Clips Nation - Round 2 Game 2 Clippers-Thunder coverage: Beware the MVPWhat it do babyyyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47967/clipsnation_fave.png2014-05-08T04:00:48-07:00http://www.clipsnation.com/rss/stream/54562272014-05-08T04:00:48-07:002014-05-08T04:00:48-07:00Westbrook, Durant, OKC evens things up in Game 2
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<figcaption>Ronald Martinez</figcaption>
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<p>The Thunder used an emotive third quarter run to even up this Western Conference Semi-Final with a 112-101 victory over the Clippers. </p> <p>OKLAHOMA CITY -- As the saying goes, a series doesn't start until one team wins on the other team's homecourt.</p>
<p>And as much as the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Clippers</a> talked about their desire to stock up with another road win, they played in Game 2 as if their job was done after Monday night.</p>
<p>As expected, the Oklahoma City crowd was as jacked as ever. One <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> employee told me that it likely topped the atmosphere of the two <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-finals" class="sbn-auto-link">NBA Finals</a> games that OKC hosted in 2012 and the night that <span>Scott Brooks</span> got his Coach of the Year trophy in 2010. I'm still not sure what Adam Silver said to <span>Kevin Durant</span> during his pre-game MVP ceremony. The building was rocking and it had a clear impact on the start of the game.</p>
<p>The tone was set on the very first play of the night. The Clippers came out of the gates trying to get <span>Blake Griffin</span> the ball on the right block. Durant smothered <span>Matt Barnes</span> on the wing, preventing him from making an entry pass, and when Barnes tried to swing it back to <span>Chris Paul</span>, <span>Russell Westbrook</span> shot out of a cannon to knock the ball away, just barely missing out on an easy dunk attempt going the other way.</p>
<p>The intensity shown on that first play was a sign of things to come. While Durant cooled down after his 5-of-6 start (12 points in the first seven minutes), Westbrook's never motor never stopped running all night long. Even on his best nights Westbrook can make reckless decisions, but this is the kind of game that makes it very obvious why the Thunder are going to put up with his head-scratching decisions. He was flying all over the court, pulling down impossible offensive rebounds, getting to the basket with ease in transition and causing a lot of havoc with his energy defensively.</p>
<p>Westbrook's final assist may have been the product of home cooking, but you are kidding yourself if one extra assist is what made his night special. Westbrook's six offensive rebounds were critical and he toed the line between attacking the smaller defenders the Clippers had on him and making the right reads when the help came as well as he ever as. In particular, Westbrook ruthlessly attacked his former UCLA teammate <span>Darren Collison</span>, a minus defender in general that is at a massive disadvantage against the bigger Westbrook. Westbrook took him to the post, crossed him over in the halfcourt and went right at him with a head of steam on the break, getting to the rim with ease.</p>
<p>And that's where we saw the biggest dropoff in performance for the Clippers from Game 1 to Game 2. Westbrook was able to get by his man a good amount on Monday night, but Los Angeles did a good job of protecting the paint. In this one, either Westbrook was able to finish over length at the rim or there was nobody in sight. In the second half the wheels began to fall off for the Clippers and they had several critical defensive breakdowns that lead to easy basket after easy basket for Oklahoma City. Nobody could stay in front of Westbrook and a few times <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> was caught absentmindedly guarding <span>Kendrick Perkins</span> 10 feet from the rim rather than sagging off to protect the paint.</p>
<p>The rotations were either late or from the wrong spots and the players were often confused by what is a very rudimentary Thunder offense. In that pivotal third quarter, Los Angeles ceded a dunk to <span>Serge Ibaka</span> because two defenders stayed with Durant on OKC's standard pindown without having Jordan in the paint to stop Ibaka on the roll. Rivers was furious with his team's defense in the third and took two timeouts in the span of three possessions at one point because his guys weren't communicating or executing.</p>
<p>To make matters worse, the Clippers compounded a lack of awareness defensively with a total lack of effort and inexcusable carelessness.</p>
<p>Westbrook is going to sky for some offensive rebounds even if you're making a conscious effort to keep him off the glass because he's a freak athlete, but letting him generate six extra possessions by himself while giving up 15 offensive rebounds to the Thunder as a team (which led to 17 second chance points) is all about effort, and there were a few times in the second half when a Thunder player came from out of nowhere to nab the offensive board while a Clipper player stood motionless. And once Oklahoma City started to roll, we saw things like lazy inbounds passes after made baskets, one of which was stolen by <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span>, eventually leading to a Westbrook three that put the Thunder up 17 with 2:48 left in the third.</p>
<p>What's crazy is that the Clippers had a legitimate shot to win this game early on. They responded to Durant's hot start by knocking down their first four threes and it was just a five point deficit at the half. But a combination of early foul trouble for Paul, which prolonged the stretches during which Collison was on Westbrook, and poor outside shooting (after their 4-of-4 start, LA went 5-of-23 from deep) eventually doomed the Clippers, particularly after they let the Thunder get the mental edge with their explosive run in the third quarter.</p>
