7...

7…
Californication must be blearing in the speakers of the Golden State Warriors players leading up to game seven on Monday night. With an unbelievable performance in the 4th Quarter by their superstar backcourt and great defense on the other end by the entire team, the Warriors are aloud to hold seven fingers in the air and have smile on their faces. On the opposite end Oklahoma City seems deflated and a little agitated knowing they let two key opportunities to eliminate the defending champs and head to the NBA Finals and a redemption meeting with Lebron James.
Steph Curry and the 73-9 Warriors look like they are back to having fun and having a chip on their shoulders. Being a -3.5 underdogs in Game Six, Steve Kerr had the ability to preach to his team that “nobody truly believes in us” which is just the medicine that the two time MVP and his band of champions needed. Really I honestly think that nobody does believe in them even though that they have nothing left to prove. They beat Lebron in the finals last year, then came back and put together the best regular season in the history of the league. And if that hasn’t enough they didn’t miss a beat when the MVP Steph Curry went down with multiple injuries. Yes, it is concerning that “the best team ever” has to bring it all in a do or die Game Seven with a team that has been this year’s Cinderella Story even though the Thunder are the 3rd seed in the playoffs. But, Steph is most likely still has an ounce of rust on him from missing eighteen days in the middle of this playoff run—which means the team has some timing issues when they need to be crisp and on point. This is why the Warriors have the best record because of their natural talent is the best in the playoffs when you talk about the entire roster. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are superstars and this series has stapled their claim for that. Thompson single handedly kept the Warriors in the game until Steph Curry showed up. Thompson set a new playoff record with eleven threes’ in a game as well as his personal best scoring game with forty-one points. Steph did have the dagger with a lay-up JUST out of the reach of the out stretched hand of Serge Ibaka to give the 108-101 lead (which would be the final score).
Kevin Durant has to be having nightmares and sleepless nights losing two in a row and dropping the hammer on all of the Thunder nonbelievers as well as the defending champs. Russel Westbrook needs to find himself and help lead his team in a game seven that would mean everything to the Thunder Organization. Westbrook shot 37% from the field on twenty-seven shots which is not what he needs to do if the Thunder want to go to the Finals. Now yes, Westbrook has been dominate in this series and the ball needs to be in hands but he needs to be smart with the ball and not be the Westbrook of two or three years ago. Russel has grown into his own a lot during this run and if he continues the trend to win this ball game on Monday night. With that said Kevin Durant needs to be the same guy that dropped forty-one points on the defensive player of the year Kawhi Leonard in game seven. If Durant is aggressive and believes that nobody on the Warriors can guard him the Thunder will edge out the defending champs. If neither of that happens the Thunder will get steam rolled over by the defending champs and OKC will be watching the finals from their couches.
I also believe that the Thunder might have no confidence left after an eighteen point 4th quarter and a blown loss in Game Five back in Golden State. The Thunder shot twenty-six percent as a team in the fourth quarter turning the ball over six times. That is not going to happen and giving a team like the Warriors six extra opportunities is not an ideal way to hold on to a lead late. Oklahoma City is just mentally drained and not being in a tight spot like this might hinder their chances on continuing their season along with stapling their place in history. The Thunder have played four and half good games of basketball, falling to shattered pieces in the other two second halves. If Westbrook and Durant can just stick on the same page simplifying the game, it will come down to the hustle plays which Oklahoma City has dominated in this series. But the mental focus and fortitude needs to be there for the full forty minutes letting nothing derail them.
Game Seven Monday night 9PM EST on TNT!
Sources:(nba.com, thunder.com, bleacherreport.com)

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