Friday, April 12, 2013

Thunder Passes Spurs for Conference Lead

Things are looking pretty good for that top spot.
In what set up as a must-win game of sorts for the Thunder to stay in the driver’s seat in its quest to finish first in the Western Conference standings, Oklahoma City marvelously rose to the occasion, crushing Golden State 116-97 on Thursday night inside a rowdy Oracle Arena.
With the win, the Thunder moved a half game ahead of San Antonio with three left to play. Both teams will be in action Friday night, the Thunder concluding this three-game trip at Portland, while the Spurs host Sacramento.

How Serious is Andrew Bogut’s Injury?

The playoffs are secure, a No. 6 seed is not quite so certain.
And suddenly neither is the status of center Andrew Bogut, who aggravated a sprained left ankle in the first quarter Thursday night and did not return in the Warriors’ 116-97 loss to Oklahoma City.
Bogut, who had microfracture surgery on the same ankle late last April, suffered the sprain in Tuesday’s playoff-clinching victory over Minnesota, according to a team spokesperson.
He aggravated it Thursday and exited the game with 2:55 left in the first quarter. He went to the locker room for the remainder of the night. It was not immediately clear whether his removal from the game was precautionary or indicative of something more serious.