Dort makes the grade, but critical errors doom OKC

The Thunder lost to Houston 104-102 in a wild Game 7 of the Western Conference playoffs, and OKC's report card reflects such a frenetic game.

Lu Dort: A

The masses demanded after Game 5 that Dort dare not shoot. But in a Game 7 that included at least three future Hall of Famers, the best player on the court was the undrafted rookie. Dort did his usual yeoman's defense on James Harden, who scored just 17 points on 4-of-15 shooting. It was Harden's lowest scoring output in his last 33 playoff games. But far more surprising was Dort's offense; he scored 30 points, on 10-of-21 shooting, two games after going 0-of-9 from 3-point range. Dort reached doubledigit points in only seven of his 36 regular-season games but was sensational in Game 7. Dort not only made six of 12 3-pointers, he routinely drove the lane and collapsed the Rocket defense. Dort committed four turnovers, but still, his breakout game was inspiring.

Rotations: C

Where was Darius Bazley in the second half? The Thunder rookie was good again, making both of his 3-point shots in the first half. During his 9:33 in the first half, OKC outscored Houston by seven points. Then inexplicably, Billy Donovan used Bazley just 5:26 in the second half. Danilo Gallinari had a horrible game, scoring just four points. Gallinari missed all three of his 3-point shots and even missed a foul shot with 1.1 seconds left. The Thunder was outscored by 16 points with Gallinari on the court. Part of Bazley's diminished minutes was because Donovan experimented with a lineup void of a power forward — a center, with four perimeter players — which did well, playing 6:17 of the second half, during which it outscored the Rockets 11-6.

Late offense: F

The Thunder has been so good in the clutch all season. But not in Game 7. Chris Paul made two foul shots with 7:11 left to forge a 96-96 tie. OKC scored six points the rest of the game, scoring on just two of 14 possessions. The drought was a mixture of stagnant offense and missed easy shots. Dennis Schröder missed on three drives; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Paul missed jumpers in the lane; Bazley, SGA, Schröder and Dort missed 3-point shots.

Late defense: A

The Rockets scored on just two of their final 12 possessions, not counting a foul shot on an intentional foul with 1.4 seconds left. Dort's defense on Harden remained excellent; Harden had two points and two shots the final eight minutes. The Thunder at times let Russell Westbrook get free, but not down the stretch. Westbrook missed three contested shots off drives in the final three minutes. And OKC kept fouling to a minimum; that intentional foul with 1.4 seconds left produced

Houston's only two foul shots in the fourth quarter.

Treasuring the ball: D

The Thunder committed 22 turnovers, leading to 28 Houston points. That was the ballgame. Offensive fouls were a problem early, with three in the first quarter. And three of the late turnovers were caused by circumstance (a desperation inbounds pass, Steven Adams' heave trying to save the ball, Dort's attempt to save the ball after Harden blocked his shot). But in between, the Thunder was just sloppy. Paul had six turnovers. Gallinari and Dort had four each. SGA had three. Most were avoidable.

Veteran players: D

The Thunder veterans did not shine in Game 7. Paul seemed out of sync. Schröder made just five of 17 shots. Gallinari had as many turnovers as points (four). Only Adams played up to his established level of performance. While OKC's young players ranged from outstanding (Dort) to solid (SGA), the veterans were lacking.