Oklahoma City Thunder are set to lock horns with Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth game of the second round postseason series at the Staple Center, California.
After facing a humiliating defeat in the first, Thunder rallied in the next two games to lead the Western Conference semifinals 2-1.
Thunders' Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are back to their best and are also receiving support from their teammates. Thabo Sefolosha scored 14 points in the second game, while Serge Ibaka finished with 20 points. Reggie Jackson and Caron Butler added 14 points each in the third encounter.
"We can't then give Caron Butler wide-open 3s," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "Serge Ibaka has yet to put the ball on the floor. I'd like to see him dribble one time."
The Clippers made few errors and converted 21 of 25 free throws but still ended on the losing side in the last game. Coach Rivers said that they need to restrict OKC from scoring on their possession so that they can build momentum in the game.
"What we didn't get is stops," Rivers said. "When we get multiple stops, we get in transition and we get easy baskets. In this series so far we really haven't gotten in transition at all and they've taken that away from us. We got to do a better job of getting stops in a row so we can get some kind of offensive rhythm in transition."
Westbrook said he is trying to balance his game by focusing on getting other players involved. "I got into a rhythm and I'm trying to get into a routine," Westbrook said. "I'm trying to balance my game and it's tough at times, but as long as we are winning it's all good."
Los Angeles' Chris Paul, who scored 21 points and 16 assists in the last game, said the players are not under pressure and are focused on winning the fourth game.
"We just got to play and not necessarily worry about being desperate," Paul said. "We understand it's not time to hang our heads. We just need to get game four."
The Clippers have never made a comeback after going down 2-1 in postseason series.
"Any of those stats don't matter," Rivers said, laughing. "If you'd said the Lakers or the Celtics, then that would matter."
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for a 3:30 pm ET (1:00 am IST, 7:30 pm GMT) start with live coverage on Sony Six and Sony Six HD in India. The game can be watched via live streaming online in the US HERE. The game can be live streamed by international viewers, including India, HERE.
