Yesterday [Thursday, May 12], the Oklahoma City Thunder dropped the San Antonio Spurs, 113-99, with the Thunder winning the series, 4-2. This means that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and crew will move on to face Steph Curry and the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
For most of the game the Thunder were dominating the Spurs, only allowing 31 points in the first half, and entered the 4th quarter with a 26-point lead over the Spurs. In typical Spurs fashion though, they made a push to cut the lead down to around 12, but could not over come the energy of OKC.
OKC’s role players stepped up big time in this game, which along with Durant’s 37 points, lead the Thunder to victory. Andre Roberson, the Thunder’s defensive specialist, added 14 points to another stellar defensive job on the Spurs’ wing players. Steven Adams also ran wild on the offensive boards, allowing the Thunder to get extra possessions and keep the momentum on their side.
With this loss, the San Antonio Spurs will be looking to reload in the off-season. The biggest story for this team will be the status of their aging big three. Tim Duncan has a player option in his contract, so he could come back for more basketball next season, but at 40 years old, this may be his time to hang up his sneakers. The same goes for a 38-year-old Manu Ginobili, who may also be looking to retire. But, with all that said, the future is still bright for San Antonio fans, with Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and coach Gregg Popovich not going anywhere, anytime soon.
