OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gregg Popovich imploró a los Spurs de San Antonio que adoptaran una actitud incluso ruda para tomar el control de las finales de la Conferencia del Oeste.

El Thunder de Oklahoma tendrá que mostrarse aún más duro si quiere recuperarse en la serie.

Oklahoma City tuvo problemas para contener el ataque de San Antonio, que ha sido poderoso durante una racha de 20 victorias consecutivas. Es la racha más larga de triunfos que ha conseguido un equipo de la NBA entre el final de la campaña regular y los playoffs.

Con una desventaja de 0-2, el Thunder disputará el tercer partido el jueves, en el Cheasapeake Energy Arena. Quizás el equipo haya encontrado algo que funciona bien, cuando trató de remontar una desventaja de 22 puntos en el tercer periodo del segundo encuentro.

Aceleraron el ritmo e hicieron más contacto físico con sus rivales. Ambos equipos terminaron yendo continuamente a la línea de castigo, luego que la desventaja se redujo a seis puntos.

Los Spurs lograron resolver el partido e imponerse por 120-111.

"Somos un equipo que hace contacto físico. Tenemos que jugar así", dijo el miércoles entrenador del Thunder, Scott Brooks. "Si jugamos de manera que el partido no se interrumpa tanto podemos vencer a algunos equipos, pero no tenemos nuestro mejor desempeño si no buscamos el contacto a la defensiva".

"Incluso a la ofensiva lo somos. Somos agresivos, hacemos estupendas marcaciones y atacamos la canasta".

Hasta ahora, los Spurs han lucido más que el Thunder. Anotaron 39 puntos en el cuarto periodo para remontar en el primer partido. En el segundo, acertaron el 63% de sus tiros en jugada y el 64% de sus triples, para tomar su ventaja más amplia en el duelo.

Ello puso a Brooks en una situación inusitada. Debió preguntarse si su equipo estaba jugando con tanta intensidad como puede hacerlo. Específicamente, destacó que no fue suficientemente buena la defensiva contra los triples.

"Tenemos que jugar con el máximo esfuerzo en cada acción y en toda la jugada. Si no hacemos eso, les daremos muchas oportunidades de anotar, porque tienen el mejor equipo en los pases", dijo Brooks. "Ellos no dudan. Hacen las jugadas, son constantes y son rápidos. Es cierto sin embargo que uno puede jugar muy bien a la defensiva y aún así ellos van a encestar algunos disparos difíciles".

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