After a dominating 20-game stretch, the San Antonio Spurs saw their win streak snapped by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, cutting the Spurs series lead to 2-1.
The loss was San Antonio's first in almost two months, and it exposed some chinks in San Antonio's previously unbreakable armor. The Thunder will look to even up the series on Saturday.
Here are some keys to their Game Four matchup:
OKC Defense
In beating the Spurs, Oklahoma City held the league's highest scoring offense to their lowest scoring output (82 points)Â since Jan. 27, and their lowest field goal percentage (39.5)since May 7. During San Antonio's impressive run, opponents have failed to slow down the Spurs offense. Disrupting that offense should be the top priority of the Thunder going into this crucial Game 4.
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In Game 3, Oklahoma City was able to force 21 Spurs turnovers, with two-thirds of those coming from steals. Those steals can turn into offense quickly and the Thunder's 18 fast-break points in Game 3 contributed greatly to the big win.
Point Guard Battle
Thunder Coach Scott Brooks' decision to have Thabo Sefolosha guard Tony Parker in Game 3 paid dividends as Sefolosha's length flustered Parker for most of the game. Parker finished with five turnovers and only four assists as the quarterback of San Antonio's attack was out of rhythm.
Parker's counterpart, Russell Westbrook, got his teammates more involved than usual by dishing out nine assists, to go along with only 15 shot attempts. Westbrook had a better all-around game than usual, posting seven rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.
While Parker may be more vital to his team's offense, Westbrook's contributions should not be taken lightly. He has the ability to take over a game, as he did in Game 4 against the Lakers. The athletic guard scored nine straight fourth quarter points in a thrilling Oklahoma City comeback against L.A.
Sixth Men
While Manu Ginobli has periodically been a major spark off the bench for the Spurs over the years, James Harden appears to be the closest thing to Ginobli, as the left-handed, high-scoring shooting guard is coming off a regular season where he won the Sixth Man of the Year award. Harden plays a similarly aggressive style of basketball as the veteran Argentine. Both players are the primary scorers of their team's second units, and both have had signature fourth quarters in this postseason.
Harden's big night came against the defending-champion Dallas Mavericks in the first round. Dallas, looking to avoid becoming the fifth NBA champion to be swept out of the first round, was up by 10 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter. What followed was pure dominance by Harden, who scored 15 points in the final frame, (one less than Dallas) leading to a six-point Thunder win.
Ginobli's flash of brilliance came in Game 1 of this series. In a similar performance to Harden's, Ginobli scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the Spurs recover from a six-point deficit and escape with the win. Both players will be looking to provide equally bright sparks off the bench and it will be interesting to see who outplays the other in Game 4.
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