Game 1: Sonics Waste the Warriors
The Sonics hit the ground running in the Western Conference Finals opener, with an incredible 124-96 win over the Warriors.
Despite having a relatively innocuous playoff campaign up until this game, Andrew Nicholson was on fire against one of the league’s premier defenders, Draymond Green. Nicholson tallied 35 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. He worked in tandem with Patrick Mills, who also had an amazing game, with 31 points, 12 assists and 5 steals. Mills pushed the tempo the entire game against the reigning Finals MVP, and managed to get Dion Waiters (18 points) and Otto Porter (10 points, 7 rebounds) involved on the offensive end as well.
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry had an amazing game on a losing team. Chef flirted with a quadruple-double, as he tallied 29 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 steals on the night. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both contributed 21 points each, while Joffrey Lauvergne had his moments with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Even though the Warriors had great contributions from their stars, the biggest factor of the night was the Sonics’ ability to shut down Draymond Green. With Andrew Nicholson forcing the issue, Green only played for 29 minutes, before being fouled out of the game with 8 points and 7 rebounds.
Game 2: Sonics Hold on in Bay Area, Go Ahead 2-0
The Sonics managed to survive a 4th quarter run by the Warriors to win 112-105 in Game 2.
Andrew Nicholson (23 points, 8 rebounds) and Patrick Mills (18 points, 10 assists) both had big games once again for the Sonics, which helped overcome a poor shooting performance by Otto Porter, who scored his 16 points from 5-16 shooting. The Sonics also got great help from their bench, with Luc Mbah a Moute (15 points, 3 rebounds) and Dion Waiters (14 points, 5 assists, 3 steals) both chipping in.
The Warriors 4th quarter comeback was led by Kevin Durant, who filled up the stat sheet with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Joffrey Lauvergne and Stephen Curry both scored 20 points each, while Draymond Green (12 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block) found his groove after a subpar first game. Klay Thompson also scored in double figures, tallying 11 points on the night, but the Warriors were unable to completely erase their 13-point deficit.
Game 3: Warriors Surge Past Sonics
The Warriors registered their first win of the series, with their 117-110 victory in Game 3. The Sonics looked on track to pick up a 3-0 lead, with a commanding lead at the end of the first half. However, the Warriors went on an overwhelming run in the second half, and ended up winning the backend of the game 64-43.
Both members of the Splash Brothers were at their lethal best, as Curry and Thompson led the team with 27 points each. They were backed up by Kevin Durant, who had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Draymond Green and Joffrey Lauvergne also provided key contributions, scoring 15 points each.
The Sonics had 7 players in double figures, with Patrick Mills (20 points, 10 assists) leading the list. Luc Mbah a Moute (16 points) and Andrew Bogut (15 points, 6 rebounds) both stepped up their games on offence, while Otto Porter was slightly down on his season average, scoring only 14 points. Arron Afflalo and Andrew Nicholson both chipped in with 13 points each, and Dion Waiters also reached double figures with 11 points.
Game 4: Warriors Hold On Without Curry, Even Series
The Warriors picked up a dramatic 115-111 win against the Sonics, even though Stephen Curry was fouled out early in the 4th. Despite Curry’s 22 points and 10 assists, he was troubled by Shaun Livingston most of the night, and ended up picking up his 5th foul during the 3rd quarter. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the Warriors’ period of dominance, they are more than a one-person team.
Kevin Durant stepped up brilliantly for the defending champions, tallying 30 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Draymond Green also had one of his better nights on the series, as he scored 17 points. However, one of the biggest talking points from the game was the performance of Andrew Goudelock. With Curry fouled out of the game, the Warriors combo guard scored 14 points off 4-5 from the field, including the decisive bucket that put the road team ahead by two possessions in the 4th. Goudelock managed to outshine Klay Thompson and Joffrey Lauvergne, who scored 13 and 12 respectively.
For the Sonics, Shaun Livingston was the player that played the biggest role in the game. While he had 28 points and 6 assists, Livingston’s biggest role was being a matchup nightmare for Stephen Curry. Andrew Nicholson (17 points, 8 rebounds) also had another impressive performance against the Warriors, while Patrick Mills and Otto Porter scored 13 points each. Along with the usual contributors on offence, Andrew Bogut (11 points, 12 rebounds) and Boban Marjanovic (10 points, 7 rebounds) also played more significant roles in putting the ball in the basket.
Series tied at 2-2