<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"FacebookPinterestGetty Images\n\nOklahoma City Thunder big man Nick Collison has been blogging all season for GQ.com, but now that the NBA playoffs are in full swing, his spare moments are especially scarce. So instead of his usual post, Nick traded emails with GQ contributor Lang Whitaker during OKC's second-round series victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Here's the exchange.\n\nMonday, May 14\n\nGQ: You guys start the Western Conference Semis tonight against the Lakers. You've had the last nine days off while Los Angeles struggled to finish off Denver. Was that much rest needed? Was it too much time off? \n\n Nick: I think it will be good for us. First of all Kendrick Perkins had an injury in Game 4 that he has needed time to recover from. We will need him to win this series, particularly against the size of the Lakers. With the condensed schedule we haven't had many real practices this season and it has caused slippage in certain areas because we haven't been able to work on things. This break has given us time to have some really good practices and tighten things up a bit as well as given us days where we haven't done much but recover.\n\nWhat song will you listen to before game time to fire you up?\n\n I'll listen to a playlist I've had since college, with many additions and subtractions since then. Some of the songs I usually find are \"Ambitionz Az A Ridah,\" by 2Pac, \"Gimme the Loot\" by The Notorious B.I.G., \"Fight Music\" by Eminem and D12, \"Enter Sandman\" by Metallica.\n\nMost embarrassing song on there?\n\n \"More Human than Human,\" whatever that means, by White Zombie.\n\nLater the same night, Oklahoma City wins Game One, 119-90.\n\nNice W. You got a lot of PT tonight, but I thought your biggest contribution might have been when your boy Royal Ivey got into that scuffle at the end and you jumped into the middle of it.\n\n Ha. I was just trying to keep Roy from getting fined.\n\nTuesday, May 15\n\nSo did you guys watch video today? What do you take from such a huge win?\n\n We watched film as a team. They break down certain clips for us to watch, organized into different categories of emphasis. When looking at Game 1, I think it's important for us to see what gave us success. Our spacing was good, which allowed us to avoid turnovers, and we were engaged defensively on most possessions. We need to try to recreate those things in Game 2. The lopsided score doesn't mean much. Each game is different and we know the Lakers will play better. The best thing we can do is be ready to play the first possession tomorrow night and stay locked in the whole game.\n\nDo you watch games tonight on the night off? Or take a break and watch a movie or something?\n\n I usually watch the games in the playoffs. A lot of times I'll be hanging out with teammates, friends, or family who are in town to see us play, and we'll have the games on.\n\nAll of these emails you're sending me say \"Sent from my iPhone\" at the bottom. Have you tried using Siri to order tomato soup or play \"Shake, Rattle and Roll\"?\n\n Yeah. Because I don't want to put on real shoes.\n\nWednesday, May 16\n\nWell, I missed Game Two tonight because I was driving back from Philly, where I covered the Celtics/Sirs game. I know you guys came from behind and won by two, and the Lakers missed a last-second shot. What else do I need to know?\n\n It wasn't pretty but we won, and I'm guessing someone wore lensless glasses in the postgame press conference. That about covers it.\n\nThursday, May 17\n\nYou guys just landed in L.A. (I know this because Serge Ibaka tweeted it.) Any game plan changes from Game 2 to Game 3? Or do you guys just do what you do?\n\n I'm not sure. We will go over it tomorrow morning. We will watch film from Game 2 and see things we can do better, but I'm not sure if we will change any strategy.\n\nBig night out in Los Angeles?\n\n No. My parents and brother are flying out here so I will probably go to dinner with them. During the Playoffs, I'm pretty much all business. I try to get to bed, early especially with the back-to-back coming up this weekend.\n\nFriday, May 18\n\nSo when you watch film, as I'm assuming you did this morning, who are you focusing on? Gasol and Bynum? Or do you watch the Lakers' second team more?\n\n I'm focusing on what I would do in the clip I'm watching. I try to put myself in the situation and what I would do depending on which Lakers player is in the clip, because I'll end up matched up with all of them at some point.\n\nThat makes me wonder, who is the strongest player you have to go against? Is Metta World Peace in that discussion?\n\n Do you mean in the series or in the whole league?