2013 NBA Playoffs: Oklahoma City Thunder Can Basically Put Series Away in Game 3


The Oklahoma City Thunder had a bit of a scare on Wednesday night in Game 2 of their series with the Houston Rockets. After giving up a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Thunder had to fight for a 105-102 victory.

With that said, a win is a win. The Thunder now have a commanding 2-0 series lead going into Houston on Saturday night. Teams that go up 2-0 in a series go on to win the series over 90 percent of the time.

The Thunder now have the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin in their series with the Rockets. If the Rockets go down 0-3 in the series, it will be very, very hard for them to make a comeback.

Complacency is certainly something the Thunder want to avoid in Game 3. The Rockets have proved that they are a force to be reckoned with. If a little luck was on their side in Game 2, the Rockets might have escaped with a victory.

The Rockets might have found something that works defensively against the Thunder. They made their impressive 15-point comeback in game 2 by switching to a zone in the third quarter. The Thunder looked confused and unsure of themselves for about a five-minute stretch.

Luckily for the Thunder, a few players outside of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were able to step up in the fourth quarter. Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha had a couple clutch shots that helped top the Rockets in the closing minutes of the game.

It was a good sign that more players were involved in the fourth quarter outside of Westbrook and Durant, but at the same time it was not so good that the Thunder gave up a commanding lead. If anything, the Thunder should have learned from Game 2 that they have to put this Rockets team away when they have the opportunity.

Tonight will be a good opportunity for the Thunder to put the Rockets out of their misery. The Rockets should be happy with the way their team bounced back in Game 2 after their 29-point pounding in the first game; but when it comes down to it, James Harden will not have the supporting cast to give the Thunder a run for their money if the Thunder are playing to their potential.

Game 3 will be Saturday night in Houston at 9:30 ET.


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