Clips Nation - Clippers-Thunder game coverage: West powers collideWhat it do babyyyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47967/clipsnation_fave.png2014-04-09T23:40:03-07:00http://www.clipsnation.com/rss/stream/53615272014-04-09T23:40:03-07:002014-04-09T23:40:03-07:00Clippers Fall Short Of Oklahoma City, 107-101
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wUR7zVPNGzgX-DzmaCOZ5XykOLc=/0x63:2703x1865/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/31406299/usatsi_7862397.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelvin Kuo/USA Today Sports Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Clippers struggled for most of the night, but they mustered enough energy for one final run the game's closing minutes. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to overcome the combined brilliance of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. </p> <p>Well, at least the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>' final meaningful game of the 2013-14 regular season was entertaining, because there were several points in that game when it seemed like the Clippers were going to get blown out of their own building by the only team left for them to chase in the standings. Oklahoma City got off to a strong start and opened up a lead as large as 15 mid-way though the second quarter, only to have the Clippers answer with a spurt of their own that cut their halftime deficit down to five.</p>
<p>It was in the final minute of the second quarter when the Clippers were finally able to muster something that resembled the best offense in the league after throwing up bricks for the first 23 minutes of the game. A <span>Blake Griffin</span> foul landed him on the bench, forcing <span>Doc Rivers</span> to close the half by going small with <span>Hedo Turkoglu</span> at the four. This worked out extremely well for the Clippers because it put the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> at odds with their fundamental defensive principles.</p>
<p>All game long, the Thunder packed the paint and pressured the ball on the perimeter, cutting off LA's dribble penetration and enticing the Clippers into Blake Griffin post-ups, which <span>Serge Ibaka</span> defended admirably throughout the game. But when the Clippers were able to run spread pick-and-rolls with <span>Chris Paul</span> and <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> surrounded by three shooters, the results were as follows: a lob to Jordan, a lay-up for Paul and a wing three for Turkoglu.</p>
<p>That would be the last of smallball, though, or at least the version of it with Paul on the floor with Jordan or Griffin as the big. Predictably, once the Clippers went back to their usual line-up, the offense bogged down and the Thunder were able to build up a huge lead once again. This isn't to say that there was no way for the Clippers to score effectively with Jordan or Griffin on the floor together, but with <span>J.J. Redick</span> going 1-of-7 from deep, <span>Matt Barnes</span> hitting just one of his four three-point attempts and Griffin struggling to perform with his usual proficiency on the block against Ibaka, I feel like Doc could have tried to manufacture the space that his offense was sorely lacking by going small a bit more.</p>
<p>But hey, the Clippers nearly came back and won this game with their core group even with everyone having horrific shooting nights. The Clippers went on a 12-0 run over a two minute span in the fourth quarter, cutting Oklahoma City's lead to one with four minutes left in the game. But after all of that work, once the game was finally within reach, the Clippers pissed away a pair of opportunities to take the lead with turnovers in the open court, and Westbrook and Durant would cold heartedly close the coffin. Westbrook delivered a nasty putback jam to put the Thunder up four with two minutes left, and after the Clippers got it back down to two, Durant threw up a wild stepback three that miraculously tickled the twine.</p>
<p>It's hard to pinpoint something that the Clippers did well in this game. The league's best offense shot 42% from the field, 30% from three and, perhaps most damning, 62% from the charity stripe. It's not necessarily shocking for the Clippers to struggle at the line or from beyond the arc on a given night, but for nothing to be functioning properly in the same game was certainly out of the ordinary, and it stacked the odds against Los Angeles from the get go. And I almost forgot to mention the 17 total turnovers for a team that has the 6th best turnover rate in basketball, and several of those turnovers could be described as bone-headed or clumsy.</p>
<p>You have to credit Oklahoma City. This performance wasn't all that different than the one they had against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">San Antonio Spurs</a> last Thursday when they forced the usually precise Spurs into 18 turnovers and disrupted what is one of the league's most fluid offenses. The Thunder are so long and athletic that they are able to clog the paint and the passing lanes all at once, and once they decide to throw aggressive pick-and-roll coverages at you, it can cause things to stall and force even a veteran maestro like CP3 into some fundamental mistakes.</p>
<p>And it was those kinds of mistakes that did the Clippers in for good in this one. Because as poorly as the Clippers played offensively, the Thunder weren't any better, shooting 42% from the field and 24% from deep themselves. The major difference, you might've guessed, was that Oklahoma City only turned the ball over eight times and made 81% of their 32 free throws. In what ended up as a six point defeat, you don't have to look any deeper than that for a reason that the Clippers won't have homecourt advantage in what would surely be one of the most entertaining conference semi-finals matchups in recent memory.</p>
<p>Some other notes:</p>
<p>- I thought <span>Reggie Bullock</span> gave 12 really good minutes in this game. You'd still like for someone that was billed as a shooter coming out of college to provide some kind of scoring punch from the perimeter, but Doc inserted him for one reason and one reason alone tonight: defense. I thought the rookie did an admirable job on Durant, using his length to bother Durant at his point of release, and you can give him partial credit for Durant's bad game.</p>