\n\nBoth.\n\n Yeah, he is in the discussion, but I'm usually not matched up with him. I'd say the strongest guys I match up with are Zach Randolph and Jamaal Magloire. Zach tries to knock you over while Magloire has \"dad strength.\"\n\nOklahoma City loses Game Three, 99-96.\n\nSo Game Three is done. Tough loss for you guys: The Lakers made just 11 field goals in the second half but they scored 49 points. (I will save you the fine by not asking about the officiating.) Game Four tips off in about 21 hours. What do you do to get rest?\n\n I sat in our portable cold tub for 15 minutes right after the game. They have food for us at the arena. I have a light massage scheduled when I get back to the hotel. After that I'll lay down and try to fall asleep, although I normally have a tough time falling asleep after games because I'm wired -- I usually can't sleep until 2 or 3am. But I'll be fine. We play back-to-backs all the time during the season and those include traveling to a new city, which makes it even tougher. So I'll be ready by 7:30 tomorrow night.\n\nSaturday, May 19\n\nSo what did you guys do today? I assume you couldn't have shootaround because the Clips were playing the Spurs over at Staples this afternoon.\n\n We never have shootarounds on the second day of a back to back. We had a breakfast meeting and watched film from last night. I've been in the room since then and will be until we leave for the game. That's pretty much how every game day goes. There's a lot of sitting around and waiting because I don't really want to do anything on the day of the game in order to save energy. If you think about it, during a normal 82 game season including playoffs, preseason games, and two-a-day training camp days, I spend almost one-third of my year either in the gym or waiting at home or a hotel. I'm pretty much shut off from the rest of the world for one-third of the year. I'm just realizing this. I need to get out more.\n\nDVDs? SpectraVision?\n\n I'm watching Superbad on FX right now. McLovin just got punched at the liquor store.\n\nApropos for Hollywood, has Jack Nicholson ever said anything to you at a game? I think I'd be tempted to at least give him a pound.\n\n Not really. I've got nothing for you. I am impressed with your use of \"apropos,\" although I feel like you are showing off a little to our readers.\n\nSunday, May 20\n\nOklahoma City wins Game Four, 103-100.\n\nWell, that was a helluva win, with Durant sinking that big three. Heading down the stretch, when you guys are behind but knowing you've got KD and Russ and Harden and etc., even though you're losing, do you feel hopeful? Nervous? Scared?\n\n I would say hopeful. There is more anxiety, however, when you are on the bench than if you are on the floor. If I'm on the bench I try to keep telling myself I will be going back in and I try to stay locked in. Most of the time one of the bigs has at least four fouls, so I'm usually a couple of plays away from getting back into the game. So I want to be ready. Also, according to my brother, my dad may or may not have sat next to Christina Milian at the game. Dad says, \"I'm not sure who Christina Milian is, but that sure was a pretty girl.\"\n\nMonday, May 21\n\nGame Five tonight. A chance for you guys to close it out (and to stop having to email back and forth with me). Is there a different zone you guys get into for an elimination game? Less fart jokes pre-game?\n\n I don't think so. I think the approach will be the same. All these games are so important that it's easy to get yourself up for each one. Everyone will know it's an elimination game but I think everyone plays as hard as they can for all of these playoff games.\n\nOklahoma City wins Game Five, 106-90, to take the series 4-1.\n\nTuesday, May 22\n\nMy favorite moment of Game Five was probably when you caught that follow dunk and hung on the rim for like a split-second longer than necessary. \n\n When you don't really jump that high on dunks sometimes you pull yourself up on the rim a little to try to make it look better. It doesn't really work.\n\nNow: The Spurs. Already thinking about them? Or will you take a night to celebrate?\n\nMy brother and a couple friends are in town so we are going to hang out. I'll start thinking about San Antonio on Tuesday, but we won't start our team preparations until Wednesday at practice. Will you please stop bothering me now?\n\n _\n\n Collison, 31, is a power forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder and GQ's guest blogger for this NBA season. Follow him on Twitter at @nickcollison4._"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.gq.com/story/the-nick-collison-guest-blog-vol-7-the-playoff-emails>