Thunder vs. Spurs: How Game 1 Will Affect Rest of the Series

After holding serve in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the San Antonio Spurs improved their record in the 2012 NBA Playoffs to 9-0.

Although the first three quarters of Game 1 proved to be more hectic than the Spurs would have preferred, Gregg Popovich's bunch hunkered down and ultimately stymied the sharp shooting trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden down the stretch.

What's most concerning for Oklahoma City isn't that they let a nine-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter, it's the way that it happened. Throughout the final stanza, the Oklahoma City offense was dominated by an ineffective experiment of trial and error between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

With Durant smothered by Stephen Jackson and a collection of double-teams, Westbrook took it upon himself to carry the load for the Thunder. Unfortunately, Westbrook was incapable of coming up large as he finished with 17 points on just 7-of-21 shooting.

If the Thunder want to head back to Oklahoma City with this series tied up 1-1, Scott Brooks will need to implement a more cohesive offense down the stretch instead of experimenting with a my-turn, your-turn approach that failed against a savvy Spurs defense.

Throughout this postseason, we have seen Durant, Westbrook and Harden all take their shots in crunch time each has proven to be effective down the stretch. While it's clear there is no closing crisis for the Thunder, the offense simply stalled in the half-court during the most crucial stretch of Game 1.

As for the Spurs, the emergence of Manu Ginobili was a welcome sight. Ginobili poured in 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting (3-of-5 from three) and jump-started the Spurs' offense in a game where they sorely needed him. From here on out it wouldn't be surprising to see Thabo Sefolosha drawing Ginobili, especially in crunch time.

It's clear that neither team played their best basketball on Sunday night, but if the frantic pace that dominated most of Game 1 becomes a constant throughout the series, the Thunder won't be complaining.

Oklahoma City is at its best when they can get out in the open court and take advantage of odd-man breakouts. If Durant and Westbrook are able to facilitate transition looks for guys like Harden, Derek Fisher and Daequan Cook, they will be firing on all cylinders.

The notion that the Thunder will be able to rely on "hero ball" in the clutch is simply a misconception. The way to beat the Spurs is to beat them at their own game. While it's clear that the Thunder are a team heavily reliant on their perimeter shooting, they may need to feed the ball into the post a bit more, if for no other reason than to create more open looks on the perimeter.

Serge Ibaka attempted just three field goals in Game 1, and for a guy who shot 53.5 percent from the field in the regular season, three attempts won't cut it. Although the defense from Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter was imposing, Ibaka must realize that he is far more athletic than anyone the Spurs can throw at him.

Moving forward, expect to see a contrast in tempo. The Thunder will try to push the ball in an attempt to free up easy baskets in transition, while the Spurs will be content playing within the confines of the half-court offense.

In a series that pits age and experience against youth and athleticism, the Spurs' ability to adapt to a changing style of play may be the biggest factor moving forward. If the Spurs can find a way to slow down the Thunder while receiving consistent performances out of their veteran core, this could be a long series for Oklahoma City.