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Back to back blow outs. An eye for an eye. Blow outs are not unusual in the playoffs and it was expected that the Thunder would make a statement at home after the game 2 drubbing. I expect game 4 to be much closer contingent on the status of Draymond Green. Its the playoffs, let them play.
One of the big moments in the game for me early on was around 1Q or so where OKC's bigs got 2 easy offensive put backs at the rim and then shortly thereafter contested a rebound that went out of bounds off of a GS player. The last one doesn't show up in the stats but was essentially another O-rebound.
Cheap points will kill you when you are playing elite competition.
P.S. Anyone wonder what GS might be willing to offer a good paint hogging rebounder in the off-season?
The issue with the 3 pointer is that you live by it and die by it. GS didn't shoot many 2's, because OKC was hitting the majority of their 2's and 3's as well. It's hard to work your way out of a deficit when your opponent is hitting inside and outside the arc, while you're struggling to make your shots inside and outside the arc. Everybody has poor shooting nights, but I mentioned this at work last week with a coworker, Dion Waiters is the ex factor of this series. When he's playing fairly good offense and defense, he's that piece that GS isn't prepared for. He's like JR Smith lite, when he's on, there's a good chance they're going to take home the victory.
Durant and Westbrook are going to get theirs, but when Dion Waiters scores double digits, and isn't having a 6-23 night, GS has a hard time beating them. I'm not a fan of Waiters, but he's been far from streaky in the 2016 playoffs so far. None of us expected this from Waiters with the stuff he was doing during the regular season, it was like him and Lance Stephenson were exchanging ideas with each other.
The '96 Bulls did get blew out by 21 in game 4 of the Finals. Granted, they only lost 1 game prior to the Finals and that was by 3 pts. The Bulls only lost 2 playoff games by 15+ in 6 championship seasons ('92 Cavs and '96 Sonics). I think '92 Cavs are the only team to blow them out before the Finals.
I still wouldn't be shocked if GSW comes back to win 3 in a row. The huge beat downs just don't seem to carry over.
I think the Bulls let that series stretch to 6 games in order to win at home. The beating they put on the Sonics in game 3 was kind of like a "we can come in your house and beat you just as bad" more than anything else, I think.
GSW was down 1-2 to Memphis and Cleveland last year and came back to run off 3 straight against both teams. I still don't think OKC has the depth or defense and I think the longer this series goes, the more that will be exposed.
To anyone without the Stars & Stripes in their eyes, it's obvious the Raptors not only have to beat the Cavs, they have to beat the NBA, ESPN and the referees.
With 1 minute to go in the first - no foul on a Cav.
In the 4th quarter of the last game - 1 foul on the Cavs.
Raptors can join the Thunder in that battle against the NBA, ESPN, & refs. Stinking Draymond Green can kick a guy in the groin twice & keep right on playing.
And yet, the Raptors are on top by a decent margin.
Raptors vs OKC in the finals?
That would be awesome.
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