Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors: Postgame Grades for Warriors
In one of the most exciting games that will take place this season, the Golden State Warriors welcomed the Oklahoma City Thunder to Oracle Arena, but the Dubs were anything but pleasant hosts.
After OKC's Russell Westbrook nailed a three-pointer from the next county, Andre Iguodala hit a fadeaway jumper as time expired and the Warriors won a 116-115 thriller.
Oklahoma City made 11 of its first 13 shots, but Golden State was outstanding from the field, drilling 14 of 23 long-distance attempts on the night.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to connect on 10 of those 14 three-pointers, netting 49 total points. Meanwhile, David Lee hit the 20-point mark and the hero Iguodala added 14 more.
Most impressively, the Warriors racked up 26 assists and 12 steals to just seven turnovers.
Golden State improved to 6-3 and will take on the struggling Utah Jazz at Oracle Arena on Saturday night.
Point Guard: Stephen Curry
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Stephen Curry was an essential part of the Warriors' 62-point first half, controlling the point guard position with his shooting touch and nifty passing.
Curry dropped nine dimes, including a gorgeous left-handed entry pass to Andrew Bogut when the big man was cutting into the lane.
Though he started to go cold late, Curry finished the game with 22 points on 8-of-22 shooting, including 4-of-8 from the three-point line.
Grade: B+
Shooting Guard: Klay Thompson
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Klay Thompson burst out of the gates, drilling his first three trifecta attempts. In total, he connected on six long-distance shots throughout the night.
Thompson played decent defense as well, not falling for a pump fake and blocking Kevin Durant late in the second quarter. The 6'7" shooting guard spent most of his night on Russell Westbrook, though, and was occasionally torched by the Thunder's superstar guard.
Thompson's game ended with a team-high 27 points. He also grabbed five rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
His hot shooting kept the Warriors close during the first quarter, but Thompson helped lift Golden State past OKC by drilling a key jumper with less than a minute remaining.
Grade: B
Small Forward: Andre Iguodala
3 of 7Andre Iguodala was not acquired by Golden State during the offseason with the intention of being a late-game hero.
His main contribution was locking down OKC's top scorer, Kevin Durant. Iguodala held his fellow Team USA member to 5-of-13 shooting on the night. He also blocked Durant underneath the rim, adding to the superstar's rough night.
Best of all, Iguodala's buzzer-beater was flat-out clutch—and nothing but net.
He also dished a sweet alley-oop to Andrew Bogut, finishing with 14 points and nine assists.
Grade: A+
Power Forward: David Lee
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David Lee was not very active rebounding the ball, but he came up with a handful of well-timed buckets.
Lee scored 12 first-half points en route to tying a season-high with 10 field goals, scoring 20 points.
He did miss a few close-range shots, though, allowing the Thunder to creep back into the game as the fourth quarter progressed.
Lee's best play of the night came when he pump faked, fooled Serge Ibaka, drove to the rim and finished over Nick Collison. Ultimately, Lee made a killing near the rim all night long.
Grade: B+
Center: Andrew Bogut
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Andrew Bogut was overshadowed by the rest of his team, but the 7-footer played a solid game as well.
Bogut tallied six points, seven rebounds, two assists and a season-high three steals. Serge Ibaka worked him down low, though, as Ibaka finished the game with 27 points.
A few seconds before halftime, Bogut drew a technical on a frustrated Kevin Durant.
Curry made the ensuing free throw, and guess how many points Golden State won by?
Grade: B-
Sixth Man: Harrison Barnes
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Harrison Barnes ceded his starting spot to Iguodala, but I'm sure he doesn't mind right now.
As Golden State's sixth man, Barnes played 23 minutes and scored 16 points.
Barnes' highlight of the night came when he stole a pass, dished the ball, received a return pass, faked a left-handed layup—avoiding Russell Westbrook—and dropped the ball into the hoop with his right hand.
Later, Barnes took full advantage of a mismatch on Jeremy Lamb, dropstepped him and had an easy layup. Additionally, he nailed a pretty fadeaway over Westbrook for two of his 16 points.
Grade: A-
Bench
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Other than Barnes, the Warriors' bench collectively was not on the court often, combining for 34 minutes.
Marreese Speights drained an early three-pointer, and showed some physicality for his rebound. He also nabbed one steal during his seven minutes.
Draymond Green scored four points and grabbed three rebounds during 10 minutes on the court. Green also manned up on Durant, spelling Iguodala for the fourth quarter.
Used as a reserve center, Jermaine O'Neal saw the most action of the final three players. O'Neal made the most of his 17 minutes, finishing with four points, two rebounds, three steals and one block.
Grade: B-
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