San Antonio Spurs: Why Win At OKC Would Give Them Huge Psychological Edge
Tony Parker prepares to shoot a free throw. (Photo: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule)
The San Antonio Spurs used to own the Oklahoma City Thunder. From their first matchup on Dec. 14, 2008, (a Spurs 109-104 win), the Spurs had won 12 of 16 meetings heading into their 2012 NBA Western Conference Finals Game 3 matchup.
For those who have forgotten, the Thunder emphatically ended the Spurs’ 20-game win streak and swept them out of the playoffs by winning four straight games.
The 2012-13 season has seen three meetings between the Spurs and Thunder, with the home team holding serve each time. Home-court advantage will be huge when these behemoths meet in the playoffs, which makes tonight’s (Thursday, April 4) matchup in Oklahoma City enormous for both teams.
In the Western Conference, the Spurs (56-19) hold a slim 1.5-game lead over the Thunder (54-20) for the No. 1 seed. With the Spurs winning eight of their last nine in San Antonio against the Thunder and losing five of their last six in Oklahoma City, this is a big opportunity for them to protect their seeding and to get into the heads of the Thunder.
Having a psychological advantage is huge in sports, especially in basketball. Think about the big rivalries over the years and how monumental it was once Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls got past the Detroit Pistons. How about these same Spurs and how they finally got past the Los Angeles Lakers?
The Spurs remember how they felt as they walked off the court during the 2012 playoffs after being eliminated. That feeling of doubt started creeping in. They know they’re not as athletic as the Thunder and have to rely on fundamental, under-control play to defeat them.
But the Thunder are in a much different mindset. Their chests are puffed out and they know in their hearts they can defeat the Spurs in a series. They proved it last year.
That’s just another reason why the Spurs have to beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City, to deflate that ego that has grown in the Thunder’s collective head.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are unquestionably the Thunder’s best players. Against the Spurs, they’ve been held mostly in check. Take a look at their stat lines from games this year against the Spurs:
Kevin Durant vs. San Antonio Spurs in 2012-13
| Date ▾ | Tm | Opp | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-03-11 | OKC | @ | SAS | L | 40 | 7 | 13 | .538 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 11 | 11 | 1.000 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 26 |
| 2012-12-17 | OKC | SAS | W | 39 | 6 | 13 | .462 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 7 | 7 | 1.000 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 19 | |
| 2012-11-01 | OKC | @ | SAS | L | 41 | 9 | 18 | .500 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 4 | 5 | .800 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 23 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/3/2013.
Russell Westbrook vs. San Antonio Spurs in 2012-13
| Date ▾ | Tm | Opp | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-03-11 | OKC | @ | SAS | L | 38 | 11 | 27 | .407 | 1 | 3 | .333 | 2 | 3 | .667 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 25 |
| 2012-12-17 | OKC | SAS | W | 37 | 6 | 18 | .333 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 9 | 11 | .818 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22 | |
| 2012-11-01 | OKC | @ | SAS | L | 37 | 6 | 21 | .286 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 6 | 8 | .750 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/3/2013.
Those are well below their season averages. The one thing they can rest on is the fact that they won at home. If they win at home again, they can take the mindset that all they have to do is steal one on the road during the playoffs and they can win a series.
It’s up to the Spurs to take that possibility away from them. A thorough thumping of the Thunder tonight would do just that. They won’t achieve their goal by winning by a few points. They have to obliterate them by 20 or more. Then, the psychological advantage will be back with the old veterans again.