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There were two NBA Supermen, past and present, inside of PayCom Arena on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Thunder’s easy 108-90 romp over the LA Lakers. But here’s the thing… neither of them really decided the outcome of this mismatch.

Shai was held to 18 points and turned the ball over 7 times on a human night. KIA’s Clutch Player of the Year didn’t even sniff my Three Stars of the Game.

LeBron, on the other hand, did make my list as No. 3 even being an eighteen point loser as he was the lone singular bright spot for a Laker team which in no real way should even be playing in the second round of these Western Conference Playoffs.

My No. 1 Star easily went to the oft maligned Chet Holmgren as he made the Laker’s interior game look like a collection of chumps. Chet’s line was 24 pts, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots.

My No. 2 Star is Isaiah Hartenstein for his workman-like 8 point, 9 rebound, and 4 assist night.

I moved him ahead of LeBron because that’s my perogative on this blog and LeBron’s team lost by eighteem points on a night when Shai played like he was sick and JDub was dressed on the bench like he was going to attend an Amish square dance after the game. JDub, dude….borrow something to wear from Shai…seriously.

So there’s that.

This is not a matchup I’m into seeing much more of if this is all the Lakers can throw onto the wall. In fact…I watched more minutes of the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 second round win over the Minnesota Wild. Nathan McKinnon looks like he’s on a mission to MJ.

OKC’s bench outscored the Lakers 34-15. The Thunder continually feasted feasted off Laker live ball turnovers and points off tuurnovers. This wasn’t a game, but more of a predetermined outcome.

To put this in clearer perspective, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart combined went 7-31 from the field and 2-13 from beyond the arc. Not much Bedlam spark there.

In reality though…I’m not sure this is good for the Thunder to play back to back series against the likes of Phoenix and the Lakers. Because one would think the survivor of the Spurs-TWolve series is going to be road tested, especially if it’s the Twolves who survive.

Either way, kudos to Chet and Isaiah for plugging away and getting better in preparation of what they’ll be facing from the bigs in the next round of play.

Go Avs!!!

Mike J

In Game 6 at home the TWolves did not need Anthony Edwards to close out the Denver Nuggets at home. Last night in Game 1 at San Antonio the league’s most explosive player, Anthony Edwards, and his head coach Chris Finch had another plan.

With a tender knee and such, AE did not start and played a relatively quiet first three periods. Entering the fourth period Edwards had scored but seven points and was a mere blip in the game. Chris Finch was also missing guards Ayo Dosunmu and Donte D.

But it did not matter as Finch masterfully rotated his five other guards with Anthony being on a minutes restriction of sorts and not starting the game. The Twloves guard minutes looked like this….Edwards 25:15, Terrance Shannon 34:50, Mike Conley 24:13, Bones Hyland11:56, and Waylen Clark with 7:21 of playing time.

When the game ended with a 104-105 TWolve victory…AE had 18 points and 3 assists. Anthony was the catalyst in the deciding fourth period.

We all go on and on about the Thunder’s depth at the wing position, but when Ayo D returns these TWolves in my mind will offer the second deepest guard rotation in the league. Plus…unlike the Spurs’ youngsters…these guys have alteady been thru the process of post season basketball.

And these guys have a KIA Clutch Time closer of their own in AE if they can keep him on the floor. The Wolves also have the deepest rotation of nasty big guys in Naz Reed, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Julius Randle. These guys don’t in any way right now look like a team which just came off a disapponting 49-win regular season. They look like a team on a mission to prove something.

This is why I kept the Twolves as my No. 7 darkhorse pick before the playoffs began. These guys know how to win in post season, they just need to take it one step further this season to advance to an NBA Finals.

As far as the Spurs…this is a learning experience. The Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, and teams of that ilk aren’t still around to play. To get where the Spurs want to get under youthful coach Mitch Johnson the Spurs are basically going to have to beat the TWolves and Thunder a collective eight times with both the Wolves and Thunder having home court advantage after last night’s home loss.

