Durant and Westbrook have also been hiding their teammates deficiencies and keeping them on the court longer to do their role.
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The Thunder inflicted a crippling 118-94 defeat on the Warriors on Tuesday to take a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference finals.
Oklahoma City got a boost from an unlikely source.
And the Warriors – who lost back-to-back games for the first time this season – sure looked like they were coming to grips with the full significance late Tuesday.
But Curry hasn’t been himself in this series, the rest of this team hasn’t been almost what it was for most of this season, and Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan has hit every button while Steve Kerr has dialed up wrong numbers. “A lot of that falls on my shoulders and playing better”.
“Just his effort and his energy over the entire course of the game was terrific. As a coach, you have great respect and admiration for a guy who plays the game that hard and gives to our team what he gives”. “I was just using my size to get to the basket and create some havoc”.
Kevin Durant was somehow the second best player on the Thunder this year, averaging 28.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 8.2 rebounds during the regular season.
Power forward Serge Ibaka also was a major contributor for the Thunder, finishing the night with 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots.
Though it wasn’t enough, the Warriors fought back with Klay Thompson, leading them with 26 points.
Curry struggled throughout the game, scoring 19 points but going only 2 for 10 from 3-point range and committing six turnovers.
Through four games, it’s the Thunder that look like the team that set an National Basketball Association record with 73 wins in the regular season. “Last couple of games, obviously he hasn’t played as well as he can”. And now we’re here four games into the Western Conference Finals and OKC has smacked the Warriors to the tune of 3-1 advantage.
For his part, Durant came out of the blocks on the attack. “Just try and be aggressive”. “Some of the open shots that we’re used to getting, they’re not quite as open”. An injured Steph Curry has made the Warriors beatable. It was the play of Barnes and Festus Ezeli that helped Golden State close the gap to two midway through the second quarter.
The Thunder kept pounding the boards and winning the hustle points too.
Oklahoma City finished with a flurry and led 72-53 at halftime.
It was a unusual trip to Oklahoma City for Green, who found himself in a harsh spotlight after his kick to Steven Adams’ groin area in Game 3. But the question remains: What DID happen to Golden State? The Golden State team is now in a must-win situation and has to find the answer to beat the red-hot Thunder on Thursday in Game No. The Warriors surrendered early and pulled their starters with just over three minutes left. Oklahoma City has had a history of letting opportunities slip through their hands, but right now, they have proved everyone wrong. The Thunder’s length has impacted the Warriors, particularly Curry. “We are proud of that, but in the playoffs, everyone starts 0-0, so there is no extra pressure”, Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. We could go on and on, but let’s stop with the GSW injuries and non-productive players, and sit back and admire the play of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Perhaps. He went three weeks without basically playing a game. Members of the TNT crew wore #SagerStrong socks that had an image of Craig Sager on the front in honor of his battle with cancer.
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Kerr said the mood around the club following losing two games in Oklahoma City was somber but not desperate.