<p>The Clips had reason to be upset with the way the game was called when Oklahoma City started to get going. A couple of very questionable illegal screen calls helped the Thunder keep the momentum and it also got Jordan off the floor with foul trouble. But Rivers felt like the team got too caught up in arguing with the officials instead of focusing on the game, and that was obvious in LA's crucial mental lapses.</p>
<p>As disappointing as it is to have such a poor performance in such a key game, the Clippers are likely taking comfort in the fact that they did what they needed to over these first two games. The Clippers knew how the Thunder were going to come out after losing Game 1- they themselves were in this same exact position in Game 2 in the first round against the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Warriors</a>, and they delivered a blowout win just like OKC did last night - and unfortunately they caved once Oklahoma City started playing with desperation.</p>
<p>It was a less than ideal way to lose, but if you flipped the results of Games 1 and 2, nobody would be upset right now. The Clippers were never going to sweep the Thunder, but now that they are heading back to Los Angeles with homecourt advantage, they're still in a great position to beat them.</p>
<h3>BLAKE'S BLUES</h3>
<p>Griffin's play was likely the biggest subplot of this game. Even though he didn't shoot well in Game 1, I thought Griffin played well because of his playmaking from the foulline. In this game, though, the Clippers didn't run quite as many high pick-and-rolls, and the result was a less than impressive all-around effort from LA's superstar. Griffin clanked a lot of jumpers, he fell asleep defensively and he pulled down just six boards in a game in which the Clippers got outrebounded by 16.</p>
<p>Griffin was somewhat responsible for the lower frequency of high pick-and-rolls, as was Paul's early foul trouble. <span>Doc Rivers</span> praised Griffin after Game 1 for recognizing what was making the offense click and seeking out CP3 to run pick-and-roll every chance he got. Things were a bit different in this game. Watch here how Griffin tries to isolate against Serge Ibaka rather than flowing into another pick-and-roll with Paul.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424629/griffin1.gif"><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424629/griffin1.gif" class="photo" alt="Griffin1_medium"></a> <br id="1399545009180"></p>
<p>It goes without saying that Griffin is going to get post touches in this series, but he doesn't seem to have much of a plan here. He dribbles off of the block and calls for DeAndre Jordan to come set him a screen. Once Kendrick Perkins switches onto him, he pirouettes and turns the ball over.</p>
<p>On the prior possession, Griffin was left wide open for a mid-range jumper because the Thunder had two defenders flying at <span>J.J. Redick</span> in the corner. Now, Griffin has obviously made some strides with his jumper this year and it can be a useful shot in some situations. But in this spot, when the only defender in front of him is Perkins, who is occupied by Jordan, don't you want Griffin to put the ball on the floor and aggressively attack the rim? Either he's going to draw Perkins' help, freeing Jordan for the lob, or he's going to Mozgov Perkins again. Instead, he hesitates, long the bane of the effectiveness of his jumper, and tries to bank it in.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424647/griffins2.gif"><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424647/griffins2.gif" class="photo" alt="Griffins2_medium"></a> <br id="1399545141004"></p>
<p>You have to credit Ibaka. I thought he did a great job of getting back in transition to make sure Griffin never got easy looks by running the floor and he also defended Griffin well in isolation, which had previously been the knock on Ibaka's defensive game. Watch here how he keeps Blake from getting to the middle, shading his right side to force him to attack going left. Because Ibaka is so athletic and long, he's able to give Griffin the driving lane while still being able to recover.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424659/Griffin3.gif"><img src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424659/Griffin3.gif" class="photo" alt="Griffin3_medium"></a> <br id="1399545237667"></p>
<p>These are some things that Griffin can work on improving and you can live with him having an off night with his shot against a defense that has him well scouted. What can not be overlooked, however, is how little he contributed on the glass and as a defender. When your offensive game is MIA, you have to find other ways to make an impact, and Griffin wasn't up to the task in Game 2.</p>
<h3>WESTBROOK'S WORLD</h3>
<p>Westbrook's performance in Game 2 was special. It's one of the many things that I love about basketball. So many players are great in so many different ways. The variance in how Chris Paul gets a triple-double and how <span>Rajon Rondo</span> gets a triple-double and how Westbrook got his last night* shows the world class variety of the league.</p>
<p>Westbrook catches a lot of flak for his play style and much of it is deserved, but can you blame a guy for playing like he thinks he is unstoppable when he is, well, unstoppable?</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424683/West1.gif"><img src="http://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424683/West1.gif" class="photo" alt="West1_medium"></a> <br id="1399545321698"></p>
<p>I'm just not sure what you are supposed to do with that. Obviously, you have to build a wall behind the initial defender in hopes that Westbrook stops short of the paint and pulls up for that inefficient mid-range jumper, but even that strategy isn't enough when Westbrook is on.</p>
<p>Here he blows right by Paul, who had to play conservatively because of his foul trouble, and challenges Jordan right at the rim.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424691/westbrook2.gif"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424691/westbrook2.gif" class="photo" alt="Westbrook2_medium"></a> <br id="1399545378515"></p>
