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Category: Oklahoma City Thunder
Picking the Playoffs: Can the Spurs Save the Series — or Are We Watching Oklahoma City Take Control?
The honesty section comes first tonight. This Western Conference Finals has been a disaster for us. After a brutal 0-3 showing Friday night, our postseason…
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Oklahoma City Thunder | Western Conference Finals Game 4 Preview: San Antonio Spurs
“Game 4 is an important game” is a severe understatement. Either way, the Thunder is heading back to OKC with homecourt advantage, so the pressure is definitely less than if they had given away Game 3 to the Spurs. Still, you don’t want to let your opponent gain any momentum in this series, and if San Antonio were to win big to tie up the series, they would likely be feeling pretty good about themselves. On the flip side, San Antonio should be feeling all the pressure in the world to win this one. Going down 3-1 before heading back to the loudest arena in the NBA would not be good news for the Spurs.
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Thunder Against the Spread | Spurs Favored Over Thunder in San Antonio for WCF Game 4
Oklahoma City was an underdog in Game 3, but they proved why championship experience so often beats out youthful talent. Despite going down 15-0 right out of the gate, the Thunder fought back—little by little—to win by 15. With a 2-1 lead, Game 4 is leaning heavily on the Spurs in terms of pressure, whereas OKC is probably feeling pretty good. San Antonio SHOULD win this game in terms of a typical NBA Playoff narrative, but I think the Thunder—even with missing key players—have far too much depth and resolution to let one go easily. I expect a close game, and while I do expect OKC to win, even if the Spurs do pull it out, it won’t be by more than 2 points.
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The Death of the Modern Star: Why Depth Wins Championships Now
There was a moment late in the third quarter when the reality of modern NBA basketball became impossible to ignore. Victor Wembanyama had just done…
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Oklahoma City Thunder | Western Conference Finals Game 3 Preview: San Antonio Spurs
Wemby had a monster stat line in Game 1, and SGA looked like the reigning MVP in Game 2. Either one—or both—could have another big night in Game 3, but as the series goes longer, the team with the better “other guys” is going to have a much better chance at pulling out the win. OKC is about as deep as they come, but San Antonio has its fair share of depth.
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Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Enters Game 3 of WCF Against Spurs as Rare Underdog
OKC is 2-1 in clutch games out of 10 playoff games played so far. San Antonio is 2-4 in clutch games out of 13 playoff games played so far. Both Games 1 and 2 were close ones, with each team taking a win apiece, and Game 3 should be another game decided in the clutch. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning clutch player of the year, and though he’s not been nearly as hot late in games in the playoffs, I trust him over Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, or anybody else San Antonio has. I think OKC pulls this one out to take a 2-1 series lead.
View More Thunder Against the Spread | OKC Enters Game 3 of WCF Against Spurs as Rare Underdog
The Wembanyama Antidote: How Isaiah Hartenstein Changed the Series in the Trenches
For all the elegant spacing, beautiful ball movement, and three-point math that defines modern basketball, the Oklahoma City Thunder rediscovered something primal in Game 2…
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Picking the Playoffs: Why the Spurs Still Hold the Edge Against Oklahoma City in Game 2
The first punch of the Western Conference Finals landed squarely on the chin of the NBA Handicapping V3.0 model. After a blistering 25-11 run through…
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Oklahoma City Thunder | Western Conference Finals Game 2 Preview: San Antonio Spurs
Game 2 will be a big game of adjustments as Mark Daigneault tries to get the Thunder ready to tie up the series. Attack the rim more—even if Wemby is in the paint—rebound the ball at a much more efficient rate, and keep the crowd in the game by way of momentum.
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