If a team has to be given an award for planning out their games well, it has to go to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Game after game, their plans seem to work for most part of the game, only for their plans to fall apart in the finishing stages of the game. The game against Memphis Grizzlies brought a sense of déjà vu to the proceedings. Thunder coach, Scott Brooks could only watch in utter disappointment, as his team squandered a 21 point lead going into the final session to lose 108-102!
On the final analysis, it could be termed as Memphis Grizzlies making a late dash to victory. There is nothing wrong about this because a lot of teams win games from this seemingly desperate position. But with the Oklahoma Thunder - This has happened for the 9th time in running. Now, that's a big enough sample to indicate it is not a coincidence. Surely, there is an underlying factor, which Brooks is not able to see.
The problem really starts with the after-match analysis post every match. Brooks seems to make the same noises in every post-match press conference. In every press session, Brooks seems to think that this could have been the last time a collapse would occur. But the fact is - He has been proven wrong 9 times out of 9.
Yes, the team is a demoralized lot now, what with so many defeats being snatched from the jaws of one of the easiest victories. How a team could do this with the kind of consistency the Thunder does - It is impossible for anyone to fathom. One thing we can be sure of - Put some pressure on the Thunders, and irrespective of the situation, you would find them cracking. At least that seems to be the factual inference after seeing all these games, where the Thunders have lost.
The latest 108-102 loss to the Grizzlies is best testimony to the fact. Once the Grizzlies stepped up the ante, the Thunders just did not seem to have any answer at all. Within minutes the lead was swiped off, and within minutes the Grizzlies took the lead. In the final moments, continuous waves of attacks from the Grizzlies ensured that the lead was impregnable by the time the game ended.
One could not help feeling sorry for the players of the Oklahoma city team. For 75% of the match, they seem to be a team best next to no one. Yet in the final stages of the game, they are reduced to a bunch of ragtag players. The problem has to be a mental one, which needs immediate addressing from the coach and the management staff. But first, the coach would need to admit there is a problem, which is missing as of now.
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