NBA Playoffs Monday: Thunder earn controversial Game 2 victory

Monday night’s Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Thunder and Spurs was one of the best games of the NBA Playoffs. Both teams played spectacular, exciting basketball, a neck-and-neck affair filled with brilliant play for 47 minutes and 47 seconds.

And then came the game’s final 13 seconds. It’s hard to describe those 13 seconds without acknowledging the massive failures by all parties involved. Both teams made stupid plays. Both teams had a clear-cut path to victory, and both teams squandered their chance in outrageous fashion. Worse, both teams committed multiple infractions, and the third team on the court -- the referees -- stood silently as basketball calamity unfolded.

SAN ANTONIO -- No one at the AT&T Center believed what they just saw.

“Fucking violation,” someone barked from the San Antonio tunnel under the arena as the team left the floor.

Everyone’s talking about the last 13 seconds of Game 2 between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, and rightfully so -- it was the wildest ending to an NBA playoff game in recent memory, featuring inexplicable mistakes from both teams and the officials.

But less than 30 seconds of game time before utter chaos reigned, Tony Parker did something that we need to talk about. We can’t let Dion Waiters’ elbow, Danny Green’s indecisiveness or Patty Mills’ double-failure to score completely overshadow the most furiously beautiful display of basketball skill and intelligence we’ve seen during these playoffs.

Once again the Cavs had too many shooters, too many playmakers, just too many of everything for the Hawks to deal with every time down the floor. In short, not much had really changed from last year’s conference finals, which the Cavs won in a sweep, or the regular season when they won all three meetings.

Then Dennis Schroder got hot and finally made the Cavs pay for ducking under screens. All those Cleveland scoring options took turns firing up misses. The Hawks closed down the paint, limited second chances and played the game at their pace. It was suddenly there for them, and even the breaks were going their way. And then it wasn’t.

Westbrook had 29 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and Durant had 28 points to lead the Thunder.

The Thunder showed some fight, too. They came out strong in the third quarter as they built up an 11-point lead, but the Spurs once again wouldn’t give in. San Antonio fought back with a 10-2 run with Russell Westbrook on the bench and trailed by only one, 77-76, at the end of the third.

Pass No. 1: A half-court bounce pass on the fast break to Richard Jefferson. But let’s be honest, Jefferson out-sprinting the pack is most impressive.

LeBron could always be the best point guard in the NBA.