Quick look at games with OKC this year.

Just did a quick look at the games with OKC this year. We were dominated in general, but want to throw some basic information to these 4 losses.

Games #1 94-88 at OKC. Spurs just won 9 in a row heading to OKC, who were currently undefeated at home. All spurs available for game. The interesting stat to me? Reggie Jackson scores 23 points and Westbrook scores 6.

Game #2 113-100 LEonard does not play this game( getting dental procedure done. Durrant scores 17, Westbrook 31 and Reggie JAckson 21.

Game #3 111-105 Splitter and Green are out with injuries and Leonard gets hurt, playing 15 minutes. Durant scores 36 and Jackson 27.

Game #4 106-94 Spurs on a 19 game with streak and rest MAnu this game Durant 28 pts Westbrook 27 and Jackson 14,

To sum up, 2 games were without LEonard and 2 games Spurs were on huge Streaks. The only thing that struck out to me was Reggie JAckson numbers.
23,21,27,14 for an avg of 22 pts a game. I think we can handle the rest, but we cant have a 3rd guy averaging 20 + a game for OKC or were in trouble.


Thoughts?
Please remember I just pulled this info up real quick to get some basic information. ID love to hear some more detailed thoughts on this.

Yoda

Don't even want to think about OKC yet. But Game 5 winner takes the series.

Green and Leonard's defense would be huge. They also have to shoot te ball. Too many times they'd allow them to affect shots.

Rebounding. Getting Ibaka in foul trouble is possible and wouldn't hurt.

Im most worried about Ilbaka

Reggie Jacksons numbers are what freaked me out.

Ya, I think the series is going to come down to whether 2+ OKC role players go off on us every game. If Splitter can keep Ibaka from having those perfect shooting nights he loves to have against us, we'll be in good shape. We'll see if having 2 more years of experience with The System will make it less likely to fall apart once pressured, like it did in '12.

Jackson goes into god mode against the Spurs for some reason. He and Ibaka live for turning OKC into an avalanche against SA. Parker does poorly against long athletic defenders like Thabo, and Green's shot vanishes when defenders try and run him off the line.

Duncan and Splitter, historically, haven't brought any athleticism to the paint against OKC's physical shot blockers, which is why they get mauled down low and the refs swallow their whistles. Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan have had some success in the paint against Perkins and Ibaka, but then again, they're Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan, and their team is down 2-3.

Durant and Westbrook are either to going to score at will, or they'll toss up so many shots that OKC's offense will stall. Avoiding another player like Jackson or Ibaka going for 20 every night is key, and hopefully Pop has plans on how to let the defense handle that. Some people want to see Kawhi on Durant but he might be better suited to defending someone else, because Durant really can't be stopped unless he's stopping himself.

Signs of encouragement should be that Green seems to be hitting a little bit of a stride lately, and if he can keep knocking down those pull up midrange jumpers, Brooks will have to commit a defender to him at all times. Splitter is having a remarkable postseason thus far, and if he can keep that up, his defense may be invaluable.

The overall issue is the Spurs' system. Offensively, it's sound - penetrate with a proven finisher at the rim to collapse a defense, and if the shooters are left open, find the most open man for the highest percentage shot. It's surgically precise murder for almost every team in the league. OKC's defense is built on their speed, and where the Spurs try to pass them into exhaustion, the Thunder like to wreak havoc. Thabo, Westbrook, and Ibaka are all incredible at disrupting passing lanes and creating turnovers. The Spurs try and move the ball around to the extent that eventually someone in blue guesses where it's going next and anticipates the pass, resulting in a breakaway that usually ends in an emphatic Westbrook dunk. It's one thing to protect the ball when dribbling, but quite another when the core of your offense is interrupted by players that are faster than your passing. Parker may be the closest thing the Spurs have to a shooter like Durant - not necessarily someone that can create his own shot, but someone who can hit buckets from almost anywhere. If the Spurs are going to stand a chance, they're going to have to get open more quickly and cut the number of passes down to avoid playing into OKC's hands. Faster ball movement and faster shots. On defense, focus less on stopping Durant and commit Green and Kawhi's defensive strengths to the role players that have been killing us.

4-0 in the regular season doesnt look good man. There's no way you can splice it up, OKC is a bad match up. It doesnt mean Spurs cant win, it just means its a bad match up.

