LATEST FIRST ALERT FORECAST. EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO THE SHOW TONIGHT I’M BRIAN KEATING. HE IS MARK ROGERS. IT IS TIME FOR CRASHING THE BOARDS AS WE COUNT DOWN TO ROUND TWO. MARK ROUND ONE WAS PRETTY SIMPLE. I THINK ROUND TWO IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER CHALLENGE WITH DALLAS COMING IN, BUT IT WAS. THE PLAYOFFS HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD SO FAR FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT. I THINK THE PLAYOFFS HAVE BEEN GREAT. THE THUNDER WERE EXCELLENT IN THEIR FOUR GAMES PLAYED, TWO CLOSE ONES PLAYED, TWO BLOWOUTS. ROLL THE HIGHLIGHTS. HERE’S HOW IT WRAPPED UP IN IN GAME FOUR. THE THUNDER ON THE ROAD AGAINST THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS AND AND LOOK MARC GAME ONE AND GAME FOUR WERE A LOT THE SAME THAT THEY WERE CLOSE. AND THEN YOU KNOW THIS AGE AND MATURITY THING THAT THE THUNDER ARE GOING TO FADE. AND DOWN THE STRETCH IN CLOSE GAMES. THEY’RE JUST GOING TO KIND OF RIDE OFF AND NOT PLAY VERY WELL. WE DIDN’T SEE THAT IN THE FIRST ROUND. NOW I KNOW THE PELICANS AREN’T THE BEST TEAM IN THE NBA, BUT DOWN THE STRETCH THEY MADE ALL THE PLAYS J DUB COUPLE OF THREES. THE THUNDER SWEEP THE PELICANS. THEY WIN IT 97 TO 89. WIN A SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2016. I GUESS YOU CAN SAY WE’RE YOUNG AND DON’T HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE IN WINNING BASKETBALL GAMES TO TO FIGURE IT OUT AND TO TO STICK WITH IT THE WAY WE HAVE IS VERY IMPRESSIVE. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD NEVER BEEN IN THIS SITUATION AS A TEAM, AND SO I THINK EVERYBODY WAS CURIOUS. I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT VERSION OF OURSELVES WE’D BRING INTO THE SERIES, AND WE WERE VERY MUCH IN CHARACTER. MARK DAIGNEAULT, BY THE WAY, WAS THE COACH OF THE YEAR OVER THE LAST WEEK. SO WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT OKLAHOMA CITY? I THOUGHT, UM, FOR A TEAM PLAYING IN THEIR FIRST ROUND AND GETTING THE FIRST TASTE OF THE PLAYOFFS, AND THEY PASSED CLEARLY WITH FLYING COLORS, I THINK. SO I’M GLAD YOU SHOWED THOSE HIGHLIGHTS, BECAUSE IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THE THUNDER HAVE PLAYED. IT’S BEEN I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S BEEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT I THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, JOSH GIDDEY AND LU DORT PLAYED REALLY WELL. DORT ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THINGS. GIDDEY ON THE OFFENSIVE SIDE OF THINGS. DALLAS UH, REALLY KIND OF TRY TO D UP AND GIMMICK GIDDEY WHEN THEY PLAYED EARLIER THIS SEASON IN DALLAS. SO I THINK HE’S GOT SOME THINGS TO PROVE IN THIS NEXT SERIES, BUT I DON’T SEE WHY HE CAN’T CONTINUE TO. ALL RIGHT. I’M GOING TO GO WITH THIS. SO I’M GOING TO SAY THAT FIRST ROUND REMINDED ME IT GAVE ME 2012 VIBES MARK. AND BY 2012 VIBES I THINK THAT WAS THE YEAR THEY WENT TO THE FINALS. NOW I’M NOT PROJECTING. THEY GO TO THE FINALS. I’M NOT PROJECTING TO GO TO THE FINALS. BUT IT’S THE LAST TIME THEY SWEPT THE SERIES. MARK. THEY SWEPT THE DALLAS MAVERICKS. IN 2012 ON THEIR WAY TO THE NBA FINALS. I WAS JUST SO IMPRESSED BY THIS TEAM BECAUSE THE PLAYOFFS. ARE A DIFFERENT ANIMAL AND EVERYONE JUST TELLS YOU, BOY, THEY CAN’T WIN AT THIS LEVEL BECAUSE THEY’RE YOUNG. WELL, WHY CAN’T THEY WIN? I GUESS THAT IS WHAT NORMALLY HAPPENS, BUT THEY HAVE SUPERSTAR IN GILGEOUS ALEXANDER. THESE GUYS PLAY WELL ABOVE THEIR YEARS AND I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING WHAT MARK DAIGNEAULT SAID IN THE POST GAME AFTER