<p>And though Westbrook definitely has his selfish sabbaticals, he did a great job of getting others involved in Game 2. Watch here how he backs down Collison, sees Griffin coming over to help and has the patience to wait for Griffin to fully commit before finding Ibaka for the wide open jumper.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424699/westbrook4.gif"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424699/westbrook4.gif" class="photo" alt="Westbrook4_medium"></a> <br id="1399545458771"></p>
<p>On this momentous play in the third quarter, we see both sides of Westbrook. Initially he makes a great find of Durant on the dive to the rim off of his pindown screen, but after Durant gets swatted, the ball ends up in his hands again. Backed up a few feet behind the three-point line, Westbrook takes a couple of dribbles and accelerates right past Paul on his way to a massive throwdown.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424739/westbrook3.gif"><img src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/assets/4424739/westbrook3.gif" class="photo" alt="Westbrook3_medium"></a> <br id="1399546615655"></p>
<p>Westbrook may not shoot this well again in this series, but his multifaceted approach to Game 2 was an important development for the Thunder. And the Clippers have to make sure that they don't let Westbrook get as many great looks at the rim as he did last night if they want to close out this series.</p>
<p><i>Many thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite">Justin Russo</a> for his help with the GIFs.</i></p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/8/5694078/marks-musings-the-thunder-get-evenMark Travis2014-05-07T23:42:10-07:002014-05-07T23:42:10-07:00ClipCast episode 80: Heading home
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<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Clippers took one of two in Oklahoma City, and that's a good thing as the series shifts to Los Angeles</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> may have lost the Game 2 battle, but they won the bigger battle to wrest home court away from the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a>. (I won't say they've won the war... in this analogy, the war is the series. Or is it the NBA championship? Wow has this metaphor gone off the rails!) Regardless, the ClipCast crew are here to remind us that coming back to LA tied 1-1 is not such a bad thing.</p>
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<p>You can listen to ClipCast right here whenever new episodes are available<span>. Check out </span><a style="font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/clipcast.-best-clippers-podcast./id574649000?mt=2" target="_blank">prior episodes</a><span> in iTunes. </span><a style="font-size: 12px; background-color: #ffffff;" href="https://twitter.com/LACLIPCAST" target="_blank">Follow ClipCast</a><span> on twitter. All that stuff.</span></p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/7/5694036/clipcast-episode-80-heading-homeSteve Perrin2014-05-07T22:22:02-07:002014-05-07T22:22:02-07:00Thunder bounce back to bounce Clippers, 112-101
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<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Kevin Durant accepting his MVP trophy, then he and Russell Westbrook each went out and played like MVPs as the Thunder won Game 2 to tie the series at one game apiece. Game 3 is Friday in Los Angeles.</p> <p>A lot of things went right for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> in Game 1 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> in Oklahoma City on Monday night, most notably a whole lot of three pointers fell. A lot of things went wrong for them on Wednesday.</p>
<p>After hitting their first four three points of the game, they suddenly went very cold from deep, making just 5-23 the rest of the way. They had foul trouble, with both <span>Chris Paul</span> and <span>DeAndre Jordan</span> having their minutes curtailed because of fouls -- in Paul's case, sitting out after about five minutes with two fouls that were beyond mysterious. And they got bad/terrible games from two of their top three scorers, as <span>Blake Griffin</span> (5-13) and <span>Jamal Crawford</span> (2-13) struggled to score. On the other hand, <span>Kevin Durant</span> and <span>Russell Westbrook</span> both had otherworldly good games. It all added up to a loss, sending the best-of-seven series back to Los Angeles tied one game apiece.</p>
<p>That's pretty good of course. It's now a best-of-five series from this point, with the Clippers hosting three of the five remaining games. The Clippers will certainly take that. But this game was actually pretty close to going the Clippers way.</p>
<p>Los Angeles weathered the storm in the first quarter, which is what they needed to do. After Kevin Durant accepted his first MVP award in a pre-game ceremony, a day after his emotional acceptance speech energized his teammates and the entire city, the Thunder figured to come out pumped up a mile high, which they did. Shortly after Paul went to the bench with his second foul (the first one called by Monte McCutcheon with his eyes closed as Westbrook, Paul and the ref all thee came together on a loose ball and the second called by David Jones on a play in which Paul literally did not touch Durant) Oklahoma City went on a 11-0 run to take a seven point lead. When the first quarter ended with the Thunder up nine, I figured the Clippers actually felt OK, all things considered. They weren't out of the game, and Paul had yet to score.</p>
<p>Indeed, Paul returned to the court to open the second quarter and the Clippers almost immediately got right back into the game. Less than midway through the quarter they'd cut the lead to three. With four minutes left in the half, they took the lead. They'd withstood a strong Thunder push, pushed back and even taken the lead. Surely they'd take the game at this point.</p>
<p>It was not to be. A six-zero OKC run to close the first half followed by a decisive third quarter in which the Thunder outscored the Clippers 33-20 decided the game. With Durant providing what you would expect and Westbrook playing as well as I've ever seen him play, the Clippers needed all of their weapons in order to compete, and neither Griffin nor Crawford were on their games. So the Clippers will have to be content with the split.</p>
