Oklahoma inflict heavy beating on Golden State in game three
By AP Sport
Last Updated: 23/05/16 10:05am
Oklahoma City Thunder handed Golden State a more complete beating than anything the Warriors had experienced during their record-setting season, winning 133-105 on Sunday.
Kevin Durant scored 33 points and Russell Westbrook claimed 30 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds as Thunder took a 2-1 lead in the NBA Western Conference finals.
Suddenly, a second straight title that for so long seemed certain for Golden State is in jeopardy, and Oklahoma firmly have the upper hand.
The Warriors, who set an NBA record with 73 victories in the regular season, trailed by 41 points at one stage - their largest deficit this season.
"We got what we deserved," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Durant scored 10 from 15 shots and Westbrook 10 from 19. It was the first time this post-season that both have shot better than 50 per cent from the field.
"We're not going to win that way," Golden State guard Klay Thompson said. "One of those guys has got to have an off night."
Serge Ibaka added 14 points and eight rebounds for Thunder, who matched a franchise record for most points scored in a play-off game.
Oklahoma dominated the rebounds 52-38, continuing the pattern of the series that the team that wins the boards wins the game.
"That's one thing we slipped up on in Game 2, and tonight we did a good job of getting loose balls and finding ways to get 50/50 basketballs and give ourselves extra possessions," Westbrook said.
Golden State will be in an uncomfortable position heading into game four of the best-of-seven series on Tuesday in Oklahoma, but the Warriors remain confident.
They trailed Memphis and Cleveland 2-1 in play-off series last year and won both on their way to claiming the NBA title.
"Both times, we got blown out in game three, and we responded well, so we have that memory," Kerr said.
"I'm confident we're going to come out and play a really good game in game four, and we'll see what happens."
The last time Golden State's Stephen Curry played in Oklahoma City, he scored 46 points, tied an NBA record with 12 three-pointers and hit a game-winning 37-footer.
This time, the league MVP finished with a relatively modest 24 points, with Thompson adding 18 points.
Golden State's Draymond Green, who kicked Oklahoma City's Steven Adams in the groin and has become Thunder fans' No 1 target because of some questionable tactics, struggled on both ends of the floor and finished with six points.
The Warriors were outscored by 43 points when he was in the game.
Green, who will be hoping he can avoid suspension after he picked up a flagrant foul for the kick, said he wasn't trying to hurt Adams.
"I thought it would probably get rescinded," he said.
"I followed through on a shot. I'm not trying to kick somebody in the midsection. Somebody wants to have kids someday. I'm not trying to end that on the basketball court."
Seemingly energised after Green's foul, Thunder outscored Warriors 24-7 in the rest of the half, with many of the baskets coming against Green.
