I feel kind of silly writing this recap on my blog. Because evidently I missed the game’s biggest storyline somewhere in that disastrous third period in Oakland.
I missed it and I feel bad about it as a blogger.
I missed the part where a black van drove up to the Thunder bench somewhere along the point when Carmelo Anthony barked at Draymond Green for brushing against his headband. Because that’s what I was watching in what up to that point was a tough back and forth grinder of a basketball game.
I missed the part when several hooded men dressed in that black van then leaped out of that van then beat Billy Donovan senseless with multiple blows to the head with a lead pipe. I missed the fact he was then coaching the Thunder in the throes of acute head force trauma. My bad.
I didn’t miss the part though where the Warriors took the Thunder’s lunch money and bullied them like Trump did with Little Marco Rubio in multiple GOP debates. I didn’t miss the part when these men rendered the Thunder heartless and unable to fight any longer or any tougher.
Another part I missed is why Alex Abrines was allowed to set foot on the floor for 20:19 of play against the two time NBA champion Golden State Warriors while scoring only three points and going -30. I also wish I had a better understanding of why the Thunder are the league’s biggest underacheivers this season.
By the same token, I had no idea Nick Young had suddenly transformed himself into the second coming of Ray Allen and could be this pivotal in scoring 16 points in 18 minutes of play and going a +23. I had no idea even though I’d seen him do some goofy things while playing for the Lakers. But I have to admit I didn’t see any of these two things on the horizon as the things to watch in this game because I assumed any NBA level coach could never be stupid enough to allow Alex Abrines this much time on the floor against the offensively explosive Warriors.
I saw some things with Scott Brooks which had me shaking my head a few times, but this one may have ‘trumped’ any of those just for the sake of mind numbing coaching things.
Now, I will admit I didn’t see Zaza Pacuhlia fall on Russell Westbrook with intent to injure. I didn’t see it even though we all know Zaza plays on the edge like he’s a bodyguard for the Russian mafia assigned to protect their boy Donald Trump.
But having admitted I didn’t witness some of the above…I know this. Sam Presti will need a smarter coach and a more mentally tough team if he ever wants to beat these Warriors in post season play. I know that.
Granted, you’re not going to beat these Warriors scoring 80 points and it would be tough, next to almost impossible, to beat the Warriors with Westbrook and Paul George going a combined 5-29 from the field, but I would have at least tried something different than allowing Alex Abrines to play anything beyond three or four minutes in this game. I would have challenged my stars.
I would have played Westbrook and Felton together more. I would have loaded up on more Josh Huestis minutes. I would have even gone more with Jerami Grant even though he had a tough night… but I never would have rolled with Abrines like this in the midst of that third period run by the Warriors…Zaza’s intimidation non-withstanding
But enough of that. Maybe that’s why Kevin Durant is in Oakland and maybe that’s part of why the Warriors are still the odds on favorite to win their third NBA ring in the last four years. Maybe.
Roll the storylines however you like, but what I took out of this game was the Thunder don’t have enough toughness or smarts to win an NBA championship unless they suck it up from a grit, smarts, and coaching standpoint.
That’s it. That’s my recap.
The Thunder drop to 34-27 and host the Orlando Magic on Monday.
Hopefully, none of the Magic players brush up against them or fall on them when the game gets tough.
Recap over.