<p>Durant and Westbrook finished with remarkably similar lines: 32 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for KD, 31 10 and 10 for Russ (although his triple double is more than a little tainted by a ridiculous decision from the official scorer for his final assist). They each took just 22 shots to get their 30 point nights, a relatively commonplace level of scoring efficiency for Durant, but much more surprising from Westbrook. I'm almost willing to concede the series if Westbrook is going to make 8-13 on jump shots. It doesn't happen often, and when it does he pretty much unstoppable. Luckily, my concessions won't come into play, since he's not going to hit so many jumpers going forward. (There's a school of thought that it is a good thing for the Clippers for Westbrook to hit so many shots in Game 2 -- the Clippers are happy to allow him to take those shots compared to what else he could be doing, and if falls in love with jump shots in all or part of the rest of the series it could bode well for the Clippers.)</p>
<p>The series shifts to LA now, and the next two games will be huge. If the Clippers can manage to defend their home court and win both, they'll have three chances to close out the series after that, putting OKC in an extraordinarily difficult situation. If however the Thunder can steal one on the Clippers home court, they will regain the upper hand.</p>
<p>The Clippers will need their home crowd behind them on Friday in Game 3 -- but they'll also need Blake Griffin to play better.</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/7/5693888/thunder-bounce-back-to-bounce-clippers-112-101Steve Perrin2014-05-07T20:21:29-07:002014-05-07T20:21:29-07:00Game 2 Clippers-Thunder second half open thread
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> are in a good position heading into the second half, down just five after falling behind by as many as 10 early. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> are living off Durant and Westbrook -- will it be enough?</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/7/5693680/game-2-clippers-thunder-second-half-open-threadSteve Perrin2014-05-07T15:04:10-07:002014-05-07T15:04:10-07:00Game 2 Clippers-Thunder open thread
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<figcaption>Ronald Martinez</figcaption>
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<p>This is essentially a must win for the Thunder. If the Clippers take a 2-0 lead on the road, this series could be over in a hurry.</p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" cellspacing="5" border="1" cellpadding="5" align="center"><tbody>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">2014 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-playoffs" class="sbn-auto-link">NBA Playoffs</a><br>First Round</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 href="http://thunder"></a>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2.gif"><img src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium"></a> <br id="1399263854201"></p>
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>57-25</b></center></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>59-23</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr></tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Game 2 - May 7th, 2014, 6:30 PM <br>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>Chesapeake Energy Arena</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>TNT, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center">Series Schedule<br>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b>The Clippers lead the series 1-0</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3">
<b>Game 1 - Mon May 5 in Oklahoma City, </b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/5/5686040/clippers-thump-thunder-122-105"><b>Clippers 122-Thunder 105</b></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3">
<b>Game 2 - Wed May 7, 6:30 p.m., TNT, </b><b>Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Arena</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3">
<b>Game 3 - </b><b>Fri May 9</b><b>, 7:30 p.m., ESPN, </b><b>Los Angeles, STAPLES Center</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3">
<b>Game 4 - Sun May 11, 12:30 p.m., ABC, </b><b>Los Angeles, STAPLES Center</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3">
<b>Game 5* Tue May 13</b><b>, Time TBD</b><b>, TNT, </b><b>Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Arena</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3">
<b>Game 6* Thu May 15, Time TBD, ESPN, </b><b>Los Angeles, STAPLES Center</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3">
<b>Game 7 * Sun May 18, Time TBD, TNT, </b><b>Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Arena</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" colspan="3"><b><i>* if necessary</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr></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>23-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>36-16</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>36-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>34-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>34-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>23-18</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>25-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>25-18</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>27-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b>32-7</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>32-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><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"><span><b>Blake Griffin</b></span></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"><span><b>DeAndre Jordan</b></span></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>Key Reserves</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Darren Collison</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Derek Fisher</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Jamal