<p>- And Durant did have an off night. I suppose that is a bit concerning considering the result. Though Westbrook was excellent, you won't have many better opportunities to beat the Thunder than when Durant has an 8-of-26 performance (1-of-7 from three).</p>
<p>- It's crazy: When Chris Paul got trapped up high off of a pick-and-roll and he tried to split the defenders with a bounce pass, the Thunder managed to get a finger tip on the ball to create a live ball turnover. The same thing happened with <span>Tony Parker</span> last week. You don't see those two guys mess up in that particular situation very often. It speaks to Oklahoma City's length and activity defensively and what a disruption it can be.</p>
<p>- Blake finished with 30 and 12 but he shot below 50% and had just one assist. I suppose finding error with his performance is kind of like what we used to do with LeBron in his Cleveland days, but I found myself thinking he was a bit out of sorts at times, especially when the Clippers tried to force feed him down low early on. We saw a lot of forced up shots that didn't come close to going in. There wasn't a lot of pick-and-roll with Blake in this game either, as the Clippers mostly used it for Griffin to roll into a post position. Like I said before, the Thunder pull out all of the stops to pack the paint, and the Clippers weren't able to make them pay from the outside.</p>
<p>- Those were the most camouflaged eight assists I have ever (not) seen from Redick tonight. I suppose it is hard to notice someone's positive contributions when they go 1-of-7 from three and struggle defensively. I wouldn't panic, though, as Redick said after the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Mavericks</a> game that he doesn't think he'll be back in the swing of things until the playoffs begin.</p>
<p>- <span>Derek Fisher</span> didn't make a three in this game. That's a win for everybody!</p>
<p>- DeAndre had some unbelievable dunks in this game. That poster on Ibaka may have been his slam yet when you consider that Ibaka punched a Clipper in the nuts last year. Revenge is always fun, although Ibaka had a huge impact defensively in this game.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/4/9/5600208/clippers-fall-short-of-oklahoma-city-107-101Mark Travis2014-04-09T21:07:53-07:002014-04-09T21:07:53-07:00Clippers-Thunder second half open thread
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> trailed by as many as 15 in the first half but cut the lead to five at half time. After shooting just 41% in the first half, the Clippers probably feel fortunate to be that close.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/4/9/5600074/clippers-thunder-second-half-open-threadSteve Perrin2014-04-09T19:15:01-07:002014-04-09T19:15:01-07:00Clippers-Thunder open thread
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<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Thunder and Clippers will probably finish second and third in the Western Conference. If the Clippers hope to flip the order of that finish, they must win tonight at STAPLES Center.</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"><tbody>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2013/2014 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2.gif"><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium"></a> <br id="1393140560919">
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>55-23</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>56-21</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>April 9th, 2014, 7:30 PM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>STAPLES Center</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>ESPN, Prime Ticket, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Win-Loss Breakdown</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>21-9</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>22-6</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>34-14</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>33-15</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>32-6</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>32-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>23-17</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>24-14</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>29-16</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>29-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>26-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>27-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>7-3</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>7-3</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Russell Westbrook</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>J.J. Redick</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Thabo Sefolosha</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Matt Barnes</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kevin Durant</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Blake Griffin</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Serge Ibaka</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kendrick Perkins</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">98.33 (6th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>98.07 (9th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">109.5 (1st of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>107.9 (7th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">101.8 (7th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>100.8 (5th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Injuries/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>Jamal Crawford</span> (Achilles) out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b>None</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240">
<b><span>Danny Granger</span> (hamstring) out</b><br>
</td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><br></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Back Story (The Clippers lead the season series 2-1):</b></p>
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>Date</b></td>
<td><b>Venue</b></td>
<td><b>Final</b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>11/13/13</b></td>
<td><b>Los Angeles</b></td>
