Thunder target "Slow-Mo Joe" to beat Jazz

Oklahoma City successfully executed a strategy to pressure Utah’s Australian star Joe Ingles and target his lack of foot speed.

Utah’s Joe Ingles defends against Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George at the Chesapeake Energy Arena yesterday

Oklahoma City Thunder have won game one of their NBA playoffs series against the Utah Jazz after successfully executing a strategy to pressure Joe Ingles and target his lack of foot speed.

Ingles, nicknamed Slow-Mo Joe, has been the Jazz’s best weapons with his passing and elite three-point shooting but Thunder coach Billy Donovan assigned one of the league’s best defenders, All-Star forward Paul George, on the South Australian.

It proved to be a key factor in the Thunder’s 116-108 victory in Oklahoma City. George said he was confident Ingles would not beat him to the basket.

“Just pressure him,” George, describing the game plan, said. “That’s the mindset. It’s very unlikely he will beat me off the dribble so I’ll take my chances with foot speed.” Ingles had 13 points, including three three-pointers from five attempts, but it was not the explosive offensive performance the Jazz needed to keep up with the Thunder.

Ingles had just one assist, well below the five he averaged in the regular season. Utah coach Quin Snyder defended the under-rated Australian.

“Joe has been a heck of a player all year,” Snyder said. “He’s one of our key guys and and key playmakers and we will keep grinding.”

The Thunder’s three All-Stars dominated with George’s 36 points and seven rebounds, Russell Westbrook’s 29 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and Carmelo Anthony’s 15 points and seven rebounds.

Thunder and Jazz contests are always physical and Sunday’s followed the script with Jazz Rookie of the Year candidate Donovan Mitchell hurting his left foot in the second quarter and spending time in the locker room getting an X-Ray and intermittent visits to the bench.

George hurt his hip and left the game in the fourth quarter and the Thunder’s Kiwi centre Steven Adams injured his right arm finishing off an alley-oop pass from Westbrook.

Mitchell had an outstanding debut playoff game with 27 points and 10 rebounds, stats not matched since LeBron James’s play-off debut in 2004. With Mitchell hampered by the injury Snyder gave Dante Exum more opportunities and the guard responded with 10 points as he used his speed to slash to the basket.

“I loved the way Dante attacked the rim,” Snyder said.

Exum did commit three turnovers, with two stalling a Jazz comeback in the third quarter. Game two is in Oklahoma City on Thursday (AEST).

Australia’s Aron Baynes, Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker were bystanders as the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks battled in an overtime playoff thriller involving buzzer beating three-pointers.

The Celtics hung on to claim a 113-107 victory in game one at a packed Boston TD Garden.

Baynes started for the Celtics, but spent most of the game on the bench after drawing two early fouls and missing all four field goal attempts.

Dellavedova, after missing more than two months with an ankle sprain, and Maker, who has fallen out of interim coach Joe Prunty’s rotation since late March, did not step foot on the court.

AAP