Notes from TNT’s NBA Coverage – Monday, May 19, 2014
TNT’s NBA Playoffs coverage continues Wednesday, May 21, with the exclusive presentation of the Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs Game 2 at 9 p.m. ET
TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Shaquille O’Neal on Oklahoma City’s loss of forward Serge Ibaka entering the Western Conference Finals: “Serge Ibaka is a game changer. His versatility and rim protection is irreplaceable. He’s the only guy on this team in that, on one possession he can guard Tim Duncan and then on another possession he can guard Kawhi Leonard.”
Kenny Smith on Oklahoma City changing their defensive approach: “They have to change their perimeter defense now that they don’t have Serge Ibaka. They might have to be more one foot in the lane, or they might have to say, ‘No, we’re not giving up any three-pointers, and we’re going to play close.’ They have to make a concerted effort on the perimeter defense now that he’s not there.”
Charles Barkley on Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams: “Don’t sleep on this [Steven] Adams kid… I don’t know if he’s ready for this moment yet, but I think he’s going to be a terrific player in this league for a long time and, as we say about young players, he might be too young right now to understand he’s in the Western Conference Finals…but he’s going to play with great energy; he’s going to drive those guys crazy.”
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Oklahoma City Thunder (105) at San Antonio Spurs (122) – Spurs lead series 1-0
Marv Albert (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Steve Kerr (analyst) with David Aldridge (reporter)
Reggie Miller on the Thunder being young but playoff tested: “This Oklahoma City team, again with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, a lot of playoff experience… Even though, yes, the Thunder is the younger in age [than the Spurs], this is a team that has so many championship aspirations at such a young age, a lot of playoff wars between these young guys.”
Steve Kerr on Oklahoma City guard Derek Fisher: “One thing that you know with [Derek] Fisher, he can miss 10 in a row, [but] he’s still going to fire. He’s just got so much confidence built up, as well he should, given the number of big shots he’s hit in his career.”
Kerr on the Thunder’s defensive adjustments against San Antonio’s Tim Duncan: “If you think back to that series two years ago, Tim Duncan was shut down for much of that series by [Kendrick] Perkins. But with [Serge] Ibaka out, it’s changed all of the matchups, and [Tim] Duncan has been able to go right at the Thunder defense.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal, Smith
O’Neal on the Oklahoma City Thunder experimenting with defenses against Tim Duncan: “You can’t experiment with the San Antonio Spurs. I know they’re going to put Kevin Durant at the four sometimes but he can’t guard Tim Duncan.”
Barkley on what Oklahoma City adjustments need to be made against San Antonio: “It’s all about adjustments and we had no idea what Oklahoma City was going to do tonight. To me, it’s going to have to be Caron Butler, he’s got to really step up, and Nick Collison has to give them something.”
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Miller on the Spurs’ defensive strategy: “If I’m Gregg Popovich, I’m going to force [Nick] Collison and [Thabo] Sefolosha and [Kendrick] Perkins to beat me.”
Miller on Oklahoma City center Steven Adams’ physical play: “Steven Adams is always in the middle of something and I love it.”
Kerr on San Antonio Spurs forward Aron Baynes: “[Gregg] Popovich talked about the physical play of Oklahoma City. I think [Aron] Baynes is in there to match that physicality; hard screens, good defensive rotation, he’s taken a charge. He’s changed the game with his physical play.”
Kerr on Oklahoma City not playing Nick Collison in the fourth quarter: “I’m surprised that we haven’t seen Nick Collison in the fourth quarter. I thought his defense and his hustle in the third was spectacular. I thought he changed the game. He’s not played at all in the fourth.”
Kerr on the Thunder playing big versus playing small: “From what I’ve seen tonight, if the Thunder are going to go small for extended minutes, I think they’re in trouble. I think they have to stay big for as long as possible.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Kia
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal, Smith
Barkley on whether the Thunder should play big or small without Serge Ibaka: “I think you got to play bigger. When things were rolling tonight, he went small, and it worked for short periods of time…but I think they got worn down. I think he has to play [Steven] Adams more.”
Smith on the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan having an advantage: “I think there has to be a change. But the one thing that I’d say that San Antonio has trouble with is size with athleticism. When you just have length, then Tim Duncan still shoots over you. The fact that you have athleticism with your size and length would bother him and that’s when he has those 15-point nights. But he still makes shots against length, he just doesn’t make shots all the time against athleticism and length. So this is going to be an easy series, I feel, for Tim Duncan.”
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