<td><b><a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> 111, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> 103</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/11/13/5102962/la-clippers-ibaka-less-okc-thunder-111-103-chris-paul-blake-griffin-kevin-durant"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131113/OKCLAC/gameinfo.html"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>11/21/13</b></td>
<td><b>Oklahoma City</b></td>
<td><b>Thunder 105, Clippers 91</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/11/21/5132244/out-of-sync-clippers-fall-to-thunder-105-91"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131121/LACOKC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>02/23/14</b></td>
<td><b>Oklahoma City</b></td>
<td><b>Clippers 125, Thunder 117</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/23/5440098/clippers-win-gunfight-at-okc-corral-125-117"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20140223/LACOKC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/4/9/5597624/clippers-thunder-open-threadSteve Perrin2014-04-09T00:00:03-07:002014-04-09T00:00:03-07:00Clippers-Thunder preview: The two seed in play
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tGXYjmSS7iubwqzYxvmWwaiwv-A=/405x10:3896x2337/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/31350511/20140223_mta_ax3_406.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Clippers still have a outside shot at the second seed, but only if they beat the Thunder tonight and take the season series.</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"><tbody>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2013/2014 NBA Regular Season</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif"></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2.gif"><img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium"></a> <br id="1393140560919">
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>55-23</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>56-21</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>April 9th, 2014, 7:30 PM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>STAPLES Center</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>ESPN, Prime Ticket, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Win-Loss Breakdown</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>21-9</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>22-6</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>34-14</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>33-15</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>32-6</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>32-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>23-17</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>24-14</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>29-16</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>29-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>26-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>27-5</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>7-3</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">L10</th>
<td width="240"><b>7-3</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Russell Westbrook</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>J.J. Redick</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Thabo Sefolosha</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Matt Barnes</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kevin Durant</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Blake Griffin</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Serge Ibaka</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>DeAndre Jordan</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kendrick Perkins</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">98.33 (6th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>98.07 (9th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">109.5 (1st of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>107.9 (7th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">101.8 (7th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>100.8 (5th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Injuries/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: right;" align="right" width="240"><b><span>Jamal Crawford</span> (Achilles) out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b>None</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240">
<b><span>Danny Granger</span> (hamstring) out</b><br>
</td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><br></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Back Story (The Clippers lead the season series 2-1):</b></p>
<table border="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>Date</b></td>
<td><b>Venue</b></td>
<td><b>Final</b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
<td><b><br></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>11/13/13</b></td>
<td><b>Los Angeles</b></td>
<td><b><a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> 111, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> 103</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/11/13/5102962/la-clippers-ibaka-less-okc-thunder-111-103-chris-paul-blake-griffin-kevin-durant"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131113/OKCLAC/gameinfo.html"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>11/21/13</b></td>
<td><b>Oklahoma City</b></td>
<td><b>Thunder 105, Clippers 91</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/11/21/5132244/out-of-sync-clippers-fall-to-thunder-105-91"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131121/LACOKC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>02/23/14</b></td>
<td><b>Oklahoma City</b></td>
<td><b>Clippers 125, Thunder 117</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/23/5440098/clippers-win-gunfight-at-okc-corral-125-117"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20140223/LACOKC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore"><b>Box</b></a></td>
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<p><b>The Big Picture:</b></p>
