Thunder kept their cool, while champion Warriors lost theirs

Game Recap from NBA.com.

OAKLAND, Calif. - They were back Monday night in the perfect coincidence or ideal contrast or both, a Thunder team in the same location yet a very different place, having come so far without going anywhere.

That was a big part of Oklahoma City 108, Golden State 102 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, after all. Grabbing home-court advantage and a quick lead in the best-of-seven series -- while digging out from a 14-point second-half deficit -- was what really matter. But talk about a statement on the long strides made by the Thunder the last 2½ months.

It was in Oracle Arena on March 3 that the Thunder were hit hardest by the reality of being much farther from the top of the league than the standings would indicate. And so it would be in Oracle Arena on May 16 that the Thunder showed how close they are to the best.

March 3: Warriors 121-106, the biggest voices in the OKC locker room conceding the 42-20 record was built largely on the soft sand of a weak schedule before the All-Star break. Kevin Durant in particular condemned the lack of focus with ominous phrases like "Our backs are against the wall right now as far as where we want to be as a team" and "dark days." The Thunder were facing good opponents, and the Thunder were being exposed.

May 16: Thunder 108, Warriors 102, by committing just two turnovers in the second half and 12 in all, while outscoring Golden State 23-14 in the decisive fourth quarter. As the defending champions strangely lost their poise in a flurry of destructive quick shots, Oklahoma City was the team of composure. The same Kevin Durant was asked about the mindset and this time his insights were more along the lines of "I think our guys did a great job mentally of just sticking with it" and "We just kept coming at them on both ends of the floor." Ominous for the Warriors.

"Well, we've been doing that all season," Durant said of OKC's resiliency and ability to embrace adversity. "We've just had our ups and downs throughout the season, but we just stayed with it. We're a resilient group and we just keep fighting to the end. That's all we can do."

That's all they need to do. The Thunder who showed up for the second half Monday night are championship caliber, as the Spurs learned the hard way the previous series and the Warriors and their stunned fan base were quickly reminded in this one. Because it's not just about an impressive Game 1 of the West finals.

San Antonio lost one game at AT&T Center the entire regular season, tying the 1985-86 Celtics for the best home record in league history -- and then the Thunder beat the Spurs there twice in three tries in the conference semifinals. San Antonio also finished 12 games better in the standings, and then fell to the Thunder in six games.

The Warriors lost twice at Oracle in the regular season and were 45-2 there including the playoffs against the Rockets and the Blazers. Then came Monday night. The Warriors lost a Game 1 for the first time since the 2013 second round in San Antonio, a span that covered seven series. The Warriors lost for the first time in 2015-16 after leading by double digits at halftime. And the Warriors scored their fewest points in a fourth quarter all season.

"I do think we lost our poise a little bit, and that had a lot to do with the quick shots," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. "I think we were trying to rectify the situation in one or two plays instead of letting it play out. So that's something we've got to get better with."

The Thunder were the team with better composure.

Those long strides.

"... I think going through some of that stuff after the All-Star Break probably has helped us grow and become more resilient and tougher," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I think when you get in those competitive situations you get scarred up and wounded, and you build some resolve. It's not always easy. When it gets hard, you have to understand how to push through it. And those guys, I think, have done a really good job with that."

Game 1 was the perfect backdrop to show exactly how much resolve had been built, against a favored opponent that does not have big halftime leads taken away -- and then did, in the exact building where the Thunder hit bottom in early March, in the same location and yet a very different place.

Raptors' commitment to plan pays off with Game 7 rout

Game Recap from NBA.com.

TORONTO - There were many moments of angst and times of doubt. This franchise has certainly been there before, leaving its rabid fan base heartbroken.

There was potential for panic and second-guessing. And, my goodness, would there be second-guessing if things didn't work out.

But Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey stuck with the plan and knew that if his team just played the way it was supposed to, things would go their way, the fans would go crazy, and they would all be going to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

He was right.

With their season on the line for the second time in 15 days, the Raptors played their best and most complete game of the postseason, beating the Miami Heat, 116-89, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and booking a trip to Cleveland for Game 1 of the conference finals on Tuesday.

There was no major adjustment to be made after Friday's loss in Game 6, when the Raptors didn't take advantage of what had become a huge size discrepancy in this series. Both teams lost their starting center in Game 3, but only one had a playable center, as well as a starting power forward with the body of an actual power forward, remaining.

In Miami on Friday though, Toronto didn't play like the bigger team, couldn't keep the Heat out of the paint and didn't punish them on the glass. And thus, they were flying back home for Game 7 instead of flying to Cleveland for Game 1.

