OKC Thunder: Historically Daunting Task Ahead Against Spurs

The OKC Thunder will have to become a historical rarity if they are to bounce back from a Game 1 blowout to beat the San Antonio Spurs.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are just the 21st team in NBA Playoffs history, per Basketball-Reference.com, to open a best-of-7 series with a loss of at least 32 points on the road after absorbing a 124-92 thumping Saturday night at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center.

Oddly, the Thunder are already the fourth team in the 2016 playoffs to start a series in such a fashion. It had never happened more than twice in the same playoff year (1985 and 1996) prior to this season.

It did not end well for the first three teams that tried to come back from such a poor start to the series, including the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City’s opponent in the first-round.

The Thunder rolled to a 108-70 win at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Game 1 before they were stunned at home in Game 2, 85-84.

It was all Oklahoma City from there; the Thunder rolled to 131-102 and 119-108 victories in Games 3 and 4 at Dallas and closed out the series with a Game 5 win at home, 118-104.

San Antonio also opened the first round with a laugher, crushing the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies 106-74. The Spurs swept Memphis out of the playoffs with a 94-68 Game 2 victory at the AT&T Center before going to Memphis and posting 96-87 and 116-95 victories.

The Charlotte Hornets were the third team to open a series this season with a blowout loss, 123-91 to the Miami Heat. The Hornets came back, even taking a 3-2 series lead before losing Game 6 at home and closing the series by taking another huge defeat on their collective chins, dropping a 106-73 decision to the Heat in Game 7 on Sunday afternoon.

Charlotte opened the series with a 123-91 loss in Game 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena and lost Game 2 there as well, 115-103.

That was followed by a 96-80 win in Game 3 and an 89-85 victory in Game 4 in Charlotte. The Hornets seized control of the series with a 90-88 win at Miami in Game 5 before dropping Game 6 at home, 97-90.

Charlotte’s loss on Sunday marked the 12th straight time a team that lost by 32 or more in the opener of a best-of-7 went on to lose the series, as well. It’s been 31 years since it’s been done.

(Original Caption) A happy Celtics’ star Larry Bird applauds his teammates from the bench in the 4th quarter as the Celtics defeated the Lakers, 148-114 in game 6 of the NBA Championship finals at Boston Garden, 5/27. Boston also broke a record for the most points scored in a championship final series game. /

Lakers Were Last To Pull It Off

Celts Also Victimized By Philadelphia

In the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals, Boston opened with a 121-81 blasting of the Philadelphia 76ers on the parquet of Boston Garden.

But the 76ers bounced back to win the next three games—121-113 at Boston in Game 2 and a pair of home-court wins, 99-97 in Game 3 and 119-94 in Game 4.

Boston crawled back with a 114-85 win at home in Game 4 and an 88-75 win at The Spectrum in Philadelphia in Game 6.

But it was Philadelphia, behind 34 points from Andrew Toney and 29 by Julius Erving, that won Game 7 120-106.

(Original Caption) Elgin Baylor (r) of the Minneapolis Lakers, takes a poke at Cliff Hagen, St. Louis Hawks, during the third game of the Western Division NBA playoffs here 3/19. The scuffle, which occurred in the second period under the Lakers’ basket, was broken up by the referee (l). /

Lakers Were First

The Lakers have actually bounced back from a Game 1 blowout for a series victory twice in their long history.

While still competing as the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1959 Western Division Finals, the Lakers—who finished 16 games behind the defending champion St. Louis Hawks during the regular season—opened the series on the wrong end of a 124-90 shellacking at the hands of the Hawks at Kiel Auditorium.

Game 2 of the series was the very next night at the Minneapolis Auditorium. The Lakers tied things up with a 106-98 victory. Game 3 back at St. Louis was very similar to the first game as the Hawks rolled to a 127-97 win.

Minneapolis tied things up with a 108-98 win at home in Game 4 and stole Game 5 on the road 98-97 in overtime.

Elgin Baylor scored 33 points and the Lakers held off the Hawks 106-104 in Game 6 to advance to the NBA Finals.

May 1, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) reacts during the second half in game seven of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 106-73. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Everyone Else Fell Short

The other results from this scenario include:

1961 NBA Finals: The Hawks lost Game 1 to the Celtics at Boston Garden 129-95 and went on to lose the series in five games.

1965 NBA Finals: The lost Game 1 to the Celtics at Boston Garden 142-110 and went on to lose in five games.

1978 Eastern Conference semifinals: The New York Knicks began a four-game sweep at the hands of the 76ers with a 130-90 loss at The Spectrum in Game 1.

1984 Western Conference semifinals: Dallas lost Game 1 to the Lakers at the Great Western Forum 134-91 before losing in five games.

1985 Eastern Conference semifinals: The Detroit Pistons were hammered at Boston Garden 133-99 by the Celtics in Game 1, bouncing back to win Games 3 and 4 at the Pontiac Silverdome before falling in six games.

1986 Eastern Conference Finals: The Milwaukee Bucks began a four-game sweep at the hands of the Celtics with a 128-96 loss at Boston Garden in Game 1.

1990 Eastern Conference semifinals: The Knicks fell to the Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills 112-77 in Game 1 and lost the series in five games.

1992 NBA Finals: The Portland Trail Blazers were manhandled 122-89 in Game 1 by the Chicago Bulls at Chicago Stadium, but bounced back to win Game 2 in Chicago and Game 4 at home before losing in six games.

More from Hoops Habit

1996 Western Conference semifinals: The Houston Rockets took a 108-75 demolition by the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 1 at Key Arena en route to being swept.

1996 Eastern Conference Finals: The Orlando Magic lost the opener at Chicago Stadium 121-83 and the Bulls went on to sweep the series.

1998 Western Conference Finals: The Lakers dropped Game 1 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City to the Utah Jazz 112-77 on the way to being swept.

2006 Western Conference first round: The Sacramento Kings lost at San Antonio 122-88 in Game 1. The Kings rebounded for wins at home in Game 3 and 4 before the Spurs wrapped up the series in six games.

2010 Eastern Conference semifinals: The Atlanta Hawks were on the wrong end of a 114-71 decision at Amway Arena in Orlando before the Magic completed a sweep, winning all four games by at least 14 points.

More hoops habit: NBA Finals History: Ranking The Last 50 Champions

2012 Eastern Conference first round: The Knicks fell to the Heat 100-67 in Game 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena and lost the series in five games.

Thunder Face Historic Uphill Climb

By Phil Watson | May 1, 2016