Sunday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder did something no other NBA team has been able to do this season; completely dominate the Golden State Warriors. From start to finish, the Thunder seemed to have the upper hand and capitalized the night with a 45 point third quarter. They had 117 points through the first three quarters of play. At one point, the Warriors were down 41 points.
Thunder Show Complete Dominance over Warriors in Game 3
The first two games of this series were not close either. The Thunder took over late in Game 1, and the Warriors blew out the Thunder in Game 2. But they were never as bad as tonight’s game. And now going into Game 4, the Warriors face more adversity than they’ve faced all season.
Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant led the way for the Thunder. Westbrook nearly had a triple double with 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists. He also did a great job of defending Stephen Curry and outplaying him once again this series. Durant had 33 points and 8 rebounds while shooting 10-15 from the field. He was efficient and set the tone early for the Thunder.
Not only did the two superstars for the Thunder show up, but so did the role players. Andre Roberson, Enes Kanter, Serge Ibaka, and Dion Waiters were all in double figures tonight. One of the biggest improvements the Thunder have shown this postseason is getting other players involved besides Durant and Westbrook. It has done wonders for them and has them up 2-1 on the defending champs.
All of the Warriors were out of sync tonight. Draymond Green had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists on the night. He was a -43 while on the court, which is the worst plus/minus for any player in postseason history. Stephen Curry had 24 points, but did not have a great shooting night, as he was 3-11 from three. Thompson and Curry were the only players in double figures for the Warriors, as Thompson had 18 points.
For Green, there is a lot more to be concerned about than tonight’s game. With his kick to Adam’s groin, there is a high chance he will be suspended for Game 4. While him and other Warriors players feel it was unintentional, that will ultimately be up to the NBA to decide.
Every dude in the world feels for you right now Steven Adams. ?? #Thunder #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/AQslrcQCMS
— Overtime (@overtime) May 23, 2016
The Warriors have been down 2-1 before, but never in this fashion. They have not lost two games in a row all season. This is an absolute must-win for them on Tuesday night. The Thunder look as confident as ever right now. They feel they can beat the defending champs, and they had a statement game tonight.
