The animosity generated during the 2016 Western Conference Finals was cranked up to outright bitterness when Kevin Durant left OKC last July to join the Warriors. It was another blowout.
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In the next two weeks, the Warriors will face the Thunder, the Spurs, the Grizzlies, the Wizards, and will play the Rockets twice.
There was an on-court scuffle just prior to half-time as Curry became aggravated with the Thunder’s Semaj Christon before a jump ball. He caught on quickly. “We’d like to try to make it work”, Myers said. If you were unsure about whether Curry wanted to stick it to OKC, take this half-ending three he nailed before running straight into the tunnel.
“This community, the diversity, the opportunity, the entrepreneurship, it’s a great place to sell to a player”.
The Thunder didn’t run, even if the Warriors ran away.
With seconds remaining in the second quarter, Curry reacted angrily after being pushed by Semaj Christon as they jostled for position at a jump ball.
Meanwhile, Curry was grilled by reporters Saturday about MVP candidate Russell Westbrook throwing shade at the Warriors star earlier this week. Westbrook stayed on the bench in the fourth. Feet hanging to the ground, he conversed with Thunder assistant coach Mo Cheeks, with whom he has as close a relationship as any other coach.
It was no coincidence that the Steph show started when the Aussie checked in with a little more than three minutes to go in the first.
Westbrook has taken jabs at Curry dating back to the WCF. The big Kiwi continued his free-throw shooting struggles with just one of four from the stripe.
The game never quite reached that intensity level again. He attacked the rim a couple of times. McGee would finish a ideal 4-of-4 from the field for eight points and was also a plus-18 in his 12 minutes – the same plus-minus as Curry. Nonetheless, the Warriors are slight favorites to get the home win, but they will need to be cautious.
“I used to play quarterback”, Thompson quipped. That seemed to fall right into the Warriors’ game plan. Maybe he doesn’t remember Curry getting to the rim at will because he was too turned around. Each sank seven triples. “So we’re always still looking to strike that right balance”. “JaVale really gave us a good lift when he came in there”. Despite playing small ball for much of the game, the Warriors won the rebounding battle 46-40, with McGee contributing 10 points on a variety of alley-oops and flushes, 5 boards, and 4 blocks and West chipping in 9 points and 6 boards. Players receive an automatic one-game suspension upon receiving their 16th technical foul. “And I felt him push me”.
Steven Adams has had his quietest game of the season as the Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a 111-95 defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors.
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The Thunder will be back in action on Wednesday when it hosts the Sixers.
