With the atmosphere of a game 7 of a Western Conference Finals game between two of he top teams in the West, the Wariors v. Thunder did not fail to disappoint on the grand stage of a Saturday marquee matchup.

It was a close first quarter with both teams going at it, trying to find their footing to exert their dominance. The Warriors would pull ahead in the second quarter winning it 37-28 to give them a 14 point lead pouring in 73 points.

TheThunder would rally back in the second half on the shoulders of Kevin Durant’s dominance of the hoop and boards. However, the Warriors would keep the Thunder at bay to maintain the lead after being tied in the fourth. It was capped off by a dagger three by Klay Thompson and a Steph Curry rebound and Hail Mary of the shoulder pass to Iguodala for a game sealing dunk that sent Oracle Arena into a ravenous roar as the Warriors tied the longest winning streak for 50 games at 41 and on their quest to 73.

 

Some takeaways from the game have to be the Thunders Dynamic Duo of Westbrook and Durant going PERFECT from the FT line. They showed up big on a giant stage when the pressure was on and tight going for a combined 22-22 from the line. They would not let up on the aggressiveness and took it right to the Warriors.

With Westbrook out, Durant took back OKC as his team. Crashing the boards on both ends and being able to score at will and exposing Andrew Bogut on the pick and roll at will (being in the NBA and can’t guard a pick and roll is a sin). With Westbrook in, the strategy had not changed. Pick and Roll with an exposed Bogut, finding Enes Kanter on the roll. Kanter showed up big time, 14 Pts 15 Rebs 70% from the field in 19 minutes. Mr. Efficiency.

If the Thunder could get that production out of all their ancillary parts they’d be a force. Ibaka seems completely useless at this point for this team. If they want to win, he needs to be moved. He’s slacking on defense and falling in love with the 3. Useless on the boards, KD is literally snatching th ball away from him, and useless on the post. He needs to step up or be sent out. Too much money for no production. Waiters….just does not fit on any end. He needs the ball all the time or it looks awkward and uncomfortable. He’s not a good fit at all. Trade piece.

For the Warriors, Mo Speights was a great addition to the rotation with Festus Ezeli out. Mo Buckets, was exactly that. 15 points in 17 minutes. It would’ve been great to see him play more (especially for DFS) because he was more efficient, +20, than Bogut, -11.

Steph Curry and Klay Thompson went a combined 2-15 from 3, with much credit to the Thunder switching on screens and running them off the line. Using a lanky KD and Westbrook combination was key to slowing down the Splash Brothers. However, Steph Curry had 26-6 Rebs-10 Assists, and Klay had 18 pts 4 rebs,so they didn’t slow them down much.

The Warriors bench outplayed the Thunder’s 42-17. The Warriors are not the deepest team in the league, because their bench keeps giving up 20 point leads. However, their interchangeable parts always seem to show up. Tonight, it was Harrison Barnes’ 19 pts and 4 Rebs. Not to be missed, Shaun Livingston’s 10 points was needed. His length helps with versatility on both ends of the floor. Also, Draymond Green missed a triple double by much with 9 Pts 14 Rebs 6 Assists.

This game was hyped up by the media to the fullest…and it actually lived up to the hype. Seeing these teams go at it reminds us fans of how great the game of basketball can be. It’s cyclical, unabashed, emotional and entrenching. These marquee games give us hope and hype for the future to come, the playoffs where the best of the best square off and every game is like game 7. Or in this case, a 50+ game in a regular season tease of a dream matchup.

Notes: Kevin Durant 40 pts 14 rebs 5 assists Russell Westbrook 27 pts  3 rebs 12 assists

Stats Provided by NBA.com

Cover photo provided by oregonlive.com