Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

WCF 2016: Thunder-Warriors Game 4 Preview

By Ali Ahmed

May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) point before the game against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 22, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) point before the game against the Golden State Warriors in game three of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Key Stats via NBA.com:

Oklahoma City Thunder – OffRtg (110.4, 3rd), DefRtg (102.9, 8th), Pace (97.1, 6th)

Golden State Warriors – OffRtg (111.5, 2nd), DefRtg (100.4, 5th), Pace (101.85, 1st)

I`m staring at my keyboard unsure of what to write about tonight`s monumental Game 4 tilt between the Warriors and Thunder. A lot of it has to do with the fact that OKC is up 2-1 against a historic Warriors team, which only lost 9 games all year, and is doing it in somewhat dominant fashion. The same OKC team, which you assumed would wilt to the pressure after the Warriors clobbered them in Game 2, came back with one of their more complete games of the year to set themselves up perfectly for a potentially lethal Game 4 victory.

So here we stand, just two victories away from a trip back to the NBA finals, a bus which this team has failed to catch since 2012. But this series is far from over. The Golden State Warriors know they face a disastrous road back to a June affair if they find themselves down 3-1 to this rapidly evolving Thunder team. It’s only Game 4, but I can assure you that we’ll have a clearer picture on the both of these teams once the final buzzer sounds tonight.

Focal Points For OKC Tonight:

Maintain Defensive Intensity – OKC came out in Game 1 and worked their butts off on defense with great rotations, rebounding, and a strong effort in disrupting Golden State’s relentless screen plays. Game 2 was an absolute nightmare because simply put, OKC did nothing right. When they recalibrated their gameplan for a dominant Game 3 win, the answer was in sight and it was plain as day.

The Thunder’s high intensity defense is like eggs to a cake batter. Without it you’ll get steamrolled no matter what type of offensive production you get from Russ and KD. Keep shuffling those legs, make correct rotations, and PLEASE do not sag off anyone with ‘Curry’ or ‘Thompson’ lettered on their back. The rebound battle, second chance points, and fouls will all be keys for whoever comes out on top tonight, but the Thunder have proven that they can win in these areas.

Kevin Durant Must Remain Aggressive –  I could tell just 5 minutes into Game 3 that Durant came out of the tunnel with the intention of laying as much hurt on his defender as possible. It was the type of KD effort we’ve all wanted to see consistently and man did it come at a critical time. He was slashing, making hard cuts, and basically wasting no time when he had his defender in an advantageous position.

The Warriors famed ‘roaming’ defense wants KD to wait and think out his options so that they can trap or rotate to him. In Game 3, though, Durant gave them no time to get set, eliminating the extra dribbling and playing with urgency and pace.

Serge Ibaka Has To Make His Mark – In OKC’s 4 losses this postseason, the one recurring negative in those games has been the play of Ibaka. Sure, his game is not what we’ve all wanted in terms of post play and paint attack, but Ibaka has too much skill on both sides of the floor to be a non factor in the playoffs. The truth is in the stats as well, with Serge averaging more rebounds (6.2), blocks (1.2), and a staggering increase in his plus-minus (15.8) in wins versus a weak -8.5 in losses.

The Thunder will need him to continue to look for his shot, but more importantly, anchor a defense which should go up against a more focused, dangerous Warriors squad up against the wall.

Can We Ask For More Crazy, Russ? – I know, how can I possibly ask for more from Russ after the Goliath efforts he’s given us in Games 1 and 3? I have to be selfish and ask for more tonight. Up 2-1 against a tough opponent with a chance to take a stranglehold on the series heading to Oracle Arena is a monstrous opportunity. The Thunder had a staggering 29 fastbreak points and essentially ran the Warriors out of the arena in Game 3, mostly due to the frenetic and crazy pace Russ was playing at.

When Westbrook is dialed in on defense AND giving you hell in transition, you’re cooked. I expect him to come out aggressive with a balance of scoring and facilitating, but it is that little extra something that we’ll need from Russ tonight to truly walk out of Chesapeake Energy Arena with game changing series lead.

Next: Maturation Key To OKC Success

Betting Lines: Thunder +1.5, Warriors -1.5 / Over-Under: 222

TV/Radio: TNT, WWLS 98.1FM OKC

Home/Thunder News