Quick look at games with OKC this year.

[UZER]

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.

[ElNono]

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.

[illcendiary]

Finger slipped on quick reply button, my mistake

[Malik Hairston]

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..

[superjames1992]

[mingus]

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.

[YODA]

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 ed.

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.

[hsxvvd]

This is the biggest issue with the Thunder.

[4down]

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 get to their heads.