Don’t think this series is over simply because the Warriors won Game 6 in Oklahoma City and host a winner-take-all seventh game at raucous Oracle Arena. The Thunder already won once on the road this series and feel confident they can do it again.
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Oklahoma City Thunder +7
Golden State Warriors -7
Over/Under 217.5
LOOK AHEAD
The Warriors had to return to the Bay Area after Saturday’s Game 6 anyway, so they just made sure it was for a series-deciding game. And now all the pressure rests squarely on the shoulders of the Thunder, who are on the verge of losing this series after going up 3-1. OKC pushed and pressured the Warriors with their length and athleticism, pulling off a pair of stirring home wins in Games 3 and 4, and had the Dubs on their heels. But the defending champs did what they’ve done all season.
While Golden State’s stars were shining on Saturday, OKC’s were falling. Westbrook and Durant went 0 for 4 in the final minutes while combining for six turnovers that led to 10 Warriors points. All of Westbrook’s miscues came in the final two minutes. The Thunder succeed or fail based on the performance of their big two. They failed on Saturday with a chance to close the series on their home floor. Now they must win in Oracle on Monday, against a Warriors club that has seized the momentum and has figured out how to combat OKC’s size.
INJURIES
Talk persists about Stephen Curry suffering lingering effects from his knee, ankle or elbow injuries that have plagued him throughout the playoffs. If he hurt bad enough and was unable to help the Warriors, chances are he would be benched.
At this point in the year, every player is experiencing some aches and pains from a long regular season and three rounds of grueling playoff games. If they can play and be effective, you know they’ll be on the floor, especially with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.
KEY MATCHUP
With Stephen Curry battling injuries earlier this postseason and ineffectiveness at times in this series, Klay Thompson has been Golden State’s rock. Again, he picked up the slack when the Warriors needed it most, helping the Dubs stave off elimination with a 108-101 win Saturday in Game 6, sending the West finals back to Northern California for a winner-take-all Game 7. The Warriors needed their superstars to play like superstars to avoid the collapse, and Thompson delivered.
Thompson scored a playoff career-high 41 points on Saturday, going 11 for 18 from three-point range to set a new NBA record for most triples in a postseason game. And some of them were ridiculous shots. Catch and shoots without a clear line of sight to the basket, with Andre Roberson draped all over him and the depth alone was pretty impressive. Can Thompson have another game like Saturday? The odds say no, but somewhere close to what he’s capable of and the Warriors will prepare to defend their title against the Cavs.
QUICK PICK
The Thunder are kicking themselves after blowing a great opportunity to knock off the defending champs on Saturday. OKC’s fourth-quarter woes were well documented coming into the postseason and the Thunder seemingly had it figured out. That is until Saturday. Leading for most of the game, OKC threw it away late when Durant and Westbrook couldn’t find the basket on their shots and teammates on their passes, giving it up and the Warriors gladly took the gifts.
The Warriors are breathing a sigh of relief after coming back from a 3-1 deficit to level the series. Now they have the deciding Game 7 on their own floor. The champs know the series isn’t over, though it kinda seems like it. OKC won Game 1 in Oakland and is confident it can win in Oracle again. They will have to play much better than they did down the stretch of Game 6, and even that may not be enough.
NBA Odds: Golden State 111, Oklahoma City 105
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