Three missed free throws in the final seconds and some clutch shooting by Boston. That’s what it took to end Oklahoma City’s six-game win streak on Tuesday night.

Still, the Thunder have won 9 of 12, with losses at Boston and Portland and at home to Houston.

Had Oklahoma City made those free throws, we’d be talking about a Thunder team with two wins against Golden State and Toronto and one against Houston and Boston, giving them six wins against the league’s top teams. It was not to be. But, since adding Corey Brewer to the starting lineup OKC has not lost until that game in Boston, and there is no doubt his energy, corner 3 ball, and basketball IQ have served the team well. 

What stands out most since Brewer’s arrival is not his play but that of one of the Thunder's core guys. Funny as it sounds, if Oklahoma City is to beat both of those power teams in the playoffs, Steven Adams will be the difference maker.

OKC has worked itself into contention for one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference by becoming a top 10 unit on both offense and defense. But when the Thunder lost defensive specialist Andre Roberson earlier in the season, they lost the ability to feature two primary wing “shutdown” guys. 

Paul George needs to be very productive on offense for the Oklahoma City to shine, and if he has to slow opponents' top scorers nightly this has an effect on his offense. Roberson’s injury eliminated a non-shooter from the Thunder's offense, but he was an athletic finisher and a willing cutter, so combined with losing his defensive talent and no real backup, OKC spiraled downward. 

Enter Brewer, more of a defensive chaos creator than a lockdown defender and a better corner 3-point shooter than Roberson. He has been a huge upgrade over those backups thanks to his overall experience and basketball IQ.

We can not underestimate the value of either—or his relationship with Thunder coach Billy Donovan, who previously coached Brewer at the University of Florida. 

It’s impossible to imagine a contending team getting a buyout guy who has more comfort with his new coach and whose new coach has more confidence in the new player than what Brewer and Donovan enjoy. Two national titles, a Final Four MVP award, and three straight SEC tournament titles at a “football school” cemented a bond between player and coach that is the rarest of things. In no small way has this helped Brewer step right in and play significantly better than he had in his time with the Lakers. 

Donovan now has his new Roberson, who happens to be a more experienced and better overall offensive player than the one he’s replacing. And no one benefits more from this than Adams.

Amazingly, the Thunder offense still hummed in the regular season despite defenses using Roberson’s man as an extra helper. His inability to shoot allowed for 4-on-5 situations to develop, meaning the extra defender could focus on slowing Westbrook’s drives, which also meant the center guarding Adams could mostly just worry about him. 

But Brewer, who hasn’t been a 3-point threat in years, has had seasons in which he shot well from the corners. In just a few games as a starter this season, he’s made over 40 percent of his shots, and that has changed the way teams defend the Westbrook-Adams ball screen. 

Carmelo Anthony and Paul George both are excellent catch and shoot threats, keeping their defenders close. Melo, in particular, needs very little space to get his shot off cleanly and he is an excellent catch and shoot player when he has room. 

Defenses then must try to solve that Westbrook-Adams ball screen with just two players, which is a nightmare scenario. Choose to prevent Westbrook from getting the dunk by leaving the big at the rim has risk because Westbrook is so elite at swooping around or over players, drawing fouls, scoring, or both. Now that Adams has shown an effective one-hand push shot from 10 feet or so, he is even harder to account for. 

If Adams’ defender stays home, worried about the 7-footer who loves to attack the rim, Westbrook has a clear path to the rim or an open shooter when help pinches too far. The Thunder have and will use many sets to get down to this simple problem causing action: Adams screening for Westbrook and then running hard to the rim. 

It’s going to require more than two defenders to solve it. 

Boston was less afraid to help off Brewer, and the strategy worked, as he struggled in this particular game. It’s likely OKC will see this more often going forward, so if Brewer hits 2-5 3-pointers in some upcoming games, we will know why.

Adams offers much more to the Thunder offense than just being a screen-and-roll guy, and that push shot, alone, forces defenders to think about him as more than a dunker and a rebounder. Of course, he is not just an offensive glass guy. He’s the best offensive glass guy in the West, and OKC is by far the league’s best second-chance team. His eagerness to crash at any chance oftentimes occupies shot blockers and prevents them from fully committing to help on a drive to the rim, knowing he lurks. 

Even having one or two big men between Adams and the rim does not often matter. There is a reason he is such a deadly force on those follow shots. 

His speed and willingness to change ends as Oklahoma City runs a fastbreak or pushes after a made basket forces defenses into tough decisions, as both Westbrook and George are deadly transition finishers. 

Add Brewer now to the mix of racers OKC features and it’s even harder to match up with the Thunder. 

Add Westbrook and Adams to their second unit, athletes or shooters, and they can still be effective. Focus on the athletes and Adams gets an easy dunk. 

Focus on him and he is all too happy to “clear the area” for a teammate. 

In the grind of a playoff series, easy baskets take on even more value.

A strong and agile giant is typically perceived as a crucial defensive player but limited as an offensive impact guy unless he is very skilled. Adams is not that skilled beyond his push shot; however, he is the key piece to a puzzle that can be a very dominating unit. 

Yes, the shooters have to make shots. And, yes, Westbrook has to make good and consistent decisions with the ball for this offense to truly shine. Of course, the current MVP is the biggest impact player for the Thunder, with George serving as a “must score often” option once the playoffs start. It is Adams, though, who makes so many of OKC’s best scoring options optimal. 

When you think of Oklahoma City’s core, Adams—not Anthony—is the third name you should cite.