Crawford</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Reggie Jackson</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Jared Dudley</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Caron Butler</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Danny Granger</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Nick Collison</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b><span>Glen Davis</span></b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Steven Adams</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Advanced Stats 2013-2014 Regular Season</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">98.39 (7th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>98.53 (6th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">109.4 (1st of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>108.1 (7th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="right" width="240"><b style="text-align: start; ">102.1 (7th of 30)</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>101.0 (5th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><b>Injuries/Other</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right" style="text-align: right;"><b><span>Hedo Turkoglu</span> (back) out</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b>None</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" height="20" colspan="3"></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Back Story (The teams split the season series 2-2):</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 class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> 111, <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> 103</b></td>
<td><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/11/13/5102962/la-clippers-ibaka-less-okc-thunder-111-103-chris-paul-blake-griffin-kevin-durant" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131113/OKCLAC/gameinfo.html" target="_blank"><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 href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/11/21/5132244/out-of-sync-clippers-fall-to-thunder-105-91" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20131121/LACOKC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore" target="_blank"><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 href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/2/23/5440098/clippers-win-gunfight-at-okc-corral-125-117" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20140223/LACOKC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore" target="_blank"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>04/09/14</b></td>
<td><b>Los Angeles</b></td>
<td><b>Thunder 107, Clippers 101</b></td>
<td><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/4/9/5600208/clippers-fall-short-of-oklahoma-city-107-101" target="_blank"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a href="http://www.nba.com/games/20140409/OKCLAC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore" target="_blank"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/7/5692496/nba-playoffs-round-2-game-2-clippers-thunder-open-threadSteve Perrin2014-05-07T11:34:49-07:002014-05-07T11:34:49-07:00Game 2 Preview: LA looks to keep the tears rolling
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XyQJg0uy2IXr9FBIUV1L6k2qXKM=/3x0:3996x2662/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/32671945/20140505_sal_ax3_148.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After an emotional day in Oklahoma City, the Clippers look to keep the momentum on their side after their blowout win in game one. </p> <p>OKLAHOMA CITY -- The tears were flowing in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Not because Thunder fans were sobbing about what the Clippers did to their team in Game 1, but because Kevin Durant delivered an emotional speech when he was presented with the 2013-14 Most Valuable Player award. Durant went beyond the usual platitudes, singling out every one of his teammates with an anecdote about how they helped him be successful before capping it off with a heart-to-heart moment with his mom.</p>
<p>One could see how such a sentimental ceremony could bring what was already a team praised for its chemistry even closer together. Specifically, Durant making sure his love and support for the much maligned Russell Westbrook was well known could be the reaffirmation that the team needed after a first round series against the Grizzlies that featured a disconnected dynamic duo. With Oklahoma City's famously raucous crowd likely to be as juiced up as ever after Durant is presented with the trophy again before the game, the Thunder may be able to feed off the emotion that stems from Durant's teary-eyed speech.</p>
<p>But Chris Paul isn't concerned.</p>
<p>"I ain't worried about all that," the Clipper point guard said. "It's basketball."</p>
<p>Paul said the he didn't leave the hotel yesterday, meaning he was numb to the noticeable vibe around town. He called Durant a close friend and a brother and said he thought the speech was great, but he quickly shot down the idea that the Clippers were anxious about the impact it may have on tonight's game.</p>
<p>"I thought it was terrific. It was very nice," Doc Rivers said of Durant's MVP speech. "I love he fact that he thanked his teammates and his coaching and everything. I thought that was great."</p>
<h3>GRANGER EMBRACING HIS ROLE</h3>
<p>Rivers was asked at shootaround about the play of Danny Granger, who has struggled with his shot this post-season, and if he was worried about his faint output thus far in the playoffs.</p>
<p>"He hasn't got the ball a lot. If he hasn't gotten the ball a lot, it's kind of hard to score," Rivers said. "I don't have any concern there."</p>
<p>Doc reiterated that the team is not expecting Granger to be the 20 point per game guy that he was for the Pacers during his prime.</p>
<p>"That's not true anymore," Rivers said. "He's become a role player. It's probably more difficult for him, but I think it is difficult for every single role player."</p>
<p>Granger is 8-of-30 from the field and 3-of-15 from deep through eight playoff games this season, but he's found other ways to contribute on the glass and defensively. Even as he searches for his shot, Rivers is happy with the way Granger has handled the transition from the star to a rotation guy.</p>
