May Anyone Defend the Oklahoma City Mastery?

The Oklahoma City Thunder's decisive 116-97 conquer the Golden State Warriors on Thursday not just moved Kevin Durant and Co. to inside a half-game of the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 1 area out West, in addition it displayed the sort of unstoppable athleticism that can make OKC unbeatable in the postseason. Durant absolutely dominated the overall game, utilizing his superior size and ability to easily get any shot he needed against several overmatched Warriors defenders. On the night, he concluded with 31 factors, 10 rebounds and ten assists on an extremely efficient 10-of-16 from the floor. He was not alone in his quality, though. Serge Ibaka ate David Lee living and Russell Westbrook flew throughout the floor as if he had a jet pack concealed beneath his shirt. A particular play exemplified OKC's combined running brilliance a lot better than any other: To be honest, the Warriors are rarely known for his or her safety. Any question about that must quickly dissolve when watching the above mentioned video. No body stops Durant, Lee makes a swipe at the ball to make it look like he's trying (one of his true specialties) and rookie Festus Ezeli doesn't even seem to know he's about to be dunked on. However, the play starts and ends with remarkable achievements by Thunder participants. The question is: Can everyone in the West keep up? Well, statistically talking, the San Antonio Spurs and the Memphis Grizzlies are the only playoff clubs in the Western Conference who have come close this year. Both of the clubs have placed OKC to bad efficiency ratings of around 103 points per 100 items. Consequently, Memphis has notched two wins in three tries from the Thunder, while the Spurs have split up their four conferences with OKC. Mark N. Smith-USA TODAY Sports Whether those numbers can take up over a series is another question, although. With more youth and stamina than their opponents, it stands to reason that the Thunder could be in a position to wear down just about any opponent with their relentless attack. Memphis' bruising safety and deliberate speed have been successful in personal matchups, but beating OKC four times in seven tries is yet another story. To take action, the Grizzlies will have to remain disciplined and hope that the Thunder don't force them to go small. When that happens, Serge Ibaka begins to cause trouble. OKC's shot-blocking large man ruined the Warriors with ruthless efficiency. In 28 minutes, he scored 17 points, grabbed seven boards and plugged three shots while shooting 7-of-11 from the subject. He even made both of his free throws and knocked down a multiple. Oh, and needless to say he created a jaw-dropping highlight when he met the much larger Andrew Bogut at the rim, denying the Aussie middle a dunk. A fast scan through the rest of the Thunder's possible Western Conference playoff adversaries reveals that the outcome of most line against OKC will look as being similar to what Ibaka did to Bogut on that last playa'meaning Oklahoma City's remarkable athleticism will keep competitors feeling rejected. If the Thunder meet either the L.A Clippers or the L.A. Lakers in a potential second-round series, it will maybe not be much of a match. OKC has placed unpleasant reviews of at the very least 114 points per 100 belongings against both clubs from Los Angeles, on the way to a combined 6-1 record. The Houston Rockets won't be much of a risk, often. David Harden and Company. May prefer to perform fast, but nobody has the thoroughbreds OKC does. An up-and-down rate could be the fastest solution to a series defeat. Knowing that, it is maybe not surprising that the Thunder have taken the Rockets out in two of the groups' three meetings this year. Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports And we now have a pretty good notion of how a series with the Warriors could come out, too. Ultimately, the Thunder have the ability to look at, around or through pretty much any Western Conference opponent. And even if a staff like the Grizzlies tries to turn a string in to a knock-down, drag-out slugfest for a casino game or two, it is going to be really difficult to help keep the Thunder from getting free ultimately. With the postseason just a couple days away, it doesn't look like anyone could stop the Thunder. *All stats via NBA.com

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