2016 Western Conference Finals: Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder

The 2016 Western Conference Finals has lots of importance in the NBA world. The Warriors were trying to repeat as NBA Champions and the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook looked to finally win a title. This series is often overlooked by the 2016 Finals, but this series was very competitive and drama-filled. And after the season was over, the outcome of this series would make way for one of the most controversial moves in NBA history.

Backstory: The Warriors had won the 2015 NBA Championship and now looked for their 2nd straight one. They had the greatest regular season ever with a 73-9 record and looked to reach their 2nd straight Finals appearance. With the unanimous MVP in Stephen Curry and the dream season, the Warriors seemed unbeatable. But, the Thunder and their dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were trying to reach the Finals again. They had been shadowed by great teams in the Western Conference and always came up short. Now they had a chance to dethrone the greatest team and set up a matchup with Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Game 1

The Warriors looked to start the Western Conference Finals the right way with a home win against the Thunder. The Warriors had not lost at home during the playoffs so far, and the Thunder looked to change that. The Warriors led early, leading 37-24 early in the 2nd quarter. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson ended the 1st half with a barrage of 3’s, including a buzzer-beating 3 from Steph Curry. The Warriors led 60-47 at halftime behind 19 points from Klay Thompson. But the Thunder were not going to go away quietly. Russell Westbrook had 19 points for the Thunder as they outscored the Warriors by 10, cutting the lead to 3 entering the 4th. The Thunder continued their momentum and led for most of the 4th quarter. The Thunder led 103-100 and the ball was given to Kevin Durant. Durant hit the pull-up jumper with 30.7 seconds left to give the Thunder a 105-100 lead. This gave the Thunder the dagger and the win, 108-102. Russell Westbrook had 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 12 assists with 7 steals for the Thunder. Kevin Durant struggled, shooting just 33% from the field but he had 26 points. Steph Curry had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists to lead the Warriors. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson both had over 20 points as well. The Thunder now took a 1-0 series lead, and they had stolen the home-court away from the Warriors. The Warriors suffered their first home loss of the season, and now their dream season was in jeopardy.
PG Battle
Russell Westbrook: 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 12 assists with 7 steals
Stephen Curry: 26 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists with 3 steals

Game 2

After a battle in Game 1, the Warriors needed a win to avoid being swept at home, and the Thunder tried to accomplish the impossible by beating the greatest team in both of their home games. But, the Warriors were focused. They led 27-20 at the end of the 1st quarter behind 11 points from Stephen Curry. The Warriors would lead 57-49 at halftime even with Kevin Durant leading the Thunder with 23 points. But the Warriors never looked back. Outscoring the Thunder by 19 in the 2nd half, the Warriors dismantled the Thunder and they blew them out, winning 118-91. Stephen Curry had 28 points to lead the Warriors, and Kevin Durant had 29 points and 6 rebounds. The Warriors won Game 2, making the series tied at 1-1. The Thunder were able to steal a game on the road, and now they had to lock down their own home-court as the series would shift back to Oklahoma City.

Game 3

As the series now shifted to Oklahoma City, the series was tied 1-1. The Warriors were poised to steal back home-court and the Thunder looked to get a firm grasp on the series. But like Game 2, this game was a blowout. In favor of the Thunder this time. The Thunder led 34-28 at the end of the 1st quarter behind 11 points from KD. The Thunder dismantled the Warriors in the 2nd quarter, outscoring them by 19. Kevin Durant had 23 points and 6 rebounds and Russell Westbrook added 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists. Steph Curry shot just 4/13 from the field and Klay Thompson shot 5/14. The Thunder again dominated in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Warriors 45-33. The 4th quarter was again dominated bu the Thunder as they cruised to a 133-105 victory. Kevin Durant had 33 points and 8 rebounds and Russell Westbrook had 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists. The Thunder dominated this game, and now they led 2-1 in the series. Game 4 would be a pivotal game for both teams.

Game 4

As the Thunder won Game 3, they took a 2-1 series advantage going into Game 4. The Warriors needed a win to stay alive in the series, and a win for the Thunder would almost certainly put the Warriors away. And just like Game 3, the Thunder dominated. The Thunder led 30-26 at the end of the 1st quarter, and it was still anybody’s game. But the Thunder again dominated in the 2nd quarter as they outscored the Warriors by 15. Russell Westbrook had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists at halftime. Once again, the Thunder did not look back as they cruised to a 118-94 victory. 6 players scored in double figures for the Thunder, led by Russell Westbrook who had 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Thunder now took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series as we went back to Oakland for Game 5.

