That was almost too easy for the Spurs.
San Antonio dominated Oklahoma City Saturday night with a 124-92 rout in Game 1 of the second round of the NBA playoffs. LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard combined for 63 of those points, while Danny Green chipped in 18 points.
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Less than three minutes into the second quarter, the Spurs had more than doubled the Thunder with a 53-24 advantage. By the time the first half ended, San Antonio had a 33-point lead on 69-percent shooting against Oklahoma City, the largest halftime lead so far in this year's playoffs.
As the third quarter drew to a close, the Spurs maintained their incredible burst with a 105-point effort, reaching 100 points with more than 90 seconds remaining in the quarter.
In the end, OKC's Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant combined for just 30 points. The Thunder as a whole will need to figure out how to stop Aldridge and Leonard if they want to survive Game 2.
Highlight:
Leonard had his second dunk of the night halfway through the first quarter when Tim Duncan lobbed the ball towards the Spurs' end of the court.
The @spurs are off to a HOT start in Game 1! 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/sPc6dw10cp
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 1, 2016
Stud of the Night:
LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points in the first half alone and finished the night with 38 to lead all players. He was 18 of 23 from the floor and added six rebounds.
Dud of the Night:
Russell Westbrook had just 14 points, going 5 for 19 from the floor, missing all three of his 3-point attempts. He only had two rebounds, but did add nine assists.
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What's Next:
Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat (series tied 3-3), 1:00 p.m. ET, ABC: After forcing a Game 7, the Heat will try to move on to the second round on their home court. Dwyane Wade will strive to keep Miami's momentum going after he posted 23 points and scored his first two 3-pointers in over five months. Meanwhile, the Hornets will experience a Game 7 for the first time in franchise play. For Charlotte to move on, they will need to shut down Wade and shoot better than the 40.9 percent the team did in Game 6.
Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors, (Game 1) 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC: The Trail Blazers will be doing all they can to capitalize off Stephen Curry's knee sprain as they face the reigning NBA champions in Round 2. Curry is expected to be out at least the first three games of the series, but that doesn't mean Golden State is a sinking ship. Shaun Livingston has stepped in nicely for Curry, but he will have to face the likes of Damian Lillard, who is averaging 36.5 points this postseason.
Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors (series tied 3-3), 8:00 p.m. ET, TNT: The Raptors have the benefit of playing Game 7 at home, but have the added pressure of trying to overcome a series of playoff failures. In the last two seasons they failed to move on from the first round and have never won a series when they reached the seventh game. With an inconsistent backcourt, the Raptors will need to step up to stop Paul George, who is averaging 27.5 points this postseason, and the rest of the Pacers.