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Heads Up

"Make the smart play" can often be lazily translated into “make the safe play.” In the NBA, not taking chances avoids embarrassment but eschews bravery. The Thunder organization aims to never opt for the self-conscious side of that trade-off. Aggressiveness and conviction, those are the prized qualities in decision-making.

With 13.8 seconds left on the road, the Thunder faced a choice. After a pair of missed free throws and a missed runner in the lane on the last of about a dozen emotionally-demoralizing sequences in the game, the Thunder found itself down by one point to the Boston Celtics.