Oklahoma City Thunder Really Are Golden State Warriors' Kryptonite

The Oklahoma City Thunder were built to give the Golden State Warriors trouble. After torching them 108-91 in their first matchup of the season Nov. 22, they came ready to play once again Tuesday night, this time taking down their Western Conference foes at Oracle Arena, 125-105.

"Well, they're very good defensively," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the loss. "They've taken it to us twice. I don't have much more for you."

Without Carmelo Anthony, who left with an ankle sprain after playing just six minutes, the Thunder still had their way. Russell Westbrook exploded for 21 first-quarter points and finished with 34 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Paul George put them over the top with 38 points and a masterful defensive performance on everyone from Klay Thompson to Kevin Durant to Stephen Curry. 

After years of a top-heavy roster, this might have been the deepest Thunder team yet. But when stud defender Andre Roberson went down for the season with a torn patellar tendon Jan. 27, they were hit hard. Losing another ace to throw at the likes of Curry, Durant or Thompson shortened their depth and deeply cut into their defensive ceiling. 

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

And yet, the Thunder represent everything Golden State struggles to handle. The Warriors revolutionized the game with their small, homogenous lineup of lengthy wings and five skilled players. They got away with it because skill was greater than size—if size didn't have the skill to take advantage. But the Thunder are calling their bluff.

"They're very athletic, so the stuff that we run, they just did a good job of clogging the paint up, getting out on shooters, getting their hands in the passing lanes," Durant told reporters. "So when that starts to happen, I think we just need to be aggressive to the rim, start to drive and kick. But I think tonight we just threw the ball into the crowd, dribbled into the crowd, so we just need calm down a little bit and settle in. Good learning experience."

The Thunder are known most for the explosive offense associated with their star-powered Big Three, plus burly New Zealander Steven Adams. But the Thunder defense can give anyone problems.

OKC is in the top five in defensive rating and leads the league in deflections and loose balls recovered, two of NBA.com's hustle stats. The Thunder are also the league's best on the offensive glass—as well as in steals—and are in the top 10 in blocked shots.

And they're an especially tough matchup for the Warriors.

"Against this team specifically, we have to understand how to counteract their length and athleticism around the court," Curry pointed out. "We know, when we drop baseline, they have guys that rotate over with high hands and we can't turn the ball over."

Kerr reiterated the sentiment but seemed more concerned with the way the Warriors were playing than how the Thunder were making them play.

"They're a very good defensive team. We know that," a dejected Kerr told reporters. "They've got a lot of size and length, and if you try to go through them one-on-one, you're not going to have a lot of success, and it seemed like that's what we were trying to do." 

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

That may be, but the Thunder defense deserves credit for forcing the Warriors into this lackluster performance. That was exactly their goal.

Westbrook might headline the show, but no Thunder player has been a more impactful two-way presence than George. He's a lockdown defender and a monumental help to the reigning MVP as a secondary shot creator.

The 7'0", 255-pound Adams is a powerhouse. He's too big for anyone in the league, let alone the small-ball Warriors. He made his rim-rolling presence in pick-and-roll situations felt as early as the first play Tuesday night. He's mobile enough to stick with some guards on perimeter switches, which means OKC doesn't lose anything against smaller teams. It forces opponents to play Thunder basketball instead of OKC's having to shape-shift every night to match its opponent.

After taking the first month or so of the season to figure out how to adapt to having two new ball-dominant players in his system, Westbrook is looking like himself, averaging 28.0 points, 10.8 assists and 9.4 rebounds per game over his last 20 games.

Still, the Thunder will probably have to add a piece or two at the trade deadline to make up for lost depth and perimeter defense without Roberson. They've been connected to Avery Bradley, who despite his stellar defensive reputation, is not having a season to write home about. Tony Allen is probably not the answer either. There's been speculation regarding Oklahoma City's interest in Chicago's Justin Holiday, Utah's Rodney Hood, New York's Courtney Lee and Boston's Marcus Smart, but they may command as much as a first-round pick and matching salary.

General manager Sam Presti has never been shy about adding pieces at the deadline, and if the Thunder can get an impact role player, the Warriors and rest of the league need to be on notice.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.