If ever one basketball game completely validated Kevin Durant’s decision to escape from Oklahoma in free agency this was the game.
As I sit here about to write this on my little blog I realize we all owe Kevin Durant an apology. He did the right thing. He should have just openly said why he made the decision at the time and put it behind him.
Let’s start with Russell Westbrook. Russell played 26 minutes and behaved himself. He only took 13 shots of which 3 were made. He went 0-3 shooting threes, but at least didn’t play like a chucker. He played within himself and was the Rockets fourth best player behind James Harden, Eric Gordon, and Robert Covington.
In essence, Russell was a non factor in the game. He didn’t need to be a factor because the coaching mismatch between Mike D’Antoni and Billy Donovan was so off the charts it was like watching Bill Belichick coach against Mike Gundy.
I’ve watched a lot of basketball in Oklahoma at the college and pro level. This was perhaps one of the worst coached games I’ve ever seen in my life.
It was stunning to observe how out of touch Billy Donovan was as a coach in perhaps the Thunder’s biggest game since the Game 6 collapse to the Warriors.
Maybe he thinks Lu Dort is more like Ray Allen than Tony Allen. Maybe he got Lu Dort and Shai Alexander-Gilgeous confused in the game plan.
I wonder if Billy Donovan realizes Clint Capela was traded to the Atlanta Hawks and the Rockets play without a center or a rim protector.
OKC was 7-46 shooting threes in the game.
7-46.
For reasons I cannot understand…Lu Dort shot the ball sixteen times and went 0-9 shooting threes. Combined SGA and Danillo Gallanari shot the ball thirteen times…combined in 56 minutes of floor time.
I worry Jim Traber might have harmed himself during this spectacle of coaching malpractice. What do you as a Thunder blogger/fan even say to this?
It isn’t even rant worthy. It was embarrassing. It was like watching Mary Fallin coach the Thunder.
Lu Dort has as much business shooting the ball this much as I do in becoming a Chippendale dancer. Even Mike Gundy in his darkest Mullet King moments wouldn’t have allowed Lu Dort to shoot 16 times while SGA and Gallo got 13 shots.
There’s no reason to break the game down beyond this. You could mention Dennis Schroder got ejected for going Draymond Green on PJ Tucker in the third period, but that didn’t decide this game.
The lack of a coach on the Thunder bench decided this game or at the least made the game a total mismatch.
In NBA post season play the team which wins Game 5 goes on to win the series 82% of the time.
This was a huge game. Too bad Billy Donovan and his team didn’t show up to participate.
Game 6 on Monday evening in the Bubble.
OK, I thought I just did not understand the game when Lu Dort was shooting and missing. Yes, very poor coaching. I think we should end the pain and let them go home to their families.
Do you ever watch History with David Rubenstein on PBS? https://weta.org/press/history-david-rubenstein Really excellent interviews with authors and historians. I am not much of a history reader but after his interview with Jill Lepore I began reading her book – These Truths, really easy to read although long.
stay safe,
Jan
It was interesting coaching for certain. The PBS stuff is always pretty good and it’s nice to get away from partianship views.