Embarrassing losses in the postseason are nothing new to the Thunder. The Warriors didn’t just take Game 2, they did it emphatically. It was a message from Golden State that might carry over to Sunday. OKC needs to collect itself for a proper response.
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LOOK AHEAD
The Thunder got part of what they wanted in the first two games, leaving Northern California with a split and earning homecourt advantage in their Western Conference final series with the defending champion Warriors. But the way they left the Bay Area is a bit troubling. OKC wasn’t satisfied after taking Game 1 and wanted more. “We were upset that we didn’t play well tonight and get the second one,” Kevin Durant said after Game 2.
Had the Thunder been blitzed in Game 1 and bounced back in Game 2, the narrative heading into Sunday’s Game 3 would be entirely different. The chatter would be about their resiliency and momentum in taking homecourt advantage. Because the Warriors seized momentum, it’s about how the Thunder let a big opportunity slip away. Letting the Warriors off the hook is a dangerous thing, especially because they are a team that rides a wave better than anyone. The Thunder got one, but they wanted two.
INJURIES
Stephen Curry banged his elbow landing on metal flooring after tumbling over some courtside seats in the second quarter of Wednesday’s Game 2. Sporting a highly visible lump on his right elbow, Curry recovered well enough to score 17 points in the third quarter of the Warriors 118-91 win. The Warriors are not concerned about Curry’s availability for Sunday’s Game 3.
KEY MATCHUP
Apparently frustrated and pissed off about the Game 1 loss, Golden State’s Stephen Curry was dialed in Wednesday, getting the Warriors even in the series. Curry scored 28 points on his usual deadly shooting, but it’s what he did after flying into the stands and coming away with a contusion on his right elbow that was most impressive. After the bump on his arm, Curry put on a dazzling third-quarter stretch where he scored 15 straight points in less than two minutes as the Warriors pulled away.
The Warriors just don’t string sub-par outings together. They haven’t lost consecutive basketball games all season and once again responded after dropping Game 1. Curry is largely responsible for that. He scored 26 on Monday but shot just 9 of 22 from the field and 6 of 14 from three-point range. He was a different player in Game 2, making 5 of 8 three-pointers and 9 of 15 overall.
QUICK PICK
The Thunder took the homecourt advantage by getting a split of the first two games and need to take advantage of that as the teams head to Oklahoma City for Game 3. OKC seemed content with getting the split and looked listless on Wednesday. Golden State played with an edge of desperation and the combo was volatile. The Warriors manhandled the visitors and pulled away for an easy win.
The slate is even and OKC gets to play in front of its rabid fans on Sunday. The Thunder will play better. They better play better. The hounding defense that did in the Spurs in the previous round and led to a Game 1 win was non-existent, there were too many turnovers and the Warriors grabbed more rebounds. Being at home is an advantage and the Thunder will take it.
NBA Odds: Oklahoma City 111, Golden State 107
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