Warriors vs. Thunder: Game 4 Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 NBA Playoffs

The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled within one win of knocking off the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors with a dominant 118-94 victory on Tuesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Oklahoma City is now up 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals against its record-setting 73-win adversary.

The hosts picked up where they left off from a 133-105 romp in Game 3 on Sunday, racing to a 22-8 lead thanks to a 16-0 first-quarter run. Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, not typically known for his long-range shooting prowess, capped that sequence with a three:

Though Golden State cut into that lead briefly, OKC overwhelmed the Warriors in the opening half en route to a 72-53 lead at the break. Westbrook—who finished with 36 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists—even answered a Stephen Curry three with one of his own for the final points of the second quarter.

As BasketballInsiders.com's Tommy Beer noted, Westbrook's 30-point triple-double was the first of its kind in the Western Conference Finals since Charles Barkley's in 1993.

Per the Oklahoman's Anthony Slater, Oklahoma City became the first team since the 1987 Los Angeles Lakers to score 72 or more points in the first half in consecutive playoff games.

The Thunder defense was also impressive as it complemented the offense's fireworks. Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News detailed how Oklahoma City neutralized the explosive Warriors:

Westbrook had 21 points and nine assists in the first half alone, while Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka chipped in 18 and 15 points, respectively, through two quarters.

CBS Sports reacted to Westbrook's impressive performance:

Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell dropped in with some analysis:

Marc Stein of ESPN noted how good the Thunder looked against a historically good opponent:

Curry missed 14 of his 20 shots from the field for the visitors, which contributed to their perpetual deficit, and Draymond Green continued to struggle with a minus-28 rating in the first half and a minus-30 rating overall.

At halftime, ESPN highlighted how much Golden State has struggled lately with Green on the court:

Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver provided details on Green after he left the court for good:

At this rate, Green's postseason will be remembered more for a crotch kick than the brilliance he showed throughout the regular season. He and Curry contributed six turnovers apiece to the team's 21 giveaways.

In the third quarter, Klay Thompson caught fire to bring the Dubs back from the brink of oblivion. He scored 19 straight points in a magnificent display and finished with a team-high 26. OKC made only one of 12 shots to start the third but led by 10 when Westbrook ended that stretch with 6:27 on the clock.

ESPN's Arash Markazi summarized Thompson's tear:

Thompson's final points in his run cut Golden State's deficit to six with 4:48 to play in the third, but it got no closer.

Ramona Shelburne of ESPN pointed out why the Warriors looked so out of rhythm:

Below are some of the best Twitter reactions to Tuesday's outcome:

Now, Golden State has a nearly impossible task to complete.

Only nine teams have recovered from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA playoffs. If any squad can do it, one would have to like these Warriors' chances, but the Thunder appear to be peaking at the perfect time.

Before Tuesday, Golden State hadn't lost back-to-back contests all year. If they avoid a third straight defeat, the Warriors will have to return to Oklahoma City to try to force a Game 7.

Based on how lopsided Games 3 and 4 were, the forecast doesn't look promising—even if Golden State staves off elimination in Game 5 at home Thursday.

Postgame Reaction

Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said Westbrook set the tone for his victorious squad, per NBA TV:

Donovan also praised one of the chief beneficiaries of Westbrook's facilitating brilliance, Andre Roberson, who had 17 points—after averaging just 4.8 per game in the regular season—to go with 12 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and five steals.

"It's funny because after Game 2, people are saying, 'Is this guy even going to play anymore?'" Donovan said, per ESPN.com's Royce Young.

The coach also cited his team's overall effort, particularly on the defensive end.

"I'm proud of the way the guys hung in there. We kept battling and fighting. We defended as hard as we could for 48 minutes," Donovan said, per the Thunder's official Twitter account.

Westbrook said playing opposite Curry didn't provide any additional motivation, per Young: "I play every game like it's my last regardless of who's in front of me."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said his team just got beat in Game 4.

"This team is outplaying us right now, and we have to come up with some answers. It's a simple as that," he said, per the Warriors' official Twitter account.

Kerr added: "We all have to bounce back. The good news is we go home. We're pretty good at home. The idea now is to go home and get one win."

Green acknowledged he didn't play to his abilities, per Stein: "This is the first time in my life I didn't respond to critics."