Harden is so good. He's getting teammates wide open looks and they've only made one down the stretch.

One of the top 10 players in the league for sure. There are only a few players better at creating offense than him.

Sometimes I think he owes a bookie and needs to keep the spread close. Perkins has been ****ing killing them all night.

He's a ghost on defense, but he gets on the glass. And the offense he creates for everyone is second to only LeBron IMO.

WTF was that? LMAO

It's not like he doesn't have a really good alternative in Collison.

And what a ****ing disaster that last possession was for Houston. Good lord.

He's great on defense against some lineups. Tonight he should have played 10 minutes.

Goes to show, if not in Harden's hands, they're clueless. He and Lin initiate 95% of their offense.

I was talking about Harden.

Probably. Chris Paul is also really good in that area.

Harden's got all the tools to be good defensively. He does pretty much everything for them on offense, though, so expending a lot of energy on defense is probably difficult. That doesn't stop LeBron, of course, but LeBron is kind of super-human in some ways.

The plus minus difference between Collison and Perk in the finals last year was astronomical. Yet every time we play Miami we must spot them 20 points. The best thing that could happen is Perkins getting hurt towards the end of the WC finals IF we even make it that far. He'd probably still start Thabeet.

If he would learn from his mistakes it would be one thing, but he does the same shit over and over. It's not Perks fault, it's Brooks fault.

I can only hope he's amnestied next year because the three year old with a book of matches can't figure out the house is gonna burn down.

It may have been better to lose that game.

Maybe Houston won't get swept in that series now. I was thinking they would.

Lol I read the first part and just raged.

I agree with KC. He has the ability to be a good defender. However, I thought he would be one by now.

Still a fantastic offensive player. His footwork is amazing.

I kind of thought all along they would win one. The Thunder sometimes relax too much at home. I wouldn't be surprised if they still swept it. Also, wouldn't be surprised to see Houston win one.

Houston just ran isos the last 4 minutes of the game. It's funny watching mentally weak coaches operate in the last few minutes of a game.

It's probably good for the Thunder to see a lot of zone against an inferior team. May payoff in the long run.

I don't know what the **** they were doing taking 10 seconds to get a shot off. I think that one is more on the players. In that situation you got to force one quick and hope it goes.

Yeah. I don't really understand McHale at all. Every ****ing time.

That last possession was an abortion. Just terrible.

Yeah, I kind of figured you never got to my second sentence. :)

Perk has value against certain teams/players, as we've discussed before. But against Houston or Miami, he should play very little. A good coach could work that out.

Yeah, I don't really know what that looks like. I honestly could live with Brooks if it wasn't for his lineup management. It's awful. He's also a little too much of a players coach at times.

Too good, Spurs. Nice to watch a team that plays effective offense.

Lakers are so much better without Kobe. Clearly he was the one holding them back. /Hootie

He put a pass right in Asik's hands, but the guy did nothing with it.

Bucks up by 7 in the 2nd.


Waiting for the 15-0 run the Heat will go on in the 3rd to take the lead...

Obviously.

They might have one 60 without the Mamba anchor.

Memphis/LAC game being played so much differently in Memphis as expected. Playing right into Memphis' style.

They only bothered to start trying defensively in the 2nd half today. Reminded me of one of their games during their streak.

ZBO ZBO

Have no idea how that was called a flagrant on replay.

Sooner or later that will come back to bite them. Every one of these games against the Bucks have been close at the half.

Too much ZBO for the Clips today.

When they start playing better teams later in the playoffs, I suspect they'll start trying more. They did last year. I could see them being lazy against a team like Chicago on the road next round and losing a game because of it, though.

Clippers are like a petulant child, and it's led by Paul and Griffin. When things don't go their way, they act ridiculous. Blake's just out there taking shots at people.

That was a terrible call. They assume the worst of Barnes, for good reason. But how can you watch the replay and think that's a flagrant.

Appeasing the home crowd.

Rachel Nichols ‏@Rachel__Nichols 33s

Wow. OKC Thunder's Russell Westbrook undergoing surgery to repair meniscus tear in right knee. No timetable for return

That's terrible. I assume he got hurt when Beverly crashed into him while he was callling a time out? Westbrook will fight that dude the next time he sees him.

This may open things up for the Spurs. Durant can probably carry OKC by himself to the Western finals, but it may take more than just him to get by San Antonio.

Well, we are done this year. We were kind of due for something like this to happen though. Better luck next year.

as a lakers fan, i know the feeling Every single starter suffered a pretty big injury this passed year. Nash, broken leg, Kobe's achillies, Dwights back still not healthy and labrum torn, Gasol tore his planar facia (spelling), Ron Ron with the same thing Russel is going through. Ron made it back in like 3 weeks though. Now we have blake and Meeks out.

