The Oklahoma City Thunder responded to their Game 1 blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs with a 98-97 statement win in Game 2, tying the series 1-1. Russell Westbrook finished with a team-high 29 points along with 10 assists and seven rebounds for the Thunder. Kevin Durant finished with 28 points and seven rebounds.
The Spurs started the game just the opposite of Game 1, shooting 1-for-10 and then 2-for-16 to start the game. Oklahoma City capitalized with an aggressive 7-2 start which turned into a 16-4 start. Russell Westbrook dictated early tempo with 14 points in the first quarter, but the Spurs eventually started on a 9-0 run with Manu Ginobili’s buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the first which carried into the second quarter.
San Antonio was picked up by Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills off the bench in the second quarter, including an overall monster performance from LaMarcus Aldridge, who had a game-high 41 points with eight rebounds.
The Thunder shot 56 percent in the first half. LaMarcus Aldridge 22 points in the first half and 48 percent for the game.
OKC built up a nine-point lead in the third quarter, but went the last 3:13 without making a field goal while the Spurs went into the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run. Every time the Thunder would start to pull away, another Spurs run came.
That was true until the very end, as Kevin Durant made a go-ahead basket to put the Thunder up by five with :33 left. Tony Parker came down on the next possession and made a terrific play for LaMarcus Aldridge, who nailed a three-pointer to put the Spurs down by two with :25 left. Russell Westbrook was fouled and made both free throws, then the Spurs ran another look for Aldridge and he drew a shooting foul on Serge Ibaka from behind the three-point line. Aldridge made all three free throws, putting the Spurs down by one.
And then all hell broke loose.
You can’t do that, Dion Waiters.#SPURSvTHUNDERhttps://t.co/9akkdsjX9n
— NBA On Def Pen (@NBAOnDefPen) May 3, 2016
Just so many things went wrong here.
@blssblog pic.twitter.com/8d2EXjonuR
— #JZTOUT (@TheRealJZT) May 3, 2016
Game 3 of a now very testy and controversial series of Spurs-Thunder will be on Friday at 9:30 PM EST on ESPN.
