Thunder put Warriors on notice

To beat the Golden State Warriors, the Oklahoma City Thunder would have to win at least one games at ORACLE Arena in the NBA’s Western Conference Finals. Mission accomplished.

Oklahoma City was down by double digits in the third quarter but rallied to defeat the Warriors on Monday night in Game 1, winning 108-102 to take a 1-0 series lead. The Thunder did not get a great game out of Kevin Durant and still took the day, with Durant going 10-of-30 from the field with five turnovers, albeit with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The star of the show was Russell Westbrook, who turned up the energy in the second half. Westbrook scored 19 points in the third quarter and a game-high 27 overall, notching 12 assists, seven steals and six rebounds.

Golden State didn’t go quietly, with Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry combined for 51 points on the evening. Draymond Green added another 23 points, but it wasn’t enough to stave off only the Warriors’ third home loss of the entire season.

While it is only one game, this win puts the Thunder in the driver’s seat and the Warriors on notice. Oklahoma City was expected to go out of the playoffs in the second round against the favored San Antonio Spurs but fought hard, winning twice at the AT&T Center before taking the series in six games. Head coach Billy Donovan found a combination to slow down San Antonio, putting big men Steven Adams and Enes Kanter on the court simultaneously.

Now, the Thunder have struck against Golden State in its vaunted building, forcing the Warriors into an almost must-win situation in Game 2. All that said, Steve Kerr’s team won’t panic. This is a group that is the defending NBA champion and an organization coming off a single-season record of 73 wins. Golden State knows how to win a basketball game, even in the toughest of situations.

For Oklahoma City, Game 2 is a chance to put this series in a chokehold. Should the Thunder fall short, they still go back to the heartland knowing the series is tied and home-court advantage is theirs.

The biggest issue for the Warriors and their fans is this game didn’t feel like a one-night miracle. Oklahoma City can clearly play with Golden State for a full 48 minutes even when everything isn’t going right. This wasn’t Durant or Westbrook having a career night while Curry and Thompson did nothing. In fact, the Warriors had quality nights from all of their stars and Durant shot 33 percent, and the Thunder still won.

Oklahoma City can absolutely win this series and now might be the favorite after stealing Game 1 on the road. The Warriors have to answer and quickly, because going back to the Thunder’s house down 2-0 might mean a brutal ending to a fairytale season.