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While the spotlight was undoubtedly on Aaron Gordon, who confidently sank a three-pointer with only 2.8 seconds left to push the Denver Nuggets past the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, 121-119, in Game 1 of the West semis, a lot of talk also involved the Thunder's late-game fouling strategy.
While the practice of fouling an opponent when you're up by three with only seconds remaining in the game is a common strategy to prevent a potential game-tying three-pointer, Mark Daigneault, head coach of the Thunder, curiously took a different approach.
With the Thunder leading 119-116 and just 11 seconds remaining, the Nuggets gained possession. In a surprising move, OKC guard Alex Caruso quickly fouled Gordon as soon as he got the ball. This decision puzzled many, especially since they did the same thing to Denver superstar Nikola Jokic a few seconds earlier.
The rest, as they say, is history, as Gordon hit two free throws to pull the Nuggets to within one, OKC big man Chet Holmgren missed two from the line, and "Air Gordon" capped off the Nuggets' improbable comeback with the game-winning trifecta.
At the postgame press conference, Daigneault asserted he had no qualms about their strategy in crunchtime, explaining they have been consistent in their approach all season long.
"That's usually our deal — to foul up three and play that game. I thought we executed the fouls pretty well, got the ball inbounds pretty well. It didn't go our way tonight, but it's worked out well for us in the past," Mark stated.
"We'll continue to look at it — maybe learn from it. But I didn't think that's why we lost the game," he added.
Several experts, though, weren't convinced the Thunder made the right plays down the stretch. Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor, host of "The Kevin O'Connor Show," stressed that the Thunders' bone-headed fouls in the last 13 seconds of that game cost them the victory.
Meanwhile, ESPN's Bobby Marks shared he wasn't a fan of OKC intentionally fouling AG with so much time left on the clock.
While many questioned OKC's late-game coaching, Denver's head coach, David Adelman, never questioned his team's desire to steal Game 1, regardless of the uphill climb they had before them. The Nuggets were coming off a seven-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Thunder had a week off after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
"Their mentality was consistent throughout. I really mean that. Even in the timeouts — you know, you get down 10, you get down 12, the swings in the game — I never felt anybody wavered," the son of former NBA head coach Rick Adelman said.
The young Nuggets coach also praised Gordon for playing a complete game against the Thunder in Game 1. Gordon finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds and was a team-best +16.
"Aaron's going to be a hero again, but I'm also looking at 14 rebounds. I'm looking at 22 points. I'm looking at ball-handling responsibilities. Leadership. He is a Denver Nugget, man. He is the soul of our team," Adelman expressed.
OKC has been so dominant this season and challenges have been few and far between. So it will be interesting to see how they will fare and respond after losing the series opener on their home court.
Continue reading...
While the practice of fouling an opponent when you're up by three with only seconds remaining in the game is a common strategy to prevent a potential game-tying three-pointer, Mark Daigneault, head coach of the Thunder, curiously took a different approach.
With the Thunder leading 119-116 and just 11 seconds remaining, the Nuggets gained possession. In a surprising move, OKC guard Alex Caruso quickly fouled Gordon as soon as he got the ball. This decision puzzled many, especially since they did the same thing to Denver superstar Nikola Jokic a few seconds earlier.
The rest, as they say, is history, as Gordon hit two free throws to pull the Nuggets to within one, OKC big man Chet Holmgren missed two from the line, and "Air Gordon" capped off the Nuggets' improbable comeback with the game-winning trifecta.
Daigneault doubles down
At the postgame press conference, Daigneault asserted he had no qualms about their strategy in crunchtime, explaining they have been consistent in their approach all season long.
"That's usually our deal — to foul up three and play that game. I thought we executed the fouls pretty well, got the ball inbounds pretty well. It didn't go our way tonight, but it's worked out well for us in the past," Mark stated.
"We'll continue to look at it — maybe learn from it. But I didn't think that's why we lost the game," he added.
Several experts, though, weren't convinced the Thunder made the right plays down the stretch. Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor, host of "The Kevin O'Connor Show," stressed that the Thunders' bone-headed fouls in the last 13 seconds of that game cost them the victory.
Meanwhile, ESPN's Bobby Marks shared he wasn't a fan of OKC intentionally fouling AG with so much time left on the clock.
Nobody on the Nuggets wavered
While many questioned OKC's late-game coaching, Denver's head coach, David Adelman, never questioned his team's desire to steal Game 1, regardless of the uphill climb they had before them. The Nuggets were coming off a seven-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Thunder had a week off after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
"Their mentality was consistent throughout. I really mean that. Even in the timeouts — you know, you get down 10, you get down 12, the swings in the game — I never felt anybody wavered," the son of former NBA head coach Rick Adelman said.
The young Nuggets coach also praised Gordon for playing a complete game against the Thunder in Game 1. Gordon finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds and was a team-best +16.
"Aaron's going to be a hero again, but I'm also looking at 14 rebounds. I'm looking at 22 points. I'm looking at ball-handling responsibilities. Leadership. He is a Denver Nugget, man. He is the soul of our team," Adelman expressed.
OKC has been so dominant this season and challenges have been few and far between. So it will be interesting to see how they will fare and respond after losing the series opener on their home court.
Continue reading...
