ORACLE ARENA, OAKLAND, CA — This is a continuation of the halftime recap of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors.
3RD QUARTER: Klay Adds To Warriors Lead Over Durant-Less Thunder
The Thunder were without Kevin Durant to start the second half. OKC ruled him out for the rest of the game, diagnosed with a mild right ankle sprain.
Festus Ezeli started the quarter with a promising slam dunk off of a nice feed from Draymond Green:
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But the Warriors and Thunder played to a virtual stalemate, as Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Harrison Barnes hit jumpers, countering two finger rolls at the rim by Steven Adams, two jumpers by Serge Ibaka, and another by Russell Westbrook.
After Thompson manufactured three free throws by faking a corner trey and jumping into the lunging Andre Roberson, Marreese Speights got a dunk on a drive-and-dish by Klay. Thunder head coach Scott Brooks called timeout as the Warriors were creeping away, 85-78, with 4:10 to go.
At that point, Golden State had tallied 26 assists on 34 made baskets.
Speights and Ibaka traded jumpers and, with 3:15 remaining in the third frame and the Warriors up 87-81, Shaun Livingston subbed in for Curry.
Livingston took advantage of his height as he usually does, draining a stop-and-pop after crossing Jeremy Lamb over, left-to-right and behind-the-back.
Thompson then employed some impressive moves on the bounce, driving into the paint and shifting his body enough to avoid a charge, converting a layup in traffic, then crossing over Thabo Sefalosha from the right baseline and into the paint and finding Andre Iguodala open for a left-wing trey.
As Westbrook advanced the ball for the final play of the third, #Roaracle got on its feet and chanted, “Defense!” but to no avail, as Westbrook speared through the defense for a right-handed layup.
Golden State had a 94-89 lead heading into the final frame. Curry was up to 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 4-for-8 downtown, and 8 assists. Thompson added 19 on 7-for-14, and Green had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists.
4TH QUARTER: Curry The Closer
Curry checked in for Thompson at the 11:37 mark and did not sub back out during the fourth quarter. Livingston gave the Warriors momentum, landing a one-handed runner, then a right-handed layup. Brooks called a timeout with 8:41 left and the Thunder down, 99-94.
Curry made a three, but Westbrook answered it with his own, then Westbrook got one of many pull-ups on the night, and the Warriors answered with Barnes finding a cutting Curry.
After a Westbrook airball, Thompson pulled up with a slight limp, perhaps indicating a cramp in the calf (we will try to find out in the post-game pressers). As Klay limped up court, the Warriors lost the ball, but Barnes jumped on it and Kerr called timeout to preserve the possession, up 104-103 with 4:14 to go.
Barnes threw his mask away, although he would later put it back on:
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After Reggie Jackson missed a three-pointer, Curry took over, juking Jackson from the top left side, with Steph driving his body into Jackson and getting a banker to go.
Brooks called another timeout, now down 110-105 with 1:39 remaining, and Jackson got a banker to go from the left side.
Curry and Barnes played pick-and-roll and, with Anthony Morrow switched onto him, Steph took him left-handed into the lane for a finger roll that tickled the rim and in.
Westbrook attacked, but Thompson bothered him enough to cause a miss at the rim, and Barnes closed out the game with a clutch turnaround jumper on the left baseline against the smaller Jackson.
Westbrook missed a thirty-foot trey after that and Green out-reached Ibaka on Ibaka’s putback attempt. Curry threw a touchdown pass to Thompson and Klay dribbled it out for a 114-109 final score.
Curry led all scorers with 34 points on 14-for-24 floor, 5-for-12 threes, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. Westbrook countered with 33 on 11-for-30, but just 3-for-10 from downtown, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. Durant had his 30 first-half points, while Thompson added 19 for the Warriors, and Green had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. Barnes added 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Livingston had 12 points off the bench. Speights collected 10 points, 5 rebounds off the bench.
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