Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Game 6 vs. Thunder

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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 /

4. Three-Point Shooting And Bench Play

During the regular season, the Warriors led the league in three-point percentage at 41.6 percent — 4.1 percent better than the next closest team. Before the conference finals, they were still shooting 40.7 percent from downtown, and that was with the league leader in made threes missing six games.

Between the Splash Brothers and a supporting cast that knocks down the open looks resulting from all that ball movement, this is without a doubt one of the best three-point shooting teams we’ve ever seen.

The only problem is, despite getting relatively the same number of “open” looks (which NBA.com defines as the nearest defender being 4-6 feet), the shots aren’t falling. Take a look at how the numbers shake out on those “open” shots in the regular season, the playoffs and then this series:

Regular Season: 14.6% frequency, 41.8% shooting
2016 NBA Playoffs: 14.0% frequency, 37.2% shooting
Conference Finals: 15.5% frequency, 26.9% shooting

The Dubs are still getting good shots, they’re just rushing them under the pressure of OKC’s defensive length. As a result, they’ve shot only 35.9 percent from three-point range in this series, while the Thunder have actually made 37.2 percent of their long range attempts.

On the road in this series, the Dubs have been a disastrous 30.2 percent from downtown, compared to 40.2 percent at home. In case math isn’t your thing, that’s a full 10 percent swing. In Game 6, that trend has to change, and though it starts with Curry and Klay Thompson, it needs to trickle down to the role players who found their groove at home in Game 5.

Draymond Green is 2-for-14 from deep in the series. Marreese Speights was 1-for-4 in the two road games despite going 3-for-3 at Oracle. Thompson has been an abysmal 13-for-44 (29.5 percent) after shooting 42.5 percent from deep in the regular season. Curry’s three-point percentage is down from 45.4 percent in the regular season to 37.3 in the series.

Only Harrison Barnes (7-for-12) and Andre Iguodala (6-for-13) have met expectations from three-point range. If the Warriors want to salvage their championship aspirations, they’ll need to find their long range touch in Game 6.

Next: No. 3

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