OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs - 2016 NBA Playoffs Game 5 Preview - It's Crunch Time
With the series tied at 2-2, the Oklahoma Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are both looking to grab a much-needed victory as they head for Game five.
The said contest is slated to take place on Tuesday, May 10th, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The semi-finals series between the two teams have been a closely-contested one, so far. San Antonio won Games one and Three, while alternately, Oklahoma City won Games two and four.
The recently concluded fourth game had the Thunder winning with a final score of 111-97. Superstar franchise player and 2014 Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant put on a scorching performance, dropping a total of 41 points, along with five rebounds and four assists, shooting 14 out of 25 from the field, through 43 minutes of playing time.
Starting center Steven Adams also made significant contributions, scoring 16 points, along with 11 rebounds, shooting 6 out of 8 from the field, through 36 minutes of playing time.
For the Spurs that night, it was veteran Tony Parker who piled in the most numbers, scoring 22 points, along with three assists, shooting 10 out of 16 from the field, through 32 minutes of playing time.
For Durant, all the credit should not be given to him alone, as he believes his teammates did their part for them to be able to secure the victory.
"My teammates did a great job of sticking with me and finding me and getting me easy baskets and screening for me and sacrificing their bodies, and I'm definitely grateful for it. After they do all that, it's on me to finish the shot and just stick to the fundamentals I've been practicing since I was a kid," Durant said in an NBA.com report.
The Spurs are ready for things to go down the wire, and for head coach Gregg Popovich, their success would rely on their overall ball movement.
"They have been down, but things do slow down in the playoffs. Having said that, we need to have a little bit more ball movement and get a few more passes out on the court, for sure," Popovich said.
