Facing elimination in the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night, the Thunder put up a tremendous effort. While this series didn't have the excitement that some of the earlier rounds did, there were some very memorable game. This series never quite seemed competitive, as the average margin of victory for the winning team was 17 points.
The series appear lost for the Thunder after they lost the first two games by large margins. Fortunately, Serge Ibaka returned from injury and his impact was felt immediately. The Thunder were able to contain the Spurs offense and secure two victories at home. Unfortunately, they then lost all momentum in game five when the Spurs beat them by a score of 117-89. Heading into game six, facing elimination, the Thunder weren't gonna go down easily at home.
To start the game, the teams seemed very evenly match as they exchanged baskets. Heading into the second quarter the Thunder were up 23-20 and looking to increase their lead. They did just that as the outscored the Spurs 26-22 in the second to lead 49-42 at the half. When the Spurs announced that point guard Tony Parker wouldn't return for the second half it seemed certain that the Thunder would win the game.
But then the Spurs did what they do best, work together. The Spurs scored 37 points in the third quarter and limited the Thunder to 20 points. Up by 10 going into the fourth, the Spurs seemed confident they could secure a victory. However, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are a hard group to stop and they led the Thunder to 32 points in the fourth.
After getting fouled with nine seconds left in the game, Westbrook was able to make both free throws to tie the game at 101. When Manu Ginobili missed a jumper to win it, overtime was a certain. The Spurs were able to control the pace in overtime and outscore the Thunder 11-6 to secure the victory by a final score of 112-107.
The Thunder, like usual, were led by Westbrook and Durant who combined to score 65 points. Durant added 10 rebounds while Westbrook chipped in eight assists and seven rebounds. They did however turn the ball over 14 times combined and 20 times as a team.
These turnovers led to 33 Spurs points. The Thunder struggled to get bench production as the had total of five bench points. Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka were the only other players to produce for the Thunder as they added 21 and 16 points respectively. While the series loss is certainly disappointing for the Thunder, they have a very bright future and a lot to look forward too.
The Spurs were the definition of team play. They had five players score in double figures and had 51 bench points. The Spurs leading scorer was Boris Diaw who scored 26 points. The absence of Tony Parker did little to slow the Spurs as they still operated just as efficiently.
Tim Duncan turned in 19 points and 15 rebounds and seems poised to continue his level of play into the Finals. The Spurs will face the Heat in the Finals, a rematch of last year's Finals. After a heartbreaking loss the Spurs will be ready to try and avenge last year's defeat.