OAKLAND, Calif. -- Even when the clock showed all zeroes and the final score read 108-102, it still didn't seem like the Oklahoma City Thunder actually walked into Oracle Arena and took Game 1 of the Western Conference finals from the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors led for much of the game, including by as many as 14, but the Thunder stayed in it just enough to merit a belief that Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook could win it for them.
And it was Durant, who went 2-of-11 in the fourth quarter and had missed five consecutive shots before rocking Andre Iguodala and drilling a 15-footer to put the Thunder up five with 30.1 seconds left. It wasn't a vintage, prototypical Durant performance -- 26 points on 10-of-30 shooting -- but it was in one regard: When the Thunder needed a bucket, Durant got it for them.
Durant and Westbrook are the backbone of the Thunder, with everything riding or dying on how they perform. But again, as has been the case for much of this postseason, Steven Adams was large -- literally and metaphorically -- with 16 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes. His interior defense and physicality has taken the Thunder to another level, but on Monday, he canned six straight free throws, including two clutch ones with a minute left to put OKC up three.
What's stunning about the way the Thunder took this game is that it feels like they didn't even play that well. They missed 10 free throws. Durant and Westbrook shot a combined 17-of-51. But riding a suddenly ferocious defense, they took away the Warriors' half-court offense and baited them into hurried, contested 3s. When those shots are dropping, the Warriors are relentless, and unbeatable. When they're not, they're vulnerable.
"Lot of quick shots," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Way too many quick shots."
What sparked the Thunder was a second-half eruption from Westbrook. The fiery Thunder guard had only three points on 1-of-8 shooting in the first half, but had 24 of his 27 in the second. Saying Westbrook was in "attack mode" is an insult to the definition, because his determination was on full display. He harassed Stephen Curry as much as one can hope to, and his gambling paid off with seven steals. He didn't neglect his playmaking, racking up 12 assists, and really sparked the Thunder offense in a variety of ways.
Where the Thunder made up the most ground might be simplified by two numbers: 10 and 2. In the first half, the Thunder turned the ball over 10 times, many unforced and silly. In the second, they had just two giveaways.
Turnovers have been an area of concern all season and in some cases OKC has won in spite of them, but removing offensive possessions from the Thunder does two bad things for them: (1) it takes away a chance for Durant or Westbrook or one of their other very good offensive players to attempt a shot and (2) it removes the opportunity for the best rebounding team in basketball to get it back should they miss.
The Thunder have now won three straight road playoff games, which includes back-to-back wins in San Antonio and now one at the vaunted Oracle. Every team on the road to begin a series is looking for a split, just trying to get that elusive one. The Thunder have that. And now they can hunt for more.