It may not last longer than another game but the Thunder’s 2016 playoffs run continues to resonate among fans of the small island nation of New Zealand and also those who enjoy filthy moustaches and physical basketball.
If, like The Niche Cache, you’ve been watching the playoffs with one eye on the Thunder and their kiwi centre then it has been a smorgasbord of magnificence.
Game three, the clock reading 5:57 to play in the second quarter, and Adams fouls Draymond as he goes to throw the ball up. Draymond flails to sell the contact and his leg whips out and smacks Steve right in the bollocks.
There is no greater rivalry than that between a Kiwi and an Aussie. Okay… that might not strictly be true but Steven Adams vs Andrew Bogut carries a lot of weight all the same.
The Tall Blacks are probably not going to make the Olympics. Like, that’s just the fact of it.
Folks, the Hayne Plane has flown. Down the runway, up into the air and away into the clouds.
Michael Jordan had his Flu Game once upon a time in the 1997 NBA Finals. Dirk Nowitzki had one too in the 2011 Final. And now… Steven Adams has his Migraine Game.
Some more superb Kiwi Steve have OKC now on the brink of a stunning upset win over the 67-win Spurs. Yeah, mate, it’s been fun. And here’s how it went.
LeBron James: "We're a team that's destined for greatness. I really believe that. We have a mission."
Game two between the Spurs and Thunder was as controversial as it got but what isn’t debatable is that Adams had a fantastic game.
One year it’s that Donald Sterling drama, the next it’s a massive choke and another just plain old injuries. Such is the luck of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jared Goff or Carson Wentz? That was the big question after both the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles mortgaged the house to trade up into the top two.
The Spurs it is. Just as the Red Woman foresaw it, Oklahoma City and San Antonio will meet in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Steph Curry returned from a couple games off with a sore ankle in game four of the GSW-HOU series only to then injure his knee. He played just 19 minutes, shooting 1 of 7, and left the game not to return.
So who saw the Rockets playing like that in game three? How about Isaiah Thomas' career night for the Celtics? Or big name Dame bringing his A-Game?
Aaaaaalrighty then. 82 games down for 30 different teams and that’s that for the regular season. Which means that 16 teams are now embarking on the fabled postseason while 14 others start preparing their draft boards or maybe looking for new head coaches.
You know what one of my very favourite things about the playoffs is? Seeing unlikely heroes stand up and drive their team to victory.
We’ll say this much, Steven Adams had a fantastic final few minutes. He was out there hustling, winning rebound and defending like a champ. He had four offensive boards in the last five, two were kicked out for missed threes, one he tipped in himself and the fourth… we’ll get to that.
Sean Marks was at the Spurs so long it must seem weird to be hanging around in the NBA at this time of the year without having a playoff game to prepare for.
How about the Pacers going into Canada and returning with a 10-point win on the back of Paul George’s mastery? 33 points for a dude who a year ago was just returning from that horrific broken leg.