Hoops Habit
Fansided

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 /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
Feb 3, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) stand on the court against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) stand on the court against the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Can Thunder Continue To Take Warriors Out Of Their Game Plan?

One of the trends that has emerged in this series is that the Warriors have not been patient when things aren’t going their way. In the fourth quarter of Game 1, the Warriors converted just six of their 23 attempts, with most of those attempts coming with little ball movement.

In the game-changing second quarter of Game 3, the Thunder closed the first half with a 32-7 run, which led to a 72-47 advantage at the break. One of the reasons for the sudden avalanche can be attributed to Golden State taking quick shots, which in turn, led to easy scoring opportunities for the Thunder.

Usually, it is the Warriors who bury their opponents with an accelerated style of play. But in Game 3, it was the Thunder who played a faster-paced game that the Warriors had no answer for. Furthermore, OKC has made life difficult for the Warriors’ backcourt.

While Curry is averaging 26 points per contest with shooting splits of .463/.424/.933, he is not getting a lot of clean looks at the basket, which contributed to his 3-for-11 showing from distance in Game 3.

Klay Thompson, who averaged 31 points per contest against the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference semifinals, is averaging 19.3 points per outing on .393/.292/.750 shooting.

That being said, if the Thunder can continue to take the Warriors out of what they like to do from an offensive standpoint, they have more than an outside chance of winning this series.

Next: No. 1

Home/Oklahoma City Thunder