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Loud Links 4|23|11

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The pivotal game three is tonight. Let's hope the Thunder players and coaches are prepared for what should be an emotional and psychological full-force attack from the Nuggets. Let's get ready.

Teams Ignore History | NewsOK

We all know what a team's chances are of closing out a series after going up 2-0. The challenge is to keep a team focused so that history repeats himself. 

Kevin's Durant's Mom on KD | Daily Thunder

Here is a great interview of Kevin Durant's mom, Wanda Pratt, talking about her work in raising and caring for her family.

Thunder Statistical Highlights | Sportvuhoops.com

This is a nice snapshot on the things that the Thunder have done well so far. It actually pushes back on the notion that Kevin Durant is making a high number of extremely difficult shots; in fact, a great deal of them are taken with plenty of space.

Will High Altitude Effect Thunder? | NewsOK

The Nuggets have one of the true hometown advantages, playing 5,280 feet above sea level. The air is thin and can crush teams who are not acclimated. It makes it all the more important for the Thunder to control the pace of the game.

More links after the jump.

Aflalo is Antsy | Denver Post

Aaron Aflalo should be in action tonight, although his effectiveness is still remains to be seen. I am quite curious to see how much of a difference maker he is going to be.

Thunder-Nuggets Waging Action | Covers.com

Keep in mind that Denver had the third best home-record this season. Their arena will be rocking.

J.R. Smith the Star of Les Miserables on Tour | Denver Post

With the whole J.R. Smith issue boiling over, it is important to remember that the Denver offense has struggled because of the job the Thunder have done in eliminating Smith's effectiveness.

The Hoops Whisperer Speaks | NY Times

This is a good look at Idan Ravin, an acclaimed hoops savant who has helped a number of players break through in the NBA. Well worth the read.

What We've Learned: Eastern Conference | Behind the Basket

The guys review the Eastern Conference this time out.

The Tragedy of Kevin Love | Wages of Wins

Kevin Love, this year's MIP, had the misfortune of playing on a team that was pretty awful. 

More Replay Would Test League's Priorities | Sports Illustrated

Lowe correctly states that the two key elements - getting calls right and speeding up the game - are both satisfied. Of course, as we've seen in the NFL, those elements are diametrically opposed.

Thunder Need Repeat Performance on Nene | Denver Post

The Thunder were able to slow down Nene in Game Two by eliminating his strong finishes at the rim. They will need to duplicate this effort, because his aggressive play is the very type that will get the Nuggets crowd revved up.

John Wall Overcomes Injuries, Role Change In First Year | Washington Post

Not Thunder-specific, but we need to realize that it is to everyone's benefit when young point guards like John Wall figure out how to shine in the league.