I’m sure after watching the film from last night’s loss, Mitch Johnson has already figured out two things, 1 Wemby needs to take it to the rim and quit jacking threes, and 2 De’Andre Fox at the point has to play on another planet compared to how poorly he played at times in Game 1.

Mitch Johnson and his Spurs shouldn’t panic. But you need to learn and adjust on the fly becuase that’s what NBA Playoff basketball is all about. That being, every game of seven is a new manuscript. Every game has its own unique little twists and wrinkles.

BUT, having written the above paragraph…Game 2 at home tomorrow night is an absolute must win game for the Spurs. Now…what we don’t know is how Anthony Edwards’ knee will feel on Thursday, and we don’t know how committed coach Chris Finch might be in going beyond that 25-minute mark.

So what we have here is playoff basketball with all of its subplots and nuance. I don’t know how the KNEE is feeling.. Only Anthony Edwards and his knee know right now. But I know MJ will be firmly in place to witness and cover Game 2 in San Antonio on America’s No. 1 underground NBA blog.

Good luck tonight, LA Lakers. You’re going to need some amazing grace from the basketball gods is all I can speculate.

Mike J

No. 1 isn’t tough as long as Shai is healthy, available, and JDub returns. From that point downward though I could see multiple things happening depending on who’s key players are able to go.

So I would go maybe something like this:

1 OKC Thunder

2 San Antonio Spurs

3 New York Knicks

4 Detroit Pistons

5 Cleveland Cavaliers

6 Philadelphia 76’ers depending on Embiid playing

7 Minnesota TWolves depending on Anthony Edwards’ return

8 LA Lakers depending on if LeBron stays healthy and is able to play at a certain LeBron standard. Steph, Durant, and Jimmy Butler can no longer play at their standards. So we’ll see how Lebron holds up against Sam Presti’s young and deep Dobermans.

I’m loving what I’m seeing from both Shai and Cade so far with one round behind us. I’m not sleeping on the NY Knicks at all given they beat the Spurs in the finals of the Emirates Cup. The Knicks are a team which probably aren’t getting enough respect. But again…let’s see if Joel Embiid can actually be a factor in Round 2 with those knees.

Tyrese Maxey has emerged as a bonafide star and his rookie sidekick appears to be special, but to get past the Knicks I would think it would take more than Andre Drummond at center. Nice to see Paul George being a positive factor, but again…the Sixers with Embiid are a different animal.

If Tobias Harris plays as he has these past three games I could see the Detroit Pistons emerging in the East. But again….it can’t be Cade just by himself scoring the ball.

First team to win twelve games is our next NBA champion. And clearly right now…that favorite is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

I look forwaard to both games tonight. It will interesting to see what Minnesota has left in the tank from an emotional standpoint.

This is when we love our NBA.

Mike J

Trump, JD Vance Interrogate War Cabinet for Next Move in Iran War.

Have a peaceful Sunday watching NBA Playoff hoops.

Mike J

• First in an exclusive series provided by okcthunderground.com in conjunction with the WSJ.

Our Western Conference Semi-Finals are set and to be blunt, unless both the TWolves without Anthony Edwards and Donte, and LeBron’s old body surprise me in a significant manner…I would think the Eastern Conference for the next round will be giving us better games with more competitive drama.

We’ve got three Game 7’s left in the East just to get us to the Eastern Conference semi’s and from my view if the Pistons win Game 7 in Detroit tomorrow we’ll have some great storylines evolving in the East.

Minnesota is crippled. The Lakers even with a healthy LeBron are a horrid defensive team…so MJ will probably be transfixed on the East with the hope the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals opposite Wemby and the Spurs will FINALLY be meeting a team of consequence.

Cade Cunningham is lighting it up and from my view if his teammates can just give him more assistance this could be a great local story given Cade’s one year with Mike Boynton in Stillwater. Heck…it’s a national story in the making because right now on my scorecard in these NBA Playoffs to date…I have Shai at 1, and Cade at 2 on my NBA Playoffs MVP ladder.

