OKC Thunder: 3 Ways To Beat Golden State

Feb 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball past Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) in the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball past Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) in the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

Crunch Time Offense

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After the Thunder were able to tie the game up, their offense was an absolute mess. Players were standing in place waiting for Durant and Westbrook to make a play for them.

The iso-heavy sets led to four points in the last 3:36 of the game, where the game was ultimately lost. Durant and Westbrook’s attempts at hero-ball led to a combined 0-for-6 in the final four minutes.

Donovan was brought in to replace Scott Brooks specifically to avoid this problem. Brooks’ main criticism was a lack of offensive creativity and relying too heavily on isolation plays.

Strong defensive teams like the Warriors will bring opposing isolation offenses to a halt when the game slows down during playoff time. Durant and Westbrook are two of the best shot-creators in the NBA, but they can only do so much when an entire defense can game plan around them.

Golden State continued to run their sets, which allowed them to pull away at the end of the game. Between Durant, Westbrook, Kanter, Ibaka and Waiters, OKC has plenty of capable scorers available to run a play rather than dribbling into contested fadeaway jumpers.

More hoops habit: NBA: 25 Greatest Scorers of All-Time

Even if the Thunder were determined to get only Durant and Westbrook the final shots, Donovan could have called a play to get them a good look at the basket. Relying on their ability to create an open look against a double team isn’t going to win any games against a top-of-the-line defense.