The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a tough position heading into Wednesday night's matchup in Game 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies, as the team is down 3-1 in their second round series and needs a win just to stay alive.
The team was not expecting to be in this position after making a trip to the NBA finals last year against the Miami Heat and LeBron James, but after losing Russell Westbrook in the second playoff game against the Rockets, the team has not quite been the same and has given defenses a chance to shut down Kevin Durant for the first time without worrying about Westbrook. The point guard hadn't missed a single game since joining the franchise and the drop off at the position has been very visible, especially with the Grizzlies having Mike Conley, who has proven to be one of the best point guards in the league with his play in the series.
Westbrook was originally injured on a boneheaded play by Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley, who went after the ball as he was calling a timeout. The collision of his hip into the knee of Westbrook did not look serious, but later after the game it was found that he had a torn meniscus and needed surgery and would be out for the remainder of the playoffs. Backup Reggie Jackson has been solid while filling in, but he is no Westbrook and despite the fact that he is scoring nearly 30 points per game, Durant has not been able to be the same dominant force without his point guard.
Durant frequently has been double teamed in the series and he also has had to be the one bringing the ball up late in games, taking away his chance to find open spaces and open shots to take field goals. Durant has been putting the team on his back and while Kevin Martin and Serge Ibaka have been solid along with Kendrick Perkins, the loss of James Harden has never been more evident.
Obviously if the Thunder had the foresight to know that the injury would occur they may not have done it, but obviously no team can know that. Kevin Martin has been solid all season and ni the playoffs, but he is no Harden and the team wishes they still had him for when Westbrook went down, as Durant is the primary scoring option. Derek Fisher has been providing some solid minutes as a veteran, but so far the mix for the Thunder hasn't been enough to take over the Grizzlies apart from one game.
The Grizzlies are proving to be one of the most balanced teams in the NBA and they are scoring as well as they are playing defense and so far center Marc Gasol has proven why he is on the fringe of being a superstar while averaging nearly a double-double in the playoffs and he has teamed with Zach Randolph to have one of the best big men duos in the league. Conley has taken control of Memphis in this series and coach Lionel Hollins has given them the confidence it needs to win the series.