I feel privileged to watch these two play at this level. I do though worry about the other Pistons and if they have enough pop in the gun to keep Cade in the hunt with the NY Knicks and the winner of tonight’s Philly at Boston Game 7 still alive in the Eastern bracket.

While there for the most part has been non-competitve tedium in the West…the East has been brilliant post season basketball. I said on here before if Embiid were ever to stay healthy long enough Philly with those guards would be a handful. So later tonight…we’ll find out if its Boston or Philly checking their spot on the bracket sheet.

Jalen Duran…you may be playing hurt, but Cade needs more from you, just saying.

Hope the Thunder at some point meet a viable opponent. This is getting old with the Thunder meeting crippled teams in the post season for the second consecutive season. Stay healthy, Wemby.

Signing off from the NBA Playoffs, Mike J

Today is the 15th anniversary of the Navy Seal mission which in the dark of night went into Pakistan and killed Osama Bin Laden. Nothing I’m writing on here is intended as political.

My views on Donald Trump have literally nothing to do with ideology or politics. I just think the man is a horrible human being and not even remotely worthy of the office he holds.

Admiral McRaven was on Smerconish this morning and he read a beautiful poem entitled “I Remember” from his new book. Google it if you need a shot of hope. Seriously…from my Stage 4 standpoint I need shots of hope every now and then in the America I unfortunately observe before me every day.

As sad and dismal as this is and what we’ve allowed to take place in our country…there at some point has to be a moment of common resolve to just simply take our country back to where every action on this earth isn’t dictated by a personal economic quid pro quo in return. But more to the point, living the Golden Rule every day and treating one another with a semblance of the very simple principles of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Some courage, intelligence, and integrity wouldn’t hurt as well.

I’m reading a biography on the life of Dietrich Bonhoffer currently and it is amazing how in Bonhoffer’s life in Germany in the 30’s and 40’s it so very much correlates to what I’m witnessing in America presently as to the decline of any moral compass whatsoever.

So don’t give up. We can’t give up. I’ve taken my Stage 4 pledge and applied it now to what I see around us every day in America.

I know we’re better than this. I see parts of it in front of me every day as I encounter people in Oklahoma. There is still an inherit goodness in us wanting to reappear.

I know this in my heart.

Mike J

It would appear to me Trump and his boy Jared Kushner’s wonderbolt thought of bringing the PGA to its knees is over, and the irony is Trump’s own stupid misguided war in Iran was probably the deathknell for the Saudi’s piece of junk golf tour.

Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed already saw the light and got themselves squared away with the legitimate golf tour which should feature the world’s best golfers for the fans to see compete against one another.

If I were running the PGA the only two golfers I would ban for a year before re-entry would be Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambleau. Those two went beyond the pale of making their anti-trust claims and inherit rights to a Darwinian completely free professional world of golf.

Yeah, I would clip those two for a year, demand some financial restitutuion, and a public letter of apology to the fraternal golfing community.

This means I have no issue with the other guys doing what Koepka and Reed have already done. This was about greed, and this bullshit in regards to anti-trust claims is nebulous at best.

The Great White Choker…Greg Norman would be banned for life is my feel at this time. He would be at the top of my list of bannees.

Golf is a wonderful game enjoyed by millions of people of all persuasions all over the world. I got my start in golf in the fourth grade when Bobby Tway’s father took me along with he and Bobby Jr. to a junior golf signup clinic at Lincoln Park.

That Sunday afternoon marked what would become a lifetime love affair with golf, Arnold Palmer, and eventually Dan Jenkins.

My greatest golfing accomplishment came in the fifth grade when I shot a medalist number of a 37 at Trosper Park on he back nine. What that meant was the next week I would be paired with the first group which included Bobby Tway, Jim Woodward, and a cocky kid named Chuck Dye who went onto play college golf as did Bobby and Jim.

Bobby’s family moved back to Marietta, Georgia and of all things…Jimmy Woodward became a John Marshall Bear. Jim was a great guy, even when he was needling me a bit about that 37 at Trosper Park.

So what I’m saying here is…the PGA has been a wonderful ambassador for growing the sport of golf at every level, every sex, every age, and every race.

