SAN FRANCISCO – The Thunder arrived in San Francisco a juggernaut, a locomotive barreling towards a win whole that could be unequalled.
However earlier than the defending champions turned the host Warriors into Oklahoma Metropolis’s twenty first victory of the season with an exciting 124-112 win on Tuesday evening, Golden State coach Steve Kerr made positive to notice that he was no stranger to such dominance.
In any case, Kerr had been a key rotation participant on Michael Jordan’s 72-10 Chicago Bulls of 1996. Twenty years later, he had then coached the 73-9 Warriors, the place prime Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Inexperienced and the loss of life lineup tore up the league.
When equating Oklahoma Metropolis’s current-day dominance with these dynastic forces, he pointed his finger at a shared commonality.
“A team mindset of zero agendas,” Kerr mentioned. “Just win every night, and obviously great talent. But I think high IQ players …. Both had really high IQs individually and as a team.”
However although the Thunder are a bulldozer of a basketball workforce, the ragtag Warriors — and their grizzled coach — confirmed that Oklahoma Metropolis was able to being examined.
The truth that neither rotation gamers Alex Caruso, Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein had been out for OKC was actually an element. However for the Warriors, missing Steph Curry (quad) and Al Horford (sciatica), it was their very own depth that put a scare in a workforce recognized for sporting down opponents with limitless waves of athletic wings.
The Thunder completed the primary half on a 9-0 run to steer 63-44 at intermission, however the Warriors minimize the result in simply 83-82 within the third regardless of Jimmy Butler being misplaced to harm at halftime. Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and Pat Spencer helped key the frenzied 35-14 run.
Spencer continued to offer OKC buckets within the fourth quarter, burying photographs off drop steps, cuts and fadeaways. The Thunder lead was minimize to only one … after which actuality set in. Isaiah Joe and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried 3-pointers to increase the lead again to seven.
The Thunder saved Golden State at bay the remainder of the way in which. Spencer and Brandin Podziemski every scored 17 factors for the Warriors. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 38 factors, and Santa Clara alum Jalen Williams scored 22.
The Warriors (11-11) will journey to Philadelphia to play the Sixers on Thursday and kick off a three-game street journey.
Kerr’s affect on Thunder coach
Oklahoma Metropolis coach Mark Dagenault graciously credited Kerr for serving to information him at factors in his personal teaching journey, and regarded Kerr’s dealing with of personalities to be the gold normal for coaches.
Again in 2016, it was an unflappable Curry and a fiery Inexperienced who led a locker room that boasted extra cutting-edge expertise than any group within the NBA whereas coming off their first title.
The 2016 Warriors led the NBA in 3-point and general subject objective proportion, defensive rebounds and offensive ranking.
Quick ahead to the present day, and Oklahoma Metropolis is having an identical run following the franchise’s first championship, pacing the league in each defensive ranking and factors allowed.
The straightforward confidence the Thunder – who’ve reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander nonetheless averaging over 30 factors per sport – possess is not any shock to Kerr.
“They have a deeper level of confidence now that they’ve won it all,” Kerr mentioned. “The continuity is so powerful.”
On the skin, the continually-dominant Thunder have downplayed the workforce’s traditionally important successful methods.
Publicly, there was no nice push to chase historical past.
That could be a stark distinction to the Warriors, who noticed Draymond Inexperienced implore Kerr to take a late-season sport towards Memphis extra “serious” with 73 wins in sight.
However the Warriors did begin 24-0, not far forward of 21-1 Oklahoma Metropolis. Sure, the Thunder want to keep up this tempo for an additional 60 video games, which is a tall activity. However with each win, the noise will develop louder, whether or not or not the Thunder need to hear.
Jimmy Butler injured
The Warriors harm woes continued towards the Thunder as Jimmy Butler didn’t play within the second half after being seen limping within the second quarter. He completed with simply quarter-hour performed.
He entered the sport questionable with a left glute contusion suffered on a tough fall throughout Saturday’s sport towards the Pelicans. Trayce Jackson-Davis additionally was held out with proper knee tendinitis.
Seth Curry’s sensational Warriors debut
The Warriors didn’t waste any time that includes their latest addition. Seth Curry, the youthful brother of famous person Steph, signed with the workforce on Monday. With below 30 seconds remaining within the first quarter, the 35-year-old guard, having not performed in a NBA sport since April, checked into the sport and acquired an ovation from the group.
Curry made his first shot one to recollect, a buzzer-beater from the mid-range early within the second quarter. In 18 minutes, he scored 14 factors on 6 of seven taking pictures and tied the sport at 95 within the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer. His motion and talent to shoot off the catch gave the Warriors a dimension it lacked with out his older brother within the lineup.
He led the league in 3-point proportion (45.6%), and was with the Warriors for for coaching camp. For cap house causes, he was waived initially of the common season, with the understanding he can be introduced again afterward as soon as his pro-rated wage was low sufficient for the workforce to keep away from the second apron.
