Thunder vs. Spurs: Game 1 Loss Puts OKC at Seemingly Insurmountable Disadvantage

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs are two teams built with similar structures, but the pieces that make up their team couldn't be more different.

The Thunder have their "Big Three" in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. All three are young and reckless on the court at times and none have reached the prime of their career, but are still dominating their competition (for the most part). Scott Brooks' boys are going to remain in the upper echelon of the Western Conference for the foreseeable future.

The Spurs have their own "Big Three" in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The three are nearly polar opposites of their Western Conference Finals opponents, as they are older, more efficient, smoother in their craft and on the back end of their careers. Led by legendary head coach Gregg Popovich, they have long been a staple in the Western Conference playoffs.

After a loss in Game 1, the Thunder face a seemingly insurmountable advantage as they will need to take four of the next six games from a team that hasn't given up one in their last 19.

Oklahoma City is an extremely talented team, that much is obvious, but the Spurs are playing better basketball than any team has over the course of the entire season. In Game 1, San Antonio didn't play anywhere near the level that they have been playing since April 11 when they last lost, but they found a way to beat the upset-minded Thunder.

The Thunder played extremely well for the first three quarters, with the exception of the last few minutes of the first, but weren't able to hold on to a nine point lead heading into the final period. Yes, OKC's three best players didn't come alive down the stretch, but the Spurs won that game more than the Thunder lost it.

That's what is going to prove to be so demoralizing to this young Thunder team. The fact that they played great basketball for the first three quarters, led by tantalizing defense from Durant, but weren't able to beat the Spurs. The Thunder may be more athletic, but they are certainly less experienced, and that will give them a huge problem the rest of this series.

Even with Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City was unable to protect the paint in the fourth quarter. The Spurs give teams enough trouble from the perimeter, but when they're dominating the interior, they are nearly unbeatable. In the final quarter, the Spurs scored 10 points in the paint and held the Thunder to a mere two.

Ibaka is a great shot-blocker, but he's not as good of a low-post defender as some believe him to be. His prowess in the paint serves better as a factor that sticks in the mind of players who wish to drive the lane rather than a force against a back-to-the-basket big man. That being said, he's a better option than a tired Kendrick Perkins or an overmatched Nick Collison.

These Spurs are a group of guys that do not relent once they smell blood in the water. Popovich loves to have them go for the jugular at the first sign of weakness, and that's what happened in the fourth quarter.

Another concerning thing for the Thunder is that Duncan and Parker aren't going to shoot a combined 12-for-30 in Game 2. Westbrook shot poorly in the opening tilt, and we could see a repeat of that thanks to his possibly balky wrist, which he fell on with all his weight in Game 1.

If anybody in the Western Conference can beat the Spurs, it's the Thunder with their high-flying speed and athleticism. If they want to send San Antonio packing, they'll need to hit their jump shots. We know they can get to the hoop with ease on most occasions, but when they are scoring from the perimeter, they are nearly unbeatable. If that doesn't happen, and we see a combined 22-for-57 performance from OKC's "Big Three", the Spurs are going to win this series with ease.

No matter which way you look at it, the Thunder might already have their backs against the wall going into Game 2, as it would be hard for even the most die hard Oklahoma City fan to believe that the Spurs are capable of losing four-of-five to end the series.