SAN FRANCISCO – As Thunder players walked off the floor at Oracle Arena after its Game 1 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals, there was barely a fist bump or an eye brow raised. As it reconvened on Tuesday for practice and got together at shootaround on Wednesday, that same stoic, intense and business-like approach was evident on the players’ faces.
One reason for all of that is that the Thunder understands the challenge it has lined up in front of it tonight in Game 2 against the Warriors, who won 73 games in the regular season and lost just twice in Oakland. The other component for this Thunder team is the recognition that there were a lot of areas to clean up from Game 1 in order to put together a more complete performance on both ends of the floor.
“I think we can play better, and I'm certainly sure they feel the same way. It was the first game,” Head Coach Billy Donovan said. “There are things that we need to do better going forward in this series, and we need to continue to grow and evolve and get better.”
It starts in many ways for this Thunder team on offense: the type of possessions Donovan’s club is getting and the quality of shots players are generating. In Game 1, the Thunder turned the ball over 10 times leading to 15 Warriors points in the first half but gave it away just twice for two points in the second half. They won’t be perfect all night, but if Thunder players can protect the ball closer to the way it did over the final two quarters on Monday, it will make it easier to keep the scoreboard moving.
“It's important to take care of the basketball,” point guard Russell Westbrook noted. “It puts you in position to get more shots at the baskets and more opportunity to stay tight to the basket instead of just giving them the ball.”
On defense against this explosive Warriors team, it’s all about getting back in transition. Again, it was a tale of two halves in Game 1, when the Thunder allowed a whopping 22 fast-break points over the first two quarters. Golden State scored just one point in transition after halftime.
Sticking to rangy, quick-release shooters like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson is vital, but the integrity of the Thunder’s defense as a whole must stay intact. By switching both on and off of ball screens, the Thunder was able to get its length, athleticism and size into the game. In Game 2, Donovan’s group wants to do more of the same, like in the fourth quarter when it was able to build out to shooters and prevent backdoor cuts while holding the Warriors to just 14 points.
“Try to contest all the shots and do the best that you can,” center Steven Adams explained. “But if you're going to give up something, it has to be quite a difficult shot. You kind of have to -- especially with those two (Curry and Thompson). If you're going to take away the three, somebody has to be there for that drive, because you have to be right up on these guys.”
Most of all for this Thunder team, the mental approach to the game must be equally as resilient, together and focused as it was in Game 1. Despite falling behind by as many as 14, the Thunder never wilted or separated from one another. There seems to be a resolve with the group, spearheaded by leaders like Westbrook and Kevin Durant, to keep everyone locked in on their jobs so that everyone’s skills complement those of their teammates.
A 1-0 lead to take home court advantage in the series was a nice start to the series, but the Thunder isn’t caught up in the horserace of it all. To a man, the Thunder recognizes just how dangerous this Warriors team is, and understands the importance of laying it all on the line every time the shoes get laced up.
“We're glad we got the win, but it's a long series,” Waiters said. “One game doesn't mean anything. So our job is to come out here like today and try to get better, work on your game, and come in with the same mindset we did yesterday.”
“We don't relax. We didn't win anything,” Westbrook added. “No matter how you get it done, it's the first team to four. You can't relax, man. Happy teams get beat. You get happy, you get beat. Maintain team confidence. Our job is to constantly keep doing what we've been doing until we get to our building.”
Broadcast Information:
Tip-off: 8 p.m. CT
Television: TNT, Postgame on Fox Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS the Sports Animal and the Thunder Radio Network