Ten years in the past, the Spurs battled déjà vu and the Thunder within the Western Convention Finals

After simply dispatching the Portland Path Blazers in Spherical Two of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, the Spurs confronted a rematch of the 2012 Western Convention Finals in opposition to a powerful Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder squad. That collection ended precisely ten years in the past — Might 31, 2014. In an effort to get a taste for what folks had been considering on the time, this abstract consists of some modern writings from the 2014 Pounding the Rock writers, and similar to that collection, their feelings had been a real curler coaster.

In a repeat from 2012, that curler coaster was flying up, up, up for for the primary two video games with the Spurs passengers holding their fingers up excessive as their dominant play from the second spherical carried over. A very good first half and a dominant fourth quarter keyed a 122-105 runaway win over OKC in Recreation One:

As with all decisive win, a bunch of Spurs gamers had glorious video games. DannyGreen! was a plus-30 in his 27 minutes, making 6-7 total and 4-5 from three. The Nice Tim Duncan took benefit of Serge Ibaka’s harm absence with 21 factors within the first half and 27 for the sport. Manu Ginobili took over for TD within the second half with 18 factors in his 14 second-half minutes, together with 3-3 from three. The third member of the Massive Three, Tony Parker had 12 assists. As a workforce, the Spurs shot 57% total, 53% from three, with solely 9 turnovers.

The Recreation One win was highlighted by this Kawhi Leonard transfer which put the Spurs up 13 early within the fourth:

J.R. Wilco’s description of the play, with sound results, is traditional:

“Leonard started his drive on Durant to the precise, then angled to his left, took a few dribbles together with his left hand alongside the left aspect of the paint. As Reggie Jackson helped off Inexperienced and swiped on the ball, Kawhi picked up his dribble and spun to his proper. Now back-to-back with Durant, Kawhi prevented Steven Adams, accomplished his spin with the ball in his proper hand and his momentum carrying him previous the basket.

As he crossed the paint, he introduced the ball down, then proper again up, prolonged his arm and spun the ball off the backboard and thru the ring as the gang made a type of bizarre two-stage, “OOOHHHHhhhhh, WWWWWOOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” sounds.”

Recreation Two was extra of the identical. The PtR headline for a Mark Barrington put up says all of it:

Remaining Rating: Spurs rout Thunder 112-77, take 2-0 collection lead

The Thunder began the sport with vitality and rushed out to an early lead within the first quarter, however the Spurs placed on a clinic of gorgeous passing and three level taking pictures that chased OKC out of the constructing by the top of the third quarter. Tony Parker led the scoring for the Spurs with 22 factors and Danny Inexperienced had 21, however everybody acquired into the act.

The Thunder went 2-20 from three. A part of that stat, and their depressing 77 whole factors for the sport, occurred as a result of solely two of the Thunder starters had been a risk — Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The opposite three starters (Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins and Ibaka’s substitute Nick Collison) merely weren’t offensive threats, combining for 5 factors in 54 whole minutes.

Regardless of being up 2-0 on the Thunder for the second time in three years, the Spurs couldn’t be too assured contemplating what occurred in 2012, when Thunder ended up successful the subsequent 4 video games to steal a visit to the Finals. Certain sufficient, that appeared to be behind their heads, and the curler coaster began heading again down because the Thunder simply gained Video games Three and 4.

The Recreation Three boxscore makes the sport seem nearer than it really was:

OKC’s win was keyed by two line-up modifications. First, Reggie Jackson began rather than Sefolosha. Second, Ibaka — who had been dominated out for the remainder of playoffs earlier than the collection — began Recreation Three. Jackson performed extra minutes than each different Thunder participant, and Ibaka blocked 4 photographs to go along with 15 factors and seven boards. The Spurs completed the sport on a 13-2 rubbish time run that masked how badly they’d been overwhelmed.

That is from the Recreation Three abstract by Jeje Gomez:

The fourth quarter began with a 12-2 run for OKC and that was the sport.

As tempting as it’s in charge the refs proper now, the officiating wasn’t even near being the only real and even the principle motive for the loss. It was only a horrible, horrible sport for just about anybody however Ginobili. The vitality was down and San Antonio allowed a whole lot of offensive rebounds, which salvaged unhealthy possessions for the Thunder. Parker had an abysmal sport, Leonard wasn’t a lot better, the shooters had been off and the important thing gamers all responded for OKC.

Recreation 4 was equally as unhealthy. The Spurs went down 15 at halftime and by no means threatened after that:

The Spurs had a dismal offensive sport, with solely two starters in double figures — Parker with 14, Kawhi with 10. Mockingly, the Thunder additionally solely had two starters in double figures, however KD and Westbrook mixed for 71. Put merely, they’d 47 extra factors than the 24 factors by the Spurs two “stars”.

