Warriors blow 14-point lead in Game 1 vs. Thunder
After Klay Thompson missed a reverse layup, Kevin Durant made what looked like a dagger jumper from 17 feet.
Andre Iguodala sneaked inside for a layup to trim Oklahoma City’s lead to 105-102 with 22.6 seconds left, and Westbrook was granted a timeout, instead of being called for a traveling violation, with 17.2 ticks on the clock.
The Warriors’ small-ball lineup looked better than when the Thunder went with a big front line, the Warriors’ defensive game plan held Westbrook to three points on 1-of-11 shooting in the game’s opening 29 minutes, and the Warriors were holding their own with the best rebounding team in the league.
The Warriors got 51 points from their starting backcourt, but they dropped to 9-3 in the postseason when Curry and Thompson combine for more than 50 points.
The Warriors reeled off an 11-3 run midway through the first quarter, a sequence that had Curry snap his 0-for-4 shooting start and Barnes snap the Warriors’ 0-for-4 start from three-point range.
Confused by the defensive scheme, Oklahoma City committed six turnovers that the Warriors turned into 11 points and a 27-21 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Warriors led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, but Oklahoma City briefly trimmed its deficit to 46-42 on an Ibaka breakaway dunk with 3:11 remaining.
The first gave him at least one three in 45 straight postseason games, passing the record streak set by Reggie Miller from 1995-2000, and the second sent the Warriors into the locker room with a 60-47 advantage.
Curry made two three-pointers, including an off-balance banker with 3:32 remaining to cap a 13-3 run and put the Warriors up 81-69.