OKC doesn't scare me... I'm scared of the refs tbh.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Horry Hipcheck

Jackson goes into god mode against the Spurs for some reason. He and Ibaka live for turning OKC into an avalanche against SA. Parker does poorly against long athletic defenders like Thabo, and Green's shot vanishes when defenders try and run him off the line.

Duncan and Splitter, historically, haven't brought any athleticism to the paint against OKC's physical shot blockers, which is why they get mauled down low and the refs swallow their whistles. Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan have had some success in the paint against Perkins and Ibaka, but then again, they're Blake Griffin and Deandre Jordan, and their team is down 2-3.

Durant and Westbrook are either to going to score at will, or they'll toss up so many shots that OKC's offense will stall. Avoiding another player like Jackson or Ibaka going for 20 every night is key, and hopefully Pop has plans on how to let the defense handle that. Some people want to see Kawhi on Durant but he might be better suited to defending someone else, because Durant really can't be stopped unless he's stopping himself.

Signs of encouragement should be that Green seems to be hitting a little bit of a stride lately, and if he can keep knocking down those pull up midrange jumpers, Brooks will have to commit a defender to him at all times. Splitter is having a remarkable postseason thus far, and if he can keep that up, his defense may be invaluable.

The overall issue is the Spurs' system. Offensively, it's sound - penetrate with a proven finisher at the rim to collapse a defense, and if the shooters are left open, find the most open man for the highest percentage shot. It's surgically precise murder for almost every team in the league. OKC's defense is built on their speed, and where the Spurs try to pass them into exhaustion, the Thunder like to wreak havoc. Thabo, Westbrook, and Ibaka are all incredible at disrupting passing lanes and creating turnovers. The Spurs try and move the ball around to the extent that eventually someone in blue guesses where it's going next and anticipates the pass, resulting in a breakaway that usually ends in an emphatic Westbrook dunk. It's one thing to protect the ball when dribbling, but quite another when the core of your offense is interrupted by players that are faster than your passing. Parker may be the closest thing the Spurs have to a shooter like Durant - not necessarily someone that can create his own shot, but someone who can hit buckets from almost anywhere. If the Spurs are going to stand a chance, they're going to have to get open more quickly and cut the number of passes down to avoid playing into OKC's hands. Faster ball movement and faster shots. On defense, focus less on stopping Durant and commit Green and Kawhi's defensive strengths to the role players that have been killing us.

---

Nice analysis. The fine line between the extra pass and just taking the decent shot is paramount against OKC. They are just that quick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Thebesteva

4-0 in the regular season doesnt look good man. There's no way you can splice it up, OKC is a bad match up. It doesnt mean Spurs cant win, it just means its a bad match up.

---

dallas was supposed to be a cakewalk matchup, and portland was supposed to be a hard matchup. shit gets weird in the playoffs. not that the spurs have been great, but OKC has looked very mortal against both memphis and the cippers

I guarantee scrubs will be made as certified superstars during this series while Westbrook steals the shots from KD and they don't really get much on offense. It'll be Perkins and Ibaka that kills us like last time.

Sort of like how Ray Allen, Chris Andersen, and Shane Battier killed us in the Finals last year...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spurraider21

dallas was supposed to be a cakewalk matchup, and portland was supposed to be a hard matchup. shit gets weird in the playoffs. not that the spurs have been great, but OKC has looked very mortal against both memphis and the cippers

---

Memphis should in reality have won that series in 5 games, they choked away game 4 to go up 3-1 so bad.... WOW. Do not get me started there. They owned that series until game 6 at home and then boom......... Game 6 they got whipped and game 7 without Z BO forget it. That should have ended in 5.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dg7md

I guarantee scrubs will be made as certified superstars during this series while Westbrook steals the shots from KD and they don't really get much on offense. It'll be Perkins and Ibaka that kills us like last time.

Sort of like how Ray Allen, Chris Andersen, and Shane Battier killed us in the Finals last year...

---

Harden KILLED US last time! TBH. Thank GOD he is not there now. You forgot him.

