Tag Archives: playoffs

Episode 32 – A Disappointing Finale

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IMG_4109On Episode 32 of the NTTB podcast, we discuss the following topics:

  • A Review of Games 5 and 6
  • Disappointing season
  • Exit Interview
  • Melo drawing a line in the sand
  • Paul George saying all the right things
  • Billy Donovan back for next season
  • Sam Presti Exit Interview
  • Looking at the rest of the playoff series

Intro/Outro music provided by OSC Productions

Thank you for listening. We will be doing a podcast once a week. If you have any Thunder or NBA related questions, make sure you hit us up on Twitter (@alexroig_NTTB or @Montero_A13).

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Thunder vs. Jazz Preview (Game 6)

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okc logo at utah jazz

  • When: Friday, 27 April 2018 at 9:30 pm CST
  • Where: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
  • TV: ESPN/FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: Utah -6.5 | O/U – 207

Five Things For This Game

1. Rudy Gobert

Hidden in the euphoria of the epic 25-point comeback win in Game 5 was the fact the Thunder stunk it up offensively when a non-foul troubled Rudy Gobert was in the game. In the first half, when Utah was able to build a 15-point lead, Gobert had a defensive rating of 73.7. After the Thunder’s comeback, Gobert still remained as the only Jazz player with a defensive rating below 100 at 89.9.  Continue reading Thunder vs. Jazz Preview (Game 6) →

NTTB Rumblings: 27 April 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) previews Game 6: “As a coach you always go into a game with a plan of what you want to do, but more often than not those plans change,” Head Coach Billy Donovan said. “You always have to make decisions for what’s best for the team at that point in time.”

Jimmy Do (OKCThunder.com) on the Jr. NBA coming to Oklahoma City: “In addition, Oklahoma City was selected as one of 10 cities nationwide to host a Jr. NBA 3v3 League. Solid Rock Basketball in Edmond was selected as the host site, generating eight local teams that qualified for the National Championship in Atlanta in March.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings: 27 April 2018 →

Jazz vs. Thunder Preview (Game 2)

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utah jazz vs okc logo

  • When: Wednesday, 18 April 2018 at 7:00 pm CST
  • Where: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: NBATV/FSOK
  • Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 930 AM (Spanish))
  • Line: OKC -4.5 | O/U – 207.5

Five Things For This Game

1. Again, Injuries

After an incredible Thunder playoff debut, Paul George suffered a hip contusion in the 2nd quarter on a hard fall. He dusted the fall off and went on to play most of the game after that. But you could tell the injury started bothering him late in the 2nd half and he had to be taken out with about 2 minutes left in the game to receive treatment on the sidelines. Continue reading Jazz vs. Thunder Preview (Game 2) →

NTTB Rumblings – 18 April 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) with a preview of Game 2: “One major area that the Thunder has pointed out in the build up to Game 2 is turnovers. Seventeen of them on Sunday led to 20 Jazz points, which helped contribute to 21 Utah fast-break points in the game. On pick-and-rolls, Thunder ballhandlers tried passes over the top and back to the weakside, only to see the ball get clipped by the long, outstretched arms of Jazz defenders.”

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 18 April 2018 →

NTTB Rumblings – 17 April 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) on what needs to continue into Game 2: “One of the major bright spots for the Thunder on Sunday, and a development that needs to hold firm, was the play of Anthony on the defensive end and around the rim. After an early adjustment to drop the veteran forward into coverage on pick and rolls, Anthony was able to use his quickness and sleight of hand to make 3 steals and 2 blocks to go with 7 rebounds. On many occasions, Anthony was the last line of defense between the Jazz and a potential layup or a put back, and he held firm with toughness and veteran guile.”

