As the press conference room was filled to the brim, more reporters populated the space than chairs available. Such a site is usually reserved for the playoffs — not a January regular-season outing. Such comes with the territory of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 134-114 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

They brace for it, watch film of the potential fatalities. A fortunate few have escaped. But all endure pain, customary when you step onto the pale hardwood in Oklahoma City.  Slow, 48-minute death — just three quarters if the damage is done like it has been three times this past week — by 1,

“OKC is gonna fall because they can’t afford their team because their team is too good and too young,” Arenas said on his podcast Gil’s Arena. “The fact that they’re all playing well, they have to be paid. Somebody has to pay them and OKC can’t afford all of it. This is what happened to OKC the first time.”