By this point, with only 11 games to go in the regular season, the sequence plays like a broken record. The Thunder again failed to get off to a good start, and just like we saw in their losses to the Spurs, failure to play solid defense resulted in a troubling halftime deficit. Even though 15 points is not an insurmountable lead in the NBA, what was more troubling was how easy the Pacers were working the ball inside and out to get good shots.
What really cost the Thunder though was that in the 3rd quarter they failed to make up any ground. Instead of starting off the 2nd half with the types of runs we're accustomed to seeing - quick 6-8 point bursts to take control of the game, the 3rd went in the opposite direction with the Thunder soon falling behind by 20+ points. Despite finishing up the quarter strong and only allowing 19 points, OKC's failure to make up any ground during this critical juncture all but sealed their fate.
I'm hesitant to promote a great dunk on a night when there were precious few positive moments, but let's hope this Durant throw-down on Roy HIbbert's head is soon the only thing we remember from this game.
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