Warriors, not Thunder, find way to win
The Golden State Warriors are going back to the NBA Finals for the second straight year, and they will once again be playing the Cleveland Cavaliers after a 96-88 win in Game 7 over the Oklahoma City on Monday night.
The performance was anything but flawless. Golden State usually cruises to 100 points by the end of the third quarter but never reached that plateau. the supporting cast of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson was largely rancid, with Andrew Bogut, Draymond Green and Maurice Speights playing bad basketball. However, it was the Splash Bros. who absolutely dominated to complete the 3-1 series comeback, notching a combined 57 points.
Only one game after Thompson set a new single-game playoff record with 11 three-pointers, Curry exploded for 36 points to lead his team to the Finals.
Golden State did all the little things to come back over the past three games. The Thunder never really seemed engaged in Game 5 at ORACLE Arena but had the lead in the fourth quarter of Game 6 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. It seemed like the moment where Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were finally going to knock of the champs and complete an incredible upset, but then Thompson and Curry took over.
Ultimately, that was the story of this series. Curry and Thompson saved the day and the Warriors from the brink of oblivion, while Durant and Westbrook came up small when the moment demanded their presence. Westbrook was brilliant throughout the first four games but was especially underwhelming over the final two. Durant was off kilter throughout the series, scoring points but only doing so as a volume shooter. In Game 7, Durant looked lost at times, trying too hard to get everyone involved until it was too late.
Durant scored 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, but when the game was hanging in the balance in the third quarter and the early fourth, he was tentative and passing up good shots. Westbrook finished with 19 points and 13 assists, but shot just 7-of-21 from the field.
This series will be remembered for decades. This was an instant classic involving at least four future Hall of Famers. The repercussions are going to be massive for all involved.
For Curry and Thompson, this gives them the opportunity to stamp themselves as repeat champions, something so many greats have been before them. It also allows the Warriors to avoid the dubious distinction of winning 73 games in the regular season only to be knocked out before the NBA Finals.
For Westbrook and Durant, this is crushing. The Thunder’s stars could have been seen in a different light after upsetting the virtually unbeatable Warriors. Instead, Durant and Westbrook shot poorly down the stretch and while they filled up the box score, the game tape will show players who didn’t play to their considerable potential over the last two games. That description certainly applies to Durant, who appeared to lack the killer instinct at times.
After seven heart-pounding games, Golden State and Oklahoma City go their separate ways. The Warriors are back in the Finals while the Thunder are once again watching them.
