After the Golden State Warriors climbed the seemingly insurmountable record of 72 wins by netting 73 in the regular season, a berth in the finals seemed a foregone conclusion. None of the other 29 teams managed to even dent the chrome of this juggernaut which stomped and trampled one and all on their journey to the playoffs.
And then they met the Oklahoma City Thunder, and suddenly they are on the brink of elimination from the postseason. The Thunder have read all the reports and projections of the pundits and the general public, tore the reports into shreds, danced on its remains and have all but swept the Warriors had it not been for a lone loss.
This marks the first time since the 2015 NBA Finals that the Warriors have lost 2 games in a row. For an entire season everybody searched high and low for the Warriors' Kryptonite, and none could find a chink in their armour. So how is it that the Oklahoma City Thunder have handed three losses to the Warriors?
#1 Green is the invisible colour
Draymond Green has been loudly conspicuous by his absence in the playoffs. The deepest impact he's made has been towards making a dent in Steven Adams' nether regions. Not to mention the tripping. In terms of his antics, he’s been the Draymond Green of old, but when it comes to basketball his game has been woeful.
In Games 3 and 4, Green has shot a combined 2 of 16 from the field. He needs to pick up the slack if the Warriors are to have any hopes of making a comeback.
All this being said, however, if any team can come back from a 3-1 deficit, it is probably the one which has not lost two games back to back in this regular season. Game 5 will be the ultimate test of the Warriors’ determination.
#2 Lived and now dying by the 3 ball
The three-pointer is oft referred to as a prayer, depending on who shoots it and how. As much as Stephen Curry's earth shattering accuracy has desensitized us the ridiculous shots which he makes look like a layup, the fact remains that the 3 point shot is one that takes incredible precision to execute, and the Gods aren't listening to the Warriors right now.
Game 1 was quite close as the Thunder inched a 6 point win. Curry shot just 9 of 22 in that contest. The Warriors as a whole shot 11 of 30 from three-point range, while the Thunder attempted just 17 3s and made 8. In Game 3, Curry again came up short as he shot just 3 of 11 from beyond the arc. He had 24 points but was a -39 for the game. In Game 4 Curry shot just 6 of 20.
The Warriors cannot be their otherworldly selves if the three ball isn't falling. And the Thunder are taking full advantage of that.
#3 Stifling defense
Credit has to be given to the Thunder's young and athletic core for stifling open looks and sealing the “splash brothers” with much relish. No frog ever darted out his tongue to catch a wayward fly with such quickness and vigour as with which the Thunder leap out to get a piece of every shot released by the Warriors.
Except when Stephen Curry is getting open looks, which has happened with alarming consistency on occasion, the Thunder are utilizing the length and athleticism of their squad to encompass the Warriors in a death grip. And the results are visible in a shaken offense which can’t seem to roll with any consistency.
Apart from Game 1 which the Thunder wrenched away in the final moments, the rest of their wins have been quite comprehensive. It takes a special defense to stifle one of the best offenses of all time, and the Thunder have managed to do just that.
#2 Plus sized Thunder
Small ball has been the forte of the Warriors, and they have sent many an executive in a frenzy to find the next Draymond Green. A 6’7” positionless wonder who can mix it up down low and help be a focal point in the offense as well. Those executives are now being forced to accept the fact that while small ball can whip up an impressive offense, it is also vulnerable to being beaten into submission on defense.
Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams and Enes Kanter have been feasting on the Warriors on both ends (Kanter perhaps not as much on defense as the other two). They are wrecking havoc with their length and agility and have helped to change the entire script of this series. Andre Roberson has played within himself and made key contributions as well.
Aggressive attack
The free throw stats are exposing another weakness of the Warriors style of play, jump shots from long range don't draw as many fouls as when you're barreling your way to the rim with no regard to human life.
The Thunder shot 37 free throws as opposed to the Warriors who attempted 25. The aggressiveness of the Thunder is giving the Warriors fits. And it is led by their superstars.
Superstars make the difference in the NBA. For the Warriors, Curry has been looking like a mere mortal. On the other side, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have been tenacious on both ends in harassing the Warriors.
In Game 1 both Westbrook and Durant scored over 25 points. Meanwhile, Game 3 saw them both score above 30. Game 4 again saw Westbrook power his way to 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, as Durant added 26 points with 11 boards of his own.
While the two of them wreck havoc, and the supporting cast does its bit, the Thunder are not impossible to beat. And that is proving to be the case here.
Guess the Lakers players!