Yeah, it’s an expensive sport, but so is ice hockey…ask me about that.

The PGA GROWS THE SPORT so that guys like Bryson DeChambleau and Phil Mickelson could make the money they made.

Did we ever see Scottie Sheffler or Rory talking shit anout the need to make MORE, MORE, and MORE MONEY?

So from this aged golfer’s pespective…piss on the LIV Golf Circuit and let’s focus on making the game available to every player with a dream.

It’s going to be beautiful golfing weather this week-end in Oklahoma.

Go play a round of golf.

Mike J

The saying is….if you can walk it, it ain’t just talkin’. And that’s exactly what transpired on Thursday night in Minnesota as the injury decimated TWolves outworked, out hustled, and out gut-checked the Denver Nuggets by a score of 110-98 in a Game 6 clutch win.

Denver’s season is over, while the TWolves will open Round 2 at the San Antonio Spurs sometime this week-end.

Yeah, sure, the Nuggets’ best two way player in Aaron Gordon didn’t play, but Minnesota was missing Anthony Edwards 28.8 points a game, plus the services of their best three point shooter in Donte D. Not to mention their best two way guard off the bench in Ayo Dosunmu and sometimes used in the rotation Kyle Anderson.

The two best players on the floor weren’t Jokic and Jamal Murray. Nope. The best offensive player on the floor with 32 points and 10 rebounds was Jaden McDaniels. The second best Wolves’ player was also Jaden McDaniels…but on defense as he literally shut down Jamal Murray for however minutes Jamal ended up playing in this elimination game for the Nuggets.

My No. 3 Star was TJ Shannon with his stellar 24 point performance, and my No. 4 Star was Rudy Gobert. That’s the best set of games I’ve seen from Rudy Gobert in quite some time. He’ll need to replicate this level of play against Wemby and the Spurs if the TWolves aspire to advance to the Western Conference Finals for a third straight year.

I would think Coach Chris Finch having four bigs like Gobert, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniel, and Naz Reed that he will he’ll be able to devise some defensive plan to keep Wemby somewhat in check, or in foul trouble.

The key will be can the TWolves take care of the basketball and minimize careless live ball turnovers. Same as when they play the Thunder.

This game was about Minnesota only playing eight players and missing their best player and just basically doing what I always talk about on here…the little intangible bringing your lunchpail things to the arena.

Like offenisve rebounds. Like points off turnovers. Like deflecting passes. Like making Jokic and Jamal Murray work for every inch of space and every half second of time every time they posessed the ball.

Like having that sled dog mentality where there is no way you’re walking off the field, court, or ice and making sure you never got out-worked or out-hustled.

This was old school basketball and the Minnesota Timberwolves are moving on while the Denver Nuggets’ front office is going to have to think seriously whether David Adelman is the man moving forward to get the Nuggets’ to play like Minnesota played tonight.

Jaden McDaniels…dude, this is the first time I’ve featured you on my blog. It’s up to you if I see you on here again during the Spurs series. That’s up to you.

Congrats on a great game.

Mike J

I’m back from Greenwood Village, Colorado and very much poised to cover Game 6 tonight in Minnesota as the Denver Nuggets attempt to stave-off a Game 6 elimination to the now Anthony Edwards-less TWolves.

This will be El Prez’s first post since the hiatus in beautiful Colorado where people read books, meditate often, and take great care in their own physical health and well being. If you did not know this fact..please mark it down…Colorado is the healthiest state in the Union while Oklahoma ranks dead last in education and first in obesity and sexually transmitted disease.

But here’s what Oklahoma has and Colorado doesn’t. It’s a three word answer. Hence the answer….Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. That’s the simple answer to my own semi-rhetorical posit.

And that three word answer is why the Thunder swept the totally overmatched Phoenis Suns in a walk in the park four game sweep in Round 1. Additionaly, that three word answer is why I’m picking the Thunder to repeat if Shai can stay healthy carrying the Thunder on his Canadian back….pretty much like Buck from the Call of the Wild.