Spurs deserve to be kicked out of the league if they lose to OKC because of Mumm-Ra Jackson.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sean Cagney

Memphis should in reality have won that series in 5 games, they choked away game 4 to go up 3-1 so bad.... WOW. Do not get me started there. They owned that series until game 6 at home and then boom......... Game 6 they got whipped and game 7 without Z BO forget it. That should have ended in 5.

---

teams seem to choke against OKC quite a bit :lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spurraider21

dallas was supposed to be a cakewalk matchup, and portland was supposed to be a hard matchup. shit gets weird in the playoffs. not that the spurs have been great, but OKC has looked very mortal against both memphis and the cippers

---

I like how the Spurs look, and you know I root against Miami and the best matchup mentally IMO are the spurs. Sadly, I see OKC beating the Spurs,but not the clippers. I think the best thing is if Clippers win, it will be a 5 game series for SA.

OKC just has that athleticism and that ref thing going for them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sean Cagney

Memphis should in reality have won that series in 5 games, they choked away game 4 to go up 3-1 so bad.... WOW. Do not get me started there. They owned that series until game 6 at home and then boom......... Game 6 they got whipped and game 7 without Z BO forget it. That should have ended in 5.
Harden KILLED US last time! TBH. Thank GOD he is not there now. You forgot him.

---

You're right, Harden was always a Spurkiller in the long line of them. He's definitely one of the best actual players who are classified as the Spurkillers. Definitely no Jerome James. :lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by spurraider21

teams seem to choke against OKC quite a bit :lol

---

Not Miami, they routinely punk that team and beat the shit out of them! Thats the only team they lose against and have no luck at all! GO FIGURE! If the Finals are Miami and OKC this year I won't watch! That series is just a horrible matchup for them and they never seem to play good against MIAMI! GO SPURS! GET THERE! WE NEED THAT.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dg7md

You're right, Harden was always a Spurkiller in the long line of them. He's definitely one of the best actual players who are classified as the Spurkillers. Definitely no Jerome James. :lol

---

Jerome James after game 4 05, we don't give them no RESPECT NONE!!!!!!!!!!! Trashbag man said that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Thebesteva

4-0 in the regular season doesnt look good man. There's no way you can splice it up, OKC is a bad match up. It doesnt mean Spurs cant win, it just means its a bad match up.

---

We just saw Miami easily dispose of Brooklyn in 5 games after losing all 4 regular season games.

I agree that it's a bad match up, but I don't need to look at regular season game outcomes to see that.

Jerome James, Derick Fisher, "The Jet", and Tracy McGrady (during the regular season) live to play the Spurs.

Don't rule out Clippers.. I think they can win the next Game against OKC

It's a bad matchup for many reasons, tbh..

Leonard's defensive strength and defensive impact on the Spurs is in his help/roaming defense, which is impossible against OKC, since he has to defend Durant in isolation..offensively, he can contribute well, but he's going to be fatigued from defense, and more importantly, the foul concern against an elite foul-drawer..

Green is the other elite perimeter defender, and he'll have his hands full with Westbrook..unfortunately, Pop still doesn't trust him with heavy minutes, so if he isn't making his 3s, Pop will probably sit him and the defense will go downhill..

Perkins and Sefolosha have a good history in defending Duncan and Parker..they are the 2 highest-usage players on the Spurs, so that's obviously a huge roadblock..

The Spurs have looked overwhelmed against Reggie Jackson, they don't have any bench players that can guard him, apparently..of course you also have Fisher, the Spurs killer..

The Spurs' bigs are known for their interior passing, but it becomes useless against OKC with Ibaka's presence and the quickness of his second jump..

It doesn't mean they don't have a chance, though..Pop is a much better coach than Brooks, the Spurs have an abundance of shooters that can get hot in a hurry, Leonard is still surprising us, Splitter appears to have grown, and OKC simply hasn't looked that great in the playoffs..

On paper, Leonard/Green is as good as it gets for a duo to guard Westbrook/Durant, but foul trouble is expected, tbh..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by silverblackfan

Jerome James, Derick Fisher, "The Jet", and Tracy McGrady (during the regular season) live to play the Spurs.

---

you'd think after all his big shots, spurfan would learn how to spell Derek Fisher

Ugh, Jason Terry, if not for 0.4 he'd be way worse than Fisher ever was.

