Sunday night the Oklahoma City Thunder were whole. Center Serge Ibaka made his return from what was previously thought to be a season ending injury. His return was much needed, as he provided the defensive energy necessary for the Thunder to play free on the perimeter without worry or fear of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili wreaking havoc in the paint near the rim. Ibaka had a profound impact on the game, as Oklahoma claimed a 106-97 Game 3 victory
For the second straight year, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s playoff push has been derailed by a season-ending injury. Last year it was All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, who went down in the first round with a knee injury as a result of a collision with Houston guard Patrick Beverley. This year it is forward Serge Ibaka, who suffered a left calf injury in the third quarter of Thursday’s clincher over the Los Angeles Clippers. Ibaka underwent an MRI on Friday that confirmed a left
Typically, there is an amazing tweet to talk about. However, this may be the exception to the rule. The folks at Bleacher Report took it upon themselves to put together an animated NBA adaptation of the hit HBO show, Game of Thrones. The ease with which the characters of the show—which is based on George R.R. Martin’s A Sword of Ice and Fire books—can be replaced with NBA teams and athletes is uncanny. The Miami Heat, being the two-time reigning champions are
All along, Stephen Curry wanted the Golden State Warriors to keep Mark Jackson – a man he absolutely loves as a coach, a friend and a mentor in life. He blossomed into a borderline superstar in two seasons under Jackson and went to the playoffs both times after failing to do so in his first three seasons. There was simply too much drama surrounding Jackson and the front office, though, and the coach had to be fired against the wishes of
Fresh off an appearance on L.A. radio, I went on the air in Oklahoma City today, too, and the mood was a lot different.Shocker, eh? As always, I do not have a rooting interest in who wins this series. Like always, I just hope for a good story. Well, today my wishes were answered as folks around the world debated the blown replay and the thrilling final moments of Tuesday night’s Clippers-Thunder game. That was the main topic of discussion in this
Facing a 12-point deficit and a potential 3-1 series hole, the Los Angeles Clippers played quite possibly the most important 12 minutes of basketball in franchise history Sunday afternoon. If not the most important, certainly the best. Behind the brilliant play of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and the unlikely hero, Darren Collison, the Clippers rallied to beat the Thunder 101-99, sending the series back to Oklahoma City tied 2-2. [Read more…]
Thunder Fall Apart A lot of ridiculous things have happened this postseason, but the Los Angeles Clippers erasing a 16-point fourth quarter deficit to the Oklahoma City Thunder could take the cake. The Clips were in a near must-win situation but picked up a Game 4 victory 102-99, and evened the series up at 2-2. For an early afternoon tipoff in LA, the Thunder seemed well rested to start the game, breaking out to a 20-point first quarter lead. Hitting their first
As SheridanHoops own Chris Bernucca reported earlier, the Golden State Warriors have fired head coach Mark Jackson. Jackson’s dismissal has raised questions around the league. He helped lift the Warriors out of the NBA’s dark abyss, turning them from a 20-win team to a perennial 50-win team and playoff threat. After taking the San Antonio Spurs to six games in last years Western Conference semi’s, Jackson, with a talented yet precariously assembled roster, led the Warriors to another 50-win season and lost