On Sunday, the Heat again played super-small, leaving Udonis Haslem and Amar'e Stoudemire on the bench for all but one minute of Game 7. And again, the Raptors started big.

Casey was prepared to adjust if necessary. The message to Patrick Patterson and Bismack Biyombo was clear.

"You've got to make them pay if you're going to play, if we're going to stay big," Casey told his starting frontcourt. "And if you don't, we got to get you out."

Patterson and Biyombo responded and actually played bigger than Miami's frontline of small forwards. They crashed the offensive glass early and often, registering 13 of the Raptors' 20 offensive rebounds, which led to a season-high 27 second chance points. Biyombo dove to the rim aggressively in transition, knowing there was no one there with his combination of size and athleticism to stop him. His work and his energy resulted in a career-high 17 points.

"I thought tonight, we played big," Casey said. "If you're going to stay in the game, you got to plant your feet in the lane and do what you do. I thought Bismack and Patrick did that. They played big. In the game in Miami the other night, they didn't play big. [The Heat] stayed small and won that battle. But tonight, I thought our big guys made them pay."

"We wanted to make a statement," Patterson added, "as far as me and him setting the tone, offensive and defensively rebounding."

This is a make-or-miss league. The Raptors did shoot better in Game 7 than they had most of the series, making nine of their 20 3-point attempts. Kyle Lowry(35 points on 11-for-20 shooting), who seemingly had no confidence in his shot in Game 1, caught fire. And DeMar DeRozan (28 points on 12-for-29) hit some timely pull-up, mid-range jumpers.

But DeRozan was still largely inefficient and the Raptors' effective field goal percentage on Sunday (51.2 percent) was still barely above average. The difference in their wins vs. their losses in this series has been more about the glass and at the free throw line than it's been about makes or misses. And in addition to grabbing 20 offensive boards, the Raptors went to the line 43 times on Sunday, including 26 times in the 22 minutes that the Raptors' starting lineup was on the floor together.

As it often does, offense leads to defense and vice versa. When shots started to fall, when crashing the glass bore fruit, and when dives to the rim went rewarded, the Raptors became more engaged defensively. Biyombo switched out and did a much better job of containing the Heat's guards than he did on Friday. The Heat need paint points to win, and they didn't get enough in Game 7.

"They can play smaller, perimeter guys," Casey said of Patterson and Biyombo. "They got out on the perimeter, kept guys in front of them. And when the shot went up, they planted their feet, took a stand in the paint, and played like big men."

Engaged and active on both ends of the floor, the Raptors played like the 56-win, 2 seed that won its season series against every Eastern Conference opponent and has the depth to withstand an injury to its starting center.

"Today," Dwyane Wade said, "the better team won."

Next stop: Cleveland, where the Cavaliers will present the Raptors' with a MUCH tougher challenge, especially defensively, where simply keeping the opponent out of the paint is only half the battle. Against the LeBron James and the defending Eastern Conference champs, the Raptors' best might not be good enough.

But after two comfortable, Game 7 wins, they're going further than they ever have before, having erased any doubt about their ability to play their best when it matters most.

Heat make necessary moves to get Game 7 date in Toronto

Game Recap from NHL.com.

MIAMI - Desperate times call for desperate measures.

But desperate doesn't begin to describe some of the personnel maneuvers the Miami Heat unveiled for Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Toronto Raptors. With their season on the line, down 3-2 against the Raptors and facing elimination, the Heat trotted out a shrunken starting five that featured 20-year-old Justise Winslow, listed at 6-7, starting at the center position.

"It's whatever is required right now," said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. "Both sides, the series has changed quite a bit since May 2. So whatever's necessary right now."

While starting a rookie at center was largely prompted from attrition, it was a couple of veterans who did the heavy lifting for the Heat, helping them even the series with a 103-91 win. When the Heat were looking at a possible end of their season in Game 7 of their first round series against the Charlotte Hornets, Goran Dragic took control, scoring 25 points. Facing elimination again Friday, Dragic shredded Toronto for a career playoff-high 30 points, and chipped in seven rebounds.

"I didn't want to go home to Europe," Dragic joked. "I wanted to stay here."

Dragic got significant help from Dwyane Wade, who finished with 22 points, giving him 110 points in his last four games. While Winslow looked Lilliputian lined up against Toronto center Bismack Biyombo, he finished with 12 points and three rebounds, and more than held his own in the paint.