Game 5

As the Thunder took a 3-1 series advantage, serious doubts were now in place about the Warriors. Was the greatest team we had ever seen not even make it to the Finals? The Warriors had their backs to the wall, and they needed to respond. Although the Warriors led by 9 in the 1st quarter, the Thunder were able to close the gap and trailed 25-21 at the end of the 1st. The Warriors started to turn up their offense as they scored 33 points in the 2nd quarter. They led 58-50 at halftime as Klay Thompson scored 16 points in the 1st half. Kevin Durant had 15 points for the Thunder. But the Thunder responded as they outscored the Warriors 27-23 in the 3rd quarter behind 11 points from KD. The Warriors led by 4 going into the 4th quarter, and they were going to have to battle with the Thunder if they wanted to stay in the series. But it appeared that the Warriors were going to walk away with an easy win as they led 101-88 with 6:25 left. But the Thunder were not going away. A 10-2 run made it a 5 point game, 103-98. But Stephen Curry responded with 5 points in the paint including an and one, and the Warriors were able to hold on and win 120-111. Even with Durant and Westbrook combining for 25 in the 4th, the Warriors held on to win. Stephen Curry had 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists with 5 steals for Golden State. Kevin Durant had 40 points and 7 rebounds for the Thunder. The Warriors survived Game 5 at home and now trailed 3-2 in the series as Game 6 would be back in Oklahoma City.
Superstar Matchup
Stephen Curry: 31 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists with 5 steals
Kevin Durant: 40 points and 7 rebounds

Game 6

As the Warriors took Game 5 at home, Game 6 of the series would be played at Oklahoma City. With the Thunder up 3-2, the home team had a prime chance to beat the dream team. But the Warriors were not going down without a fight. Game 6 would become an instant classic. The 1st quarter was close, and the Thunder led 23-20. The 2nd quarter was again close, and behind 16 points from Kevin Durant the Thunder led 53-48 at halftime. Klay Thompson also had 16 for Golden State in the first half. The 2nd half is where things would get interesting. The 3rd quarter was again close, with Stephen Curry scoring 14 points to lead the way for the Warriors. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook each had 9 points. The Thunder led by 8 going into the 4th quarter, 83-75. Then Klay Thompson happened. Thompson scored a 3 to start the Warriors off in the 4th. Then he hit another and another. After 3 Klay Thompson 3’s, the Warriors trailed 89-84. Then Thompson scored 5 points in a row, the Warriors trailed 96-92. Then Steph Curry hit two 3’s, and the Warriors had tied the game at 99. Now momentum was shifting for the Warriors. A Klay Thompson 3 would give the Warriors a 104-101 lead with 1:35 left in the 4th. The Warriors defense didn’t allow the Thunder to score for the final 2:22 of the 4th quarter, and the Warriors walked away with a 108-101 victory. Klay Thompson was the hero as he scored 19 points in the 4th quarter alone, including 5 3-pointers. Thompson had 41 points in total including 11 3’s, which is a record for most 3’s in a playoff game. Stephen Curry had 8 of his 31 points in the 4th quarter and he also had 10 rebounds and 9 assists. In the 4th quarter, the Thunder fell apart. Kevin Durant shot 1/7 from the field and Russell Westbrook shot just 2/7. Now that the Warriors had comeback and tied the series 3-3, Game 7 back in Oracle Arena seemed like an inevitable Warriors win as they had all the momentum. The Thunder’s Game 6 4th quarter lapse is one of the biggest chokes in recent playoff memory.
Splash Brothers
Klay Thompson: 41 points, 11/18 3-PT
Stephen Curry: 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists with 2 steals

Game 7

After the Thunder’s big choke in Game 6, all of their momentum had been stopped by the Warriors. Now it was Game 7 in Oracle Arena. The Thunder led 24-19 after the first quarter behind 7 points from KD. Steph Curry had 8 points for the Warriors. The 2nd quarter was again close and the Thunder managed to lead 48-42 at halftime. Steph Curry scored at the buzzer to close the deficit slightly. Russell Westbrook had 14 points to lead the Thunder. The Splash brothers had 25 points in the 1st half for Golden State. The 3rd quarter was the quarter where a team would blow the other one out in this series, and the Warriors did just that this quarter. The Warriors outscored the Thunder 29-12 in the 3rd behind 9 points from Steph Curry. The Warriors took a 71-60 lead going into the 4th quarter. But the Thunder responded with a 9-2 run to start the 4th quarter. But when the Warriors needed some big shots, they went to the MVP. Curry scored 15 points in the 4th quarter, including the dagger 3 with 26.8 seconds left that gave the Warriors the win. The Warriors hung on to win 96-88 despite a scare from the Thunder in the final minutes. Steph Curry had 36 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 7/12 from 3. Klay Thompson added 21 points and 5 rebounds for the Warriors. Kevin Durant had 27 points and 7 rebounds for the Thunder. The Warriors avoided being eliminated as they became just the 10th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a series.

After being put to the brink of elimination, the Warriors responded and came back from a 3-1 deficit. They would blow a 3-1 lead of their own in the Finals to Lebron James and the Cavs. But the repercussions from this Western Conference Finals series and the NBA Finals would be huge. Kevin Durant felt like he could not win while on the Thunder, and signed with the Warriors. The Warriors who were 73-9 without him, and were one game away from being back-to-back champions added a MVP and one of the best players in the league. Durant received so much hate for the move, but it ended up being 2 championships for Durant and the Warriors.

Where does this series rank on your list? What do you think would have happened if KD never left OKC? Leave all of your comments down below.

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