I like how we match up against OKC tbh. We have the two best defenders you can ask for in Green and Leonard on Westbrook and Durant. Hopefully Patty can keep up the D like he did this series against Lillard on Jackson, and Manu can D up on Butler. I hope the Spurs take it in the paint against Ibaka, and get him in foul trouble. If so I really like our chances. Of course Clippers would be the ideal matchup, and hope they can still pull this series off.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by YODA

Just did a quick look at the games with OKC this year. We were dominated in general, but want to throw some basic information to these 4 losses.

Games #1 94-88 at OKC. Spurs just won 9 in a row heading to OKC, who were currently undefeated at home. All spurs available for game. The interesting stat to me? Reggie Jackson scores 23 points and Westbrook scores 6.

Game #2 113-100 LEonard does not play this game( getting dental procedure done. Durrant scores 17, Westbrook 31 and Reggie JAckson 21.

Game #3 111-105 Splitter and Green are out with injuries and Leonard gets hurt, playing 15 minutes. Durant scores 36 and Jackson 27.

Game #4 106-94 Spurs on a 19 game with streak and rest MAnu this game Durant 28 pts Westbrook 27 and Jackson 14,

To sum up, 2 games were without LEonard and 2 games Spurs were on huge Streaks. The only thing that struck out to me was Reggie JAckson numbers.
23,21,27,14 for an avg of 22 pts a game. I think we can handle the rest, but we cant have a 3rd guy averaging 20 + a game for OKC or were in trouble.


Thoughts?
Please remember I just pulled this info up real quick to get some basic information. ID love to hear some more detailed thoughts on this.

Yoda

---

I don't think those games mean anything. Spurs didn't start playing well until after the break. If I remember right game 4 was the second of a back to back and something like the 5th game in 7 days and the Spurs jumped out to a big 1st half lead, then gave it up in the third and Pop pulled the plug early in the 4th.

Just don't turn the ball over.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Thebesteva

4-0 in the regular season doesnt look good man. There's no way you can splice it up, OKC is a bad match up. It doesnt mean Spurs cant win, it just means its a bad match up.

---

It doesn't, but the Nets were 4-0 against the Heat, and we saw how that turned out. The Thunder have looked worse than we have in these playoffs, so I'm not sure if they're totally "there" as a team — plus we have homecourt, which will be huge.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dg7md

It doesn't, but the Nets were 4-0 against the Heat, and we saw how that turned out. The Thunder have looked worse than we have in these playoffs, so I'm not sure if they're totally "there" as a team — plus we have homecourt, which will be huge.

---

Huge difference, Miami was coasting like the Lakers the year the Sonics beat them 4-0 in the regular season. OKC is a legit threat, its like when the spurs gave the Lakers problems (I think it was the 03 season) and they dethroned them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mVp

OKC doesn't scare me... I'm scared of the refs tbh.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Thebesteva

Huge difference, Miami was coasting like the Lakers the year the Sonics beat them 4-0 in the regular season. OKC is a legit threat, its like when the spurs gave the Lakers problems (I think it was the 03 season) and they dethroned them.

---

No doubt OKC is the biggest threat, but to make them out to be the biggest challenge yet for us is a bit of a mistake and underestimating our team. It's easy to go back to the 2012 situation, but we were worse then, and OKC was better, and we were up 2-0 before we just lost it.

We have a much better shot at winning against them this year. It's not going to be easy nor will it be guaranteed, but I feel like our chances this time around are a lot better.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Malik Hairston

It's a bad matchup for many reasons, tbh..

---

You said exactly the same thing about the Blazers. Look how that turned out.

I still vividly remember Adams bullying Tim and refs not calling anything :depressed

Spurs are probably in the film room today going over these games and the Clips games. Plus they will be going over the playoff games both teams have played thus far.

Nets swept the Heat in the season. Regular season a lot of times doesn't mean nothing. Spurs swept the Mavs, look how that turned out. W/o Harden, I don't see OKC beating the Spurs in a 7 game series that the Spurs have HC advantage.

The Spurs-Thunder games seem to have a common trait -- three of the four quarters are relatively even.

OKC wins the other quarter (usually the 2d or 3d) by about ten points.

OKC, like most great teams, wins on runs -- one good run per game usually will do.

