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Golden State Warriors: 5 Takeaways From Game 5 vs. Thunder

By Gerald Bourguet

May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after scoring against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after scoring against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) reacts next to Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) after the Warriors made a three point basket in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

5. All Hail The Bench

Through the first four games of this series, the Warriors bench had outscored OKC’s reserves by an average of 11.0 points per game…and yet Golden State’s second unit had posted an ugly -1.7 plus/minus in the process.

For a bench unit that finished third in the NBA in point differential during the regular season (+1.4), the Warriors needed a lot more out of their reserves. In Game 5, they got it.

Not only did the Dubs’ bench outscore Oklahoma City’s by a massive 30-13 margin, but head coach Steve Kerr was able to afford the starters more rest than they normally would’ve enjoyed in a do-or-die game of this magnitude.

The bench contributions could be seen all over the court. Andre Iguodala supplied eight points and eight assists in his 34 minutes, helping the Warriors build an early lead in the first half. Marreese Speights supplied 14 points in just nine minutes, including a couple of big fourth quarter plays.

Shaun Livingston only had six points, but he made three of his six shots and finally got his turnaround jumper to fall when it mattered most.

Even Leandro Barbosa chipped in with two steals to finish with a +4 in seven minutes. The only reserve who didn’t finish with a positive plus/minus was (surprise, surprise!) Anderson Varejao.

Kerr might need to ride his starters a bit more in Game 6, and the Varejao minutes over Festus Ezeli are troubling, but when Kerr went with a Livingston-Barbosa-Iguodala-Barnes-Speights lineup to start the fourth quarter, the game could’ve easily slipped away. Instead, they turned a four-point lead into a 10-point advantage by the time the starters trickled back in.

The Warriors are going to need more of the same from their bench in a hostile road environment for another elimination game Saturday night.

Next: No. 4

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