Dennis Schroder was the best Thunder player in game four of the quarter-finals of the Western Conference; it also cost Oklahoma City any chance they had of winning. Midway thought Schroder from the third quarter hit PJ Tucker below the belt.
Schroder was called for a flagrant two, which comes with an automatic rejection. Tucker was also tossed around, after hitting Schroder in the head in retaliation.
The Thunder, already under 18, fell even further behind being outscored in the third quarter 37-18. Schroder it was the only substantial part of the Thunder game as they struggled to find a rhythm to the offensive shot 35.7 percent off the floor.
When Schroder went to the locker room, he had passed the Houston bench on his own. Give credit to Mike D’Antoni; the Rockets never got off the board by giving Lu Dort all three points he wanted while not allowing any of the other players on the floor to get the distance they needed.
Billy Donovan said at half-time Dort needed to make better decisions by knowing when to drive or take unattended shots from beyond the arc just because they were there. Since Donovan could not leave Dort on the floor, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was forced to guard Harden, which proved too much for the second year guard.
The Thunder will now have their resolve tested. They were able to come back from 2-0 to make this a streak, now can they step down from matt and find a way to extend it to a seven-man game?
For five games the Rockets have dictated how these games are played, Donovan and his staff find a way not only to keep the Rockets in check, but to put the ball in the hands of his scores.
Chris Paul has led this team throughout the year; his voice must be loud and clear in the next 48 hours. This is just one game, but Oklahoma City is on the verge of elimination, they’ve been gritty, time finds out if they have two more wins left.
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With over 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.
