Thunder vs. Warriors Preview: Will Draymond Ruling Fuel OKC?

Game 3’s 133-105 loss must have felt like a kick to the groin for the defending champs. Oklahoma City ran the Warriors off the floor in similar fashion to the way it routed San Antonio in Game 6 of the Western Semis.  

The Thunder is operating at full capacity with literally everyone on the roster providing something positive. Dion Waiters is playing disciplined. Andre Roberson is shooting well. Steven Adams and Enes Kanter can’t be kept off the boards and Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are just simply unstoppable.

OKC hopes that all those nice things roll over into Tuesday’s Game 4, where a desperate Warriors team will face perhaps the most hostile environment in Thunder history. Loud City will be out for blood following the NBA's ruling on Monday that Draymond Green will avoid suspension for his interpretive dance move that resulted in, well, you know.

The NBA released a statement that Green's penalty included an upgrade to a Flagrant 2 and a $25,000 fine, but no suspension.

The league is under fire for the decision after suspending Cleveland's Dahntay Jones for what many saw as a comparable act just a day earlier. But that's just not how the NBA, or life for that matter, works. The NBA is protecting it's star and it's TV ratings. The league also knows that if it had suspended Green, it would essentially be handing the series to Oklahoma City.

The NBA will have this game under a microscope, so don't expect any retaliation or funny business. What you should expect is for Golden State to hit some of the wide-open shots it clunked in Game 3.

Steph Curry and Klay Thompson shot a combined 5-of-19 from 3 on Sunday, while Harrison Barnes and Green combined to shoot 4-of-1 from the floor.

Oklahoma City turned those long misses into 29 fast-break points and 62 paint points, which helped fuel the blowout. The Thunder’s defense deserves credit, but odds are that the Dubs heat up a bit on Tuesday.

So what would a Game 4 win mean for the Thunder?

Oklahoma City would be just five wins away from what would be considered the most impressive postseason run in NBA history. The 140 regular-season wins between San Antonio and Golden State make the Thunder’s back-to-back playoff matchups the toughest combo ever. And if they get through that, it’s very likely that LeBron and the Cavs will be waiting. So if OKC does win it all, it’ll surely deserve it.

After three seasons that began with title-or-bust expectations and ended with injury-riddled postseason disappointment, the Thunder, playing like they are now, might just be poised to sneak up on the NBA’s previously-presumed elite and take the Larry O’Brien Trophy from right under their noses.