<p>The Clippers may or may not be able to catch the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. But they certainly can not do it without a victory in the final meeting of the regular season between the two teams tonight. An OKC win in this one would give them a three game lead in the loss column, while also tying the season series and bring other tie-breakers into play. It wouldn't clinch second for the Thunder -- but it would come pretty close. A Clippers win on the other hand makes things VERY interesting. It would reduce the gap in the loss column to a single game while at the same time clinching the season series for the Clippers and giving them the potentially crucial tie-breaker. At that point, just one more loss from the Thunder the rest of the way would give LA the second seed -- provided the Clippers can themselves win out. With OKC having a road game in Indiana still on their schedule, not to mention two more sets of back-to-backs, the odds are that the Thunder are not going to win their final five games. So the two seed would definitely be in play. Even if the Clippers can't catch OKC for the two seed, a win tonight is important, as these two teams are likely to see each other in the Western Conference semifinals, regardless of who is the two seed and who is the three seed. A 3-1 regular season series win would give the Clippers a lot of confidence in a playoff series. The Clippers have the advantage of being home (where they are a Conference best 32-6 this season) and rested (LA hasn't played since Sunday afternoon while the Thunder played in Sacramento last night).</p>
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<span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span> The view from Oklahoma City <span class="blog-links-star"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3608771/star.png"></span>
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<div class="blog-links-compact-link-container"><a href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com?utm_source=sbnation&utm_medium=bloglinks&utm_campaign=blogs">Oklahoma City Thunder blog Welcome to Loud City</a></div>
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<p><b>The Antagonist:</b></p>
<p>The Thunder have been a bit enigmatic this season. I believed all along that they'd take a step back with the loss of <span>Kevin Martin</span>, let alone the unexpectedly prolonged absence of Russell Westbrook. However, the utter brilliance of Kevin Durant has kept them from backsliding, even though the rest of the supporting cast has been pretty mediocre. <span>Reggie Jackson</span> has played a lot more minutes -- but has been just slightly about average in those minutes, and is actually shooting a lower percentage than he did last season. Serge Ibaka's PER is identical to last season and his shooting percentages are down. A lot was expected of <span>Jeremy Lamb</span>, but he's been at best mediocre. This is a team that tends to play <span>Derek Fisher</span> (39) and <span>Caron Butler</span> (33) in crunch time, a team that still can't play Westbrook in back-to-back games. So how is that they have the second best record in the NBA? Kevin Durant is that good. Strangely, they've struggled a bit more since Westbrook returned from his latest injury. The obvious key to beating the Thunder is to stop Durant (while finding ways to score against their very solid defense); forcing Westbrook to shoot instead of Durant is one way to do that.</p>
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<p><b>The Subplots</b></p>
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<li> <b>Comparison of key metrics.</b> Going by efficiency numbers, the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a>, Clippers and Thunder are the three best teams not just in the West but in the NBA. </li>
<li> <b>Starting lineups in tact.</b> The Clippers and Thunder have something in common -- they each have their preferred starting lineups in tact for the first time in a while. Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins and Russell Westbrook have all been injured for the Thunder, while J.J. Redick and before him Chris Paul have been out for the Clippers. The fivesome the Clippers will start tonight started together for the first time this season Sunday afternoon against the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a>. As for the Thunder, Sefolosha returned to action last night in Sacramento, and their familiar starting five will take the floor together for the first time since February 20th, and only the second time since Christmas Day. That is assuming that <span>Scott Brooks</span> decides to play Sefolosha in a back-to-back.</li>
<li> <b>Last meeting.</b> When these teams last met on February 23rd in Oklahoma City, the Clippers were had lost two in a row and had yet to win after the All Star break. Not only did they once again avoid a three game losing steak, they also entered their hottest stretch of the season, as that win launched an 11 game winning streak and the 18-3 stretch they're still in.</li>
<li> <b>Buy out help.</b> As of the last meeting, the trade deadline had just passed and buy out season was just beginning. The Clippers added <span>Glen Davis</span> and Danny Granger after they were bought out; the Thunder added former Clipper Caron Butler. Butler is actually playing more minutes per game for the Thunder than he played last season for the Clippers -- though that may change now that Thabo Sefolosha is back. Granger is nursing a sore hamstring and although he was shooting jumpers in practice on Tuesday he will not play tonight.</li>
<li> <b>Shumpert.</b> Speaking of the trade deadline, the Clippers considered trading for the very available <span>Iman Shumpert</span> at the deadline. Things became complicated when Shumpert injured his knee on the Wednesday night before the Thursday deadline, but the Clippers and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> kept talking right until the last minute before the deal fell through. The Thunder had shown some interest in acquiring Shumpert themselves, and in the aftermath, some have suggested that <span>Doc Rivers</span> had dragged out the discussion just to run out the clock and keep Shumpert away from OKC. But he wouldn't do that. Would he?</li>
<li> <b>Westbrook.</b> The Thunder are not playing Russell Westbrook in back-to-back games after his sundry injury issues in the past year. But they chose to rest him during the <a href="https://www.sactownroyalty.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Kings</a> game last night in order to save him for the Clippers.</li>