The blocked shots stat also sticks out -- OKC (especially Ibaka) is blocking a ton of Spurs' shots inside.

For all the conspiracy theorists, we know the refs can do a lot -- but they can't block shots. I'm pretty sure that's not the refs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Uriel

You said exactly the same thing about the Blazers. Look how that turned out.

---

And I pointed out all the major advantages the Spurs had and how Parker can/should dominate, which he did..

They don't have many advantages in this series, tbh..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Thebesteva

4-0 in the regular season doesnt look good man. There's no way you can splice it up, OKC is a bad match up. It doesnt mean Spurs cant win, it just means its a bad match up.

---

Do you want to feel better about the regular season losses? Brooklyn won all 4 regular season matchups against the Heat this year and were ousted in 5 in the playoffs (real season). The regular season doesn't mean anything.


The real concern for the Spurs is to bring the requisite amount of energy every night to beat the Thunder. No slacking allowed. They must protect the ball and value every possession. I've been saying this all year - The Spurs are the best team in the league. The Thunder are mediocre but crazy athletic and make up for their horrible offensive philosophy with aggressiveness. They bring it every night.

P.S. Skip Bayless is a dumb ass and a pussy. This is the playoffs! This is no time to be scurred. If you think your team is the best then you welcome the best competition. Bring on the Thunder, I want to see us beat their asses.

First and foremost how well Tony Parker handles Ibaka lurking will be telling. Also, lessen Jackson's impact sort of like the Spurs did with Devin Harris in the dallas series. Then they will have a great of chance winning the series .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gilmor

Don't rule out Clippers.. I think they can win the next Game against OKC

---

Agree. I still favor the Clippers coming out of that series and facing the Spurs. I see the spurs getting the easiest matchups as possible.

As the Heat just proved against the Nets, the regular season can be fools gold. However, if you look at all of the scores (Spurs vs Thunder) with the exception of the last one, the games were close. The Spurs are playing very well right now, and the Thunder have been largely unimpressive thus far in the playoffs.

OKC's length and athleticism is a problem. Sefolosha and Ibaka have been the primary problems defensively, as they prevent TP from initiating the offense. That problem will be magnified if Parker isn't 100%. As we saw in the second half of game 5 against the Blazers, the Spurs can still be elite without Parker going off. Manu and Patty Mills will have to play well for that to happen. Their play has been up and down thus far.

As someone else pointed out, Leonard is best when he is allowed to roam defensively. He's more Scottie Pippen than Bruce Bowen. Given that smaller defenders have given Durant problems this post season, it might be wise to put Danny Green on him and allow Kawhi to guard either Sefolosha or Westbrook most of the time, with the former being the optimal choice. Stopping Westbrook from scoring should not be a priority. The Spurs should let him feast and try and contain everyone else, as OKC's others have traditionally destroyed us. The fact that Westbrook takes many ill advised shots is a bonus.

OKC is a team full of Derek Fishers led by Derek Fisher. Our worst nightmare.

It's just this simple the refs don't call fouls against okc when they play us, this leads to fastbreak points. If they did call fouls and okc was playing our halfcourt D for most of the game we would win easy.

It's simple. Don't lose a home game.

Remember that Miami was 0-4 against the Nets and just eliminated them in 5. Playoffs are a whole new season.

Apparently, Spurs fans are really banking on the correlation between the nets v heat series and them with OKC. Its two completely different scenarios. The nets are a team you coast against, the Thunder are not. It DOESNT mean Spurs wont or cant win, it just means its a very difficult match up for them.

The Spurs love to let the opposing bigs shoot long range open jumpers. Duncan rarely leaves the paint. Too bad Ibaka loves hitting those open jumpers. Someone has got to go out and contest his jumpers and it will be hard when the Thunder put Ibaka at center, matched up against Duncan.

OP forgot to mention Westbrook was out game 3 this season. Thunda still beat us.

IMO the key to this series will be this guy. He shot a miserable 2-16 in game 1 reg season. then went to shoot 55% the other 2 games.

If Spurs can somehow make Westbrook play like Chimpbrook. they have a chance.

If Westbrook becomes efficient shooter Spurs are fucked.

