| Advertisement |
Saturday's Game 6 of the Western Conference finals has the feel of a must-win game for both teams. For the Golden State Warriors, who staved off elimination by winning Game 5 at home on Thursday, Saturday's game in Oklahoma City is literally a must-win contest, because they trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. A loss would put a major stain on their record-breaking season in which they went 73-9 during the regular season.
Advertisement
But the Oklahoma City Thunder also must consider Saturday's game pivotal because they don't want to face the Warriors in a decisive Game 7 in Oakland on Monday.
The Thunder did take Game 1 in Oakland, but the Warriors lost only two games at home during the regular season, and are 8-1 at home in the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have blown out the Warriors in the two games in Oklahoma City, winning by margins of 28 and 24 points.
"Oh, we know we're going back home," Durant said after scoring 40 points, one shy of his career playoff high, in Thursday's loss. "But we can't relax. We've got to keep our foot on the gas, and we've got to play much better. I thought we played extremely hard tonight.
"They didn't outplay us; they didn't outwork us. I thought both teams were in a slugfest tonight. So we've got to bring that energy back home. It was a matter of us making a few shots and playing a little more solid defense on them. We'll see what happens."
Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook added 31 points in Game 5 and is averaging 28.0 points in the series compared to 25.6 points for his point-guard counterpart, two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry.
Curry averaged just 21.5 points in the first two games in Oklahoma City but had his best game of the series Thursday in Oakland, when he collected 31 points. He also had five steals, prompting one reporter to ask Durant and Westbrook afterward whether Curry's defense is underrated.
Westbrook laughed and covered his face, leaving Durant to answer.
"He's pretty good, but he doesn't guard the other best point guards," Durant said. "I think they do a good job of putting a couple of guys on Russell from (Klay) Thompson to (Andre) Iguodala, and Steph, they throw him in there sometimes. He moves his feet pretty well. He's good with his hands.
"But, you know, I like our matchup with him guarding Russ."
Curry wasn't the only Warriors player who performed better on Thursday as center Andrew Bogut and forward Draymond Green both improved on their previous showing.
Bogut had 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds and two blocks, while Green had 11 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and just two turnovers.
"I was better tonight. I still didn't do all the things I'm capable of doing," Green said. "Shots, sometimes you can't control that. The one thing I can control is the way I go out there and fight and battle. That was my mindset tonight. I was coming to a fight."
The Warriors must find a way to break through in Oklahoma City or their record-breaking season may be deemed a failure.
