A Rough 72 Hours for Thunder; Spurs clinch their 50th Regular Season Win in H-Town

[simmytbone]

Hey guys,

It's been a rough 72 Hours for the Oklahoma City Thunder

Thursday Night on the NBA on TNT, the OKC Thunder went to New Orleans and lost once again to Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans

and Saturday Night on abc, the Thunder once again lost in OKC in OVERTIME to the Golden State Warriors when Steph Curry NAILED a 3-pointer w/ .6 seconds left on the clock and the Spurs def. the Rockets in a Texas Size Southwest Division Rival Match-Up which results in the Warriors clinching a Playoff Berth

Here are the stories:

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametra...0160225_OKC@NO

Davis, reserves lead Pelicans past Thunder, 123-119
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
Feb. 25, 2016

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Anthony Davis used his potent combination of quickness and length to reject high-scoring Thunder guard Russell Westbrook late in the fourth quarter. The clutch defensive play led directly to a transition 3-pointer on the other end by Ryan Anderson while Davis lay on his back, clutching his knee after an awkward landing.

''I wasn't coming out. I can tell you that,'' said Davis, who stayed in the game after a timeout, adding a pair of clutch free throws and a key rebound in the final minute. ''It feels good now.''

Davis scored 30 points and blocked four shots, three Pelicans reserves combined for 60 points, and New Orleans beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 123-119 on Thursday night.

Anderson scored 26 points in a little less than 26 minutes off the bench, while guard Jrue Holiday added 22 points, also in fewer than 26 minutes. Reserve guard Toney Douglas scored 12 points in 14 minutes, with 10 points coming in the fourth quarter.

''It's fun; everybody's involved and we're moving the ball, finding the open man, so it's just a different vibe when we play like that,'' Anderson said. ''Jrue's playing really, really well. He helps me and I think we just have good chemistry coming off the bench.''

Westbrook scored 44 points and Kevin Durant 32 for Oklahoma City, which trailed by 12 with a little more than 3 minutes left but got within two on Durant's 3 with 13 seconds left.

Holiday, who also had nine assists, made a pair of clutch free throws shortly after for the final margin.

Norris Cole scored 21 points and Dante Cunningham added 10 in a starting role for New Orleans, hitting both 3-pointers he took. The Pelicans were 12 of 20 from 3-point range, while Oklahoma City was 8 of 19.

''They did whatever they wanted and we didn't show any resistance,'' Durant said. ''They got confidence. ... We didn't help (defensively) as much as we should have and that caused us to be in scramble mode.''

Davis's soaring block on Westbrook came with 3:28 to go and Anderson's 3 seconds later made it 117-105. The Thunder quickly trimmed its deficit on Westbrook's driving layup and 3, followed by Durant's layup, which made it 119-116 with 1:14 to go.

New Orleans went to Davis on its next possession. He was fouled in the lane and sank two free throws. Davis then rebounded Westbrook's miss and Durant lost a rebound of Holiday's miss out of bounds, allowing New Orleans to run the clock down to 18 seconds left before the Thunder got the ball back, still trailing by five.

UNIBROW RISING

Davis has scored 30 or more twice in the last five days, including 59 points in a victory at Detroit last Sunday. His play is giving New Orleans, which has won five of seven, faint hope of climbing back into contention for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

''He's playing great basketball,'' Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. ''The unfortunate thing for him is that ... we're not winning enough games that people are talking about it.''

LAGGING DEFENSE

Thunder coach Billy Donovan had no issue with his team's 54.7 percent shooting, or its point total approaching 120. He could even live with the Pelicans' 25 points off of 14 Thunder turnovers.

''It's just our defense and the numbers we gave up on that end of the floor,'' Donovan said, contrasting his team's effort from a victory in Dallas on Wednesday night. ''Coming out to start the first quarter, that was the tell-tale sign for us when we gave up (35 points). ... We just didn't come out and play at the same level defensively.''

TIP INS

Thunder: Serge Ibaka scored 15 points and had two blocks, including one on 7-footer Alexis Ajinca near the basket. ... Durant scored 20 or more points for a 43rd straight game. ... Oklahoma City had won the previous two meetings with New Orleans. They do not meet again this season.

Pelicans: Shortly before the game, the Pelicans announced that rookie guard Bryce Dejean-Jones, who'd been a fill-in starter much of the past month, was diagnosed with a fractured right wrist earlier in the day and was scheduled for surgery on Friday. Because he was out, injury-plagued New Orleans opened the game with its 26th different starting lineup this season, with Cole at point guard, Alonzo Gee at shooting guard, Cunningham at small forward, Davis at power forward and Ajinca at center.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametra...0160227_GS@OKC

Curry hits winning 3, sets record as Warriors beat Thunder
By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer
Feb. 27, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Stephen Curry had no clue how far from the hoop he was. He just knew it was time to shoot.

