OKC Thunder Coach Reflects on NBA Playoffs Strategy

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00:00We'll move on to game two, and the Oklahoma City Thunder head coach, Mark Danio, has done that as well. Here he is.

00:07Yeah, I mean, the playoffs take you to the limit, and they put your back against the wall in games, in series.

00:14If you make it this far, you have to endure to do that, and it gives you rich experiences that you can draw on.

00:20So the biggest experience we've had is understanding that every game's a new game.

00:25The most important game in the series is always the next one, regardless of the outcome.

00:28We would have liked to win tonight, but tonight was a starting point, not an end point.

00:33There's a lot of things we can improve on.

00:35There's a lot of things I'm sure Indiana thinks they can improve on, and now the series starts to evolve.

00:39So would have liked to get the game, but need to be a better team in game two.

00:44Yeah, I think when I saw 11-1⁄2, the first thing I thought was, oh, they're going to spank them,

00:51because it's like when Denver beat them, they're going to spank them,

00:54because it's going to be 1-1 going to, you know, Indianapolis.

01:01I think, look, the Pacers did their job.

01:05They just stole home court.

01:07They're going home 1-1 at worst.

01:10So they're, I mean, inevitably, they're happy.

01:13And for the Thunder, it is on.

01:17You have to absolutely win on Sunday night, and I mean convincingly.

01:22None of this down-to-the-wire stuff.

01:25I think that's why it's 11-1⁄2.

01:27I think they're going to come out, and they're going to do what they do,

01:30and they're going to succeed.

01:32I will keel over if they lose another game at home here in game two.

01:40I just can't believe it.

01:41Like, when I saw the shot last night, I said this to you earlier.

01:45Like, I really mean it.

01:48It was not a hard shot.

01:50I guess in the moment of an NBA Finals, in a game one of a Finals,

01:56it's a stressful shot.

01:58But I got to be honest with you.

02:00That's an easy shot on the wing for a pro shooter.

02:05He's a, I mean, I make that shot.

02:08That's an easy shot.

02:09It's like, what is it, a 20-foot wing shot?

02:13I mean, I shoot hundreds of those a week.

02:15I mean, it's just not that big of a deal.

02:17You know, this guy shoots 30-footers, and he rainbows them in.

02:20Have you ever seen how high he shoots his three-ball?

02:23He chucks it from his waist up into the air.

02:26I mean, that shot last night to win that game, to me, was easy.

02:29It was an easy shot.

02:31Yeah, you know, he kind of did that little move where he moved up

02:34and moved back to get the defender off him and just kind of popped it

02:38from just outside the elbow.

02:39So, no, I'm with you.

02:40I don't think it was an overly challenging shot for him in that spot.

02:44You know, you mentioned 11-1⁄2.

02:45That's kind of where it opened last night.

02:47There's a few places at flat 11.

02:50I even saw a couple shops with 10-1⁄2, but 11-11-1⁄2 is where we're at.

02:552-27-1⁄2 for the total.

02:59Remember, this is Sunday night, just after 8 o'clock East, game number two.

03:05I am going to lean to the side of, Scotty, that the Thunder,

03:08I don't know if they're going to do what they did to Denver.

03:10I don't think they're going to win by 40 points,

03:12but I think that they'll cover this 11-11-1⁄2.

03:16Yeah, I think they'll win by 20.

03:20Yeah, and then you got yourself a nice five-game series going back to Indiana,

03:23which I don't think many people expected when this series started.

03:27And believe me, you and the Thunder are very capable of winning in your building.

03:32They are not afraid.

03:33But look, their problems have been on the road, not at home.

03:38It's been on the road that they haven't.

03:40You know, they can win what they win by two, you know, in the last round.

03:45They can win.

03:46They don't cover on the road.

03:48So, if you can get a fat number, I want to see, like,

03:53my guess will be the Thunder will be favored in game three in Indy, right?

03:56They're the big favorites.

03:58I mean, if they're so great, right, they'll be favored over the Pacers in game three.

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