Chris Paul’s clutch play helps Thunder force Game 7 against Rockets

Chris Paul outplayed Russell Westbrook and James Harden down the stretch to help the Thunder for a Game 7 against the Rockets.

With their backs against the wall, the Oklahoma City Thunder responded in a huge way in Game 6, using suffocating defense and some precise late-game execution to force Game 7. Russell Westbrook and James Harden shot well, combining for 49 points on 37 shots from the field, but they also combined for 12 turnovers and were just 3-for-11 in the crucial fourth quarter.

Oklahoma City trailed by as many as eight points but kept the margin close and crept ahead in the final moments with some key plays (discussed below). Lu Dort also receives some kudos for bouncing back from an ugly 3-of-16 performance in Game 5 to hit 5-of-9 from the field including a pair of 3-pointers.

Game 7 will be played Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET.

What else did you miss from Game 6 between the Rockets and Thunder?

MVP: Chris Paul

Paul was absolutely impeccable in this one. He had the ball in his hands for 7.8 minutes of actual game time and didn’t turn it over once. He finished with 28 points on 20 shots and was completely under control on the biggest possessions for Oklahoma City’s offense. It wasn’t just offense either — he forced both of the crucial late-game turnovers by Russell Westbrook.

Strategic advantage: Late-game execution

There is going to be a lot of focus on Westbrook’s foibles down the stretch — two turnovers and an airballed jumper in the final 90 seconds. Those were the results of shaky decision-making and execution and it might have been nice to see Harden work off the ball with a little more urgency in those moments. But the Rockets didn’t just give the game away, the Thunder took it.

Dennis Schroder‘s game-tying layup was just a beautiful example of seeing an opportunity and attacking it quickly. The Thunder want to go after the small ball Rockets at the rim and Schroder paces himself until Steven Adams can catch up and set that crucial back screen on P.J. Tucker.

On the next play, Paul calls for Schroder screen so he can get the switch and attack Robert Covington off the dribble. He beats Covington rather easily and forces the reach-in foul for the go-ahead free throws but the Thunder actually had multiple options here.

As he rounds Covington, Adams slides in to set a back screen on Russell Westbrook (who, for some reason still has his hands on his knees). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is wide open in the corner for a 3-pointer or to drive against whatever wild closeout ensues and get himself an easy layup. The Thunder were better down the stretch but they also had flexibility in place so they didn’t need to rely on just out-talenting their opponents, which seems to have been the Rockets’ plan.

Unsung hero: Danilo Gallinari and his 25 points

Gallinari was invisible in the Thunder’s Game 5 loss, missing all five of his shots in the 22 minutes he was on the floor. Even in the Thunder wins in Games 3 and 4, he totaled 29 points on 7-of-22 from the field and 5-of-14 from beyond the arc. Gallinari is incredibly important to Oklahoma City’s offense because he’s one of the only Thunder players who can force an honest-to-goodness mismatch against the Rockets.

He’s useful as a spot-up shooter and he’s still mobile enough to attack Houston’s small-ball bigs from the perimeter. But he also can use his size advantage to shoot over the top pretty much any time he wants. That means he can get his own shot in isolations, whether he’s catching in the post or backing down from beyond the arc.

Gallinari’s ability to leverage these mismatches is a pressure release valve for Oklahoma City’s offense. When it’s working they’re a much more challenging team for Houston to defend against.