GAME FOUR. HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT ABOUT AGE, IT IS ABOUT MATURITY. AND THIS TEAM IS VERY MATURE FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. THEY JUST HAVE GUYS WHO LIKE TO PLAY BASKETBALL. THEY PLAY THE RIGHT WAY. THEY HAVE A STYLE. THEY GUARD. YOU CAN GET THEM ON THE ON THE REBOUNDS. YOU CAN OUTREBOUND THEM IN. THE PELICANS DID. BUT MATURITY THEY’VE GOT IT WELL ABOVE THEIR YEARS. AND THEY TAKE THAT IN NOW TO ROUND TWO. YEAH I THINK WHAT’S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT IN ROUND TWO I’M GOING TO SAY THIS IS GOING TO BE OKC C D FOR ME. IS THAT THE THUNDER’S DEFENSE IS OUTSTANDING. THEY’RE IN THE TOP FIVE IN NET RATING. BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE INTO THE COURT. THE MAVERICKS ARE NUMBER 18 IN NET RATING ON DEFENSE WHICH JUST MEANS THE AMOUNT OF POINTS THAT THEY GIVE UP COMPARED TO OTHER TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE. SO IT’S I THINK OKLAHOMA CITY IS DEFINITELY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH. LUKA DONCIC AND KYRIE IRVING, THEY’RE TWO VERY, VERY GOOD PLAYERS. THEY CAN REALLY GET HOT AND THEY CAN CARRY A TEAM A LONG WAY. BUT DALLAS DOESN’T HAVE THE DEFENSE THAT OKLAHOMA CITY DOES, AND I THINK IT WILL BE CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO GUARD OKLAHOMA CITY WITH SGA AND J-DUB BEING SO GOOD, GETTING TO THE BASKET, I THINK THE THUNDER ARE GOING TO BE MUCH BETTER SET UP TO GUARD DALLAS THAN DALLAS. WILL OKLAHOMA CITY. I TEND TO AGREE WITH THAT. SO LET’S WE’LL GET INTO THIS OKLAHOMA CITY DALLAS SERIES NEXT. YOU HEARD FROM THE THUNDER AFTER THEY WRAPPED UP THEIR SERIES. SO HERE’S JASON KIDD TODAY TALKING ABOUT THE MATCHUP WITH THE MAVERICKS FACING OKLAHOMA CITY. THEY PLAY YOU KNOW HARD. THEY PLAY EXTREMELY WELL AT HOME. BUT ON PAPER THEY’RE YOUNG. BUT THEY HAD THE BEST RECORD IN THE WEST. AND SO UH YOU KNOW AGE IS IT’S NOT ABOUT AGE. IT’S ABOUT BEING ABLE TO EXECUTE. AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN DO THAT ON THE ROAD. DALLAS HAS PLAYED A VERY COMPETITIVE SERIES MARK WITH THE LA CLIPPERS. THAT GUY LUKA DONCIC WAS EXCELLENT. ALTHOUGH HE’S BANGED UP, THAT’S GOING TO BE SOMETHING TO WATCH. KYRIE IRVING IS A SPECTACULAR PLAYER. WHAT DO YOU THINK IF I IF I SAID KEY TO OKLAHOMA CITY GETTING THIS DONE WHAT WOULD YOU SAY THAT WAS? I WOULD SAY THE KEY IS NOT GETTING INTO FOUL TROUBLE TRYING TO GUARD LUKA. AND TRYING TO GUARD KYRIE. THAT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. YOU WANT YOUR STARS ON THE FLOOR. ANOTHER BIG THING, AN ELEMENT OF THIS SERIES IS MAXI KLEBER WILL NOT PLAY. HE HAD A BIG GAME UH FOR THE MAVS AGAINST THE CLIPS AND HIT FIVE THREES BUT THEN HURT HIS SHOULDERS AC JOINT A SPRAIN. SO HE’S NOT GOING TO PLAY IN THIS SERIES. THAT ONE MORE PLAYER THAT TAKES OFF THE FLOOR FOR DALLAS. THEIR DEPTH ISN’T VERY STRONG. WHERE OKLAHOMA CITY IS ONE OF THE DEEPEST TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE. SO I KNOW IT’S YOU GOT TO PINCH YOURSELF AND SAY IS IT TRUE? CAN OKLAHOMA CITY REALLY KEEP WINNING GAMES IN THE PLAYOFFS? AND I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, YEAH, THEY’RE GOING TO KEEP WINNING GAMES IN THE PLAYOFFS. AND SO WE’LL SEE THIS TEAM I THINK ADVANCE PAST THIS ROUND AND GO TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS. AND WHO KNOWS MIGHT EVEN BE PLAYING THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES. BUT OKLAHOMA CITY IS UH THEY HAVE REALLY KIND OF GONE A DIFFERENT WAY THAN MOST NBA TEAMS DO. USUALLY IT WORKS IN STEPS, BUT THIS OKLAHOMA CITY TEAM IS IN THE PLAYOFFS AND MAKING