<li> <b>The streak is over.</b> Durant's 41 game streak of 25 points or more came to an end last night in Sacramento when he finished with just 23. It was the third longest such streak in NBA history, and the longest in almost 50 years. Durant recently said that he hoped it would end soon so people would stop talking about it -- I was kind of hoping it would end against the Clippers, but now he'll probably start a streak of 40+ games.</li>
<li> <b>Ibaka and Griffin.</b> Something about Blake Griffin definitely gets under Ibaka's skin. Last season he picked up two flagrant fouls against Griffin, and in the first meeting this year he was ejected for an altercation just before halftime. Can Ibaka keep his cool against Griffin? Can Griffin be effective without getting into foul trouble himself?</li>
<li> <b>The three ball.</b> Suddenly Chris Paul is red hot from beyond the three point line. He has made 20 of his last 40 three pointers, and with J.J. Redick back in the lineup, the Clippers are suddenly much more capable of spreading the floor, even without Jamal Crawford playing. The Clippers remain almost unbeatable -- now 34-1 -- when making nine or more threes in a game. They've done so in seven of their last nine games.</li>
<li> <b>OKC roster additions.</b> During the off-season the Thunder added three players to their roster: rookies <span>Steven Adams</span> and <span>Andre Roberson</span> and former Clipper <span>Ryan Gomes</span> (since waived) who played in Germany last season. That is to say, none of the OKC roster additions were actually in the NBA last season. It's a research project that is beyond my resources and patience, but I'd venture to guess that it's one of the first times since the advent of free agency that a team has entered the season without adding at least one player from a different NBA roster. When Butler joined the team in March he became he broke the string.</li>
<li><span><b>Sefolosha.</b> Thabo Sefolosha has made a career of playing defense and hitting the open three pointers that inevitably come his way playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. But after making .419 last season and .437 the season before that, he's way down to .338 this season. It's difficult to say whether this season or the last two is the outlier.</span></li>
<li> <b>Year over year.</b> The Thunder need to win their final five games to improve their winning percentage for the sixth consecutive season, which would be an NBA record. But guess what? The Clippers are just two wins away from improving for the fifth season in a row. The Thunder probably won't keep their streak alive, but the Clippers probably will and will have a shot at the record next year.</li>
<li> <b>Restbwook's woes.</b> Wussell Restbwook has had some major struggles against the Clippers. In his career against the LAC, he's shooting just .363 from the field in 21 games, his worst shooting against any opponent. He has had games of 1-12, 1-11, 3-13 and 3-14 among other dreadful outings against the Clippers. He's only scored 20 or more in six of 18 career games, and one of those was that 3-14 game where he got to the line a lot. He is a combined 15-44 in three meetings with the Clippers this season. Somehow, despite the fact that he has missed 35 games this season, he's managed to play against the Clippers every time. But given his history, I guess that's not a bad thing for the Clippers.</li>
<li> <b>Defending Durant.</b> Durant is simply a terrible matchup for each and every defender in the NBA -- that's a big part of what makes him so good. He's got the length of a seven footer, the quickness of a guard and scoring ability of a demi-god. No one can guard him; that's why he continually leads the league in scoring (he's leading by an astounding 4.6 points per game this season). Barnes is tough and will work hard, but has had a tough time staying in front of players this season; Dudley is smart and tenacious and we know he'll work hard. Both of these choices are less than ideal. Both Blake Griffin and rookie <span>Reggie Bullock</span> could take turns as well. It will definitely be defense by committee. And it's important. Figuring out how to stop Durant will be the key to any potential Clippers-Thunder playoff series, so anything Rivers can learn here in April could come in handy in May.</li>
<li> <b>Connections.</b> Blake Griffin was born and raised in Oklahoma near Oklahoma City and played his college ball at OU in Norman. Thunder coach Scoot Brooks was on the Clippers for about a month in January 1999, though he never got into a game. Former Clipper Ryan Gomes began the season with the Thunder, while former OKC player <span>Byron Mullens</span> began the season with the Clippers, but both are now gone. In Gomes' place is another recent Clippers small forward, Caron Butler. Chris Paul played his first two seasons in Oklahoma City while the Hornets were displaced from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook were teammates at UCLA, where Collison started at the point pushing Westbrook to shooting guard. Doc Rivers coached Kendrick Perkins at Boston, where they won a title together and might have won another had Perkins not torn his ACL in the playoffs.</li>
<li><b>Get the OKC perspective at <a href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" target="_blank">Welcome to Loud City</a>.</b></li>
<li> <b>Shakespearean reference:</b><br><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/playmenu.php?WorkID=kinglear">King Lear</a> -- <a target="_blank" href="http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=kinglear&Act=2&Scene=4&Scope=scene">Act II, Scene 4</a> -- </b><b>Lear</b><br><i>I prithee, daughter, do not make me mad. <br>I will not trouble thee, my child; farewell. <br>We'll no more meet, no more see one another. <br>But yet thou art my flesh, my blood, my daughter; <br>Or rather a disease that's in my flesh, <br>Which I must needs call mine. Thou art a boil, <br>A plague sore, an embossed carbuncle <br>In my corrupted blood. But I'll not chide thee. <br>Let shame come when it will, I do not call it. <br>I do not bid the <b>Thunder</b>-bearer shoot <br>Nor tell tales of thee to high-judging Jove. <br>Mend when thou canst; be better at thy leisure; <br>I can be patient, I can stay with Regan, <br>I and my hundred knights.</i> </li>
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https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/4/9/5596278/clippers-thunder-preview-the-two-seed-in-playSteve Perrin