Miami's rotation shuffles were mostly due to injuries -- Miami center Hassan Whiteside went out during Game 3 with a knee sprain, which made the series "go sideways," according to Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. But the Heat's smaller group was also a way to give Toronto a fresh look after five games against the same team.

"It's just unconventional," said Wade of the smaller lineup. "And sometimes unconventional works... at this time of the series you need something a little different."

While they were outsized, Miami was not outworked. The Heat managed to scrap together eight offensive rebounds, including three from Josh McRoberts off the bench. "Those eight offensive rebounds felt like 20," said Spoelstra.

Toronto got huge performances from their All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry(36 points) and DeMar DeRozan (23 points). While the two have struggled throughout the postseason, battling injuries and inconsistent shooting, in the elimination game Toronto's dynamic duo was at their full power.

They just didn't get much help. Patrick Patterson was the next-leading scorer with just eight points, and while Biyombo had some success using his size against Miami's smallish lineup, finishing with 13 rebounds and two blocked shots, but he scored only four points. The Raptors also combined to shoot 4-16 from the three-point line.

"I thought we had some good looks," said Toronto coach Dwane Casey. "I thought we had a chance to cut the lead to six [with five minutes to play], and then we fumbled the ball out of bounds. So we had some opportunities in certain situations, but we just didn't take advantage of it."

Now Toronto and Miami, the only two teams that needed seven games to get out of the first round of the Playoffs, line it up for their second Game 7.

"Game 7," said Kyle Lowry, "the 2 [seed] versus 3 [seed], getting the opportunity to play on one of the biggest stages there is, it's gonna be fun. Game 7 in the first round was a little more tight, but this one on Sunday will be, just go out there and hoop."

"You're either going to continue playing or your season's over, that's the reality of it," Wade said. "So you got to give a little more, go a little more, you know obviously it's a great environment to be in, and for us and Toronto to be able to put ourselves in a position to get to this game Game 7, it's phenomenal. But you've got to give everything you have. There's no tomorrow."

Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 6 Recap – May 12, 2016

Game Recap from the Thunder website.

On one second half possession a solitary fingertip was all that Andre Roberson needed to wreak complete havoc against the San Antonio Spurs. That fingertip jostled the ball away from Kawhi Leonard, and then the duo were off to the races in the backcourt, diving on the ground for the ball.

The spry Roberson jumped off the hardwood first, scooped up the ball and finished at the rim to ignite an already blazing hot Chesapeake Energy Arena crowd. ­ It was that type of defense-to-offense effort that fueled the Thunder in a monster first half, and it resulted in a series-clinching 113-99 victory over the Spurs on Thursday night in front of its Oklahoma City faithful.

“I just tried to do anything I can to get my hand on and deflect it a little bit,” said Roberson, who also finished with a Playoff career-high 14 points. “I got my hand on it and it’s a race to the ball.”

After falling behind 2-1 in this Round 2 series, the Thunder rattled off three straight victories against a 67-win Spurs team that had the best margin of victory in the NBA and a historically good defense. Each Thunder win in the series was more impressive than the next, capped off by what was mostly a blowout in Game 6.

It wasn't a completely perfect night, which was expected against a savvy Spurs team. After building a 28-point lead in the third quarter, the Thunder got off to a rough start to the fourth, allowing the Spurs to outscore it 23-8 to pull the game back to within 99-88 with just under four minutes remaining. Tim Duncan rose to the rim but that’s where Serge Ibaka met him, swatting a shot that led to a Russell Westbrook to Kevin Durant transition dunk.

“He was huge, that block was the game saver,” Durant said of Ibaka. “That was like a clutch basket. We were able to gain the momentum back after that one. Coach has been talking to us all season about momentum-changing plays and that was one of them.”

When Westbrook swished a jab-stepping 3-pointer and Durant sealed off a defensive possession with a rebound, the fans knew it was over and gave a raucous ovation-slash-sigh of relief.

Even though the Spurs threw a massive late punch in the fourth, the Thunder settled down and was able to execute enough down the stretch to preserve a double-digit lead.

“We just had to relax,” Durant said. “We got this lead for a reason and we got it by playing good basketball. We can do that again. I just tried to tell my guys that. We were able to get some stops and huge buckets.”

As the second most prolific offense all season long, the Thunder knows it can score in droves. The key in tonight’s game, and throughout the series, has been that the defense has been cranked up to its highest gear.

