Problems with the OKC Thunder emerge in last two playoff games
The OKC Thunder lost a big Game 3 in Utah that would have helped them go up 2-1 in the series, but now they have to find a way out of this small hole.
The Oklahoma City Thunder got completely dismantled in the 115-102 loss to the Utah Jazz. The Thunder were up 30-22 after the first quarter but after a 36-point second quarter and a 31-point third quarter by the Jazz, things were completely in their control.
The defense just wasn’t there for the Thunder. The Jazz shot 50 percent from the 3-point line and 47.4 percent from the field.
For the Jazz, Ricky Rubio (26), Donovan Mitchell (22) and Joe Ingles (21) all eclipsed the 20-point mark. The Thunder only had Paul George (23) eclipse that mark.
The Thunder’s Big 3 of Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Paul George has not played well in these past two games. None of the Big 3 scored over 20 points in Game 2 and in Game 3, Russell Westbrook had an uncharacteristically bad game.
Westbrook is usually the Thunder’s go-to player but in Game 3 he scored 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting (29.4 percent). He also had eight turnovers and was a -25 for the game. George was a -13 and Carmelo was a -20.
OKC has to limit its turnovers. Turnovers contributed to the energy the Jazz displayed during the late stages of the game.
These two teams were the top two teams in steals per game in the regular season. The Jazz averaged 10.3 steals per game and the Thunder averaged 10 steals per game. The Jazz and Thunder are also both No. 1 and No. 2 in steals per game in the playoffs so far.
In the regular season, Paul George was second in steals per game with 2.0 per game. Westbrook was fifth with 1.8 steals a game. For the Jazz, Ricky Rubio was 12th in steals per game. In the playoffs Carmelo, Westbrook and Rubio are all tied for fifth in steals per game with 2.3 steals a game.
The battle that the Thunder have to win is the steals battle. Whoever wins that battle controls the flow of the game. The turnovers that the Jazz force are causing the Thunder’s offense to be disrupted. OKC has to flip that on Utah and then be able to dictate the flow of the game.
Stopping Donovan Mitchell has to be top on the priority list as well. Mitchell had 22 points in Game 3, 28 in Game 2 and 27 in Game 1.
He shot 50 percent from the field while shooting 42.9 percent from 3 in Game 1, shot 40 percent from the field in Game 2 and shot 45 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from 3 in Game 3.
Mitchell is the Jazz’s go-to player despite only being a rookie. The Thunder will have to double-team him in the upcoming games to make sure that somebody else beats them.
A total concentrated effort on defense has to be the overall goal for the Thunder in the upcoming games. The Jazz’s main player is playing well, the team is shooting efficiently from the field and Utah is controlling the pace of the game.
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Getting the crowd out of Game 4 will have to be key. That will mean a focused effort on both ends of the floor. Getting turnovers that demoralize the Jazz and the fans, making easy baskets and shutting down Donovan Mitchell will lead to wins in this series.