His 3-pointer from well beyond 30 feet with 0.6 seconds left in overtime gave the Golden State Warriors a 121-118 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

''Honestly, I don't know exactly where I am, so it's not like I'm calibrating in my head, all right, 38 feet, 37, 36,'' he said. ''Just literally, you've got a sense of - I've shot the shot plenty of times, you're coming across halfcourt and timing up your dribbles, and you want to shoot before the defense goes in. And that was pretty much my only thought.''

Golden State, with the best 58-game record in NBA history at 53-5, became the first team since the 1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers to clinch a playoff spot in February, a Warriors spokesman said.

The postseason berth was secured about an hour before Curry's scintillating shot, when Houston lost to the San Antonio Spurs. That assured Golden State will finish no lower than eighth in the Western Conference.

Curry finished with 46 points, and his winning shot was his 12th 3-pointer, tying the NBA single-game record.

Warriors forward Draymond Green thought Curry had time to get closer to the hoop before the release.

''What was that, 40 feet?'' Green asked. ''That's absurd.''

Golden State guard Klay Thompson is beyond the point of being surprised anymore.

''Everybody in this locker room, we've seen him practice from that range every day,'' Thompson said. ''He's got the greatest range I've ever seen. He makes it look so effortless.''

Curry also broke his own NBA record for 3s in a season, leaving the new mark at 288.

''I never would have thought at this point in the season I would be closing in on 300 and all that kind of stuff,'' he said. ''That doesn't make sense to me. I've always tried to push the envelope and keep getting better, but a lot has to go right to get to this point.''

Thompson scored 32 points and Green had 14 assists for the Warriors, who won their fifth straight.

Curry, the league's scoring leader and reigning MVP, missed about six minutes of the third quarter with a left ankle injury. He drove to the basket and rolled the ankle before Thunder guard Russell Westbrook stepped on it.

''It was a little nerve racking,'' he said. I wanted to make sure I was OK. I had to get it re-taped. It was painful.''

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 37 points, but he fouled out in the first minute of overtime. Even without him, Oklahoma City was in position to win. The Thunder played one of their better defensive games of the season and shut down the other Warriors players from beyond the 3-point line.

''I thought all of the guys really played their hearts out and did a lot of good things,'' Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said. ''It's disappointing to come up short like that, but I think there is a lot we can take from it in terms of what we can do and what we are capable of doing defensively with a tremendous amount of energy and focus.''

Westbrook had 26 points and 13 assists, and Serge Ibaka had 15 points and 20 rebounds for the Thunder.

The Warriors won the previous meeting with the Thunder 116-108 at home on Feb. 6. The teams play again Thursday at Golden State.

Oklahoma City led by 12 in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors rallied. Thompson made a 3 from the left corner to cut Oklahoma City's lead to 100-99. It was the first 3 of the game for any Warriors player other than Curry.

Durant responded with a 3-pointer with 14.5 seconds left to put the Thunder up 103-99.

Thompson quickly scored a layup, then the Thunder turned the ball over, and Andre Iguodala was fouled with 0.7 seconds left. Iguodala made both free throws to tie the score at 103 and force the extra period.

STAT LINES

The Thunder lost despite outrebounding the Warriors 62-32.

QUOTABLE

Green, on Curry's mentality before the final shot: ''When he pulled up, he looked like, `Ah, whatever, it's going in,''' Green said. ''

TIP-INS

Warriors: Curry has made a 3-pointer in an NBA-record 129 straight games. ... C Anderson Varejao played in his third game with the Warriors. The Cleveland Cavaliers traded him to Portland and the Trail Blazers waived him, allowing Golden State to pick him up.

Thunder: Durant has scored 20 or more in 44 straight games. ... Durant was presented with the Western Conference Player of the Month award for January before the game. ... Oklahoma City scored the game's first eight points. ... Durant fouled out for just the fourth time in 621 career regular-season games.

UP NEXT

Thunder: @ Sacramento Kings on Monday.

Warriors: Host Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

and finally....

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametra...0160227_SA@HOU

Leonard leads Spurs to 50th win, 104-94 over Rockets
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
Feb. 27, 2016

HOUSTON (AP) Road-weary and eager to get home, the San Antonio Spurs spoke before Saturday night's game about the importance of maintaining focus in the finale of their season-long road trip against the Houston Rockets.

They were able to do that, never trailing in a 104-94 win that let them tie the mark as the seventh-fastest team in NBA history to reach 50 wins.

Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 26 to give San Antonio a 7-1 record on their annual ''Rodeo Road Trip'' that coincides with the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo. They also extended their NBA record of straight 50-win seasons to 17.