In the first half, the Thunder allowed the Spurs to score just 31 points, the lowest in the Playoffs for an opponent in the Oklahoma City era. In fact, the Spurs shot just 31.1 percent from the field, went 0-for-8 from 3, and turned the ball over six times compared to just five assists. What resulted was 12 fast break points for the Thunder and none for San Antonio, thanks to just three first half turnovers for OKC.

“We did a great job of being disciplined,” Westbrook said. “They’re a great team. They make you move around a lot but we did a great job of using our size, being very physical and led to us getting out on the break and getting easy buckets.”

After building a 19-13 lead, the Spurs seemed to be in control, but the Thunder’s second unit completely dominated the final four minutes of the quarter, sparking a 12-0 run to build a 25-19 edge heading into the second period. The next 12 minutes for the Thunder were an absolute rout, as it outscored the Spurs 30-12, extending its run to 42-12 over the final 16 minutes of the first half.

The crescendo built throughout the quarter, as the Thunder kept piecing together scoring bursts that were more often than not predicated on the way the team was defending as a unit. The Thunder scored the final eight points of the half on five free throws, then a pull-up Durant 3-pointer before the buzzer to send both teams in the locker room with the advantage at 55-31.

The Thunder came out of halftime and traded baskets with the Spurs for most of the third quarter, perhaps a bit drained from the massive amount of energy it expended in the first half. That left the door open for the Spurs run to start the fourth, but the Thunder was able to slam the door, behind its veteran leaders Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka.

“Our guys weathered it and we got through it and we found a way to close the game out,” Donovan said. “I’m excited for all of our players. Those guys have done a tremendous job and have worked really hard getting prepared to play each game. I’m just happy that we get a chance to advance and continue to play."

Skiles resigns as coach of Orlando Magic

Official Release from the NBA.

ORLANDO - Scott Skiles has resigned as head coach of the Orlando Magic, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. The search for a new head coach will begin immediately.

"After much thought and careful consideration, I and I alone, have come to the conclusion that I am not the right head coach for this team," said Skiles. "Therefore, effective immediately, I resign my position as head coach of the Orlando Magic. I realize this type of decision can cause much speculation. The reality though is in the first sentence. It is simple and true. Any other rumors are pure conjecture."

"I sincerely apologize for any unintended consequences that may adversely affect anyone associated with this decision," Skiles continued. "The Magic are a world-class organization that employs world-class people. I wish them nothing but great success. I will always be thankful, especially to the DeVos family, for the opportunity."

"While we understand it was a challenging season, we reluctantly have accepted Scott's (Skiles) resignation," said Hennigan. "We appreciate Scott instilling a culture of accountability and certainly wish him and his family well."

Skiles, 52, became the 12th head coach in Orlando Magic history on May 29, 2015. He has an overall NBA regular season record of 478-480 (.499) as head coach with Phoenix, Chicago, Milwaukee and Orlando. During his 14 seasons as a head coach, his teams have reached the NBA Playoffs six times.

During his first season with the Magic (2015-16), Orlando finished with a 35-47 record, which was a ten-game improvement from the 2014-15 campaign, the fifth-largest increase season-over-season in franchise history. The Magic went 9-6 during November, marking their first winning month since March 2012, then an Eastern Conference-best 10-5 during December. Skiles was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for December 2015, marking the fourth time he has won the monthly honor (Jan. 2005, Apr. 2006, Feb. 2010).

NBA Playoff Capsules (May 12, 2016)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Klay Thompson scored 33 points with six 3-pointers, Stephen Curry added 29 and sealed it with a 3 with 24.9 seconds left, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference finals for the second straight season with a 125-121 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Curry finished with five 3s a day after becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. He added 11 assists after returning to the starting lineup for the first time all series because of a knee injury.

Draymond Green, who had his left ankle re-taped in the fourth quarter, had 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists after guaranteeing Golden State would advance from this game.

Damian Lillard scored 28 points and CJ McCollum had 27 for the Trail Blazers.

Now, Golden State will wait for the conclusion of the Oklahoma City-San Antonio series, led 3-2 by the Thunder.

RAPTORS 99, HEAT 91

TORONTO (AP) - DeMar DeRozan matched a playoff high with 34 points, Kyle Lowry had 25 and Toronto beat Miami to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Bismack Biyombo had 10 points for theRaptors. They can wrap up their first conference finals berth with a win in Game 6 in Miami on Friday.

It was DeRozan's franchise-best 13th 20-point game in the playoffs and his sixth this postseason.

Dwyane Wade scored 20 points for Miami, and Goran Dragic and Josh Richardson each had 13.

