Thunder: Team is One | RESTART ON THE WAY

Looks like it's a sweep, not surprising considering you won 69 games. Also glad Wade is just killing the Pacers.

I'm afraid that when we meet in the finals, he's gonna torch me. Thanks for the support!

Yeah would be surprised if you drop the next game, too much momentum. Good work.

I'll try and go for the sweep! Though the Clips are hard to beat during the first half. Thanks for the support!

Westbrook's 53, Thunder sweep Clippers

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GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS

Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook (53 PTS, 5 REB, 14 AST and 3 STL)
Thunder Down Under: Kevin Durant (38 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST and 4 BLK)
Thunder Protector: Serge Ibaka (11 PTS, 15 REB, 3 AST, 4 STL and 5 BLK)

Russell Westbrook's BIG performance in the most crucial time was fantastic. There is no other way to describe it aside from the word "great" and it's synonyms. Those 53 points that propelled OKC to the second round in a nail-biter during the last minutes of the game. He was simply disruptive and wreaking havoc for the Paul-led Clippers, who finished with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists and three steals.

The Thunder also broke their old record of scoring 51 points during the season by scoring 54 points from Westbrook, KD, Ibaka and Martin. Kevin Durant had a horrible first half but quickly turned it around during the fourth quarter, providing the hot hand despite his 5 fouls. At one point, KD was fouled out but the officials rescinded their call half-a thoughts later.

The opposing team, Los Angeles Clippers are now deeply broken, as their stars refused to talk to the media after the game. The Thunder, meanwhile, celebrated their advancement to the second round of the playoffs. We are seeing a team with potential to win it all after coming up short to the Miami Heat in five games in the last NBA Finals.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Lakers, Smith, advance to the second round: 110-94 - Josh Smith (25 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 5 STL and 3 BLK in 35 MIN)
Series MVP: Kobe Bryant

Miami sweep Pacers with Wade's 26: 95-90 - Dwyane Wade (26 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL and 2 BLK in 34 MIN)
Series MVP: Dwyane Wade

Knicks surprises world as they sweep Nets: 113-105 - Carmelo Anthony (30 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST and 2 STL in 34 MIN)
Series MVP: Carmelo Anthony

T'Wolves grabs 3-1 series lead: 103-82 - Kevin Love (27 PTS, 15 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL in 35 MIN)

Kemba Walker ties series at 2 with win: 101-88 - Kemba Walker (29 PTS, 3 REB, 8 AST and 4 STL in 37 MIN)

Toronto avoids elimination: 104-99 - Jose Calderon (7 PTS, 3 REB, 14 AST and 2 STL in 35 MIN)

Denver wins against Houston, leads 3-1: 128-103 - Andre Iguodala (30 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST and 2 BLK in 35 MIN)

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T'Wolves wins in Game 5: 106-97 - Kevin Love (37 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK in 41 MIN)
Series MVP: Kevin Love

Bulls bounce back with win: 121-76 - DeMarcus Cousins (30 PTS, 17 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK in 33 MIN)
Series MVP: Derrick Rose

Denver wins against Houston, advances: 113-92 - Andre Iguodala (30 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST and 2 BLK in 35 MIN)
Series MVP: Danilo Gallinari

Philly takes Game 5, leads 3-2: 100-96 - Andrew Bynum (21 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST and 1 BLK in 34 MIN)

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Philly advances with Game 6 win: 95-90 - Andrew Bynum (21 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST and 2 BLK in 36 MIN)
Series MVP: Andrew Bynum

Good job sweeping Lob Angeles. Youll be meeting the Lakers now?

Wow. The Thunder taking out their brooms and looking to finish their season strong.

Good job sweeping Lob Angeles. Youll be meeting the Lakers now?

Nah. They playin' Denver. 2nd Seed.

Wow. The Thunder taking out their brooms and looking to finish their season strong.

Hahahaha! Thanks! will post the semi-finals preview later.

CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

WEST

v.s.

- These two have shared a rivalry during the regular season, and are set on a path where one must take out the other team to achieve their goal. Led by Kevin Love, the Timberwolves bolted through San Antonio, upsetting and surprising the whole league. On the other hand is the Thunder, advancing to the second round by sweeping the Los Angeles Clippers with performances from Westbrook and Durant.

