The Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves one win away from the NBA Finals with a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference Finals, but will have to get through the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in Game 5 on Thursday night.
The Thunder served notice that they are a legit threat to upset the number one seed in the West, annihilating the history-making Warriors yet again in Game 4 on Tuesday night, 118-94. Two members of the starting five recorded a double-double, with one contributing a triple-double in the form of Russell Westbrook, who put up a team-leading 36 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, shooting 12 of 27 from the field and 4 of 8 from downtown. Kevin Durant logged 26 points and 11 boards, going 8 of 24 from field goal range and 9 of 10 from the free throw line. Durant is the top scorer in the league during the postseason, averaging 27.7 points per contest. Andre Roberson's double-double came on the back of a 17-point, 12-rebound performance that helped put the club move within reach of its first Finals appearance since 2012, when they played the Miami Heat, losing 4-1.
The Warriors find themselves in unfamiliar territory after falling two games in a row, both in routs, for the first time this season. Stephen Curry had another woeful shooting night, going 6 of 20 from the field and 2 of 10 from beyond the arc, finishing with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 5 dimes. Draymond Green, after being given a reprieve by the NBA following his incident with Steven Adams during Game 3, fared worse, scoring 6 points on a night that saw him go 1 for 7 from the paint and miss both of his attempts from deep. Klay Thompson was the only member of the beleaguered Golden State unit that had a decent outing, putting up a team-best 26 points, shooting 9 of 17 from the field and adding 4 three-pointers. The Warriors continued to get outclassed off the boards by their opponents, getting outrebounded 56-40. The team will now have to win three straight games if they want to return to their second consecutive Finals.