Brad Rock (Desert News) on the Thunder being what the Jazz want to be one day: “So here we go with the country-speak: The Oklahoma City Thunder are what the Utah Jazz want to be when they’re all growed up. Trailing 1-0 in their best-of-seven series, the Jazz aren’t conceding anything. It’s just that OKC is what the Jazz want to be, i.e., a seriously strong team in a relatively underrated city.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 17 April 2018 →

NTTB Rumblings – 16 April 2018

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img_4063Royce Young (ESPN) on Paul George’s performance in Game 1: “And in a matchup against the Jazz, a team centered on a rookie, the Thunder entered with the two best players in the series. That’s normally a pretty good indication of who should win, but with inconsistency being the buzzword that has followed the Thunder all season, nothing was clear. There was always this idea that they were built for the postseason, with top-shelf talent ready to shine when the games mattered most, but the Thunder never established anything steady. They entered the playoffs a wild card — dangerous but unknown.”

Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) recaps the Thunder’s Game 1 victory: “The Thunder also couldn’t have scripted a better first possession of the game. A trap down on the baseline led to a desperate Jazz pass back into the middle of the floor, and George was there to pick it off cleanly. George was off to the races and it resulted in a Russell Westbrook 3-on-1 fast break dunk. For the next 5 minutes after that, however, nothing went right for the Thunder. Some mediocre shot selection, some mismanaged transition defense and hot shooting by the Jazz led to a quick 16-4 start for the Jazz, forcing a Thunder timeout.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 16 April 2018 →

First Round Preview vs. the Utah Jazz

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westbrook mitchell

I’ll be honest with you. These last few days have been refreshing. I haven’t had to worry about the Western Conference standings. I haven’t had to worry about not knowing what Oklahoma City Thunder team was going to show up on a night to night basis. I didn’t have to stress about a Paul George shooting slump. Or worry about Carmelo Anthony aging exponentially before our eyes. Or any other plethora of things I’ve worried about this season.

All season long we’ve heard this would be a work in progress. That this process would take time. And with how this team was pieced together over the summer, that request for patience was not a far-fetched one. Many fans view NBA transactions like they view transactions on NBA 2K. If you put Good Player A together with Good Player B, then both players will be good on the same team. But in reality, that’s not always how it works. The process of putting three alpha dogs together and telling them to play as a team is not something that happens instantly. There’s a chemistry that needs to naturally develop, especially when you think of the other variables on the roster.  Continue reading First Round Preview vs. the Utah Jazz →

NTTB Rumblings – 12 April 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) on Russell Westbrook achieving hist0ry for a second straight season: “After accomplishing something that no one had done in 55 years by averaging a triple-double in 2016-17, Westbrook followed it up by doing it again. On Wednesday night, Westbrook became the first player to ever average a triple-double more than once. Even more incredibly, he did it in back-to-back seasons.”

Royce Young (ESPN) with another perspective on the Westbrook feat: “Westbrook grabbed eight rebounds in the opening 11 minutes and hit double figures before halftime, heading to the break with an interesting stat line of 1 point, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. With the game in hand, Westbrook grabbed five rebounds in the opening three minutes of the third quarter. Early in the quarter, a loose ball rebound bounced a few times and Carmelo Anthony ran it down, turning around to yell “Russ!” with a big smile.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 12 April 2018 →

NTTB Rumblings – 11 April 2018

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img_4063Jon Hamm (Bleacher Report) on the Thunder’s wild ride this season: “In true Thunder fashion, clinching the franchise’s eighth playoff berth since 2008 on Monday night came with requisite drama. Sewing up a playoff spot required OKC to battle back from an 18-point first-quarter deficit against the Miami Heat. It was par for the course for a Thunder squad that stumbled to an 8-12 start then spent the rest of the season playing catch up.”

Ben Mertens and Chris Grenham (WTLC) with a detailed breakdown of the Thunder’s playoff scenarios: “I said in previewing the final stretch of the season that OKC doesn’t deserve to be a playoff team if they can’t even beat a mediocre Grizzlies team with nothing to play for. That’s still true, even though OKC has locked up a spot. Beyond improving their seed, OKC needs to win this game just go into the playoffs with momentum, following the nice wins over Houston and Miami. A deep playoff run starts with taking care of this putrid Memphis team.” Continue reading NTTB Rumblings – 11 April 2018 →