<p>"Everybody in the NBA, at some point, was a star in college or in high school," Rivers continued. "And the guys that have to become role players, that is difficult. But most of them learn, and I think Danny is in the process of that."</p>
<h3>PICKING AND ROLLING</h3>
<p>I spoke with DeAndre Jordan about Los Angeles' pick-and-roll attack and what they were looking to do any time Paul and Blake Griffin ran a screen-and-roll at the top of the key.</p>
<p>"Initially we are just trying to take whatever they give us," Jordan said. "We have six players on the team that could average 20 (points) a game if they wanted to. But our main guys - Chris and Blake - are really unselfish to where they really want to pass more than they want to shoot the ball."</p>
<p>Paul and Griffin combined for 15 of the Clippers' 26 assists on Monday night in addition to scoring 55 points as a duo. Jordan noted how both players are waiting to see how the floor looks after they run the screen-and-roll to determine their next move.</p>
<p>"On our pick-and-rolls, if Chris can't get a shot or if Blake can't get a roll, then it depends how much the floor opens up," Jordan said. "If it does, Blake will find shooters, and if not, it's an easy pass to me at the rim."</p>
<p>When I asked him if there was a player in the league that was more dangerous when getting the ball at the free throw line than Griffin, he didn't hesitate with his answer.</p>
<p>"I don't think so," Jordan said. "He can shoot it right there, he can make the pass to the corners, he can make the lob pass and he can also take one dribble and dunk it from right there, too. So he's pretty deadly once he rolls out of (a pick-and-roll) and gets it at the free throw line."</p>
https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/7/5691474/game-2-preview-and-notes-los-angeles-looks-to-head-home-with-a-2-0Mark Travis2014-05-07T00:00:06-07:002014-05-07T00:00:06-07:00Game 2 Clips-Thunder preview: Let's do that again!
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mdFfWos3Qs8DwUMPmE2w2KvLSUM=/0x274:2320x1821/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/32648477/20140505_sal_ax3_206.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Clippers thrashed the Thunder in Game 1 to take an early lead in the series. Will they be satisfied with stealing one game, or will they take complete control of the series with another road win?</p> <table align="center" cellpadding="5" border="1" cellspacing="5" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"><tbody>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center">2014 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-playoffs">NBA Playoffs</a><br>First Round</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/472353/bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium.gif" alt="Bvv028jd1hhr8ee8ii7a0fg4i_medium"></center></td>
<th width="20" align="center">vs</th>
<td width="240"><center> <a href="http://thunder"></a>
<p><a href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="Khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/assets/100663/khmovcnezy06c3nm05ccn0oj2_medium.gif"></a> <br id="1399263854201"></p>
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240"><center><b>57-25</b></center></td>
<th width="20" align="center"><br></th>
<td width="240"><center><b>59-23</b></center></td>
</tr>
<tr></tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center">Game 2 - May 7th, 2014, 6:30 PM <br>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>Chesapeake Energy Arena</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>TNT, KFWB 980 AM, KWKW 1330 AM</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Series Schedule<br>
</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>The Clippers lead the series 1-0</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<b>Game 1 - Mon May 5 in Oklahoma City, </b><a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/5/5686040/clippers-thump-thunder-122-105" target="_blank"><b>Clippers 122-Thunder 105</b></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<b>Game 2 - Wed May 7, 6:30 p.m., TNT, </b><b>Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Arena</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<b>Game 3 - </b><b>Fri May 9</b><b>, 7:30 p.m., ESPN, </b><b>Los Angeles, STAPLES Center</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<b>Game 4 - Sun May 11, 12:30 p.m., ABC, </b><b>Los Angeles, STAPLES Center</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<b>Game 5* Tue May 13</b><b>, Time TBD</b><b>, TNT, </b><b>Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Arena</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<b>Game 6* Thu May 15, Time TBD, ESPN, </b><b>Los Angeles, STAPLES Center</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center">
<b>Game 7 * Sun May 18, Time TBD, TNT, </b><b>Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy Arena</b>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b><i>* if necessary</i></b></td>
</tr>
<tr></tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center">Win-Loss Breakdown</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>21-9</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">East</th>
<td width="240"><b>23-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>36-16</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">West</th>
<td width="240"><b>36-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>34-7</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Home</th>
<td width="240"><b>34-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>23-18</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Road</th>
<td width="240"><b>25-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>25-18</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">.500+</th>
<td width="240"><b>27-16</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b>32-7</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">.500-</th>
