OAKLAND – Down by as many as 20 points, the game could have been over for the Thunder early on Saturday night. Instead, it didn’t flinch, and gave itself a chance in crunch time.
It was a thrilling Saturday night matchup the night before the Super Bowl was set to be hosted in San Francisco, but the Golden State Warriors made a few more plays down the stretch than the Thunder did, as Head Coach Billy Donovan’s club fell 116-108.
Despite a 20-point second quarter deficit, the Thunder put itself in position to potentially win the game down the stretch, tying the game at 104 with just under four minutes to go. There was no wavering amongst Thunder players, as they stuck together throughout the night, regardless of whether shots were falling or the Warriors’ tough attempts were dropping. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough as the Warriors went on a 12-4 run to close the game.
“We were just playing our game. We did a good job of sticking with it,” point guard Russell Westbrook said. “We’ve been there before. It’s not the first time we’ve been down and had to play from behind. We did a great job of coming back.”
“That’s what you’re supposed to do,” forward Kevin Durant added. “When we get down, we’re supposed to tie the game up. No moral victories in here.”
The Thunder got off to a hot start, scoring the game’s first nine points, quieting the crowd early and helping to shape the tone of the game. By the end of the first quarter the Warriors had chipped away and taken a lead, racking up 73 first half points. Most of their work was done inside the three-point line, however, which was a major point of emphasis from Donovan and his staff before the game. The Thunder defense held Golden State to just 7-for-26 shooting from the three-point line, but the Warriors made 12 of 23 non-paint two-pointers, the type of shots the Thunder wants to force.
By sticking with its gameplan, the Thunder continued to force the Warriors into those low efficiency shots, and eventually the game circled back to even. Enes Kanter dove on the floor for a loose ball, then after winning a jump ball, he hit a fadeaway to tie the game at 104 with just under four minutes to go.
After that, however, the Warriors made a few extra plays and the Thunder had some miscues that resulted in the loss. Stephen Curry made a layup on a drive, then Klay Thompson hit a three-pointer on a cross-court Curry pass. On the next pair of Thunder possessions, Westbrook and Durant each hit two free throws, but Curry responded with a slick layup at the end of the shot clock and a tough step back jumper, putting this one out of reach for the Thunder.
“We had a couple turnovers that changed momentum of the game,” Donovan said. “We had a couple of loose ball rebounds that hurt there too. We had some missed opportunities there. Our guys did a good job and gave ourselves a chance to win the game.”
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Sticking with the Defense in the Second Half
After an offensive explosion in the first half where the teams combined for 132 points, the Thunder emerged from the halftime locker room with a defensive disposition. By holding Golden State to just 18 third quarter points, Donovan’s club was able to break up the momentum that the Warriors had built up in the second quarter when it generated a 20-point lead.
“We didn’t make any changes or adjustments,” Durant said. “We stuck with our defense because we knew that the shots they were hitting, they were eventually going to start missing a few in the second half.”
At times in the third period the Thunder struggled to score as well, but it used an 8-2 burst to end the period to pull back within single digits for the first time since the 6:53 mark of the second quarter. The defense held Golden State to just two points over the final 2:25 of the period while getting three free throws from Durant, a transition three-pointer from Cameron Payne and then a driving dunk by Durant off a pass from Kanter.
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By the Numbers
7-for-26 – The three-point shooting numbers the Thunder’s defense held Golden State to on the night
19:33 – Minutes for Enes Kanter on the night, during which he scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds
40 – Points for Kevin Durant, the third time he’s eclipsed that mark this season, making it his 37th straight game with at least 20 points- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Last Word
“We’re moving in the right direction. We like where we are. Guys are growing and getting more experience.” – forward Kevin Durant