Sometimes injuries happen.

Wow. First time missing a game since high school... couldn't have come at a worse time.
Posted via Mobile Device

If Russ can come back in 3 weeks or so, OKC should be fine.

Of course, if they had a ball-handler/scorer like Harden to pick up the slack, I'd feel even better. ;)

Absolutely devastating injury for a basketball player. Hopefully they can repair it without having to remove it. Otherwise, you may have seen the last of Westbrook as the player he was last night.

Beverly needs to be marked. Perk may actually be useful for something.

Damn that sucks but it didn't look good when Beverly hit him. Westbrook was pissed too but the guys on TNT thought it was a clean play

It wasn't. It was bush league.

I've read it's only 2% which means he could be back in a few weeks. If they can get him back next series they may be alright.

I kind of do expect Perk to take a shot at him. That's what he does. Hopefully it results in a long suspension.

Looking at the birght side, I don't think we were beating the Heat this year regardless. So I don't want to rush him back. I think it's a good opportunity for Reggie to show his stuff, Ibaka to step up, and Martin to look for his own shots. Since I feel this teams window is better than next two years in the longrun it may be a positive. However, it still sucks.

I'm not going to whine about it because as I said we were due. We have gone a long time without any injury problems, and it's bound to happen eventually.

KD is going to have to become a little more selfish now.

This is where the Harden trade hurts. Reggie will be fine, but we all know Fisher isn't a real PG. Even Maynor is missed right now.

The West just opened up. However, lots of teams are dealing with injuries, it's part of the game. Honsetly, I have no idea how it's going to play out because their has never been a Thunder game without Russ. I still think we have talent to win it, but definately can't beat the Heat without him.

If Miami somehow gets knocked before the Finals I might shed tears.

Bummer of a day, but at least the Royals are in first place :)

I like the way Reggie has progressed. This is either goinng to earn or cost him a lot of money.

YESSIR. I was less worried about the Thunder this year due to the loss of Harden. This makes it even more likely that the Spurs are heading to the finals.

Okay, it's Spurs vs. Heat in the Finals. If they stay healthy, you can never count out a Pop coached team.

bullshit, he was playing tough. its just a freak accident. shit happens.

so what if they faked the time out and the defender gives up cause he "anticipated" a time out and Westbrook blows by him for an easy lay up?

Trading Harden and then Maynor assumes that injuries won't happen at PG. On a young developing team, that makes sense. On a team that should contend for the Finals, it reeks of arrogance.

Yeah, I'm sure Perk is going to "play tough" through at least one of the Rockets' knees. It'll be totally a good basketball play, though.

Since the Lakers don't have any point guards tonight, maybe we'll see those dominant LA big men that TheBadGuy was telling me about.

Actually, since about 2007 you can. Memphis/LAC in the finals if westbrook doesn't make it back. Still would take OKC over Spurs too, but then I'm a bit of a hater.

Celtics are definitely better without Rondo..jfc..:facepalm:

Went from going to the Eastern Conference Finals last year to being swept in the first round this year.

Let's go Warriors.

I know it is hard because they play different positions...

but if I had to choose between Duncan and Kobe in terms of who had a better NBA career...

I'm taking Duncan.

:deevee:

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Duncan's been a better overall player in his career, yes. Huge impact on games in terms of his defensive presence.

who the **** is Andrew Goudelock? LMAO

I almost feel bad for the Lakers. At one point they had 5 guys on the floor and I think I knew 1.5 of them and some guy who resembled what Chris Duhon used to be.

This game is off the ****ing chain.

Has to be Golden State's ball.

shit he almost made that

Good job, **** the Nuggets.

So Splitter got hurt too?

The injuries are out of control this year. I hate that. Always want to see all of the teams at their best regardless. Injuries happen, but its like epidemic level lately.

Russ officially done for the season :(

Go get em Reggie!

Nate Robinson...wow what a game.

Good Lord, did someone actually suggest that?

Someone on this very board called me an idiot for saying that Nate Robinson could help the Thunder this year. I stand by my statement.

OKC without Westbrook...still elite.

They went on a 7 game win streak (mostly at home) after Rondo got hurt, so many pundits did. Predictably didn't last.

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Houston comeback and the KD dunk.

Collison saving possessions as usual. Just waiting for him to be pulled for Perkins.

okc, where is Reggie Jackson? I thought he'd done a lot of good things.

What a BS play with that rip through, my god.

Chance to take the lead and Harden bricks two free throws. Jesus Christ.

Man, that Bulls game was incredible. I'm so proud the way this team plays night in night out. They did play like shit the first game, but have fought back to get to a 3-1 series lead.

And.... Once again... Trying to draw cheapies down the stretch. Not always gonna get those calls this late