WARRIORS DEFEAT THUNDER IN FIVE GAMES TO ADVANCE TO WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS
Warriors take Game 5 at home to clinch first round series
GAME 1
WARRIORS DOMINATE THUNDER, TAKE GAME 1 142-74
Warriors set NBA record for margin of victory in win
The blowout was in the making since the start. After the Warriors rolled through the first quarter owning a 20-point lead, the Dubs offense refused to give the Thunder an opening, blasting Oklahoma City 142-74 thanks to 64 percent shooting to take Game 1 of their first round series.
Stephen Curry led the Warrior offense, pouring in 35 points on 14-for-21 shooting in just 24 minutes, while Jaylen Brown had 20 points in 29 minutes. Draymond Green kicked off his playoffs on the right note, scoring 17 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists.
In total, the Warriors had eight player finish in double figures while getting 59 points from their bench.
With a 20-point lead in hand after the first, the Warriors outscored the Thunder 44-20, taking a 44-lead at the half.
The 68-point win is the largest in NBA playoff history, topping the previous high of 58 set by the Denver Nuggets over the New Orleans Hornets in 2009. This is the second time the Warriors have set an NBA record for margin of victory this season, as they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 128-58 on January 12.
GAME 2
WARRIORS HANG ON FOR ONE-POINT GAME 2 WIN
Dubs rally back from 11-point deficit to take 2-0 series lead
It may have been after hours, but the bank was open for Stephen Curry on Thursday night.
With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, Curry’s three off the glass tied Game 2 of the Warriors first round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, setting up Jaylen Brown for a game winning free throw on the ensuing possession, propelling the Warriors to a 99-98 win in Game 2. Curry finished the night with 34 points and eight rebounds, while Brown added 24 points and eight rebounds of his own, as well as four steals.
The Warriors trailed by six points midway through the fourth, before Glenn Robinson III (14 points, 5-for-6 shooting) nailed a stepback triple to spark the Warrior rally. After trading buckets, Curry got free off a Green screen for his 28-foot bank shot that tied the game.
The Thunder did have an opportunity to tie the game late, but Abdel Nader’s midrange jumper bounced off the front rim to seal the Warrior win.
GAME 3
THUNDER USE 45-POINT FOURTH TO DEFEAT WARRIORS
Loss spoils return of Klay Thompson
The Warriors were unable to slow Danilo Gallinari in the fourth as the Thunder rallied back from a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat the Warriors, making their first round series 2-1.
Stephen Curry scored a team-high 33 points including 6-for-10 shooting from deep. Jaylen Brown added 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Warriors.
The loss spoils a dominant return for Klay Thompson, making his first appearance since he tore his ACL in the second half of Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Thompson had 24 points in just 13 minutes, going 8-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Gallinari proved to be the unstoppable force for Oklahoma City, finishing the night with 36 points and 11 rebounds on 8-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc.
The Thunder outscored the Thunder 45-18 in the fourth quarter, a stark contrast to the third quarter in which the Warriors outscored the Thunder 44-21.
Golden State did have an opportunity to tie the game at the buzzer, but Curry’s midrange jumper over Steven Adams hit the back rim and out.
GAME 4
WARRIORS RIDE HOT FIRST QUARTER TO WIN
Golden State scores 42 first quarter points; hold off Thunder comeback
The Warriors used a dominant first quarter, outscoring the Thunder 42-26, to ride their way to a 3-1 lead in the first round playoff series. While OKC did rally back, the Warriors controlled the fourth quarter, outscoring the Thunder 36-12 to preserve the win.
Stephen Curry paced the Warrior offense, scoring 42 points with six rebounds and 10 assists while making 14 of his 15 free throw attempts. Jaylen Brown added 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting and Klay Thompson scored 25 points in 24 minutes, including six three-point field goals, in just his second game back.
After the Warriors’ dominant first, the Thunder mounted their rally in the second, cutting the lead to just six by halftime. They continued that rally into the third, ending the frame on a 14-0 run to take a 60-52 lead.
Consecutive baskets to begin the fourth gave the Thunder a 12-point lead with just 10 minutes to play, prompting the return of Curry and Thompson. The Splash Brothers made an immediate impact, sparking an 8-0 run with triples from each of them. Brown returned to the action, and after nailing a three of his own, picked up a steal and hit Curry on the fast break to make it a one-point game.
Another three from Curry gave the Warriors a two-point lead before Chris Paul’s contested layup tied the game again.
On the ensuing possession, Curry used a Green screen to attack the hoop, drawing backside help which left Damion Lee (13 points) wide open on the wing. Lee promptly nailed the three, his third of the game, to give the Warriors the lead with 1:50 to play.
After a defensive stand, Curry drove in for the game-sealing layup with 22 seconds, putting the Thunder on the verge of elimination.
GAME 5
WARRIORS TAKE GAME 5, CLINCH FIRST ROUND SERIES
Curry scores 38 points to lead Warriors over Thunder in Game 5
On the back of 38 points from Stephen Curry, the Warriors defeated the Thunder 110-78 to clinch their first round series, 4-1.
Jaylen Brown and Klay Thompson each contributed 19 points as the Warriors used a dominant second half on their way to victory, outscoring the Thunder 60-33 in the second half. Damion Lee added 10 points off the bench while Eric Paschall (six points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals) and Ed Davis (four points, 17 rebounds, two assists) dominated the glass for Golden State.
The Warriors, who shot 54 percent from the floor, held the Thunder to just 37 percent shooting from the floor while outscoring Oklahoma City 20-6 from the free throw line.
With the win, the Warriors will await the winner of the Denver Nuggets-Los Angeles Clippers matchup.
