Stop the presses. The presumptive 206 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors find themselves facing an elimination game as the Oklahoma City Thunder seized a 3 – 1 series lead with a relatively easy 118 – 94 victory in last night’s game.
Oklahoma has outdone Golden State in every aspect of the game, from pace, to effort, and even coaching as the series heads back to the Warrior’s home court, where they will have to experience a rejuvenation of epic degrees if they want to keep their hopes of a repeat championship alive.
The Warriors’ strategy of using a small-ball lineup, where Andre Iguodala started ahead of Andrew Bogut had decimated opponents on both ends of the court has seemingly lost all its air. The Thunder countered with its own small lineup and it appears as though they have found a successful formula for outwitting the Warriors.
The Thunder’s defense has done what no other team was able to do in the regular season: contain the quickness of the Warriors’ small lineup, yet at the same time, give them advantages in terms of size and length.
This gives them a distinct advantage in rebounding on both ends of the floor, something they have used with deadly effectiveness.
