Oklahoma City fought back in the third quarter and briefly took the lead, but it was the Warriors who held their nerve to seal the vital victory. Draymond Green also received his fifth technical foul of the postseason after fouling Kevin Durant on a three-point attempt, and reacting – to no one’s surprise, like the emotional leader he is.
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“They made those two threes that were huge for them”.
It’s better for the National Basketball Association with all the talking that’s going on in this series. But it was Kerr’s turn Thursday.
That’s why a cocksure and precocious rookie named Kevin McHale sized up that long ago situation in 1981 and pronounced on the eve of Game 6 in Philly: “They better figure out a way to get this one, because they know damn well they aren’t going to win a Game 7 back in Boston”. In Game 5, it was the Warriors second unit that provided the spark.
Because the Thunder want what the Warriors have.
It was something Golden State had desperately needed in order to avoid having their season end abruptly in utter disappointment. True that, because there will be no Game 6 Saturday in Oklahoma if Golden State doesn’t play a near ideal game tonight.
Andrew Bogut had 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Iguodala finished with eight points and a team-high eight assists off the bench for the Warriors. This may seem like a minor statistic, but that’s one of the biggest advantages the Thunder have – they kill you on the glass.
But the Thunder know a home game and loud, boisterous fans don’t guarantee a thing. “Obviously it’s a different team, different challenge, but same formula”. They finally outplayed the Thunder frontcourt and managed to match Oklahoma City in rebounds with 45. It is going to be the toughest game of our lives in game six.
After kicking Thunder center Steven Adams in the balls during Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, Warriors forward Draymond Green said it was just an accident. A Saturday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena against the defending NBA Champions, does it get any better?
Meanwhile, the Thunder have blown out the Warriors in the two games in Oklahoma City, winning by margins of 28 and 24 points. Speights got in the act by scoring five points, the latter on a 3-point play to increase the margin 96-83 for the Warriors.
Curry didn’t look like himself in Games 3 and 4. Coach Steve Kerr’s group had never been so rattled and was responding in uncharacteristic fashion in Oklahoma City.
“We put all of our emphasis and all of our effort into tonight, to play the very best we could”, he said. Russell Westbrook recorded 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, but they haven’t had enough support from other teammates. Golden State missed six of its first seven 3s…. His next one would automatically be a one-game suspension.
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Curry, on the court, may showboat and celebrate more than anyone else in the league, but he’s generally mild-mannered and respectful off of it, especially in his post game comments. Reporters expect non-answers or scoffs from Westbrook at this point.
