The Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat have already put together four games of exciting basketball, but the Thunder are on a bit of a dry spell when it comes to winning in the NBA Finals. There are plenty of reasons for that, of course, but one of the more talked about opinions is in regards to Thunder coach Scott Brooks and his rotations.
NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder’s Starting Lineup Struggled Again
Oklahoma City has decided to stick with the same starting lineup, keeping Sixth Man of the Year winner James Harden on the bench to start the game. There are reasons for this, but the cons seem to outweigh the pros considering the Thunder are now in a 3-1 deficit with win-or-go-home consequences for the remainder of the seven-game series.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were able to get some buckets early on Tuesday night, helping the Thunder to a modest five-point advantage before Harden was subbed in for Thabo Sefolosha, but the starting lineup still came out even when on the floor together in Game 4. The reason for that, unfortunately for Oklahoma City, is that the starters began the second half seven points in the hole before Harden was subbed in to stop the bleeding.
The people looking at this situation with the glass half full can easily point out that Oklahoma City has still been in the thick of things in the final minutes of each game, which is true, but they’ve still been on the wrong side of the decision when looking up at the scoreboard. And, if it happens again, they’ll be home fishing.
For more on the Heat, head over to Peninsula Is Mightier and SB Nation Tampa Bay. For Thunder news and notes, visit Welcome To Loud City. And for news, analysis and everything else revolving around the NBA Playoffs, be sure to visit SB Nation’s dedicated NBA hub.
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