Oklahoma City Thunder's Roadmap to Come Back Against San Antonio Spurs

So much for all the things you thought you knew about what it takes to compete for an NBA title. The Oklahoma City Thunder emerged from Game 2 of the Western Conference finals in an 0-2 hole to the San Antonio Spurs, owners of a 20-game winning streak. Only six percent of teams in OKC's position have ever come back to win the series.

And yet, the Thunder now find themselves with a 3-2 advantage after taking Game 5 in San Antonio, 108-103. As a result, they'll have an opportunity to close out one of the league's most resilient dynasties in front of thousands of blue-clad fans at Chesapeake Energy Arena on Wednesday.

So much for the Thunder being too wet behind the ears and the Spurs being too wise for the former to dig themselves out of a daunting ditch. OKC dominated San Antonio in a must-win Game 3, then took control of Games 4 and 5 and managed to stand tall as the Spurs stormed back in each game. Albeit amidst OKC's mistakes, presumably coming as the result of "youthful jitters."

So much for OKC's Big Three of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden not having the chops to handle San Antonio's Great Triumvirate of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Over the last three games, the Thunder trio has averaged a combined 57 points per game, compared to 51 for that of the Spurs.

But, to some extent, that was to be expected, since San Antonio's three are older and the Spurs roster is supposedly deeper... 

Then again, across these last three wins, the Thunder have summoned double-digit scoring efforts out of Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka (twice), along with eight-point nights by Daequan Cook and Nick Collison, and another nine-pointer by Ibaka. The Spurs' role players have just about matched that over the same stretch, with Stephen Jackson hitting double digits each time and Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw and DeJuan Blair joining him in that regard.

Of course, it's not enough for the rest of San Antonio's squad to simply match the rest of OKC's when the Thunder's leading men are performing so well.    

So...so much for the Spurs' depth, the Thunder's thin supporting cast and OKC being too reliant on its young stars to be considered "championship-caliber."

So much, too, for San Antonio taking care of the ball and out-executing OKC. This three-game losing streak—the first of the season for the Spurs—has seen them turn the ball over 17.3 times per game, compared to 11.7 times per game for a Thunder team that was among the most turnover-prone in the regular season.

So much for Scott Brooks being completely and utterly overmatched by Coach of the Year (and presumed Coach of All Time) Gregg Popovich. The Thunder struggled to so much as fluster Parker and Ginobili in Games 1 and 2, so Brooks switched up his assignments, gave more minutes to Sefolosha, and juggled his big-man rotation between Perkins, Ibaka and Collison to tremendous effect.

So effective, in fact, that Brooks' tweaks ultimately forced Pop to reshuffle his hand by starting Ginobili and relegating Danny Green to four minutes of mop-up duty in Game 5. Apparently, the Spurs could no longer wait to play the ace from the middle of their deck.

What's most remarkable, though—at least for those who counted the Thunder out after two games—is that this switch has happened at all. That one team, the core of which got bounced in five games in last year's Western Conference finals and whose three best players are 23 or younger, could climb all the way back (and then some) against another team, the core of which has won three titles and battled through every conceivable scenario together.

Except, it would seem, this one is one where the upstarts go from six feet under against the kings of the court to sticking a nail in their collective coffin.

So much for assumptions and presumptions and whatever other preconceived notions might've come to mind as May drew to a close. So much for the young guns having to bide their time and wait their turn and "learn how to win" while the sitting hegemons feasted from the throne.

These Thunder don't seem to be privy to such courtesies, but rather, appear ready, willing and able to learn on the fly and apply those lessons without interruption.

Of course, there's one test OKC still has to pass, that of the closeout against a team that looked ready to roll to and through the 2012 NBA Finals just a week ago. The Thunder will have the luxury of taking that one open book and open note—at home, in front of a packed house.

And if the Thunder take care of business in the very same building in which they're a perfect 7-0 in these playoffs, then...

Well, so much for Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and the Spurs. 

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