OKC takes charge behind brilliance of Westbrook
OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook had 36 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Golden State Warriors 118-94 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals and put the defending NBA champions on the brink of elimination.
It was Westbrook’s first triple-double of the playoffs after posting 18 in the regular season. Kevin Durant added 26 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City.
Golden State, which won a league record 73 games in the regular season, lost consecutive games for the first time this season. The Warriors must win Game 5 on Thursday in Oakland to keep their season alive.
Klay Thompson led Golden State with 26 points. Two-time league MVP Stephen Curry was limited to 19 points on 6-for-20 shooting.
Golden State’s Draymond Green, who was
ens of interviews, discussing details great and small and meeting multiple times with the top candidates, the Rockets will soon attempt to make that prediction come true.
Nearly a week after the Rockets seemed to be pointing toward a pair of finalists, Philadelphia 76ers associate head coach Mike D’Antoni and Charlotte Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, the vetting process has produced another potential contender.
A day after Morey met with Orlando Magic assistant coach Adrian Griffin and San Antonio Spurs assistant James Borrego, the Rockets have scheduled a follow-up interview for Borrego with owner Leslie Alexander, a person with knowledge of the plans said on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the process. ESPN initially reported the meeting with Alexander.
D’Antoni is experienced
Borrego, considered one of the top candidates for the head coaching position with the Memphis Grizzlies, returned to San Antonio this season after stints with former Spurs assistants Monty Williams in New Orleans and Jacque Vaughn in Orlando.
The scheduled interview with Alexander does not put Borrego on the level with Silas and D’Antoni, who already have met with Alexander and have been involved in multiple follow-up conversations about staffing and other issues. But with few remaining Tuesdays with Morey remaining in the process, the factors to consider have begun to take shape.
D’Antoni, 65, is the most experienced of the candidates, having been the head coach of four NBA teams after a successful stint coaching in Italy. But it is difficult to know what to make of the past unsuccessful runs.
D’Antoni was the architect of the Phoenix Suns’ trend-setting offense from 2002-08, but he went 202290 with the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. There has been little evidence since that D’Antoni was holding them back. The Knicks and Lakers have hardly taken off since. But with two winning seasons in his six with the Knicks and Lakers, it would be difficult to make a case his history indicates he can quickly turn things around after the Rockets slumped to 41-41.
Silas has other options
While the Suns’ sensational offense created the image of D’Antoni not caring about defense, his Phoenix teams were better defensively than their reputation, finishing in the middle of the pack and consistently placing in the top five in net rating.
Morey also said the Rockets would seek a coach who would address their needs.
If defense and discipline are most in need of improvement, D’Antoni’s history does not immediately point to him as an ideal fit for the Rockets’ issues. But the Rockets could be looking at their choice of coaches as they would draft picks, seeking the best available since the roster — and with it, their needs — could be soon changing.
Silas, 42, is more experienced as an assistant than D’Antoni is as a head coach. He cannot be characterized by work on one part of the game. Hornets coach Steve Clifford does not assign assistants to handle one end of the court and, as a result, Silas has worked in a variety of areas. Clifford has spoken often about Silas’ readiness to be a head coach.
The Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers are considering offering Silas their lead assistant position. Silas has worked for both, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Bobcats/Hornets before returning to Charlotte with the Hornets. Silas interviewed with the Warriors on Monday and will be given some time to land the Rockets’ job, but he could eventually choose a certain promotion with Golden State over a chance with the Rockets, especially if the Rockets seem hesitant to pick him.
Borrego well-regarded
While much has been made of his work with players from Baron Davis to Stephen Curry, Silas is often looked to by Clifford for in-game play calls and identifying opposing sets.
Borrego, 36, has long been well-regarded in coaching circles and would be one of many coaches to emerge from the Gregg Popovich coaching tree. Popovich’s praise, going back to when Borrego was an assistant video coordinator, carries considerable weight.
The Rockets have made their respect for the Spurs’ programs very clear over the years.
Borrego does not have the variety of influences that Silas has, having worked only for the Spurs and teams coached by former Spurs assistants. The Rockets’ decision to schedule a follow-up interview shows they have significant interest. The delay in making a selection could be a sign they are not sure about the candidates they already have considered.
They also could just be going slowly and meticulously as Morey always expected in his quest to land “a great coach.”