount the lead the Spurs had built, and the rest is history. Ibaka may have been out for the first two this time, but those annihilations were no flukey result of that. The Spurs were more aggressive, more fluid, and more polished than they were against OKC in their last outings. Ibaka will make the series more competitive, but the Spurs can overcome that. There's no Harden to pour in 20+ a night, Sefolosha might as well be dead, and Jackson hasn't torched them yet. So far in this series, minus some signs of life from Fisher, it's been 8 or 9 on 2-3. Tonight, the roles switched. If the Spurs just play slightly better, they can win close games.

Pretty much agree with all of the observations here. This is going to be very interesting going forward. And, quite frankly, I like it better this way. The Spurs need to earn their trip to the Finals.

[Capt Bringdown]

I think we've gotta take this with a grain of salt. OKC at home, playing not to go into a 3-0 hole, and their defensive ace coming back from injury. Yes, some of this was home cooking but there was more at work than the trend we saw during the regular season.

Yeah, we'll see if game 3 was just an emotional one-off. I think there's more to it than that, however.

[baseline bum]

Pretty much agree with all of the observations here. This is going to be very interesting going forward. And, quite frankly, I like it better this way. The Spurs need to earn their trip to the Finals.

I liked it better with the cakewalk and extra rest while Miami fought to the death against Indiana last year.

[weebo]

It's the playoffs. Every game is a must win.

[Horry Hipcheck]

I liked it better with the cakewalk and extra rest while Miami fought to the death against Indiana last year.

We all did. But Indy's going down in 5, six at best, and the Spurs simply aren't benefitting from the luxury of a second consecutive pushover WCF opponent.

[Capt Bringdown]

The Spurs need to earn their trip to the Finals.
Um, why?
Spurs have one the best playoff trios in NBA history - this should be the advantage they bring to the playoff run.
We don't need to gain playoff experience at this point - we're supposed to be using our playoff experience to our advantage.

[Agloco]

Um, why?
Spurs have one the best playoff trios in NBA history - this should be the advantage they bring to the playoff run.
We don't need to gain playoff experience at this point - we're supposed to be using our playoff experience to our advantage.

ie - They should be able to beat the best with the best at full strength. If they can't manage that, then they have no business being there.

[Agloco]

I liked it better with the cakewalk and extra rest while Miami fought to the death against Indiana last year.

Sure, as a fan a part of me wants this too.

[Agloco]

Yeah, we'll see if game 3 was just an emotional one-off. I think there's more to it than that, however.

Here's to hoping you're wrong. I can certainly understand why you would take the position that you do though. We shall see.

[therealtruth]

I liked it better with the cakewalk and extra rest while Miami fought to the death against Indiana last year.

Just think of it as preparation for Miami. If TP can't get it done now he won't get it done against Lebron and the Heat.

[spurraider21]

game 4 is a must win for OKC, a "gee i'd really like to get this one" for the spurs

[HI-FI]

game 4 is a must win for OKC, a "gee i'd really like to get this one" for the spurs
that's how I feel. People are so scarred by 2012, they always think history will repeat itself. Who knows, maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't. I can't predict if Ibaka's voodoo will help his calf, nor do I know if the league is going to prop up OKC the rest of the way. It's possible they just wanted to extend things with tonight's dog and pony show.

So I don't think game 4 is a must win, Spurs just need to win the last one.

[TampaDude]

Just think of it as preparation for Miami. If TP can't get it done now he won't get it done against Lebron and the Heat.

^ this

If we can't get past OKC, there is NFW we would beat Miami, anyway. If OKC makes the Finals, they'll get crushed by the Heat again.

[Venti Quattro]

If the Thunder win, I think we can still pull it out but my guess it would have to be in 7.

I don't think OKC wins a Game 7 in San Antonio. They have to make their move now

[Russ]

Knowing Game 5 is a must win and now the games are every other day, does Pop back off TD's and Parker's minutes?

A close loss where everyone goes all out could be the worst Game 4 scenario.

