Spurs vs. Thunder 2016 results: Kawhi Leonard carries Spurs to 100-96 win, 2-1 series lead

The San Antonio Spurs have regained control of the best series of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. A thrilling Game 3 ended with the Spurs holding off the Thunder in Oklahoma City, winning 100-96 in a game that featured clutch shooting, stifling defense and one humongous offensive rebound from Kawhi Leonard to seal it.

Leonard finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds, none bigger than a soaring board off a LaMarcus Aldridge miss that forced Oklahoma City to foul with 22 seconds left. Had the Thunder grabbed that board, they would’ve had a chance to tie the game. Instead, the Spurs closed out a difficult victory to take a 2-1 series lead.

The two teams got off to a blazing shooting start, but Oklahoma City’s offense fell apart once substitutions started coming into the game. A Kevin Durant pull-up jumper with 3:38 left in the first quarter gave the Thunder their 19th and 20th points. Thirty seconds later, Durant was subbed out for the first time. The Thunder did not score again until well after he and Russell Westbrook were reunited again in the second quarter, a gap that spanned nearly seven and a half minutes.

Yet the Thunder’s defense was strong throughout, allowing them to slowly chip away at the Spurs’ double-digit lead as Durant and Westbrook tried to find their footing. Westbrook struggled from the field, but kept attacking San Antonio’s defense to create looks. Ultimately, the Thunder shaved 10 of the 15 points off the deficit to trail by five at halftime.

The Spurs began the third quarter strong, but the game tightened again as Oklahoma City ramped up the pressure defensively. Three Westbrook free throws cut San Antonio’s lead to just one, but Leonard responded with a thunderous two-handed baseline slam that eventually triggered an 8-0 Spurs run.

Oklahoma City fought back again, though. After slicing the lead to three to end the third quarter, the Thunder pulled ahead by four after back-to-back threes by Westbrook and Serge Ibaka.

But just as it looked like OKC would take control for good, the Spurs found their offense again. They regained the lead on a Tony Parker jumper with 4:28 left as four Thunder players ran away, and never gave it back. Thanks to timely plays by Leonard and Aldridge, and stagnant late-game Thunder offense (sound familiar?), the Spurs were able to come away with a big victory.

The Spurs’ superstar was more passive than usual in Game 2, in part because of the aggressive defense of Dion Waiters and in part because Aldridge had it going. Superstars tend to take on a bigger role in road games, and that was no different in this one. Leonard set a strong tone with 11 first-quarter points, then controlled the game in every facet thereafter. He finished with 31 points and 11 rebounds while toggling between two difficult defensive assignments in Westbrook and Durant.

Leonard did miss plenty of shots, but the Spurs needed to rely on him against the Thunder’s tough defense. Every time the Thunder got close, Leonard made a big play, whether it was a powerful dunk, timely three-pointer or soaring offensive rebound on the game’s most important possession. When they got physical with him, he rose to the challenge.

Russell Westbrook’s reckless abandon is his greatest strength, but it can also be his greatest weakness. The Spurs sent multiple bodies to stop him from getting to the basket, and while he succeeded anyway, he expended too much effort and didn’t have enough to actually finish. Westbrook missed half a dozen layups after driving to the basket, and many of those led to Spurs fast breaks the other way. In a tight game, that proved to be the difference.

Toss in Westbrook’s usual misses from ambitious shot selection and his shaky fourth-quarter decisions, and you can see why he was just 10-of-31 from the field. This is the double-edged sword of Westbrook. He is so dangerous charging at the rim and he put together a fantastic raw line (31 points, nine rebounds and eight assists), but his out-of-control drives and inability to manage a late-game offense also cost the Thunder the game.

Of course, if he makes his layups, the Thunder win the game anyway. Sometimes, it really is that simple.

The Thunder’s defense has been uneven this year. Despite their length and athleticism, they suffered through concentration lapses and only finished 13th in defensive efficiency in the regular season. They looked completely over-matched in Game 1, essentially handing candy to a baby in allowing the Spurs to do whatever they wanted.

Since then, Oklahoma City has been all over the Spurs. The Thunder’s collective length has sped up San Antonio’s normally sound decision-making and shrunk the space most San Antonio role players occupy. That’s forced the Spurs to rely more on isolations and post-ups for Leonard and Aldridge, which isn’t necessarily their game.

They got it done in the end, but the Thunder really made the Spurs work.