Prediction: Thunder in six.

v.s.

- A surefire rematch of last year's conference semi-finals. A coincidence too, as they meet again. The Denver Nuggets, led by new superstar Andre Iguodala, are looking into pushing back the Lakers like they did last year. The recharged Lakers with new pieces, are hungry and are to extract their anger towards the Nuggets during the games.

Prediction: Lakers in six.

EAST

v.s.

- Both were powerhouses during the season, and it's a sight to see. The Miami Heat won over the New York Knicks a year ago in five games. The Knicks are looking ready and had a great season. They hope that it will eventually continue in the postseason. The Heat, the most scrutinized team in the league, shut up the media after posting the league's second best record.

Prediction: Heat in five.

v.s.

- Also a first-round rematch of last year. We hope that history will not repeat itself. The 76ers got in the playoffs, and beat the Rose-less Bulls in the first round, second round last year, they got eliminated by Boston. This 76ers team sure is different from the one last year, but the Bulls are too. They have DeMarcus Cousins, who became an instant beast in the block.

Prediction: Chicago in four.

Thunder with the close win against T'Wolves, 122-119

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GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS

Player of the Game: Russell Westbrook (47 PTS, 2 REB,11 AST, 3 STL and 2 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Nick Collison (14 PTS, 21 REB - 5 OFF, 2 AST and 4 BLK)
Thunder Protector: Kevin Durant (28 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK)

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - After sweeping the Clippers with his 53 point-performance, Russell Westbrook again took the Thunder and coasted for a win. This one was all due to him. After trailing for so long, they finally took the lead with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter. Then typical things happened. Westbrook stole the ball, ran up the court and dunked on the contesting Ricky Rubio.

It was one of those games that the Thunder absolutely have the ability to pull away early, but did not convert. Thus, they heavily relied on their stars to propel them. Aside from that, it was definitely a game to remember for the Thunder's oldest and classic role guy, Nick Collison. He tied his career-high in rebounding with 21, while scoring 14, a season-high. Throwback match I guess.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant was still in a shooting slump, making only 10 of his 22 field goals, but still scoring 28 points and was big during clutch-time. With 20 seconds left, Durant received a pass from the double-teamed Westbrook and nailed the jumper from 18 feet away. 120-119. On the next Minnesota possession, they went for Pekovic, but the ball met Ibaka's palms. A clutch-block. Immediately, Kevin Martin grabbed the rebound and was intentionally fouled, and made both free throws. Good game, well played.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Lakers start series with win: 113-93 - Josh Smith (21 PTS,10 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL and 1 BLK in 34 MIN)
Heat jumps ahead of the Knicks: 124-109 - LeBron James (11 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL and 2 BLK in 30 MIN)
76ers stuns the Bulls: 86-81 - Jrue Holiday (25 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST and 2 STL in 36 MIN)

Durant, Thunder takes Game 2 home win

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GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (31 PTS, 10 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Russell Westbrook (25 PTS, 5 REB, 10 AST and 2 STL)
Thunder Protector: Serge Ibaka (9 PTS, 12 REB, 1 STL and 4 BLK) and Kevin Martin (29 PTS, 1 REB and 1 STL)

CHESAPEAKE ENERGY ARENA - Through Durant, the Thunder managed to beat the Timberwolves despite trailing by 18 during the fourth quarter. Durant also achieved his fourth triple-double of the season and his first in the playoffs. The Thunder Forward was pretty much non-existent during the first half, but kicked things off during the second half, where he scored 21 points.

Russell Westbrook was also all over the floor, scoring in every way possible. He drove to the paint, pulled up and ball'd hard. His double-double was one of the best performances during the night. Despite being brought back to life by Pekovic, the Timberwolves simply did not execute enough that it would come out in a win. The Center posted up a playoff-high 28 points while grabbing 12 rebounds, half were offensive.

Kevin Martin also did a great way of leading the second unit and get the starters rested immediately. Frustration can be seen in Kevin Love's face as he posted up only 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Minnesota Star has asked to be traded immediately after the playoffs conclude. Sources have been saying that the Thunder are one of several teams eyeing the franchise star. "If we drop the next one, I'm out."

