The Oklahoma City Thunder failed again in the first playoff round. What were the reasons for early retirement? So what happens in OKC? SPOX answers the most important questions.
After Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016, it was the second time in a row for the Thunder after a playoff round. After failing Houston Rockets in five games the year before, the Utah Jazz were too big this time despite their home advantage.
This was a promising start for the Thunder. In game one, Russell Westbrook and Co. swept the Mormon state troops out of the hall, Paul George sunk eight threesomes. However, this never continued in the series. Symbolically, it was the last minute of game 6 when OKC took 5 consecutive offensive rebounds and still couldn’t score.
With the exception of San Antonio Spurs, no team had a worse offensive rating in the first round (100.7), only 43.9 percent of all field goals were based on a direct submission. The highlight was the fourth game, when OKC managed the feat of not playing a single assist for 22 minutes, actually a thing of impossibility.
Instead, the final games became a Westbrook show that shot without a conscience, replicating its entire MVP season. In the second half of match 6, Russ threw a total of 15 (!) threesomes onto the opponent’s basket, scoring 6.
However, there was no flowerpot to be won against the Jazz style of playing, which was extremely useful to the team. Of course, Utah relied on their star, Rookie Donovan Mitchell, in the decisive moments, but the construct seemed much more stable than the increasingly desperate Thunder.
Utah relentlessly revealed the Thunder’s weaknesses: Melo was the Achilles’ heel of the defense, the bench much too thin (13.6 points per game, 16th place in the playoffs), and there was a lack of shooters who could provide for spacing.
Page 1: What happened?
Page 2: How is the Thunder season to be evaluated?
Page 3: Will Paul George now leave the Thunder directly again?
Page 4: What happens to Carmelo Anthony?
Page 5: Can a Russell Westbrook team win a title?