Monday night’s Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Thunder and Spurs was one of the best games of the NBA Playoffs thus far. Both teams played grest, exciting basketball, a neck-and-neck affair filled with brilliant play for 47 minutes and 47 seconds.
And then came the game’s final 13 seconds. It’s hard to describe those 13 seconds without acknowledging the massive failures by all parties involved. Both teams made stupid plays. Both teams had a clear-cut path to victory, and both teams squandered their chance in outrageous fashion. Worse, both teams committed multiple infractions, and the third team on the court the referees stood silently as it all unfolded.
The Thunder won, 98-97, and Spurs fans probably feel cheated. But San Antonio committed uncalled violations just like Oklahoma City, and still had the chance to win in the game’s closing seconds. They have themselves to blame as much as any refs or opposing cheaters.
