“Shai sends the Thunder to Playoffs” – ESPN reacts Thunder def Knicks 113-112 to take 1st in West
Uh celebratory day it’s Easter Sunday and the Thunder finished this day in Grand fashion with a victory there in New York City what a game it was for a Thunder team that trailed by as many as 10 came all the way back actually the Knick’s biggest lead was 12 but Josh
Gidy was undaunted he had another triple double at Madison Square Garden and the Thunder defense was good enough to stop this Nicks team that was game it was this final play Shay with a shot we’ve seen before a shot he says he works on all the time and the Thunder beat the
Knicks by one 113 112 and so doing they clinch a playoff spot for the 12th time in 16 years as an organization hi there welcome back into the B Sports Oklahoma Studios John rigan here with Nancy liberman man what a game that’s an amazing game by the way uh you know I’m
Thinking about this I’m so super hyped about Shay hitting that gamewin shot but I have to take it back to defense three quarters they held the Knicks to 27 points or less it was that one third quarter where the Knicks got hot came in out of the locker room over there and
They had 39 points and they hit six to 123 so 18 of those 39 came from three but they just locked them up once again in the fourth quarter Shay said it best this is a team effort you got 30 I think it’s 36 points Off the Bench you know
You get 33 points from J dub everybody has a hand in it and gidy you need to buy yourself a place in New York boy no kidy you you own that town when you get out there and play with triple doubles awesome awesome and what’s really
Awesome is that Shay said it in the interview with Paris he said obviously I didn’t have my best game but what a moment right that end of that game and you kind of know doesn’t matter to Shay how he’s played the rest of the game he will come through in the clutch well
This was important because you know the Nicks came back here and they just went after it they were hustling grinding to get to those rebounds and right here you know Brunson who’s just been crushing it this season right he’s an Allstar but this is it you got your best passer you
Got your MVP candidate and look at his footwork look at his concentration bang bang it’s over you don’t have to have your best game but you have to have your best moment y Shay his best moment he sure did and it was just a thing of beauty and you know again immediately
After the game gives Coach credit gives his teammates credit you know go gave it to everybody else he shared the the credit of that great play well he did share the credit and everybody at court side everybody within the organization you share the credit because you’re a
Part of another sparkling win by this organization and another trip to the playoffs 12 in 16 years let’s head back to Madison Square Garden Now Matt Pinto Michael cage standing by to help us wrap it up guys well that game just dripped with drama did it not Michael I mean
Back and forth through three quarters I Thunder with a big burst in the fourth seemed to be in command up by eight with about five minutes to play and then the Knicks was torn back Jaylen Brunson an All-Star Shay gild Alexander twice an All-Star they decided this in the back
And forth of the final few seconds and OKC so resilient we’ve seen it all season found a way to track to a 16th win when recovering from double dig down and they with their 52 win have clinched the playoff BR well this was like a gut Checker I mean two very defensive-minded
Teams just battling it out the first half what 50 to 46 the the the the Knicks were up four points and then the Knicks come out and swinging in that third quarter with that 38 Point uh third quarter or 39 excuse me and you’re thinking all right okay it’s going it’s
About to get away from you but that’s the that’s the identity of this team they don’t give up they stand by each other someone always steps up for this team that’s why they have 52 wins folks you can’t do that by accident and congratulations to the Thunder you know
For making the playoff as John and Nancy just said for the 12th time in 16 seasons on this Easter Sunday but they had to earn this and it’s their their work is not done yet and that’s how they play the game you know a lot of times
Like a Riverboat Gambler just to have a short memory they forgot about that third quarter came out in that fourth quarter with that 13 to three start then everybody started jumping in and I love you know the the fact that Shay said look I didn’t have my best game but he
Knows he’s on a team where he doesn’t have to be Superman all the time he’s been Superman all season but tonight Jay dub I mean with those 33 points I mean 33 punishing points and Josh giddy what in as many seasons as he’s had in the
NBA and come to uh Madison Square Garden another triple double many consider this a day of sort of renewal Resurrection the Thunder were able to manage that at MSG tonight from a dozen back late in the third on the road sellout crowd full throat throughout and the Thunder had
The Poise and the Polish given the youth on this roster to do it again guys to Win It 113 112 wow yeah they really did Matt and and kg we appreciate you as always really good call of this one and and really it had we discussed it during the game as we
Watched it Nance this thing had playoff atmosphere this is one of those games that is a good test too as you head toward the playoffs yeah if you want to really be a contender in the west and you want to you know clear out some ser
