The Mavericks clung to a stoic soundtrack Friday as they grasped at ways to attack and defend a Thunder team that has outmaneuvered them at every pivotal juncture.
The Houston Rockets could be an interesting team, in last year's playoffs they held their own against the Oklahoma City Thunder (albeit a Thunder team without Russell Westbrook).
It was an utterly demoralizing win for a Thunder team that, for the second straight postseason, will have to survive without one of their most irreplaceable players.
That went pretty well, the Rockets made a surprise postseason run and played a competitive series against a Thunder team struggling without an injured Russell Westbrook (and no Harden for insurance).
Andrew Bynum added 16 points and 10 rebounds, but the Lakers still were not able to simply overpower a Thunder team that added Perkins for interior toughness but will not get him in the lineup for several weeks because he has a sprained left knee.
After a weekend where the Memphis Grizzlies took a 2-1 series lead at the expense of a Thunder team lost without Russell Westbrook and the Golden State Warriors evened their series against a Spurs team finally starting to show its age, the West now feels wide open.