I will go ahead and say it... If Westbrook shoots 45% or better vs the Spurs. the Spurs are fucked. deadly beatdown by the hand of the Thunda

If westbrook shoots under his current playoff average which is 43.5% Spurs will have a good chance at the upset.

Assuming that the Thunder are up next, I actually think that Splitter's recent successes with both Nowitzki and Aldridge are hopeful signs in defending Ibaka. Ibaka is a different dude than those guys, but Tiago has shown some ability to defend in space against proficient (and in Aldridge's case, fairly athletic) shooters and at least make them work for what they get.

Generally, the question for the Spurs is finding some way to either limit the Thunder scoring to Durant and Westbrook without a big third scorer or to ensure that if a third scorer comes along, everyone else is pretty much silent. I used to think, back in the heyday of Spurs/Lakers, that the real key to beating LA was keeping Kobe below about 1.00 points per shot; if he's going to get 30, make him take 30 shots to get there. I don't think it's realistic to expect that against Durant, but if you can keep him closer to 1 PPS than 2 PPS, it makes things a little bit more doable. All the way around, it's much more easily said than done.

Easy, too, to get caught up in the assumption that the Thunder are next; still think the Clippers might have something to say about that.

^ disagree. Splitter is not good at defending pick and pop players (which Ibaka is) just look at the Finals last year and Bosh

totally different animals and I'm not sure Splitter would be of any use :cry

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Budkin

OKC is a team full of Derek Fishers led by Derek Fisher. Our worst nightmare.

---

This. Fishers understands you can be overly aggressive in the last few minutes of a game without being called for fouls if your the first team to start being aggressive. The spurs never do this first so when they start reacting with physical play the refs call fouls on them. Just look at what happened in the clips thunder game 5, and heat nets game 4.

On a different note, would it hurt to pump fake Ibaka every now and again. He's literally tries to block everything that comes his way. His over eagerness needs to be used against him.

In a way you have to defend them the same way teams defend us. Except for Westbrook, you have to make it a priority to cover the 3 point line (something the series against Portland prepared us for) and shut down the paint. It's not that Russ is a bad 3 point shooter, but he can be streaky and inefficient with that shot, wreck a lot more havoc with penetration, and if there's something the Spurs have to give up, that would be it.

Boxing out and rebounding is imperative, something the Spurs didn't do quite well in the Portland series.

And you have to put points on them. Clippers were pretty efficient scoring on them by moving the ball well. The Spurs would be foolish to attack with simple pick and rolls and isolation. Their defense hasn't been too impressive this playoffs so far.

Finger slipped on quick reply button, my mistake

Portland had the 28th ranked pick&roll defense, this season..Parker dissected them all series, he was by far the best player in the series..

OKC isn't the 28th ranked pick&roll defense, tbh, Spurs will need to attack much differently..

http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/P4...shot-photo.jpg

Biggest things with OKC it seems to me when I watch the games is that Ibaka, basically by himself, erases like 10-15 points off of layups that the Spurs otherwise would have gotten vi Parker/Ginobili's penetration and Duncan's post up shots. Jackson is a beast against us, too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hater

OP forgot to mention Westbrook was out game 3 this season. Thunda still beat us.

IMO the key to this series will be this guy. He shot a miserable 2-16 in game 1 reg season. then went to shoot 55% the other 2 games.

If Spurs can somehow make Westbrook play like Chimpbrook. they have a chance.

If Westbrook becomes efficient shooter Spurs are fucked.

---

Just want to point out Game#3 Both Splitter and Green were out that game. To top things off, This is the game Leonard got hurt in. He played 15 min.

http://www.coastalvirginiamag.com/im....7218045112782

This is the biggest issue with the Thunder.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Russ

The Spurs-Thunder games seem to have a common trait -- three of the four quarters are relatively even.

OKC wins the other quarter (usually the 2d or 3d) by about ten points.

OKC, like most great teams, wins on runs -- one good run per game usually will do.

The blocked shots stat also sticks out -- OKC (especially Ibaka) is blocking a ton of Spurs' shots inside.

For all the conspiracy theorists, we know the refs can do a lot -- but they can't block shots. I'm pretty sure that's not the refs.

---

Interesting that you note their blocked shots stats. Refs swallow their whistles on Ibaka goaltending all the time.

Spurs will have to execute and not let shit get to their heads.