Draymond Green Leads Warriors to Comeback Win in Game 3, 110-99

For all practical purposes these Western Conference Finals are over and the Golden State Warriors have advanced to their fifth straight NBA Finals with a 110-99 road win in Portland in Game 3 on Saturday night.

Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins did not play. Andre Iguodala only played 17 minutes in this game. This was the organic version of the Warriors which featured Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and a 2nd round draft pick from Michigan State named Draymond Green. Throw in an affordable bench which in this game scored 33 points and you still have a Warriors ball club which in all likelihood will beat Milwaukee or Toronto to complete their threepeat and hoist their fourth O’Brien Trophy in the last five years.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are still awaiting a return trip to the NBA Finals since their lone visit in 2012.

I heard Berry Tramel on the Sports Animal this week claim the championship window is still open in Oklahoma City for at least two more years. The only thing which could validate that comment would be the Warriors losing Draymond Green and Klay Thompson in free agency and around at least five other teams in the West losing key personnel.

What window is Berry Tramel alluding to? It was stunning to hear from the lone adult sports writer in the market. Jim Traber was on vacaction is all I can figure or else that never would have been allowed to go unchallenged. So.. I’m doing it for Traber on my rogue blog. Berry Tramel needs a vacation from the Thunder.


The real question is if the window in Oklahoma City has closed to winning a Northwest Division banner…the other goals beyond that goal are of a pipedream nature unless you see Russell Westbrook turning into Jason Kidd 2011 sometime in the next two years and someone coaching the team Westbrook would listen to when the games matter.

I don’t know what’s up with Tramel of late. It’s as if he’s writing soft content to make up for all the negative attention the Thunder received from those low class post game pressers between he and Westbrook. Quite frankly—he almost reads like something from a Nick Gallo piece of late. I hope it doesn’t continue. Be honest and allow the readers to get something honest from a local writer…Berry Tramel.

In this game, the Warriors fell behind by as many 18 points in the first half as Terry Stotts started Myers Leonard in place of Enes Kanter. And for a half it worked as the Blazers led 66-53 at the intermission break.

But then came the second half and it was a train wreck for Portland as the Warriors won the second half by a score of 57-33. In 24 minutes of play the Trailblazers scored 33 points in their most important second half of these playoffs…at home.

Draymond Green was superb with a clutch triple double of 20 points, 13 assists, and 12 assists Steph Curry was the NBA Finals MVP version with 36 points. Klay Thompson kicked in 19 points and the bench of no names assembled by Bob Myers were clutch with 33 points and quality minutes provided on the road in a high pressure situation.

Enes Kanter only played 7 minutes in this game so this was the adjustment Terry Stotts finally made and it wasn’t enough as even without Durant and Cousins the organic Warriors are still the best team in the NBA.

This ‘purported’ window which Sam Presti and now Berry Tramel claim still exists will have some miraculous work needing to be done if the Thunder in a sober state of mind think they belong in the same breath with a team which still has Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Green and Iguodala.

And even if the Warriors are hurt in free agency there’s still Houston, Denver, Portland, Utah, the Clippers, LeBron perhaps paired with another star, and what should be a vastly improved Dallas team– and who knows what Minnesota and Sacramento could turn into next season .

What window?

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