Thunder-Lakers: OKC finds a new star

The Thunder had a breakout performer in its series against the Lakers. Not Russell Westbrook. Not Serge Ibaka. Not Scott Brooks.

The crowd. No player lifted his game the way the Ford Center frenzies elevated their performance. They arrived early, they chanted and cheered like mad, they turned the arena into an asylum.

They made the Ford Center, already a difficult place to play, an absolute crazy place for visitors to try to get some work done. To the Lakers’ credit, they did, at least once, which is all they needed to win in six games.

But you know what this means? The Ford Center has set a standard. No going back.

No reason why the Ford Center can’t approach this atmosphere every night. Sure, the playoffs get everyone jacked up a little, but there’s no reason why the Ford Center can’t be total nutso every game.

All it takes is will. The decision and determination to do it.

Few things are fans’ hands. This is. And it’s no small thing.

The Thunder home record this season was a solid 27-14. But the Thunder was 23-18 on the road. Only Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas and Portland had a smaller home/road discrepancy. In other words, either the Thunder was a superb road team or a so-so home team.

Superb road team? Maybe, but it would be unusual for a team so young to flourish on the road. The Thunder didn’t flourish on the playoff road, going 0-3 in LA, with a blowout loss, a tight loss and a in-between loss.

So-so home team? Yes. The Thunder was just OK at home. Nothing special. But that changed in the playoffs, and who doesn’t credit the crowd?

So why not make the Ford Center madhouse a permanent fixture? OKC always has had excellent atmosphere in its four NBA years, though Year 1 of the Thunder was a test with such a bad product early.

But what’s keeping Thunder fans from doing this every night, all winter? In November against New Jersey. In January against Milwaukee. In March against Memphis.

That’s something in your control, fans. Three-point shooting and referee whistles and contracts, you have no say. But how loud is the Ford Center? That’s totally on your watch.