While in the beautiful foothills of the Rockies at just about 5,280 feet of elevation…I primarily was Robert and Aubrey’s grandfather for six days. It’s a wonderful role to play. But this trip was even better this time as the ‘Fam’ has added six-week year-old golden lab Sunny to the mix to be the perpetual running mate of the soon to arrive chocolate lab pup Perk II.

For the first time since Pauli and Perk I’s passings…MJ’s soul felt right. My Soul of the Dog mojo, so to speak, is back. I’ve always openly professed I must have been a wolf-dog like Buck from Call of the Wild by Jack London. Perhaps, it is this previous life gene nobility which enabled me to so early and often proclaim Donald Trump as the petulant human trust-fund brat he truly is. Dogs feel these things intutively. Fake Christians only concerned with minimizing their effective tax margins…not quite as much… if ever.

So here’s what El Prez is scribing pre-game tonight…with a healthy Aaron Gordon the Nuggets are probably the only team which could derail the Thunder on their repeat quest. Without him healthy….these Nuggets might actually struggle tonight and would certainly lose to the Spurs in Round 2.

I watched multiple games while in Colorado and this Denver-Minny series, plus the Orlando-Detroit series are the only two to date which have captivted my basketball attention so far.

I will write this in closing…if Aaron isn’t able to play tonight then my immediate take is Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, and Spencer Jones better damn well bring their road role player A-games tonight if the Nuggets are to experience a Game 7.

My Road Role Player Axiom, which is worlds better than any metrics the young sissies on the internet blather about relentlessly in their cyberspace induced comas. These three role players might in fact determine David Adelman’s tenure in Denver.

In actual closing, grace, mercy, and continual spiritual well-being. In anotherwords…. absorb all the qualities regularly lacking from the Trump fake Christians. I may or may not at some point give my take on the most current Trump ‘fake’ assasination attemp debauclet we all witnessed this past week-end in D.C.

Inner peace…always.

MJ

Our NBA Playoffs are off to an interesting start. OKC is cruising past a Phoenix team with no rim protection. The Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics all lost home Game 2s which is something to watch as we move forward in Round 1.

The biggest surprise to me though is the LA Lakers going up 2-0 on the point-guardless Houston Rockets. It’s not that I think Houston is a championship contender, it’s just more of me being impressed by how LeBron and the Lakers have handled this series so far without Luka and Austin Reaves.

The Detroit-Orlando series is 1-1 and now headed to Florida. Will Desmond Bane be a difference maker or will Cade Cunningham get his team back on track in Game 3 to regain home court?

Boston-Philly? No Imbiid for Philly, but Tyrese Maxey and his rookie guard compadre give the Sixers one of the most dynamic backcourts in the East. Can Andre Drummond plug the lane for the Sixers? Again…we’ll see.

But by far the best series so far has been the Denver-Minnesota series which is now tied at 1-1 with Game 3 in Minnesota tonight. This is a very simple deal…when Anthony Edwards isn’t screwing around and sets his mind on getting to the rim the TWolves are a different team and especially when Julius Randle has a solid night scoring the ball.

I have to give it up to Rudy Gobert for a second straight game as he was excellent in Game 2. I have no idea what has happened with Rudy G, but his level of play in this series has been a thing. If Gobert keeps playing like this—the Wolves are clearly a team to be reckoned with.

I had Minnesota as my No. 7 wildcard to win the whole thing, and I think that’s what they’re showing us so far. A dangerous, talented team which is in search of a championship identity.

As far as the Thunder…they’re playing a team with no center and if I’m Coach Mark my primary goal is to get this series over with as quickly as possible and not risk any inury to the Kia Clutch player of the Year heading into the second round with a probable date against an aged LeBron and the Lakers.

As was the case last year, everything is falling just right for the Thunder if they can keep No. 2 healthy.

We’re off to Greenwood, Colorado for Grandparents Day at the kids’ school. This has been much anticipated and NBA basketball will have to deal with my absence for a bit. I’m certain Chuck and Ernie can deal with this situation.

Always look for the best in others.

Mike J