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Rose avenges Game 1, take Game 2: 91-76 - Derrick Rose (20 PTS, 5 REB, 6 AST and 1 STL in 32 MIN)
Heat escapes Knicks: 86-80 - LeBron James (27 PTS, 14 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL and 3 BLK in 36 MIN)
Lakers dominate with All-Stars: 120-105 - Kobe Bryant (39 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST and 1 STL in 37 MIN)

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Thought I put in a little something there.

Durant, Thunder take Game 3 win

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GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (33 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL and 4 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Kevin Martin (28 PTS, 7 REB - 3 OFF, 4 AST and 1 STL)
Thunder Protector: Serge Ibaka (13 PTS, 14 REB - 4 OFF, 4 AST and 3 STL)

Durant's 33 points pouring over the T'Wolves sure is a sight to see. And 14 of those were during the Thunder's 14-6 run late in the fourth quarter. Trailing by 3, the Oklahoma City Forward took over the game and just straight out beat the hell out of the Wolves. The only possession they had was an and-1 layup, after that, Durant simply put on a show and grabbed a "W" for his team.

Of course, it wouldn't be possible if the others weren't in there. Kevin Martin did a great job of making the Thunder hang around despite being the only scoring player in the lineup. Ibaka again did a great job of overpowering the Wolves' bigs in terms of timing. Despite Pekovic's 25 points and 12 rebound performance, Serge Ibaka manhandled the post and did everything he wanted.

Other Minnesota players scored 12 or lower, and it was all because of the Thunder Defense. "Thabo and the others did a great way of contesting and boxing out for rebounds." Coach Brooks said. They played their game and never looked back, Thunder Basketball. Kevin Love again had a bad night, shooting 4 of 11 on the field. Frustration was seen on his tone. "I'm done playing. I wanna get traded." said the Wolves Forward.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Bulls, Cousins power through Philly: 106-79 - DeMarcus Cousins (21 PTS, 6 REB and 1 BLK in 34 MIN)
Nuggets bounce back at home as Gallinari hits buzzer-beater: 97-96 - Danilo Gallinari (18 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK in 37 MIN)
Heat takes Game 3 in NY through Wade: 104-90 - Dwyane Wade (26 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST and 1 BLK in 38 MIN)

Smelling another sweep in the bag right now.

mrmoves20, Hahahaha! Will post G4 later! Kinda anxious as to who will be my WCF opponents. Hope it's not the Lakers.

Thunder, Durant closes series with win over Wolves

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GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (35 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST and 2 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Russell Westbrook (24 PTS, 1 REB, 16 AST, 2 STL and 2 BLK)
Thunder Protector: Serge Ibaka (22 PTS, 10 REB - 4 OFF, 2 AST and 1 BLK)

And that's it. The end of a dynasty in a city called Minnesota. They clearly got outplayed, but the Thunder's hunger was the sole reason they came out of the fourth quarter as the winners to this game. Another factor is that Kevin Love refused to play his best. He knew that they were going to be eliminated anyway, so why play? Six Wolves players scored in double-digits, but it wasn't enough to stop the roaring Thunder.

"Everything just clicked during those last minutes. They're a beast." said Brandon Roy, who finished with a team-high 26 points. OKC, on the other hand, was very thrilled that they came back to their coveted Western Conference Finals appearance with home-court advantage. Last year, they fell to the second seed and faced the Dallas Mavericks and swept them.

During the second-round, the Bryant-led Lakers got kicked out off the playoffs by the Thunder team. As the Thunder approached the first two matches in San Antonio, they saw their hopes destroyed as the Spurs gained a two-to-nothing series lead. But the Thunder, as resilient as ever, kicked things off at home and won their last four matches with performances from Kevin Durant.

"We're back." said Coach Brooks.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Bryant leads Lakers past Nuggets, series 3-1: 122-87 - Kobe Bryant (35 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST and 1 STL in 32 MIN)
Heat kills Knicks championship hopes: 96-92 - LeBron James (26 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST, 2 STL and 1 BLK in 34 MIN)
Series MVP: LeBron James

Bulls win in thriller, lead 3-1: 98-96 - Derrick Rose (24 PTS, 2 REB, 6 AST and 2 STL in 34 MIN)

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Lakers advance to Conference Finals after win: 115-104 - Kobe Bryant (39 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK in 42 MIN)
Series MVP: Kobe Bryant

Bulls finish off Philly through Rose: 102-75 - Derrick Rose (22 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST and 2 STL in 36 MIN)
Series MVP: Derrick Rose

Last edited by Durant35 on Mon Jan 14, 2013 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I hope, if you meet the Lakers in the WCF, it would reach a 7th game.

