The Zach Lowe Show
Thunder Even the Series at 1! Adjustments for Both Sides and East Preview.
21 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What adjustments are being made in the Spurs-Thunder series?
Coming up on the Zach Lowe Show, the Thunder, even the Western Conference Finals against the Spurs. It got a little dicey there at the end. There was a corner three. They could have got down to two with more than a minute to go.
Chapter 2: How do injuries impact the Spurs-Thunder matchup?
Boy, wouldn't that have been fun. What did the Thunder do on both ends of the floor to get back in the series? Massive adjustments on both ends of the floor. A lot of Isaiah Hartenstein, a lot of hair pulling, a violent dunk that we'll talk about. By Steph Castle, just these games are between these two teams. Holy smokes, the level of play, the level of intensity.
And unfortunately, injuries beginning to be a part of the story. Jalen Williams and Dylan Harper both leave game two. Prognosis unclear for game three. De'Aaron Fox did not play game two. We'll talk about the injuries, how they'll impact the series. Jason Timp from Who Tonight is here to go over all of that. And what to expect in game three, like the adjustments, the adjustments, the adjustments.
And these two teams are going to test each other and make each other stretch further than any other opponent could. Quickie, we get to Nick's Cavs. I'm headed to Madison Square Garden for game two tonight. Game one. Game one was a thing.
Chapter 3: What offensive adjustments are the Thunder implementing?
Game one, not the finest moment for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kenny Atkinson and James Harden and on and on. Can the Cavs respond? We go quickly on what we saw in game one, what adjustments we might see in game two. And then Kevin Harlan is here. to just be fun, just talking basketball, talking words, talking language, talking iconic broadcast stuff. Why have him on now?
Because his time at Amazon for the season just ended. Amazon Prime's coverage is over for the season, so we reflect on that and just the NBA in general. He's got some free time. I said, why not bring a legendary voice on? That's all coming up next on The Zach Lowe Show.
Chapter 4: How are the Thunder adjusting their defense against the Spurs?
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I'm headed back to the world's most famous arena for game two of whatever the hell that was that happened in game one of Knicks Cavs. But before we do that, we got to download game two last night. Thunder Spurs, the Thunder even it up 1-1.
Chapter 5: What factors contributed to the Knicks' comeback in Game 1?
Look who's here. For the first time, Jason Timpf of Hoops Tonight, just grinding every night with videos that you have to watch. One of the guys I always say, if you want to know what happened in the game, not whose legacy is on the line and who choked and who stepped up under pressure, but like actually what happened in the game and also some of that other stuff.
Jason Timpf and Hoops Tonight, part of the volume. Great podcast network. Shout out Colin Coward.
Chapter 6: What defensive strategies are the Cavs using against the Knicks?
How are you doing, bud?
Zach, it's an absolute honor to be here. And I can't imagine a more fun playoff series to break down with you than this epic Spurs Thunder one.
It's been pretty epic so far. I would say, before we get into the nitty-gritty of Game 2, Thunder make a whole pile of adjustments.
Chapter 7: How does Kevin Harlan describe his iconic broadcasting moments?
A lot of stuff happens. It gets a little hairy at the end. They miss a hammer three. They ran hammer. Whenever the Spurs run hammer, I shout hammer to nobody. Like, no one's in my office. I just, hammer!
Chapter 8: What insights does Kevin Harlan share about switching broadcast partners?
Like, one of the assistant coaches on the bench would have cut it to two at the end of the game, but it missed, and then... Stefan Castle had his ninth turnover of the night to basically end the game. But we'll get to all that. There are two defining features of this series through two games, and to me anyway, and perhaps going forward.
One is unfortunately becoming injuries, and it's nine in the morning. We don't know what is the prognosis for Dylan Harper, who left with a hamstring strain or hamstring something last night in the third quarter, leaving the Spurs with one of their three lead ball handlers. We don't know what the prognosis is for Jalen Williams, who after a pretty good game one,
following a long layoff due to a hamstring strain that has messed up his whole season. Left the game again in the second quarter. I guess at the end of the first quarter, it never appeared again. Poor Zora Stevenson, just chasing people around corridors at the Paycom Center, trying to get injury updates. And of course, De'Aaron Fox with the high ankle sprain hasn't played at all in this series.
And just zooming way out, I think it's pretty clear the Spurs can win this series with two of their three guards. If Harper's out and Fox plays, they can win. If Fox is out and Harper plays, they can win four times in seven games, not just win another game. They can win the whole series. They almost came back and won last night with just Castle of the three of them available.
Jason, before we get to my second major theme of the series, I don't think the Spurs can win with two of them out. If Harper's out and Fox is out and it's just left with Castle to do everything and then, oh my God, what happens when he rests? We have to bring in Jordan McLaughlin who made two threes last night. I think that's the critical mass line where I mean, I guess anything's possible.
I'm being a little hyperbolic. I don't think the Spurs can win three more games if they're without two of those three guards in all the games.
Yeah, I think the same goes for OKC too. We didn't even mention AJ Mitchell seemed to have some sort of weird thing happen with his quad at the end of the game to where I'm watching the replay waiting to see like if maybe he caught an elbow or a knee and it didn't seem like he did.
So I don't, we obviously don't know what any of that means, but I think for both of these teams being, I saw some tweet before you continue about, he told one of the beat reporters, I think I'm good. I just got hit in the quad. So that's why I didn't mention him.
That's good news.
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