Kevin Durant had a game-high 33 points in the victory Sunday, while Russell Westbrook put up 30.
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Serge Ibaka scored 14, and Andre Roberson and Dion Waiters posted 13 points apiece. I’m not sure Golden State falls into that category – in fact I kind of want to see the Warriors down 3-1 just to see if they can come back from it – but I don’t think we’re going to get to that situation. Klay Thompson added 18 points of his own.
Emboldened by the NBA’s leniency, the Golden State Warriors forward said Tuesday he doesn’t plan on being more careful in Game 4, even though another technical foul would result in an automatic one-game ban for Green this time around.
The Thunder led 30-26 at the end of the first quarter, then gained control in the second.
The Warriors knew that once they figured out how to deal with James, they’d win the series-which they did, in six games.
But the Warriors will do it with Green, who on Monday was hit with a Flagrant 2 foul (up from a Flagrant 1) and fined $25,000 after a league review of his kick of Steven Adams on Sunday, but avoided a suspension.
The pummeling continued in the third quarter.
Golden State is hopeful to bounce back from its second deficit of the series, while Oklahoma City is trying to take a 3-1 series lead with it back to California. Curry and Thompson didn’t help matters by missing shots they normally knock down.
Russell Westbrook out-plays Steph Curry and leads OKC to a Game 4 win.
NOTES: Because the Western Conference semifinals were completed faster than expected, the conference finals endured three days off between Games 2 and 3.
Though the Thunder felt it was intentional, Green and Warriors coach Steve Kerr believed the flagrant would be rescinded by the league.
Here’s the notable part of that otherwise nondescript play: His right leg went up in similar fashion that time as well, a reaction easily unnoticed because no defender was within reach of his size 15 foot, nobody got kicked and nobody ended up in a heap on the court in pain afterward. “We talked about those turnovers.”… Curry made a 3-pointer for his 48th consecutive playoff game, extending his National Basketball Association record….
The other, though, was Durant and Westbrook going a combined 20-for-34, which is a recipe for a close game at best. “He is obviously an explosive athlete”, Curry said.
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“They try to bait me every night”. Stay attached on pick and rolls, not give him any easy look, especially line drives to the basket. We’ve done it two times already previous year.
