Thunder thrive with Adams’ play

The short view was there for all to see, captivating the basketball world Monday as everyone waited for a verdict from the NBA: Would Draymond Green’s kick to Steven Adams’ groin cost him a game in the Western Conference finals, or would the league decide to keep the Golden State Warriors’ AllStar forward on the floor for Game 4 on Tuesday?

But the long view that bodes well for the Oklahoma City Thunder even after Green was fined but not suspended is that Adams has fast become the breakout star of the playoffs. And this is the same Steven Adams who, by way of a 2013 first- round draft pick, was part of the 2012 James Harden trade that might always haunt this franchise.

Talk about a perfect Thunder storm.

Just as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are reminding us they’re the league’s most dynamic duo, overwhelming the defending champion Warriors with their speed, size and skill while taking a 2- 1 series lead, here comes a 22year- old New Zealander who has unofficially become the Thunder’s third star.

Adams is a capable offensive threat whose pick- and- roll production is enough to relieve pressure on the perimeter. His playing time has spiked from 25.2 minutes per game in the regular season to 31.7 in the playoffs, and he is averaging 10.4 points per game in the postseason ( on 65.5% shooting) to go with a team- high 9.7 rebounds per game. Last but not least, he is one of the toughest guys around in the NBA.

That was the case long before he was brought to his knees by Green’s right foot, but the last few weeks have underscored this reality. In the Game 6 closeout win against the San Antonio Spurs, Adams played through a migraine so severe that his pregame routine consisted of vomiting and IVs. Adams, who has suffered from the debilitating headaches for years, said he never would have played if it had been a regu- lar- season game.

But this Green situation, with Adams having been hit below the belt by Green in Game 2 only to take it to the nether regions again in Game 3, was another matter.

As agitators go, Adams is the best kind. He gets under the opponent’s skin with his physicality, but he resists the urge to retali- ate. Asked if it was becoming increasingly hard to not respond to Green, Adams shrugged as if this whole saga was nothing more than a silly subplot.

“No, it’s not at all ( hard), mate,” Adams said. “A lot of stuff happened out there. For this particular one, I couldn’t have done anything anyway, mate. Yeah, I was out cold. Shed some tears, actually. I was leaking. I don’t know what it was.

“It’s fine with me. I don’t want to hold my team at a disadvantage. I can’t really afford to react. … Whatever happens on the floor stays on the floor.”

The importance of that mentality can’t be overstated. Had Adams reacted, perhaps throwing a punch or shove, the Thunder might have found themselves in a compromised position at the worst possible time. Instead, the Thunder outscored the Warriors 85- 65 from that point and Adams’ reputation as a game- changer continued to grow.

“It’s very important,” Westbrook said of Adams. “With his size and being able to use that to his advantage is very important. That’s the strength of our team, our size and physicalness. I think it’s important that he use it every night.

“( He’s) very impressed. All season long I think he’s been great. He’s constantly getting better and better each and every year, especially this postseason. He’s done a great job of just learning and being able to go from series to series and change his game.”

He has certainly done that.

MARK D. SMITH, USA TODAY SPORTS “His size and being able to use that to his advantage is very important,” Russell Westbrook says about Steven Adams, right.