''This game is always very mental because it's the last game on the road and everybody can't wait to get home,'' Tony Parker said. ''This was a great win. Everybody was very focused.''

It was the fifth straight win for the Spurs (50-9), who have a double-digit lead in the Southwest Division and the second-best record in the NBA behind Golden State.

The Spurs showed no signs of fatigue despite wrapping up the long road stretch as they never trailed and held a double-digit lead for most of the night.

''Our guys played well and stayed locked in the whole trip,'' Aldridge said. ''I think everybody was motivated to finish the trip off right.''

San Antonio led by 31 points in the second half, but Houston slowly chipped away at the lead. James Harden and Jason Terry both made a 3-pointer to power a 6-2 run that made it 94-83 with less than four minutes left.

The Spurs slowed Houston down after that by intentionally fouling Dwight Howard, and Leonard and Aldridge both added baskets to secure the victory.

Harden led the Rockets with 27 points, but shot just 10 for 25 from the field.

''We got our shots, we just didn't knock them down,'' Harden said. ''We played with some aggressiveness in the second half, but it was a little bit too late.''

Houston used a big run at the end of the third quarter to whittle down the lead, and scored the first six points of the fourth to pull to 76-63. San Antonio got back on track after that, scoring the next six points to make it 82-63 with nine minutes left.

The Spurs were up by 20 at halftime and used an 11-2 run to open the second half and extend the lead to 62-33 with eight minutes left in the third quarter. Houston missed seven shots and had a turnover to help San Antonio pad the lead.

Aldridge made four straight points to extend San Antonio's lead to a game-high 31 points with about five minutes left in the third quarter. Houston scored the next eight points to get the Rockets to 71-48.

David West made a basket for San Antonio after that before the Rockets wrapped up the quarter with a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 76-57 entering the fourth.

The Spurs were up by 15 at the end of the first quarter and used an 8-2 run to open the second and push their lead to 34-13.

Houston used a 9-2 spurt later in the second to pull to 38-27, but San Antonio outscored the Rockets 13-4 over the rest of the quarter to take a 51-31 lead into halftime.

TIP-INS

Spurs: San Antonio hasn't played at home since Feb. 6. ... Parker finished with 15 points. ... Aldridge had 16 rebounds.

Rockets: C Clint Capela missed his second games in a row with a sprained right foot. ... F Josh Smith started for the fourth straight game. ... Trevor Ariza made two 3-pointers to extend his streak with at least one 3 to 29 games, the longest streak by a Rockets player since 39 in a row by Aaron Brooks in the 2009-10 season.

DUNCAN'S MILESTONES

Tim Duncan blocked a shot by Harden in the first quarter to make him the fifth player in NBA history to reach 3,000 blocks. He also had six rebounds on Saturday night to give him 14,971 in his career, passing Karl Malone (14,968) for sixth place in league history.

''Unbelievable career and 3,000 blocks, that's a lot,'' Parker said. ''That's a lot of great defense and Timmy's been maybe one of the best defenders ever in the NBA.''

HE'S BACK

Houston forward Donatas Motiejunas, who has been sidelined by a back injury, returned for the first time since Dec. 31. Motiejunas, who rejoined the Rockets earlier this week when a trade to the Pistons involving multiple players was rescinded because of a failed physical by one of the players, had two points and a rebound.

UP NEXT

Spurs: Host Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

Rockets: @ Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

credit: cbssports.com

also, the Thunder and Spurs will be on Prime Time for 2 nights in a row

Wednesday Night on ESPN, the Spurs will host the Detroit Pistons followed by the OKC City traveling to L.A. to take on the Clippers

and on Thursday Night on the NBA on TNT, the Pelicans will have their turn to host the San Antonio Spurs in another Southwest Division Rival Match-Up followed by another match between the Thunder and the Warriors back in the Golden State and the Thunder is looking for payback

Well guys, the Thunder may be in 3rd place and they may be in the lead in the Northeast Division, but Charles Barkley criticized the Thunder for lacking defense

Anthony Davis & Steph Curry have reasons to celebrate after def. the OKC Thunder in 72 Hours


Stephen Curry Ties Single-Game Record for Made 3-Pointers


#REWIND Anthony Davis Sinks Amazing Double-Pump Game-Winner in OKC from a year ago this month

[isiahthomas]

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook may never win a championship hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. One of them is gonna have to leave Oklahoma because they aren't gonna get championships playing together. They're just a good regular season team LOL. If James Harden had stayed in Oklahoma, then it's possible that they could've got championships. James should've never left because he'll never get a championship with Houston LOL. Dwight Howard probably will be gone after this season. James needs to shave his long beard hahahahahahahahahahahaha. That's why Khloe Kardashian broke up with him because she got tired of kissing him and getting hair in her mouth hahahahahahahahahaha.