Toronto led by 20 in the first half and by 13 to start the fourth quarter before its lead shrunk to 88-87 when Wade made a pair of free throws with 1:54 left. DeRozan made a pair of free throws and, after a Miami turnover, Lowry made a long 3-pointer to put Toronto up 93-87 with 52 seconds left.

DeRozan sealed it by going 4 for 4 on his free throws in the final 21 seconds.

Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 5 Recap – May 10, 2016

Game Recap from the Thunder website.

SAN ANTONIO – Twisting in mid-air, it was unclear whether Russell Westbrook even had a look at the rim. But as he was bumped by LaMarcus Aldridge, Westbrook carved out the angle to complete his evasion of a wrap-up by Kawhi Leonard and baseline drive that sealed a monstrous 95-91 win in Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs.

“Coach (Billy Donovan) drew up a good play. We executed very well towards the end of the game,” Westbrook recalled. “I just tried to stay in attack mode, get to the basket and finish.”

The Thunder led by just one at 92-91 when Dion Waiters in-bounded the ball right near the Spurs’ bench, and didn’t panic when Kevin Durant, his apparent initial option, didn’t flash open. He dished it to Westbrook on the baseline, and as he had for the previous 24 minutes the Thunder point guard infused his will into the game. Leaping right over Spurs big men like David West for rebounds, hustling for loose balls and generating chaos out of thin air, Westbrook was a sight to behold.

“There’s no science behind it,” Steven Adams said of Westbrook. “I can’t even explain it.”

The corkscrew finish put a bow on a marvelous night for Westbrook, who racked up 21 of his game-high 35 points in the second half. He also finished with 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals. He also had eight turnovers, six of which came in the first half as the Thunder gave the ball away 13 times over the first two quarters. In the second half, the Thunder controlled the ball better, dishing out 11 assists compared to just seven turnovers.

It didn’t look good for Oklahoma City in the first half and even deep into the third quarter, as the turnover chickens were coming home to roost. Down 13 with 7:50 to go in the third quarter is not a fun position to be in down in when going against San Antonio, but the Thunder didn’t panic. At each huddle, Durant settled his teammates down and the Thunder chipped away, using a 5-0 spurt to make it a 72-69 Spurs lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“Our enthusiasm and positivity in timeouts, there was a feeling that they were really encouraging each other to keep going and keep pressing,” Head Coach Billy Donovan said.

“We kept fighting. We just had to stay poised,” Waiters said. “Every time we came out of a timeout we kept telling guys ‘They made their run, it’s time to make ours’. Stay with it, stay confident and have faith and believe that this thing is going to turn.”

It was a battle of wills from there on out, and an even higher level defensive struggle than the one that had played out over the previous 36 minutes. With even more game pressure stacked against it, the Thunder trailed 88-82 after what seemed to be a momentous Kawhi Leonard steal and fast break dunk with four minutes to go. Instead, Westbrook turned the game on its nose, knocking down a tough long two-pointer, then going coast to coast for a layup after a Spurs air ball.

After a timeout, Westbrook stole away a rebound under the Thunder basket, and flipped the ball to Enes Kanter, who finished a layup. The Thunder reserve big man came up big on the next two possessions as well, blocking a Tim Duncan layup and then finishing a Durant miss with a tip-in to give the Thunder a 90-88 lead, its first advantage since mid-way through the second quarter.

Tony Parker responded with a mid-range jumper, but Durant was fouled on a jump shot on the next trip and hit both free throws. After Parker only converted one of two at the foul line on the next possession, the teams traded stops and the Thunder gained possession with just 9.3 seconds left, when Westbrook worked his final bit of magic at the rim.

“We got stops and Russ was a maniac tonight, keeping us in it,” Durant said of his All-Star teammate.

“We came into tonight’s game saying that we want to get all the 50/50 balls,” Westbrook explained. “We did a great job of that for 48 minutes. We don’t want another team to say they played harder than us. We did a good job of getting loose balls, getting rebounds, getting tips and getting extra possessions to help us win the game.”

The Thunder forced the Spurs into 6-for-21 shooting in the fourth quarter, while going 10-for-18 from the field on the other end of the floor, which resulted into just enough of a chasm to re-take the lead at the right time. On the night, the Thunder’s defense settled in and grinded out stops, forcing the Spurs to shoot just 39.8 percent while out-rebounding San Antonio 54-36.

Durant added 23 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Steven Adams’ 12-point, 11-rebound double-double was aided by Kanter’s eight points, game-high 13 rebounds and game-high three blocked shots.