I hope, if you meet the Lakers in the WCF, it would reach a 7th game.

Hoping for a good long series with them too.



AROUND THE LEAGUE updated below G4 post!

Westbrook is going to destroy old man Nash. Good luck with stopping Howard and Kobe though. Thunder in 5 games I think

Or just continue with the sweeps!

CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

v.s.

- Remember when the Lakers got pushed to six games during the 2010 First Round NBA Playoffs? Yeah, me too. How 'bout when the Lakers got eliminated in 5 games in last year's playoffs? Who wouldn't? Those games showed how the Thunder can act during those times, but what if the current OKC's different from the one before?

Prediction: Thunder in six.


EASTERN CONFERENCE

v.s.

- These two would've met a season ago if it weren't for Rose's season-ending injury. But these two Eastern powerhouses match up very well and are on pace to give a sight to see to their fans and make a statement to the league.

Prediction: Heat in six.

16-0?? Will be a good series vs the Lakers!

Good luck against my Lakers. Would love to see a rematch of last year's Finals or Kobe vs Lebron.

Already played upto G2. Playing G3. Will post them later.

Thunder are dominating the post season. Sweeping teams left and right! Keep up the good work!

Thunder, Durant make a statement to LakeShow

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GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (45 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST and 1 BLK)
Thunder Down Under: Serge Ibaka (16 PTS, 14 REB - 3 OFF, 3 AST and 1 BLK)
Thunder Protector: Russell Westbrook (36 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL and 2 BLK)

A 38-point outing in the fourth quarter. That's what the Thunder can do. They can give you daggers, slams, and at the end, clutch baskets. Trailing 89-95 at the start of the fourth, the Thunder zipped their way through the deficit through KD, who scored 20 of his 45 points during the fourth. Then Ibaka made offensive rebounds, which were big and all resulted in open threes by K-Mart.

Of course, let's not forget that Ibaka was also efficient in terms of offense. His 16 points came on 7 shots, 11 attempts. The Westbrook-Ibaka Pick 'N Roll has become a lethal weapon for the Thunder. As Scott Brooks said, Ibaka is the best mid-range shooter in the whole team. Then came in Kevin Martin, who also was efficient with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

His defense on Kobe was big, as big as Thabo's. Kobe couldn't get any clean shots to go. Yes, he had 44 points, 19-of-31, but all of those were hard, contested shots. Despite Josh Smith's triple-double (10x10), the Thunder was still on the top. Why though? Because Kevin Durant. How did they do it? Serge Ibaka. What happened next? Russell Westbrook.

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AROUND THE LEAGUE:

The Flash sparks Heat, Game 1 win: 97-91 - Dwyane Wade (28 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST and 1 STL in 34 MIN)

Really a team effort from OKC and Durant with a near trip-dub. But still, I hope this comes down to a Game 7.

Epic statement from Durant and Co. This surely will be a shoot out for the history books!

LakeShow answer back with Kobe's Performance

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GAME RECAP | GAME STORY | TEAM STATS

Player of the Game: Steve Nash (17 PTS, 9 REB, 17 AST and 3 STL)
Thunder Down Under: Serge Ibaka (16 PTS, 15 REB and 1 BLK)
Thunder Plunderer: Antawn Jamison (25 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST and 2 STL)

It marks. It marks as the Thunder's first ever loss in the playoffs, what's more is that they lost at home. And they lost miserably too, as they couldn't get any shots to fall and lacked in a pace-setting demeanor. Therefore, they disappointed their fans and gave the Lakers a chance to comeback and take the wins at their turf. Kevin Durant shot poorly from the field, making 13 of his 28 attempts. The Thunder's perimeter offense was also negated by the Lakers, as the Thunder shot 28% from the 3-point land. They were outscored for all four quarters.

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(I don't wanna talk about this game. XD)

AROUND THE LEAGUE:

Rose ties series with while embarrassing Heat: 93-56 - Derrick Rose (22 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST in 34 MIN)

Really tough loss there. You'll bounce back though, I'm sure. Hoping to see a Thunder vs Bulls finals series.