“This wouldn’t be possible if Deron Williams hadn’t given it a shot”, Carlisle said. “We beat ’em in Game 2”. We’ve seen enough of this matchup to know its general dynamics, and they point to big advantages for OKC now and in the future.
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Thunder star Kevin Durant, meanwhile, came up way more short than that: He shot 7 for 33 from the field, with his 26 missed shots tying the National Basketball Association record for most in a playoff game since 1984.
After a free throw from Durant, the game was tied. “That’s how it felt for me. I didn’t make them, so that is a part of it. Get ready for Game 3”, Durant added, referring to Thursday’s third game in Dallas. Good thing, center Steven Adams was there for the follow-up and made the basket.
Upon review, each was charged with a technical foul, and the game stayed chippy for a while after that. The “Masking Tape Mavs”, as Carlisle dubbed his team late in the season, are also without forward Chandler Parsons, who underwent season-ending knee surgery in March.
However, that was when Westbrook shined.
Durant missed a 3-pointer from the corner. Dallas went on a 10-3 run to pull to within 77-67 with 5:11 left, but never truly threatened. Rather, Head Coach Billy Donovan had his team focus on its defense and its offensive execution.
“No, not at all”.
“This is going to show what type of team we are – how we respond”, Waiters said. It’s hard to say the same for the Mavericks as a whole after an improbable win that kept them in the series. Westbrook turned the ball over, but Dallas guard Wesley Matthews missed a 3-point attempt. Dallas shot 55.6 percent in the first quarter.
When the Thunder came back to practice on Tuesday, they didn’t spend an exorbitant amount of time working on its shooting. Head coach Rick Carlisle has said throughout the season “we need everybody”. Play with an attitude and play angry.
Durant had nine points after the first quarter, 20 by halftime, 31 after three.
With the Thunder winning by 26 points, Westbrook squared up for a 1-on-1 matchup with Dallas forward Charlie Villanueva, who notoriously interrupted Westbrook’s pregame dance routine with Cameron Payne before Game 2. Dallas on the other hand went 6-of-23 from three-point range and 24 of 35 from the free throw line.
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Forward/center David Lee missed the first two games of the series due to a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot. He is averaging 17.5 points as the only Dallas player to reach double figures in both games.
