Speaking of Durant, there may never have been a more frustrated KD on the floor. Westbrook had only two points in the first quarter of Game 1, and didn’t score his first field goal until the second period.
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The Thunder’s Steven Adams had no success slowing San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge in game one. But the stars came out to play.
That would be a start.
Jamal Crawford had 32 points and Austin Rivers added 21 points and eight assists despite having 11 stitches above his left eye from a collision in the first quarter.
But this doesn’t bode well for OKC considering the Thunder can’t win this series without at least doubling the Spurs’ total home losses on the season, considering the Thunder were supposed to have an advantage with their starters and couldn’t even stay within 20 in the first quarter.
It was February 10, 1999 – 660 games ago for Donovan – when his Florida Gators lost 91-56 to Tennessee.
San Antonio Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge goes up for a shot against Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks during their first round playoff matchup. They had no answers for him in Game 1; Aldridge scored 38 points and didn’t even play 30 minutes.
Game two is scheduled for Monday in San Antonio.
San Antonio’s defense sparked their offensive output, beginning with Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.
“A lot of my shots I missed at the basket against the bigs”, said Westbrook after the game. “It was a progression”. It takes a little bit of time to get comfortable with the system and secondly, with teammates – who does what, when, where, how, all that kind of thing. “It’s just fun to play against him”.
Oklahoma City was noticeably frustrated and out of sorts throughout the game. The Spurs led by 23 points after 12 minutes.
It took a long time for those numbers to be passed.
Everything worked for the Spurs in the opener. “He’s a guy that can shoot over any shoulder, he can shoot from range, he can roll to the rim, so it’s a different dynamic when you play a guy like that, and that’s when you’ve got to be locked in and ready for anything”.
Most people probably had the Spurs winning Game 1, but I don’t think many people would have predicted such a margin of victory for what is supposed to be a tight series. “We’re not going to make 30 passes in a possession”.
After Game 1, Durant might want to reconsider his stance. But the trio were 19-of-49 from the floor, the three combining to make one more shot than Aldridge made by himself.
San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35, left) defends in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center.
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Damian Lillard scored 28 points and the host Portland Trail Blazers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating the Clippers, 106-103, on Friday night in Los Angeles to claim the first-round playoff series, 4-2.