BIG NOISE THIS YEAR. WE’RE RIGHT ON THE SAME PAGE. YOU SEE, IT’S THE SECOND ONE. UH, DEFENSE WITHOUT FOULING. THAT IS WHAT I SAID, THAT THAT IS THE KEY FOR ME. LUKA DONCIC, TOP TEN IN THE LEAGUE DRAWING FOUL AND GOING TO THE FREE THROW LINE KYRIE IRVING, NUMBER 21 IN THE NBA DRAWING FOULS. GOING TO THE FREE THROW LINE DEFENSE WITHOUT FOULING. BECAUSE BEYOND THOSE TWO GUYS YOU MAKE ANYBODY ELSE BEAT YOU FOR THE MAVERICKS. BUT THOSE TWO GUYS ARE SO SPECTACULAR THAT THEY CAN DO IT THEMSELVES. I MEAN, THOSE ARE TWO GUYS THAT YOU JUST POINTED OUT AND YOU GO, WELL, ONE OF THEM IS GOING TO GET 50 IN A GAME. MAYBE THEY’LL BOTH GET 50 IN THE GAME. MAYBE THEY’LL BOTH DO IT MULTIPLE TIMES. THEY’RE THAT GOOD. SO DEFENSE WITHOUT FOULING DON’T GIVE THEM FREE POINTS AT THE FREE THROW LINE. MAKE THEM WORK AND SHOOT JUMPERS. I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SGA ON ON UH, KYRIE I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF LU DORT ON LUKA. UH, AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF JJ WILL COME IN AND POTENTIALLY PLAYING THERE. AND CASON WALLACE ON UH KYRIE. SO I THINK THE THUNDER WILL USE THOSE GUYS AND AND TRY TO GIVE THEIR STARS SOME SOME REST. BUT IF YOU’RE HAVING TO CONCENTRATE A WHOLE LOT ON DEFENSE, YOU COULD KIND OF TAKE THE OFFENSE AWAY. MAKE HIM SHOOT JUMPERS, DON’T PUT HIM AT THE FOUL LINE. THAT GIVES YOU A THE BEST CHANCE TO WIN. AND BOTH THESE TEAMS LOOK THEY CAN BOTH WIN THE SERIES. THEY CAN BOTH LOSE THE SERIES. IT’S A COMPETITIVE SERIES. SO IF I MAKE YOU PICK THIS SERIES I YOU ALREADY GAVE US THE TEASE. I THINK YOU’RE PICKING OKLAHOMA CITY TO GET THIS DONE. YEAH I GOT IT. AND LIKE KOCO 555 GAMES TUESDAY NIGHT 830 PAYCOM CENTER. YOU GOT OKC. THERE YOU GO I LIKE IT OKC IN FIVE. SO I WILL DO IT THIS WAY. UH OKC IN FIVE AND FIVE. YEAH WOW. WELL I MEAN LOOK I’LL TAKE IT. BUT THAT IS OPTIMISTIC. BUT I LOVE IT I’M GOING WITH THUNDER IN SEVEN I THINK THE MAVERICKS ARE PRETTY GOOD. YOU KNOW THEY WERE 18 AND NINE SINCE THE ALL STAR BREAK. CERTAINLY SINCE THEY’VE MADE SOME TRADES THERE. BIG GUYS ARE ATHLETIC. THEY WILL BE A MUCH DIFFERENT CHALLENGE ON THE BACK END FOR OKLAHOMA CITY THAN THE PELICANS WILL. UM AND CERTAINLY THEY GOT MAYBE THE TWO BEST PLAYERS IN THE SERIES AT TIMES. YEAH WITH KYRIE AND LUKA. BUT BUT I’M PICKING OKLAHOMA CITY. THEY’RE DEEPER. THEY’RE BETTER. THE NUMBER ONE SEED I DON’T CARE HOW YOUNG THEY ARE. WASN’T A FLUKE MAN. THEY’RE GOOD. MHM. NO DOUBT THEY ARE I THINK AGAIN THE DEFENSE FOR FOR DALLAS IS JUST SUB-PAR FOR THE CLIPPERS. COULDN’T CHALLENGE THAT. THEY DIDN’T HAVE THEIR BEST PLAYER. YEAH. AND THEN WE HAVE SEEN THE INCONSISTENCIES OF PAUL GEORGE AND JAMES HARDEN ON THAT TEAM. I DON’T THINK OKLAHOMA CITY IS GOING TO HAVE THOSE SAME KIND OF ISSUES. SO I THINK THE THUNDER CAN CAN WIN THIS IN FIVE. UM, AND I LOVE IT CLOSE OUT HERE IN THE HOME FLOOR TO SEE THIS IS GREAT MAN. COOL TO SEE GAME SEVEN HERE. AND YOU KNOW THAT GAME SEVEN TODAY WE SAW ONE IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. YEAH MAN THERE WAS A LOT OF FOULS CALLED ON THAT. SO YOU KNOW YOU DON’T WANT IT TO GET DOWN TO A FOUL SHOOTING CONTEST. HERE’S THE ONE THING LUKE IS A LITTLE BIT BANGED UP. RUN AGAINST THE MAVERICKS. THEY DON’T WANT TO RUN LUKA DOESN’T WANT TO RUN. HE DOESN’T WANT TO HAVE TO GO UP AND DOWN THE FLOOR. THAT IS A TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE FOR OKLAHOMA CITY. I THINK BY THE END OF THIS SERIES, LUKA AND THE MAVERICKS WILL BE TIRED. I HOPE IT’S IN FIVE. THAT’D BE AWESOME. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. THE PAYCOM WOULD BE ROCKIN