Wednesday Bolts – 5.25.16
Sam Amick of USA Today: “Curry swears he’s not hurt, that this has nothing to do with
lingering effects of the right knee injury that cost him four playoff games before his May 9 return. Warriors coach Steve Kerr has said the same, noting that there are no restrictions being placed on Curry. But seeing him out of sorts like this after an MVP season that was one of the greatest in the history of the game, it’s only natural to wonder what we’re missing. Yet the truth, that thing that has flipped the Durant narrative on its head, is that the Thunder are making Curry & Co. work in ways that should make any self-respecting superstar want to jump on this Oklahoma City train.”
Tim Bontemps the Washington Post: “After Oklahoma City dismantled the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, most expected the defending champions to deliver a far better effort for Tuesday night’s Game 4. Instead, it became the latest example of the remarkable transformation the Thunder has undergone over the past few weeks.”
Ethan Strauss of ESPN.com: “So, the Warriors are in quite a bind, beyond the obvious 3-1 hole. There’s no assurance we see Curry return to regular-season MVP form. They’re getting little from their bigs as their small-ball lineups get trounced worst of all. From the outside, the Warriors appear boxed in, trapped in Oklahoma City’s thicket of never-ending arms.”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider: “Before Oklahoma City can attempt to duplicate that feat and make some more history, there’s the small matter of closing out Golden State, which hadn’t lost consecutive games this season before Games 3 and 4 of this series. As likely as a Thunder victory might look now, a Warriors win in Thursday’s Game 5 in the Bay would put the pressure back on Oklahoma City to finish the series at home and avoid a deciding Game 7 on the road. Still, the Thunder’s performance the past three weeks against the best competition the NBA has to offer has been historic, and their run has a chance to become even more improbable if Oklahoma City can get one more win.”
Berry Tramel: “But Game 4 was particularly sweet. A blowout win, with Green playing poorly, was much more enjoyable than beating a short-handed Warriors team. Sometimes you thank God for unanswered prayers. Give the Thunder credit. With Chesapeake boiling like the Roman Coliseum on Gladiator Day, and a chance to announce a new NBA favorite, emotions could have run amok. That didn’t happen. The Thunder didn’t always play well, but generally played smart and always played hard, without getting caught up in the Green/Adams drama.”
Ben Golliver of SI.com: “There was a Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen vibe to the unrelenting, synchronized pressure applied by Westbrook and Durant, who combined for eight steals on a night when Curry and Green committed six turnovers each. Rather than wait back and let Curry and Green work their magic, the Thunder brought extra attention to the stars, turning the Warriors into a frantic mess. On most nights this season, Golden State has been able to keep the ball moving to beat defensive rotations and find quality looks; during their nightmare two-game stretch in Oklahoma City, the Warriors have managed to find seams only rarely, more often squeezing off contested jumpers or hurried runners at the first available opportunity.”
Anthony Slater: “The Thunder halfcourt offense had stalled. Another bad possession was unfolding, as Westbrook fumbled it to halfcourt and was forced to recover and rush up a constested, late-clock jumpshot. He missed. But then Steven Adams may have made the game’s most important play. Adams rose up and ripped down the offensive rebound while surronded by all five Warriors. Then he powered up for a putback and was smacked on the arm by Klay Thompson. It was Thompson’s fourth foul. Moments later, Kerr would be forced to put his scorching shooter on the bench. He never regained that fire, Adams nailed both free throws and the Thunder pulled away. It was a simple play from Adams, but a crucial one.”
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical: “Better won’t be good enough against this Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook monolith. Better will get them run out of Oracle in Game 5, run out of the season. The Thunder have been hungrier, sharper and constructed to force the Warriors to adapt to them. The Warriors have to be historic again, have to be one of the great teams in history to fight themselves out of this trouble, out of a 3-1 hole.”
