Dean Blevins: Keys to Game Four

Originally Published: Apr 24, 2010 1:14 PM CDT

Dean Blevins
Oklahoma Sports Oklahoma City Sports Director

What an opportunity for the OKC Thunder.

A win in tonight’s Game 4 would make this Western Conference first-round series be cut down to a best of three. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if OKC favored again but dropping from a 3 fave to a 1 fave wins tonight, knowing they could have won one or both Game 1 and Game 2 in LA, I’d say they have a legitimate chance to pull off a remarkable feat: bouncing back from a 2-0 series deficit to beat the World Champions in their place, would rank up there with the all-time greatest NBA playoff accomplishments.


The Keys:

1. Energy from the crowd. Phil Jackson said it best when he quipped that once the benedictions over, the Amens too loud in this building

2. Start better than the first three games slug ‘em in the nose first and get that raucous crowd into the game from start to finish and not just from the end of the third on.

3. Kobe especially how effectively he delivers driving into the lane looking to score, get fouled or dish to one of the Twin Towers for gimmies.

4. Get ample supporting points from any one or two of the group, including J Harden, T Sefalosha, N Kristic, and crowd fave S IBlocka Ibaka.

5. Plug the inside as LA will look to exploit is major size advantage and get the ball out of Kobes hands and into those of P Gasol and A Bynum.

Do this and OKC will win. It may be too big a chore as I give the Lakers a better chance of winning than OKC. History says the best teams lose the third games if they are up 2-0 but go on to win the series. But this young and skilled bunch of rolling Thunder doesn’t seem concerned about history. If the feed off of what could be the most impactful group of loud fans they have a solid chance to get back to LA tied at two games apiece.

Everything you need to know about the Oklahoma City Thunder.