Game Thread: Western Conference Finals: OKC Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs

[Hornsstampede2.0]

Serge Ibaka and James Harden were the TWO BIGGEST reasons SA lost in 2012.
The Spurs handled Durant and Westbrook, but they were befuddled by Ibaka and Harden.


Ibaka made life miserable for Duncan.
Harden simply took over every late game moment in the 2012 series and frustrated the Spurs.


Ibaka has especially been better versus San Antonio than any other big man.
He has been a one man kryptonite in that matchup.

 

[Pariah]

Well, the playoffs just got incredibly boring.

 

[Wishbone]

Steven Adams has really been coming on. He and Collison will have to split the minutes. Perkins is actually an asset here but is worthless vs. Miami.

 

[trojanfan12]

I said Spurs all along, this just confirms it.

 

[piss-tons]

Changed to Spurs in 6

 

[Heatles84]

Poor Serge. Spurs just punched their ticket to the Finals. Spurs in 5.

 

[Acrux]

I felt spurs in 6 prior, I almost want to say 5 now..

 

[thunderc]

Horrible luck 2 years in a row for a team with a real shot at a championship.

 

[wildturkey]

Spurs players should be thankful. Their nuts are safe now

 

[occupant]

Well heck...thanks guise for saving me the trouble of even bothering to watch this series...
..and there I was thinking they even had a chance.

 

[MarkOU]

Thunder in 6 bitches.

 

[Black Adam]

Hate to say it, but Spurs in 6...

 

[Lakers+USC=#1]

I picked the Spurs to come out the West, back when most of you said they had no chance, during the regular season, when they couldn't beat the top teams.

 

[BUD]

Go Spurs!! SA in 6.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

I picked the Spurs to come out the West, back when most of you said they had no chance, during the regular season, when they couldn't beat the top teams.

What "top team" have they beat? They went 7 with DAL and 5 with an overrated POR team. If you included POR in the "top teams" then ok. I never did.

Now they are going to get OKC with 30% of their team missing. IMO Ibaka is more important than Westbrook and it is not close. Jackson can fill in for Westbrook just fine, give some extra shots to KD (what should be happening anyways) and let Jackson chuck a few each game. What they can't replace is 2.7 blocks per game.

SA is a really good team, but last year they were lucky enough to have OKC lose Westbrook in the playoffs and this year OKC lost Ibaka.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

What "top team" have they beat?

The Spurs were a complete injured mess for about the first 40-45 games of the season*
*They set a franchise record for the most injury man games missed (in only 42 games no less).

Here is how a healthy San Antonio did versus 50+ wins since February 1st:
Beat the Clippers by 10
Beat the Blazers by 2
Beat Miami by 28
Beat Portland by 13
Beat GSW by 9
Beat the Pacers by 26
Beat GSW by 21
Beat Memphis by 20
Beat Portland by 24
Beat Portland by 17
Beat Portland by 15
Beat Portland by 22
They lost a completely meaningless at Houston.
They lost at OKC.
They lost at Portland in game 3.

So at worst, they went 12-3 in their last 15 games versus 50 win teams.

It is 12-2 if you don't count Houston.
Or maybe its only 11-3 if you don't think Miami is any good.

November and December results are far more important than anything from February to May!!!

 

[Wishbone]

Okc will have the best 2 players on the floor and SA is getting old.

 

[bksballer89]

SA is not that old.....It is a myth

 

[bksballer89]

There are only 2 guys in San Antonio rotation that are above the age of 32. Out of the 15 players on the Spurs roster, 10 of the 15 are 29 or younger, 2 are 32, and 3 more are 34 or older

 

[Heatles84]

SA is not that old.....It is a myth

The Spurs only old players are Tim Duncan (38) and Manu Ginobli (36). Tim Duncan still out performs 95% of the league and Manu does fine off the bench.