Used to taking cannon starts since the start of the season, the Warriors are struggling at the start of the game. Overwhelmed and amorphous, Steph Curry and his gang are dominated by a pleasant OKC team. Lacking address and little presence on the pass lines, Golden State quickly found himself led by 11 points (21-10).
Carried by a very good Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Théo Maledon’s teammates please their fans. But opposite, the Warriors wake up, and the “second unit” allows to reduce the gap (34-28). Except that Golden State is falling back into its pitfalls. The stray bullets follow one another, which allows OKC to get easy points on the counterattack. SGA continues his show and ends very strong this first half. Scorer then passer, the OKC star is in great shape and his team leads by 11 points (59-48).
SHai Gilgeous-Alexander perfectly launches the third quarter time for his team with a gap that remains at 11 points (70-59). Back to the wall, the Warriors will activate the “playoffs” mode. In less than 7 minutes, under the leadership of Draymond Green, they inflict a terrible 22-6 on their opponents to take control (81-76).
This end of the 3rd quarter will be fatal to the men of Mark Daigneault, Damion Lee with 3-points and Andrew Wiggins low post ensuring the scoring to clinch this 4th victory in a row (106-98).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
OKC’s state of mind. Considered one of the weakest teams in the NBA, the Thunder showed great things throughout the game. Worn by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the young Oklahoma players showed character and accuracy in their game. Aggressive in one-on-one, they very often managed to attack the intervals in order to free the shooters. Mocked because of his weakness in the game since the start of the season, the band of Mark Daigneault has shown character. Congratulated by their public despite the defeat, they must use this match to move forward.
The Warriors Act 3. When Golden State dominated the NBA, the 3rd quarter was the time chosen by the Warriors to hurt their opponents. Carried by an iron defense, the Californians very often sealed the fate of their meetings after returning from the locker room. True, Kevin Durant is no longer there and Klay Thompson is still in the infirmary, but the state of mind seems to be the same. Tonight, after having long been led by ten points, they raised their defensive level and finally set up their passing game. Result: a 22-6 between six minutes to reverse the trend.
Sharing the Warriors ball. If there is one team that has been enjoying its passing game since the start of the season, it’s the Warriors. Dominated in the first half, they quickly managed to get back to the place after the break. Steve Kerr’s 30 assists tonight for 39 goals scored is a testament to the Californians’ collective strength, and the fun part is they aren’t always looking for Stephen Curry. This is the big difference with last season.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s the basic OKC man. The one who has to lead this young Thunder team. Tonight against Steph Curry, he shone. No doubt motivated by facing one of the best point guard in NBA history, SGA has shown just how talented he is. He finished the game with 30 points at 11/19 on shots and 4 assists.
✅ Damion Lee. Coming off the bench, the brother-in-law of “Chef Curry” changed the situation. It is he who sounds the revolt. Adept at catch-and-shoot, he took advantage of Draymond Green’s offerings to catch fire at 3-points. 20 points for him tonight. When Jordan Poole isn’t having a big night, he can take over.
✅ Draymond Green. When the Warriors are in pain, it means Draymond Green isn’t having a good night. Like his team, his first half was missed. But as soon as he could organize the game, he got the Warriors back on track. In the oven and in the mill, it was he who motivated his teammates to defend harder in the 3rd act. A true leader who came close to the triple-double (8 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists).
⛔ Jordan Poole. The third “Splash Brother” fell short at 3-point with a 0 out of 7 behind the arc. It’s a shooter’s characteristic to pass from time to time on the side, and Steve Kerr logically preferred to trust Damion Lee to go for the victory.
AT THE STATE
The last time the Warriors started the season 4-0 was in 2015-16. That year, Golden State erased the Bulls’ 96/97 record with 73 wins and 9 losses, before ultimately failing in an epic final against the Cavaliers.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (4-0) : The Warriors start an eight-game home series with Thursday’s reception of the Grizzlies.
OKC (0-4) : in two days, OKC receives the Lakers from a certain Russell Westbrook.
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