Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Mental Edge Will Define Game 7

After a spectacular series, will it be the Golden State Warriors or the Oklahoma City Thunder who have the necessary mental edge to win Game 7

It’s seemed as if something was off about Kevin Durant the entire night.

Oh, he led the Thunder in points in Game 6. That was no problem.

But his woes from the field were apparent early on. Even his two misses from the free throw line felt different than his other rare misses. As if somehow the moment was affecting the slightest of motions in his hands to keep the ball from going through the basket.

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On the other side, the composed Klay Thompson caught fire from three-point range like no one has before. Eleven made threes, an NBA post-season record, helped to get the Golden State Warriors back into the game and eventually return home with the victory.

With Game 7 on the line, the mental factor will be more important than ever.

After blowouts in four games, both teams have had their mettle tested in the last several days.

In Game 5, the Warriors outlasted OKC in the Oracle Arena to give them life in the series.

Game 6 was easily the most exciting game of the NBA season so far. While Durant struggled to make his impact on the game at times, Russell Westbrook took over to have another triple-double.

To illustrate how phenomenal Thompson’s night was, Stephen Curry finished with 31 points and one assist shy of his own triple-double and wasn’t the biggest star of the night.

As much as the stars stepped up, they have also been noticeable absent throughout the series.

En route to falling 3-1, several of the Warriors struggled. Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green all found themselves contained by the Thunder.

In Game 6, after remaining just ahead for the majority of four quarters, the Thunder were the ones to lose composure and dig themselves into a hole that they couldn’t get out of.

The fourth quarter saw Durant shoot a poorly set three-point shot, rushing it far more than he should have. For as composed as he often is, it seemed as if he panicked in his attempt to answer the Warriors run.

Westbrook found himself making errors as well, committing several turn-overs in the final minutes after having played a rather clean game through three quarters.

Going into Game 7, the question will be which team has the mental edge. Only nine teams in NBA history have ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series.

When looking back at the series, it was impossible to imagine the Thunder losing three games in a row after the way they were able to dominate Games 3 and 4.

That said, if the Warriors were to make the come-back as they have, it was impossible to believe they would lose a Game 7.

Finally, it will come down to which team is the more focused and keep composure through four quarters. After the dog-fight that these teams have had, it’s not going to be easy.