<td width="240"><b>32-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="center" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver"><b>Probable Starters</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Chris Paul</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Russell Westbrook</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>J.J. Redick</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Thabo Sefolosha</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Matt Barnes</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kevin Durant</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><span><b>Blake Griffin</b></span></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Serge Ibaka</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><span><b>DeAndre Jordan</b></span></td>
<th width="20" align="center">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Kendrick Perkins</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><b>Key Reserves</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Darren Collison</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Derek Fisher</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Jamal Crawford</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SG</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Reggie Jackson</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Jared Dudley</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">SF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Caron Butler</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Danny Granger</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">PF</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Nick Collison</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b><span>Glen Davis</span></b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">C</th>
<td width="240"><b><span>Steven Adams</span></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th bgcolor="silver" colspan="3" align="center"><b>Advanced Stats 2013-2014 Regular Season</b></th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">98.39 (7th of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">Pace</th>
<td width="240"><b>98.53 (6th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">109.4 (1st of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">ORtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>108.1 (7th of 30)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="240" align="right"><b style="text-align: start; ">102.1 (7th of 30)</b></td>
<th width="20" align="center">DRtg</th>
<td width="240"><b>101.0 (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>Hedo Turkoglu</span> (back) out</b></td>
<th align="center" width="20"><br></th>
<td width="240"><b>None</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th colspan="3" height="20" bgcolor="silver"></th>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Back Story (The teams split the season series 2-2):</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>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; "><b>04/09/14</b></td>
<td><b>Los Angeles</b></td>
<td><b>Thunder 107, Clippers 101</b></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/4/9/5600208/clippers-fall-short-of-oklahoma-city-107-101"><b>Recap</b></a></td>
<td><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/games/20140409/OKCLAC/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore"><b>Box</b></a></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p><b>The Big Picture:</b></p>
<p>The Clippers survived a terrible week in which their owner embroiled them in controversy. They played one game in which they were completely distracted and disoriented, and two more where they were drained both physically and emotionally. When they survived that experience to advance to the next round, they rejoiced not just at the win, but at the opportunity to start fresh. And boy did they take advantage of that opportunity. For the second time this post season (the first being Game 2 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a>) they looked like the team we've thought they could be all season. Learning a new system, injuries, and then scandal kept them from being that team. Is it possible that they can be that team consistently for the rest of these playoffs? The Thunder (and the rest of the league for that matter) hopes that they won't, but maybe they can. The Clippers played free and easy, while executing their game plan on both ends of the court on Monday night. They invoked Lawler's Law by scoring 100 points before the end of the third quarter and led by as many as 28 points before calling off the dogs. Everything they did on offense worked, and their defensive game plan to make someone other than Durant or Westbrook beat them looks like a winner. Chris Paul won't make eight straight three pointers again, but if the Clippers can get as many open looks in Game 2 as they did in Game 1, they'll win easily enough.</p>
<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 were a mess on Monday. It's hard to say why. I know they can't be that team -- their record and their statistical profile say otherwise. Of course I'm the guy that criticized them all summer and predicted that they'd take a big step back this season. It's tempting to say "I told you so." But if they were really as bad as we saw on Monday, they wouldn't have won 59 games. Right? From the OKC perspective, they know that an ugly Game 1 loss is still just one loss -- there are no style points. They were behind to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> in their first round series (as indeed the Clippers were behind the Warriors) and there's a long way to go. They're going to try to forget Game 1 and to prove that it was an anomaly not indicative of who they are. We'll see.</p>
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<p><b>The Subplots</b></p>
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<li> <b>Series preview.</b> Be sure to revisit the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/5/5682344/nba-playoffs-round-2-clippers-thunder-series-preview">series preview</a> which contains some of the overarching points for the series. I won't repeat those points here.</li>
