Breaking Down How Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City Thunder Can Reignite Offense

The Oklahoma City Thunder have averaged 99.8 points through 10 postseason games, but they may need to average a few more against the San Antonio Spurs.

To the Thunder's credit, Scott Brook's squad managed to hold San Antonio to just 62 points through the first three quarters of Game 1. It was just 39-point fourth quarter that got in the way of an otherwise solid defensive effort.

OKC won't have to worry about many more quarters spiraling so far out of control, but nor will they be able to count on the Spurs' 14 first-half turnovers.

San Antonio leads all playoff teams with 102.3 points per game in the postseason, and they usually don't turn the ball over 14 times for the entire duration of a game.

In short, this series may simply come down to who can score more points.

If the Thunder are to come out on top, Kevin Durant and company will need a few things to happen.

First, Durant and his sidekick Russell Westbrook have to get James Harden more touches in key second-half stretches. When the Sixth Man of the Year finds himself sharing court time with OKC's superstar duo, he too often becomes a forgotten weapon.

That's a shame for a number of reasons, but primarily because he's an efficient shooter with a penchant for getting to the free-throw line—the very things a team needs when games are on the line.

OKC also needs to abandon the small-ball approach it relied upon in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

Ordinarily, that might be seen as a defensive measure. After all, Serge Ibaka is best known for his shot blocking ability—a factor that could intimidate the kind of inside looks Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili found themselves getting when the explosive power forward was on the sideline.

But, there's also a strong case to be made that a big man like Ibaka would help the offense as well.

For one thing, it would give the Thunder an inside presence capable of getting some easy baskets and maybe a few offensive rebounds. For another, it would give OKC's primary scorers an additional pick-and-roll partner.

That would be an improvement over the isolation-heavy approach Durant seemed to favor at the end of Game 1.

Finally, the Thunder need to share the ball.

Yes, that goes for the trigger-happy Russell Westbrook—but it also goes for Durant.

When he wants to be, Durant can be an extremely effective passer thanks to his length and tendency to draw defenders.

This team's supporting cast was poised to make an impact after a first half that saw the likes of Derek Fisher and Thabo Sefolosha find a rare rhythm. It just needs a helping hand if it's to play a significant part in closing the deal.