Ser in the first or second round you got to figure out how you’re going to you know execute down the stretch and what is it going to take for your team collectively because that’s what’s going to happen your rotation is probably going to get a little bit tighter but
When your number is called are you stepping in or are you making a difference you know uh kesan Wallace comes in you know coach has that much confidence in him in a big game like this it’s a game on the road uh they probably didn’t know that Minnesota lost
To the Bulls so now they tied again with Denver for first place but they have the tiebreaker uh another great team player Matt Pinto stepping in for CHR F Pinto yeah and just crushing it as only Matt Pinto can do and then of course kg’s kg
He’s just the best it was awesome now you know Matt just mentioned it in fact that that stretch there end of the third and into of the fourth was when you know the Knicks really got in front they took the 12-point lead late in the third I think it was an actual 10-point
Differential as we went to the fourth and the Thunder were really going to need to respond it’s all part of a 123 run by the Knicks n well you know Jay dub knows right now that he is a star on this team and he’s a playmaker on this
Team and you know when you have the confidence to give the ball to the rookie right there you steep in the lane now you’re in transition and so many of these points you know you get 22 points off turnovers and now giddy has the confidence the will the Spirit to be
Able to knock down those shots everybody has a place in winning way to go you know um you know kendri just stepping in and knocking down that shot yeah and so the Thunder respond with a 12-3 run and the next thing you know you look up and
We’ve got a game and and then we have more than a game and we had so much fun down the stretch as the as it was a gut check like Michael said it was a good check but what I really liked and you know I like to dissect the game but when
They had so much movement with the basketball on the strong side ball side the more you keep rotating the ball over now you’re making players have to communicate with each other defensively they have to have a physical communication they have to have a phys you know a physical communicative and
They all have to move as one and when Oklahoma City is moving passing diving it discombobulates the defense especially on the weak side and it just takes one mistake one mistake and now you get a chance to win a game and and you know this Nance you you’re still coach you’ve coached
For years putting together a game plan to stop a team sometimes requires you letting a guy get his to a certain extent Jaylen Brunson has 30 tonight but it wasn’t so much damage from him right that they were able to hold on and win yeah Bon is coming off that 61-point
Game you know a couple games ago so you know he’s having quite a season and you know everybody in the league respects him and I know Oklahoma City respects him so you really can’t leave him open but I don’t want to say it was quiet 30
Points but it was a manageable 30 points and you know if he’s going to hit contested shots you just have to give this guy just a little bit credit because those are 6 10 guys with their hands up and he’s knocking them down he did a great job I would say that’s a
Good couple how about that yeah and it was 61 against the Spurs on Friday and then the 30 today 13 assists mixed in there a couple of rebound or six rebounds and a couple of steals so um you know obviously this is a guy who’s established himself as an All-Star and
Established himself as a great player and the Thunder were doing enough to to basically disrupt the rest of the offense to make sure he wouldn’t by himself beat them well you’re absolutely correct and for the Knicks it’s going to be brighter days ahead because Julius Randall at some point is going to come
Back from an injury I’m sure they would rather have him you know towards the the playoffs so he can get a couple reps but you know he’s an All-Star caliber player as well so Brunson doesn’t have to shoot as much but Josh Hart is playing really
Well uh Devan chenzo has just oh what a season he’s had uh that’s been a great trade from Milwaukee uh where he started you know now coming in and being uh in New York with the Nick and being able to drop that three ball they’re a really
Good team and but the team right here in Oklahoma City uh these guys are amazing and they’re fun to call they’re fun to watch and the respect to see their greatness and how they have ascended is is great yeah you said it the Knicks are a really good team and the Thunder
Better tonight 113 112 the final as the Thunder get an Easter an enemy has been defeated My weapons are forged in blood your team has destroyed a tower an ally has been defeated hammer down our Dragon Lane Tower is under attack your team has destroyed a tower our Slayer Lane Tower is under attack your tower has been destroyed your tower has been destroyed an enemy has been
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Defeated enemy ultimate the enemy Onslaught an enemy has been defeated your tower has been destroyed shut down my turn out of my way ultimate my Empire my loyal subject in my call you have been defeated enemy double kill baste enemy triple kill blood enemy on our base is under attack e the Dragon Oh
“Shai sends the Thunder to the Playoffs” – ESPN reacts to Thunder def Knicks 113-112 to take 1st in West
