After leaping out to a 3-1 series lead, the Oklahoma City Thunder were heavy favorites to advance to the NBA Finals. But the Warriors battled back in Game 7 to complete the comeback and send the Thunder home.
Game 7: A game of powerful runs and dynamic emotion ended with Steph Curry cradling the ball and screaming his joy at the roaring Oracle crowd. The Thunder’s length and effort on defense stifled the Warriors early in the game, and Oklahoma City enjoyed leads as large as 14. But Steph Curry and Klay Thompson led the way in the third quarter to take back the lead, and they held on enough to secure the 96-88 win. Curry was the top scorer with 36 points, eight assists, and eight three-pointers, while his fellow Splash Brother hit six three-pointers of his own en route to 21 points. The Warriors played phenomenal team defense, limiting Russell Westbrook to 19 points on 21 shots and keeping their foul total low as compared to other games in the series. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 27 points and seven rebounds.
The Good: The Thunder leapt out to an early lead driven by their defense and superstar wing. The Warriors were held to just 19 points in the first quarter, snuffing out the lane and forcing the Warrior players into contested outside shots. Kevin Durant was strong for the entire game, but especially in the early minutes, where he went three-for-three for seven points. If Oklahoma City could have maintained this effort for the entire game, it’s entirely possible the result would have been reversed.
The Bad: Losing three games in a row, especially the last three, is an opportunity for Oklahoma City to identify and correct their fit issues. This includes Durant if he is staying. But it is also possible that the way Oklahoma City fell apart under pressure in Games 6 and 7 shows the team’s true colors, an individuality and tunnel-vision that works against the true team spirit they are pursuing, hidden by the success they found the last few rounds. Their long-distance shooting was also poor, hampering their ability to drive and attack the basket. Finally, the role players who shined for this team earlier in the series disappeared in Game 7; Adams, Roberson, and Waiters combined to shoot eight-for-31 (25 percent), and most of the bench players never even saw the court.
Playoff Review: On the macro-level, the Thunder wildly outperformed expectations this postseason. After dismantling the Mavericks in 5, they pushed around a 67-win San Antonio Spurs team with as many as six future Hall of Famers on it. Through four games against the Warriors, the Thunder had shown the best of what their team could be: elite athleticism, incredible length on defense, ball movement on offense, and the ability to gobble up every available rebound on either end of the court. That Thunder team could have dominated Cleveland and brought a title to the Great Plains. But their bad habits from the regular season reared their heads down the stretch, and the Warriors became just the 10th team to come back from a 3-1 series deficit. Overall, the Thunder and their fans should be pleased with their season, but the way they went out will most likely reap disappointment.
Looking Ahead: The biggest question hanging over the Thunder offseason is whether Kevin Durant will leave in free agency. As recently as a week ago it seemed a sure thing that he would return as the Thunder were dominating their competition, but with a shocking end to the season the door is open again. A much smaller free agency decision rests on Dion Waiters, who hits restricted free agency this year after showing for the first time he could exist as a role player on a good team. If they allow Waiters to walk they will need to find a replacement in the market. Finally, the Thunder have to decide whether to sign center Steven Adams to a contract extension; the New Zealand native took a huge step up this season and another in the postseason, but signing him this year limits their cap space in the summer of 2017.
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