<li> <b>Keys to the series.</b> Be sure to check out Mark Travis' <a href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/4/5680084/keys-to-the-series-calming-the-storm" target="_blank">Keys to the Series post</a> for his insights. Mark will be attending all of the games in Oklahoma City covering it for Clips Nation, so he'll be bringing us on site reporting from Oklahoma throughout the series. His <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/6/5686266/marks-musings-quite-the-opening-act">Game 1 analysis</a> is excellent.</li>
<li> <b>Clips Nation viewing party.</b> There's a Game 2 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/4/5681906/joeys-smokin-bbq-torrance-clips-nation-informal-viewing-party">viewing party</a> tonight at Joey's Smokin' BBQ in Torrance. Citizen pegitom owns Joey's and loves to host Clippers fans. The big screens will be showing the game, the volume will be up, the staff will be decked in Clippers gear and the sauce will be spicy (or not if you prefer). There's discounts on all regular priced food for all Clipper fans. Yes it's an early tip and a challenge to get there on a Wednesday in LA traffic, but make the effort. You won't be disappointed.</li>
<li> <b>Two great games.</b> The Clippers are coming off two of the great wins in franchise history in succession, a Game 7 win at home against the Warriors and an emphatic road win over the Thunder to open the conference semi-finals. Bear in mind that the Clippers were swept by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> two years ago and lost in the first round last year, so this was their first win in the second round in eight years -- and it's the first time the Clippers have ever led a conference semi final series (the Braves had a 1-0 lead over the Bullets in 1975). It's not been a great history, but this team is re-writing it.</li>
<li> <b>MVP.</b> To no one's surprise, Kevin Durant was named the league's MVP yesterday. He'll receive his award before tonight's game. Blake Griffin came in third in the voting and Chris Paul finished seventh. So this series features three of the top seven players in the league, at least according to the MVP voters. No wonder everyone is so excited about it.</li>
<li> <b>A theory.</b> Is it possible that the Thunder won regular season games based solely on talent? Is it possible that given a chance to thoroughly game plan against that talent, against a team that is so dependent offensively on just two players, that they become not just more vulnerable but significantly so? Odds are that the Thunder will bounce back strong in Game 2 and that Game 1's dreadful performance will become a distant memory, an outlier not at all indicative of reality. If not, if the Clippers dominate this series, this might be as good an explanation as any.</li>
<li> <b>The OKC Thuner.</b> Call them the Thuner, because there's no D. The Clippers absolutely vivisected the OKC defense on Monday night in Game 1. As J.A. Sherman of Welcome to Loud City told me via email, the Thunder looked as if they'd literally never seen the middle pick and roll before -- despite the fact that it's page one of the scouting report on the Clippers. OKC had the third highest rated defense in the Western Conference this season. It's actually what they've done best this season as a unit, their offense being more or less predicated on the simple greatness of Kevin Durant. They'll probably figure something out, or maybe just wake up from a bad dream. But in Game 1 they were clueless -- and even more clueless coming out of halftime, which certainly doesn't bode well for them.</li>
<li> <b style="font-size: 13px;">Paul's explosion.</b><span> Chris Paul scored 32 points on 14 shots in Game 1 -- a true shooting percentage somewhere in the neighborhood of 114%. As it happens, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.clipsnation.com/2013/12/16/5217376/chris-pauls-epic-night-in-washington">CP3 had a game earlier this season</a> in which he scored 38 points on 14 shots, but he also took 11 free throws in that game. Suffice it to say that while Paul is not known for his scoring, Monday's performance was among the most efficient scoring outbursts in the history of the NBA, let alone in a playoff game. Paul won't make 8-9 from deep again tonight, but he's been red hot from behind the line, and you can bet he's going to keep shooting if they keep giving him that shot.</span> </li>
<li><span><b>Who steps up for the Thunder?</b> The Thunder have the MVP. They have a healthy Russell Westbrook, who was second team All NBA last season. They have a very solid player in Serge Ibaka. All three of those guys played fine on Monday, while the Clippers gave the first two a LOT of defensive attention. No one else on the Thunder was even mediocre, and there's reason to question if they can be. The Clippers strategy is going to be to make someone else beat them -- and right now it looks like a winning strategy.</span></li>
<li><span><b>Rebounding.</b> As great as everything was on Monday there was one dark cloud in Game 1 -- the Clippers got killed on the boards. The Clippers got 25 defensive rebounds while the Thunder got 15 offensive rebounds; that's a pretty ridiculous percentage of OKC misses that they got back. Forcing 17 turnovers while only committing eight helped to mask the problem with extra Clipper possessions, but if the shooting percentages even out the Clippers can't win while getting hurt so badly on the glass.</span></li>
<li> <b style="font-size: 13px;">Connections.</b><span> Blake Griffin was born and raised in Oklahoma near Oklahoma City and played his college ball at OU in Norman. Thunder coach <span>Scott Brooks</span> 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><span>Byron Mullens</span><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. <span>Doc Rivers</span> 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.</span> </li>
<li><b style="font-size: 13px;">Get the OKC perspective at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Welcome to Loud City</a>.</b></li>
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https://www.clipsnation.com/2014/5/7/5689114/round-2-game-2-clippers-thunder-preview-lets-do-that-againSteve Perrin