We cleared an important hurdle by beating the Mavs in convincing fashion and got just a wee taste of delicious revenge as a bonus. The Oklahoma City Thunder pose a test of a different sort. Now is no time to let up. If we win this one, we have our first 3-game winning streak of the young season. I'm ready for it--you're ready for it--are the Spurs ready for it?
Hell yeah!
That's the spirit, Cubits. Timmy, hug the basketball, and let's make the jump. Oh, that's right . . . you can't. How insensitive of me. Well, just hug the basketball, then, and let some of these new guys carry that weight for a while.
Still the man.
To commemorate our recent spate of un-Spurlike ferocious dunks from sources both likely and not, in which the funk was most definitely not faked, I give you the following musical selection to read by. As far as the accompanying video images, I, ah, well . . . I apologize. A little bit.
Let's talk about the elephant in the room first, shall we? I've made no secret of my admiration for one Kevin Durant. Are my allegiances divided for this game? Will I be publicly cheering for the Spurs while giving furtive fist pumps every time KD's shot drops? Let me put your mind at ease.
- There will be nothing furtive about my fist pumps for Durant. 'Cause that kid lives up to every bit of the hype and still has that killer instinct, the kind that fame cannot extinguish.
- I will be rooting for the Spurs every inch of the way.
Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. (I contain multitudes.)
ANYway. I got these cookies for my housemate the other day just because they had such a great name. Sadly, they didn't live up to the promise, but they did end up serving another purpose:
"Cowboy Thunderclusters!" How marvelous is that?
We've always been a bit irked by the name "Thunder" for a basketball team (what is this, arena football?) and wished that OKC had chosen a more tangible name. Something you can at least quantify, for god's sake.
In our house, they are forever more the Oklahoma City Cowboy Thunderclusters.
 Oklahoma City Thunder @ San Antonio Spurs Where: AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX When: November 14, 2009, 7:30 PM Spurs time Watch: My35 HD (San Antonio); NBA League Pass (Everywhere else)
How They Stack Up
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Matchups
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 George Hill Sir Hotbod Handsomeface |
Point Guard This is going to be a LONG matchup. Literally. Both these guys have tremendous wingspans, and are two of the best defensive PGs in the league. Westbrook has made considerable strides this season, but you can say the same thing for George. I'll give Russ the slightest of edges just because he plays more minutes, and he's a big-ass PG who will look to push Cubits around.Advantage: Thunder |
 Russell Westbrook Albatross Clone |
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 Keith Bogans Surprise Package |
Shooting Guard Again, it's another defense-centric matchup. Thabo is more athletic but Bogans is the wily veteran. We'll see who among these two can make the bigger impact in the game. Advantage: No one |
 Thabo Sefolosha Swiss Cheese |
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 Richard Jefferson Debbie Dunker |
Small Forward RJ showed he's capable of guarding KD when these two teams met during the preseason. But that's what it was, preseason. It will be fun to see these guys going at it on the offensive end of the floor. Advantage: Tied |
 Kevin Durant Durantula |
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 Tim Duncan Grounded Hog Day |
Power Forward Pop said either Tony or Tim will play in tonight's game. Let's go with Duncan. While he can't jump to save Pop's beard from getting shaved these days, the fundamentals will still be in full effect. Advantage: Spurs |
 Jeff Green Steady Eddie |
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 Matt Bonner Clutch Bag |
Center Forget about Krstic. Matt Bonner has definitely earned his ATS white box for the past two games. Advantage: Spurs |
 Nenad Krstic Yugoslavian Yoohoo |
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 Manu Ginobili La Enfermedad |
Bench & Role Players I've never seen a bigger disparity in terms of bench depth. Spurs all the way. Advantage: Spurs |
 James Harden Seasoned Rookie |
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 Gregg Popovich Wino |
CoachScott Brooks and GM Sam Presti have really done a good job in slowly building up the OKC franchise, but they just took after their mentors, Pop and R.C. Advantage: Spurs |
 Scott Brooks Promising Coach |
| images via yahoo.com | ||
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Other Factors
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Intangibles |
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| We just came off a great victory against in-state rivals and playoff team Dallas, and the coaching staff is slowly discovering the gifts of one Richard Jefferson. Still, the Thunder have beaten the Spurs before and I'm pretty sure the Spurs coaching staff are aware of the dangers Durant and Co. pose. Advantage: Spurs |
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Mojo |
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| Either Tim or Tony will most likely return to give us a huge boost. Getting our defensive mojo back the last timeout also helps. Advantage: Spurs |
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Winner: Spurs |
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| I respect OKC, but hopefully we'll put the game away early so our older statesmen can get some rest before the upcoming road trip. Prediction: Spurs by 15 |
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Keys To The Game
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Strength of Schedule
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Last Time They MetWe handled the Thunder pretty well in a preseason game played in Austin where the Spurs went bananas from the three-point line, shooting 14-19 for a 113-96 victory. FinDog made Wayne proud by racking up 20 points, going 5-5 from long distance. |
Some Other ReadingThunderWelcome to Loud City - The OKC Cowboy Thunderclusters SB Nation site is under new management. So far they're doing a great job. Spurs48 Minutes of Hell Graydon and Timothy run not just a great Spurs blog, but one of the best basketball blogs, period, out there on the Intertubes. The (sort of) Daily Twitter
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Some Other ViewingThis commercial is a classic. Brilliant concept; perfect execution. I keep wanting KD to take off that Seattle jersey to reveal an OKC one, though.
If you liked the snippet of music in that commercial, here's the entire track from the criminally obscure artist Buck 65--"Jaws of Life."
The Ross Sisters perform "Solid Potato Salad," 1944. Wow, they really were the Greatest Generation. (Stick with this one past the 60 second mark.)
Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No: If you view only one video clip today, make it this one.
More about Dock Ellis, one of the great characters in sports history. Oli Lemieix of Cirque du Soleil demonstrates insane, unearthly trampoline skills to completely unsuitable music.
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Where to Tune InTVThis game will be televised locally in San Antonio on My35, KMYS. OnlineAs always, NBA League Pass is recommended for those willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to dmenendez@gmail.com for more assistance. Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year if all else fails, so check it out. RadioIf you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM). |
Finally, a big thanks to the Good Samaritan who jumped in and finished this preview. I was feeling like crap last night and woke up this morning with a migraine, dreading the task ahead, only to find that the Game Preview Fairy had come in the night and worked his or her magic. Any actual basketball-related insight and useful content found here is thanks to _________.