ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — The Oklahoma City Thunder were in town tonight to face the Golden State Warriors at #Roaracle. OKC had a ful ssquad with the exception of Lance Thomas, who was involved in the J.R. Smith trade to Cleveland that will bring Dion Waiters to the Thunder, as well as an tibia injury to bench player Mitch McGary. The Warriors were once again without Andrew Bogut (knee injury) and Festus Ezeli. Brandon Rush was ruled “questionable” with flu-like symptoms.
1ST QUARTER: Stephen Curry Skills Competition
Stephen Curry‘s handles were on full display from the get-go as he made this lefty in-and-out juke to start the game…
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…then went between-the-legs with the same left-handed dribble for this extraordinary play:
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To fully appreciate that move, check out the bird’s eye view:
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As we’ve seen a lot this season, Klay Thompson followed that up with his own brilliance.
First, he got an and-one driving hard then stopping and picking up the foul on the fake, on Thunder sophomore Andre Roberson. Then Thompson blocked Russell Westbrook after Westbrook attacked, missed, but got his own rebound and attempted to convert the putback. Curry led the break after that play, faked his man at the top and went down the lane, to find Klay in the right corner for a three-pointer that the lunging Serge Ibaka could do little about, having to guess if Steph was going to go all the way to the rim.
OKC head coach Scott Brooks took an early timeout at the 9:19 mark, down 10-4 early.
Thunder center Steven Adams got a dunk assisted by Westbrook out of the timeout, but Thompson drew another foul on Roberson, getting Roberson to bite on another fake on a jumpshot this time, then followed that up with this alley oop from Draymond Green:
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Thompson wasn’t done. He then got a three on a switch, in Ibaka’s face from the top, and Brooks called another timeout, down 17-6 with 8:13 to play. All seventeen points were scored by either Curry or Thompson, who were a combined 6-for-6. Quickly, Klay had 13 points, reaching double-figures in every game played this season and 31 straight overall, a career-best.
About the only thing that the Warriors had trouble with was foul trouble, as Green picked up his second personal with 7:47 to play, forcing Golden State head coach Steve Kerr to bring in David Lee even before the standard substitution of Andre Iguodala after the 6:00 mark.
Curry wasn’t done with his dribbling show, as went behind-the-back crossover twice, faking a spin, splitting Ibaka’s help defense, and delivering a perfect bounce pass to Marreese Speights between the legs of Adams, only to have Speights blocked at the rim by the recovering Adams:
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Steph exploded for yet one more crossover, this time against Perry Jones, resulting in two free throws at the line, which made it 24-15, Warriors, with 4:34 to play in the first frame.
Thompson committed his second foul on Kevin Durant, who scored all of his four first-quarter points from the line, going 0-for-7 from the field, and Justin Holiday replaced Klay at the 4:21 mark.
Holiday immediately provided a spark, dishing to Iguodala for a dunk after Curry stole the ball on an anticipated bad pass by OKC, making it 30-22 in favor of Golden State, with 2:26 to go. Holiday then got a pull-up three to drop in early transition, following an aggressive move by Thunder center Kendrick Perkins, who knocked Lee to the floor with no charge called, but missed the bunny, which was gathered by Westbrook, who missed a putback again, with the defensive rebound finally corralled by Harrison Barnes.
But Curry was forced to the bench with 1:42 to go, as he jumped the high pick by Perkins, but Westbrook made a bit of a flop play by drawing Steph’s contact to Westbrook’s back, then falling down. Curry was visibly upset, complaining to the ref and swinging his arms in frustration, and Shaun Livingston checked in with 1:42 to play and the Warriors up, 33-22.
Perkins kept the little bit of momentum he had created for the Thunder going, getting an and-one plus the free throw (!) to fall against Lee, who was playing the “5” with Barnes at the “4” and Iguodala at the “3”, but Holiday answered back, getting in the right position on a defensive rebound attempt, as Anthony Morrow missed a baseline jumper with 1.1 to play.
Holiday hit both free throws and the Warriors took a 34-25 lead into the second quarter. Thompson had 13 points and Curry 10. Westbrook led the Thunder with 8 and OKC scored 11 of its 25 points from the charity stripe.
2ND QUARTER: Solid Play By Those Not Named Klay Or Steph, Especially Harrison
The Warriors kept the pressure on the Thunder in the second, as Holiday got a steal and delivered to Iguodala for a “thunderous” dunk. Brooks called timeout after that as well.
Green then hit two three-pointers sandwiched around a late Morrow putback after good defense by the small lineup of the Warriors forced the shotclock down for the Thunder, although Morrow bailed them out. Green’s second trey put the Warriors up, 45-30, with 8:43 to go in the half.
Green then beat Ibaka down the floor:
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After that, it was Barnes’ turn to shine, getting a slip dunk assisted by Curry, then utilizing a series of fakes, first from the post to get past his man and into the paint, then stopping and faking again on Durant for the bucket inside.
Green then swatted Durant on the other end and it was off to the races with Barnes finishing with a three-point splash, courtesy Holiday:
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That put Golden State up, 57-38, with 4:08 to go. After an Ibaka lay-in alley-ooped by Westbrook, Curry went backdoor and trickled in a reverse layup, assisted by Green, his fourth assist of the half.
More threes ensued as Holiday nailed one from the right elbow, with a fist-pump approval by Curry, then Curry threw a touchdown pass to Iguodala, who gave up the layup for a wide-open Holiday in the corner, who gave up the rock to an even wider-open Barnes from the left elbow:
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That made it 65-45 and the Dubs eventually took that lead into halftime.
Barnes scored 13 of his 15 points in the quarter to lead all scorers, plus 6 rebounds. Westbrook had 14 points but only on 4-for-14 from the field, while Durant went just 2-for-11 for 9 points. Curry added 12 points, 3 assists, and 4 steals. The Warriors held OKC to just 28.0% shooting and 1-for-8 downtown, while shooting 44.2% and a whopping 9-for-17 (52.9%) from downtown. Golden State, utilizing the smaller lineup, was out-rebounded just 33-29.
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