Gregg Popovich noticed the writing on the wall (and the rating) early, benching 4 of the Spurs’ starters for the whole fourth quarter — and fifth starter Danny Inexperienced performed solely the primary 49 seconds of the quarter. Ginobili didn’t play within the second half in any respect. The one excellent news from the sport is that no Spur performed greater than 26 minutes, whereas OKC performed Westbrook 45 minutes, KD 41 minutes and Ibaka 36 minutes. Because it turned out, OKC could have erred enjoying the OKC stars so many minutes even after the sport was out of attain.

That is the Recreation 4 abstract from Michael Erler:

Finally you simply run out of phrases. When a workforce will get humbled, humiliated and simply completely mentally, bodily and emotionally dominated to the diploma that the Spurs had been by the hands of the Thunder, don’t you simply should throw your fingers within the air and simply stroll away from all of it?

It’s not simply that the return of Serge Ibaka has restored the ferocity to their whole protection and allowed the remainder of their squad to slip again into their consolation zones, free to gamble and hunt on the perimeter, realizing there’s cowl within the paint. It’s that the Thunder’s total benefit in athleticism over the Spurs is so giant that it’s overwhelming the benefits the Spurs have in taking pictures, passing and a cohesive offensive system.

They’re, to place it bluntly, scaring the hell out of the Spurs.

In a seven-game collection tied after 4 video games, Recreation 5 typically proves decisive. Suspecting he wanted to make an adjustment after two unhealthy blow-outs, Pop determined to do one thing he hadn’t accomplished all yr: begin Matt Bonner, the Crimson Rocket. Pop’s aim was to pressure one of many Thunder bigs away from the paint, and it labored. Both Bonner or Boris Diaw was on the ground for the primary 46 minutes. That transfer, plus the additional relaxation the Spurs starters acquired by sitting the fourth quarter of Recreation 4 (whereas KD and Westbrook every performed over 40 minutes) resulted in a 117-89 Spurs win, breaking the 2012 curse. After a tied first quarter, the Spurs outscored the Thunder by 10, 10 and eight factors within the subsequent three quarters.

The Spurs shot 51% total, 50% from three (13-26) and had six gamers in double figures. My Man Manu had a 19 level, 4 rebound, six help line in simply 21 minutes.

That is the Recreation 5 abstract from Fred Silva:

For the fifth time on this collection, we witnessed a blowout. As if the final two video games in OKC had by no means taken place, the Spurs picked up proper the place they left off in Recreation 2 and beat OKC in each aspect of the sport. Humorous sufficient, that’s precisely the identical factor I wrote when describing what OKC did to the Spurs in Recreation 4: successful in each aspect of the sport.

This collection is not like any I’ve ever watched. After the primary two video games, it was tough to think about OKC successful a sport on this collection. After the subsequent two, heading into tonight’s contest, it was tough to think about the Spurs staying shut. No less than after the primary two video games, Ibaka’s miraculous return from harm gave us one thing to assist clarify the dramatic change in outcomes. Tonight, even with Ibaka on the ground, the Spurs appeared unbeatable.

After the sport, Tim Duncan mentioned, “It’s the craziest collection I’ve ever been concerned in. The backwards and forwards, the modifications, the leads and the wins. I don’t know the right way to clarify it. Each coaches have made nice changes and their groups have responded.”

Lastly got here the decisive Recreation Six, and if anybody wasn’t having fun with all of the blowouts within the first 5 video games, this another than made up for it. I really like the sub-header to Chris Itz’ abstract:

Remaining Rating: Spurs again to NBA Finals, beat Thunder 112-107

What an incredible win! Are you cheerful? I’m actually completely satisfied! SPURS SPURS SPURS SPURS SPURS SPURS”

Within the first and solely shut sport of Spherical Three, the Spurs prevailed in time beyond regulation regardless of giving up a ten level lead within the fourth quarter. That 11-6 time beyond regulation rating had a number of fascinating elements. The Nice Duncan scored 7 of the 11 Spurs factors, whereas OKC was 1 for 11 in time beyond regulation, with Westbrook going 1 for 7.

With the Spurs up just one level in OT, Kawhi made this block/strip/steal on Westbrook with 45 seconds left.

OKC by no means scored after that play, whereas Duncan made a tricky turn-around to place the Spurs up 3, adopted by Diaw making 2 of 4 free throws for the ultimate margin. It’s simple to neglect that even making the Finals was in critical doubt with 45 seconds left till Kawhi made the play of the playoffs, however the Spurs had lastly overcame their 2012 demons.

From my first put up beginning this recap of the 2014 Playoffs:

In hindsight, the Spurs ‘Lovely Recreation’ championship appears inevitable. However when the playoffs started on April 20, 2014, a Spurs victory parade was removed from sure, and even possible.

With that win, the Spurs had been going again to the Finals to face the Miami Warmth, which beat the Pacers 4-2 within the Japanese Convention Finals, and able to slay their 2013 demons subsequent. Keep tuned.