Mixed results seen in Game 4 of NBA playoff series

Andre Roberson

C What a stunning day for the Thunder defensive stopper. Great defense on James Harden — the Beard made just five of 16 shots and had almost as many turnovers (seven) as assists (eight). And not until 3:33 left in the game did Harden pass Roberson in points (they finished 16-13). Roberson made five of nine shots and blocked five shots. But he made just two of 12 foul shots, and Houston coach Mike D’Antoni four times down the stretch ordered an intentional foul on Roberson. Embarrassing for a quality player.

Killer instinct

D The Thunder controlled the game, leading for 39:45 of the game’s 48 minutes. But nothing new there. Houston has led only 29 percent of this series’ 192 minutes. Yet the Rockets have a 3-1 series lead. The Thunder had a double-digit first-half lead for the third straight first quarter. It had a 14-point lead in the third quarter. Some of the wilting has to do with Russell Westbrook’s rests. Some has to do with fourth quarters — the Rockets outscored OKC 40-32 in the final 12 minutes and has outscored the Thunder 128-89 in the series’ four fourth quarters. But just in general, the Thunder has not kept its foot on the pedal.

Steven Adams

B Stone Cold had his best game of the series, with 18 points and seven rebounds, on 8-of-10 shooting. Adams had three blocked shots and a huge play, making the first of two foul shots with 21.7 seconds left, missing the second on purpose, rebounding the miss and passing to Westbrook for a 3-pointer that drew OKC within a point. The Thunder outscored Houston by five points with Adams on the court. But Adams let Nene get off for a huge game. Nene had 28 points, 10 rebounds and didn’t miss any of his 12 shots. Adams was on the court for 22 of Nene’s 25 minutes.

Pace

A The Thunder continues to outrun the high-flying Rockets. Houston scores bunches in transition. Not this series. The Thunder outscored the Rockets 21-13 on fast-break points. Back-to-back fast breaks created a Victor Oladipo runner and an Adams dunk, giving the Thunder a 70-56 lead early in the third quarter.

Westbrook shot selection

C Westbrook played his usual stunning game, with a first-half triple double. He finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, with three steals and a blocked shot. Westbrook’s 10-of-28 shooting included an acceptable 3-of-8 on 3-pointers. But Westbrook for the second straight game relied heavily on his mid-range jumper, without much effectiveness. Westbrook made just four of 15 mid-range shots, though he did twice draw fouls on those shots. Westbrook made 26.7 percent on the tough 2-point shots and 37.5 percent on the tougher 3-point shots.

3-point game

B The Thunder again guarded the 3-point line well. Houston made just 11 of 35 long-range shots (31.4 percent); Harden was 0-of-7. The Thunder made a solid 36.8 percent (seven of 19). But the Rockets also got five points off two fouls on 3-point shots. The Thunder got three such points. That means Houston outscored OKC 38-26 from the 3-point line. That’s a good head start.