Golden State Warriors: Inside The Improbable Comeback vs OKC

The Golden State Warriors became just the 10th team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the playoffs; here’s how they did it

For the better part of the Western Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors have faced more adversity than they have had all season.

Down 3-1 against a Thunder team that was considered hungrier and more tenacious, Golden State found a way and came back to win three straight games to punch their ticket back to the NBA Finals.

In doing so, they become only the 10th team to ever come back from such a deficit in the playoffs. On a side note, this is also the third time that a defending champion has achieved such a feat.

So how did they do it?

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For one, the composure of Golden State played a huge factor. As discussed yesterday, the ability to continue playing team basketball when down and in the clutch would be the deciding factor in a close game.

The Golden State Warriors also had one of their most lethal weapons working in Game 7. The team made 17 three-pointers compared to the Thunder’s seven. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson alone combined for 13 of them.

As pointed out by ESPN, before this series no player has ever made more than 28 threes in a series. Curry had 32, and Thompson had 30 overall.

Early in the third quarter, it was the barrage from beyond the arc that helped to erase the lead that had been held by OKC.

The defensive presence of Andre Iguodala also changed the complexion of the game. Throughout the series, the Thunder had outplayed the “Lineup of Death” that featured Iguodala in the starting lineup. However, Game 7 saw a successful combined assault from the defending champions.

On the opposing side, Russell Westbrook saw a more subdued night (by his standards) in perhaps the most important game of his career. He had 19 points and 13 assists, proof that he was at least trying to do his part to get his teammates involved.

However, he shot poorly all night. He made only 7-21 from the field and only 2-6 from three-point range.

Kevin Durant had a fantastic game, finishing with 27 points that saw him shoot above 50 percent from the field and a perfect night from the free throw line.

Despite a resilient effort to cut the Warriors lead to four late in the fourth quarter, the Thunder lost cohesion and fell back into their “hero ball” habits. Most apparent, the failure to return to the pick and roll late in the game.

Ill advised shots and poor decision making from the Thunder allowed the Warriors to pull away down the stretch.

The future for the Thunder is now less certain than it was a week ago. The main question, how will losing in such fashion affect how Durant feels about re-signing with the team? A Finals appearance would have nearly guaranteed he is back in OKC next year, win or lose.

Despite this, most pundits believe KD will be back. Likely, Durant will sign a one-year deal with the team before signing a maximum five year deal the following season when the salary cap rises. The situation is not unlike the smaller deal LeBron James signed with the Cavaliers.

Speaking of which, the Warriors now head into the Finals on Thursday where they will once again face James and company. While the Warriors routed the Cavs in the regular season, the presence of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in a seven-game series this time around looks to make it a different a completely different ballgame.

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Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers is Thursday.

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