Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors: Breaking Down the Game

Tonight the Oklahoma City were tested once again against a team that, on paper, isn't as good as they are. The Warriors came into the Thunder Dome five games under .500 and have only been able to win nine games on the road. However, they were able to give the Thunder a run for their money tonight for many different reasons.

The most obvious reason, and the one that probably made every single Thunder fan yell at their TV, was when Daequan Cook threw the ball away with around six-seconds remaining and Monta Ellis drilled a game-tying three pointer. It was a bad decision, but I can understand why he made the play he did.

By throwing the ball over Kevin Durant's shoulder he was able to keep the ball away from Stephen Curry, who was completely in the zone tonight. Unfortunately, Ellis has Flash like speed and was able to track the ball down and hit that huge shot. I'm sure a lot of people are going to disagree with me, but I would've kept Cook in the game after that to show to him and the world that coach Scottie Brooks still has faith in his one true three point marksman.

That said, you can't put all the blame on Cook because someone else on the Thunder also had a terrible game in most ways. Russell Westbrook was forced into way too many turnovers, and while he made up for it a little with 15 points, eight boards, and nine assists, you simply can't play like that against the better teams of the West or the Thunder are going to find themselves losing quickly in the play-offs.

The rest of the starting line-up played amazingly well. Durant dropped 39 points to outshine Stephen Curry's flurry of three pointers. Serge Ibaka had 19 points, eight boards, and three blocks. It's great to see him step up and score so many points, especially when Westbrook was struggling from the field. I think we'd be getting a little ahead of ourselves to expect him to score at that rate on a daily basis, but he should be able to get at least 15 points a game for the foreseeable future.

Rounding out the starters, Kendrick Perkins had 13 boards and some nasty defense. His mean streak is exactly what the Thunder were missing and if he can continue to stay healthy he makes OKC a legitimate championship contender.

With Westbrook having a terrible shooting night it was up to the bench to pick up the slack, which they did in spades. They picked up 31 total points and James Harden was the high man with 14. I've been thinking it for along time and I'm finally going to come out and say it. The Thunder's bench has quickly become one of the top five squads in the League and could be argued as the best. I still give the edge to the Lakers just because they can bring out a Lamar Odom, but the Thunder are right there.

On Golden State's side of the ball I continue to be amazed with Steph Curry. I was one of the folks who said he wouldn't make it in the NBA, but, after watching him play in OKC twice, I'll happily eat my crow. The man can get his shot off against almost anybody and he's become a very respectable passer. Now, his defense needs a lot of work and he could still stand to gain some more true point guard skills, but I would love to have him come off the bench for my team. He reminds of a young Jason Terry because he's instant offense and can score in bunches.

The other guy you have to be impressed with is David Lee. He was a double-double machine in New York and he has continued that for the Warriors. He was able to get 24 points and 15 boards tonight and had to contend with the likes of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins; along withe the Thunder's great wing rebounders. It amazes me even more that he was able to do that much damage when the Thunder obviously weren't scared of Epke Udoh.

In the end Cook's mishap and Westbrook's turnovers didn't matter much as the Thunder still were able to pull out a close win. However, they can't expect to play at this level during the play-offs or they'll get bounced quickly. Every day the addition of Perkins is looking better and better and I, for one, can't wait to see how he helps the Thunder in the playoffs.