On the eve of a crucial game 5 in Los Angeles that will prove if the Thunder are real threats to the Lakers attempt at repeating as champions, I wanted to share with you the greatest sporting experience I have ever had: Game Four in the Ford Center!
To get the full scope of the event we must begin our journey an hour before the event on the way to the stadium. Now to be honest I didn't really know what kind of crowd I was going to encounter when I made my way to the stadium. I got even more worried when I saw how many Laker fans had shown up early to see the players warm up. I mean this was only the Thunder's second playoff game and perhaps the crowd wouldn't be able to maintain the same energy level that they displayed in the first matchup, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s as if that first Thunder victory put blood in the water, and the Thunder fans were the ravenous sharks pining for another.
1 hour before tip-off:
Donning my Ray Allen, game worn I might add, Sonics jersey I make my way down to the court to heckle the Lakers that had the misfortune of coming out to warm up (Sidenote: I probably dislike the Lakers more than I rout for the Thunder.). Ron Artest is on the court shooting free throws and as he passes me to return to the locker room I decide to call him a snitch. This is not because I particularly believe it is true but more because he just seems like the type of person to be upset by that sort of thing. Pau Gasol is the next Laker to come and go from the locker room. I opt to go with the common criticism of him by calling him “soft”. Derrick Fisher is one of the last people to make his way back. I really don’t dislike Fisher so I was going to let him pass without comment but then he lingered too long so I asked him if he was going to let Russell Westbrook own him tonight… it’s the Philly fan in me, what can I say?
Right before tipoff:
Before the player introductions there is an opening prayer. I’m not completely sure what denomination the prayer served but I think it is safe to bet that it was a Christian prayer. As soon as you hear AMEN, they tension starts to build in the arena. They rush through the Lakers intros amid many boos and then the playoff promo starts on the big screen. The crowd starts to get into a fever pitch with each Thunder name that is called so that by the time they get to Kevin Durant the room is shaking and the people are going ape ****. A taste of things to come
(The only thing I didn’t like was the fact that they manufactured the flashes coming from the “fans’ cameras”. It came from above the seats and never knew they did that; I kind of wish I still didn’t. )
First quarter, 11:50 left:
Pau Gasol misses his first two free throws. I spend the next five minutes rationalizing that it was my insult in the pregame warm-ups that caused this. It could have also been the fact that the fans here are in an uproar. I just don’t know how you can help being intimidated by that much intensity.
5:15 left
The fans are on their feet and cheering in and out of timeouts> This is fandom at its best and the Thunder are rewarding their fans by playing passionate basketball at both ends carrying them to a double digit lead in the first.
1:50 left
Serge Ibaka demonstrates the reason why everyone here loves him so much. He just skies over everyone on the court to get a put-back, the number one hustle play in my book.
16 seconds left in the first quarter:
The guy behind me tells fans in front of him to sit down so he can see… I look at him with disdain and wonder if he’s in the right place. Everyone just ignores him anyway.
Second quarter:
Already making friends in my section with all the people there. My friend that I came with, who is a Lakers fan, turns to me and says “Watch them get it down to single digits by halftime” (You should all know why this is ironic by now.) Also I think someone needs to put an APB out for Kobe Bryant and when they find him, tell him that going 2 for 10 in the fourth quarter is better than getting blown out the entire game…
8:48 left
I had a Kobe sighting as he was starting to heat up. Luckily, Coach of the Year Scott Brooks recognized this and called the perfect timeout.
8:02 left
James Harden tries to sell a foul call that wasn’t even his by lying on the ground face first for way too long. The foul was committed on Jeff Green instead. Upon finding this out, Harden bounces up quickly and sheepishly takes his place in the backcourt.
7:13 left
A strange series of calls begin which send the Thunder crowd into a chorus of boos for the referees: Jeff Green’s alley-oop attempt is somehow called as a foul on the ground instead of in the act of shooting and at the other end Artest swindles a call for himself. (Once again I feel it necessary to mention my bias in this situation but this IS my retrospective not yours…haha.)
2:26 left
The complaining un-fan is back again complaining about the kids in front of me and offering to provide backup if I wanted to make them sit down. I politely decline.
1:47 left
Derrick Fisher proves once again that he is impervious to any sort of run either hot or cold by the other team. He’s like the cooler at a card table.
50.9 left
I praised Fisher too soon as he gets abused once again by Russell Westbrook
Second Half - At this point I lost track of when everything happened because I was that enthralled in the game/ intoxicated by the zealous throng of Thunder faithful so I'll just give you some notes.
Pau Gasol once again proves he is softer than a cashmere teddy bear
- MVP chants for Durant begin every time he makes a dunk or gets to the three point line and even though I am sure that LeBron is the undisputed MVP who am I to rain on their parade?
- Shannon Brown suddenly decided that he could dunk on everybody……he was wrong.
- Even though they are up the Thunder fans are like a powder keg filled with dynamite right now. Like they’re unsure as to whether they can hold onto this lead but also incredibly ecstatic to have it. They even cheer through the garbage time with people like Luke Walton falling head over heels over himself. I even had an Adam Morrison sighting.
- I take many opportunities to remind my Laker fan friend about his single digit prediction.
- By the end of the game the fans have accepted me as one of their own and we ended the game singing “Sweet Caroline” (for some strange reason) as the Thunder rapped this one up.
I don’t particularly know how this series is going to turn out in the end but the Lakers better hope that their fans can provide the same sort of fire that the Thunder fans did.
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