Thunder Collapse in Game 6 Ending Nightmare

Golden State Warriors 108 — Oklahoma City Thunder 101

Series tied at 3-3, Game 7 Monday night in Oakland

Of all the things I’ve witnessed in my eight years of watching the Thunder this easily qualifies as the most painful. In a game which literally meant everything the Thunder came completely unraveled in the game’s final five minutes….and the two culprits were Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

OKC led 96-89 with around five minutes left in what up to that point had been about what we expected. OKC building a double digit lead at times, but the Warriors hanging around because Klay Thompson scored 41 points while Steph Curry did his thing as well.

But then came the last five minutes of horror as OKC turned the ball over on six of their last eight possessions with Durant and Westbrook committing the turnovers.

It was so bad it was painful to watch. Worse than anything we’d seen from the Thunder this regular season when they led the entire league in blown fourth quarter leads. This made me think of some of those Thunder losses back in 2008 when Durant and Westbrook were just kids struggling through a 23-59 learning season. But this was for the Western Conference Championship with basically everything on the line…eight years later.

You have to tell it like it is…Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook wilted and went away into the night in a game which might historically define both the Warriors and the Thunder simultaneously, but in completely different lights.

When it came down to it, both Klay Thompson and Steph Curry made game winning plays down the stretch to carry their team.  At the end, both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook couldn’t  hang onto to the ball long enough to get a shot off… let alone make clutch shots.

It got to the point it was so incredibly bad it went from painful to watch to cruel and unusual punishment for every Thunder fan in the building…. and I’m trying to be nice writing this because in no way do I want to be writing this.

Like most Thunder fans my heart is broken, not because the Thunder lost, but more to the point how they lost.

Golden State won the fourth quarter 33-18 and unless we’re all shocked on Monday night this series is over. OKC was all in on this game emotionally. It would be shocking to me if they had enough left to pull off a Game 7 miracle after what we all just witnessed.

But maybe we’ll be surprised.

The very sad part is the other pieces fell into place. OKC got to the free throw line 32 times,  but only made 22 of their attempts. That was big. OKC’s role players minus Dion Waiters, all played fairly well. Ibaka, Roberson, Adams, and Kanter were good enough for the Thunder to win this game, but even before the onslaught of late game turnovers, Durant and Westbrook only shot a combined 20-58 from the field.

The Thunder won the rebounding battle, but for the first time in this series that stat didn’t equate with a win.

Klay Thompson and Steph Curry made shots and plays when their team had to have them.  Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook didn’t.

I honestly don’t know how Durant and Westbrook react after a performance this bad on the biggest stage with the brightest lights shining. I don’t know if they have the will to summon up a performance to make Game 7 even a plausible hope for the Thunder.

It hurts writing all of this as a Thunder fan. None of this is pleasant or fun.

But give the Warriors credit they played with mental toughness and composure when it mattered most.

The Thunder didn’t and if they lose this series on Monday night this Game 6 ending will be what defines Durant, Westbrook, and the Thunder for the basketball ages.

 

Mike Jackson

 

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