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Oklahoma City Thunder: Can They Do The Unthinkable?

By James D. Tillman III

May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder bench reacts during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder bench reacts during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) defend during the second quarter in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) defend during the second quarter in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Is Game 3 Dominance An Aberration Or Sign Of Things To Come?

Following one-sided affairs between two teams, we usually hear the phrase “Team X dominated Team Y across the board.” But in Game 3, the Thunder did in fact beat the Warriors in nearly every statistical category.

In addition to the final score, the Thunder shot 50 percent from the floor, while limiting the Warriors to 41 percent shooting. As far as the battle of the boards were concerned, the Thunder out-rebounded the Warriors by a 52-38 margin.

The Warriors usually keep their opponents on their heels with solid ball movement, but the Thunder beat the Warriors in this area as well by a slim 21-19 edge in assists.

Additionally, the Thunder outscored the Warriors 29-13 in transition points and blocked eight shots compared to just one for the Warriors.

The Thunder even posted a better percentage from the charity stripe, hitting 33 of their 37 attempts, while the Warriors converted 19 of their 25 attempts. Conventional wisdom says that the Thunder won’t be able to repeat such a feat in the next game, right?

At the same token, though, the Thunder were 0-3 against the Warriors during the regular season, but have now beaten them twice in the span of a week, something that didn’t seem conceivable when the series began.

Next: No. 3

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