Suddenly a second straight title doesn’t seem like a given for the Warriors. After Sunday’s beating, the Thunder have control of the series and can put the defending champs in a huge hole. Don’t count Golden State out just yet, though. The Dubs haven’t lost consecutive games all season.
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Golden State Warriors -1.5
Oklahoma City Thunder +1.5
Over/Under 221.5
LOOK AHEAD
What happened on Sunday in Game 3 of the Western Conference final was just bizarre. Golden State hasn’t been beaten this badly since, well, in a long time. You can look at that game in Portland in February when the Warriors were thumped after three-fifths of their starting lineup was still suffering from an All-Star hangover. That didn’t count. The Thunder downed Golden State, a team that finished with a 73-9 record, 133-105 earning a 2-1 series lead and pushing the Warriors to its third 2-1 postseason deficit in two years. But this time it’s different. It feels different. The Warriors won those two series last year against a less talented Memphis Grizzlies team and then in the Finals against an under-manned Cavaliers club.
The Warriors appear vulnerable. The aura of invincibility that surrounded them for so long has vanished. The swagger that carried them to a record number of wins is gone. Beaten from them by a relentless performance from Kevin Durant. Suddenly, the best team in the NBA looks inferior. But that can all change in a hurry. As quickly as it all disappeared, the Warriors can get it back. And while it will be difficult, they are the defending champs for a reason.
INJURIES
The kick seen – and felt – around the basketball world floored Thunder center Steven Adams for awhile. But he was able to get up and swallow his, uh, pride, to return to the game. Following a review of the play, the officials slapped Draymond Green with a Flagrant 1 foul. Depending on who you listen to, the kick was either intentional or it wasn’t.
We may never know, but the league will review the play and punishment could come down on Green, though it seems unlikely. Adams, meanwhile, has a day to ice his marbles before we see what happens next to him.
KEY MATCHUP
For all the trash talking and head games Draymond Green likes to get involved in, he apparently got lost in his antics. While attempting to put the hex on Adams, Green may have reversed the spell and put it on himself. While all that nonsense is a blogger’s delight, it’s not good basketball. And it’s not Warriors basketball. Green needs to keep his mouth shut and his legs down, play ball, and get the Warriors back in this series.
Green has been obsessed with Steven Adams in this series, so much that he checked Adams’ jewels with his foot again during Game 3 and, while the Thunder won’t admit it, the play galvanized the team. OKC went on a 24-5 run to close the half after the incident. And then carried that over to a 45-point third quarter to build a lead of as much as 41. Green was a non-factor. He made just 1 of 9 field goals for six points and was minus-43 on the floor. As much as the Dubs need Curry and Thompson, they also need Green. And they need him to play basketball at the level he has for the entire year.
QUICK PICK
The Warriors have their backs against a wall, facing an opponent that may simply be better. “When we feel threatened, I think everyone raises their level of intensity and their level of play,” Klay Thompson said. They better. Because here comes Oklahoma City, with its pair of superstars, its superior depth, its overflowing confidence. Never has Golden State looked so vulnerable. Never have these Warriors looked so mortal.
But like we always say, it’s just one game. Sure, the Warriors edge may be missing. But no team bounces back better than Golden State. The Dubs didn’t have to do it much during the regular season, but bounce back they did. They haven’t lost consecutive games all season and will come out with a sense of urgency and desperation. If the Thunder aren’t ready to answer, we’re headed back to Northern California all even.
NBA Odds: Golden State 115, Oklahoma City 111
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder game is scheduled for Tuesday, May 24, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
