Thunder Crush Warriors 118-94 In Game 4 To Push Golden State Closer To Elimination

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Golden State Warriors for the second straight time with a 118-94 home victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night to gain a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals and push the defending NBA champions closer to the brink of elimination.

Thunder Crush Warriors 118-94 In Game 4 To Push Golden State Closer To Elimination

The Thunder jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and for the second consecutive game had 72 points by halftime, when the score marked 72-53. Klay Thompson attempted to bring the Warriors back into the game in the third quarter by scoring 19 points in just a few minutes, but Golden State was unable to come back. Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points. Before Game 4, the Warriors were 12-0 in bounce-back games this season.

Russell Westbrook helped lead the way for Oklahoma City, and earned his fifth career post-season triple-double, as well as 36 points (on 12-of-27 shooting), 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Kevin Durant chipped in 26 points and 11 rebounds.

“He just plays with incredible passion,” Thunder Coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook. “He’s got such great force and great will, and he’s also a really, really high basketball I.Q. player.”

Shooting guard Andre Roberson, whom the Warriors have struggled to guard, scored a career-high 17 points and added 12 rebounds for the Thunder. Serge Ibaka also finished with 17 points, 15 of which came in the first half. Oklahoma City finished the first half on a 28-13 run, all while becoming the first team to score at least 72 points in a half during a playoff game since 1987 (the Los Angeles Lakers did it against the Denver Nuggets on April 23 and April 25).

On Golden State’s side, two of their strongest players, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, both struggled. Curry had 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting and six turnovers, while Green scored six points 1-of-7 shooting and had two assists, 11 rebounds and six turnovers in 38 minutes. Curray missed 10 of his first 11 shots. In the last two games, Green is a combined minus-73. Green kicked Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin in Game 3 on Sunday and received no suspension for it, a story that has been all the talk for the last three days.

The Thunder also out-rebounded the Warriors 56-40.

This was the first time this season that Golden State lost consecutive games. The Warriors must win Game 5 on Thursday at Oracle Arena in Oakland in order to remain in the playoffs.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MAY 24: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors in the second half in game four of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 24, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Article by Pablo Mena