[baseline bum]

that's how I feel. People are so scarred by 2012, they always think history will repeat itself. Who knows, maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't. I can't predict if Ibaka's voodoo will help his calf, nor do I know if the league is going to prop up OKC the rest of the way. It's possible they just wanted to extend things with tonight's dog and pony show.

So I don't think game 4 is a must win, Spurs just need to win the last one.

I don't give a shit about 2012. I'm looking at the Spurs playing like garbage all season against this team. 0-5 against Ibaka now. LOL still thinking his calf is a problem after seeing him looking 100% last night.

[Jimcs50]

first to win 4 games

I think this is true

[Russo21]

Not too fussed by the loss. I'd rather not have the team on a big win streak going ahead unlike a few years go where we had won 20 straight, finally lost a game and said what the fuck and didn't know how to overcome a loss as it had been so long. Sure Ibaka came back and gave the Thunder a missing link which definitely helped them. But it is Serge Ibaka.

Serge Ibaka I said. Not Hakeem Abdul-Russell. We played pretty poorly and lost by just 9 points in OKC.

Tim shot poorly, as did Leonard, Parker, Diaw and Green. We had just 1 player who shot well and that was SuperManu. Surely the return of Ibaka ( remember its Ibaka not Hakeem Abdul-Russell) can fuck us up the rest of the series. We had only 1 player play well in Ginobili and only lost by 9 in OKC. I think we'll be right going ahead :) Always good to have a wake up call and focus going ahead in the series. Looking forward to game 4 and see If we can execute proper Spurs Basketball. Will be a great series :)

[EVAY]

No and my reasoning is this. With Ibaka, this is a totally different series. At this point even if the Spurs take a 3-1 lead, I wouldn't put it past the Thunder to be one of the few teams to have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win. If the Thunder win, I think we can still pull it out but my guess it would have to be in 7.

Agreed.

[Darkwaters]

And no....if OKC wins it became a best of 3 with dem spurs having 2 games at home.:toast

Thank you. Common sense finally.

[therealtruth]

It really comes down to this. If the Spurs stay out of the paint and shoot jumpers or go into the paint and get their shots blocked OKC will win the series. If the Spurs take care of the ball and continue to attack the paint and jump into Ibaka's body they should be fine.

[DrSteffo]

Maybe, maybe not.

[myhc]

Not too fussed by the loss. I'd rather not have the team on a big win streak going ahead unlike a few years go where we had won 20 straight, finally lost a game and said what the fuck and didn't know how to overcome a loss as it had been so long. Sure Ibaka came back and gave the Thunder a missing link which definitely helped them. But it is Serge Ibaka.

Serge Ibaka I said. Not Hakeem Abdul-Russell. We played pretty poorly and lost by just 9 points in OKC.

Tim shot poorly, as did Leonard, Parker, Diaw and Green. We had just 1 player who shot well and that was SuperManu. Surely the return of Ibaka ( remember its Ibaka not Hakeem Abdul-Russell) can fuck us up the rest of the series. We had only 1 player play well in Ginobili and only lost by 9 in OKC. I think we'll be right going ahead :) Always good to have a wake up call and focus going ahead in the series. Looking forward to game 4 and see If we can execute proper Spurs Basketball. Will be a great series :)

I'm not too surprised by the loss either. You bring up valid points on how poorly we played. On the flip side, you could also say Durant and Westbrook still haven't had that game where they both go off and combine to score 60-70 points. That game is coming, we just don't know when.

And yes, Ibaka is not the 2nc coming of Wilt. But he doesn't have to be in order to beat us. His mere presence in the paint had Tony scared shitless to go in there last night. And while it is yet to be determined how he'll look after just 1 day off between games, if he does come back ready to go, we're in for a long series. He's got to be somehwere in the top 5 already of Spurs killers right now and it's still early in his career. He just seems to light us up all the time. I don't see him shooting 80% again but 55%? Sure.

[spurtech09]

if the spurs win than they win game 4 there pretty much winning the series in 5....if thunder win than spurs still win in 7