Durant caught the ball, turned to face the basket, and squared up for an isolation.
After a feint with a Shot Fake, he dribbled past his defender, then pulled up and faded away.
The shot was good for two.
With Curry out, Klay and KD had to shoulder heavier responsibilities and handle more of the ball.
The Thunder went on offense.
Westbrook dribbled upcourt and waited for Little Sabonis to set a screen. Then he accelerated straight into the paint, drawing Green's help defense before kicking the ball out to Little Sabonis.
Little Sabonis caught the ball, raised it high, took a step, and laid it in.
An easy two.
4–2.
That was the weakness of going small: their interior rim protection was shaky. Against a lineup like the Warriors', as long as they could draw Green's defense, Little Sabonis was unstoppable inside.
And if Green didn't come out to defend?
Come on, it was Westbrook! A one-time MVP and two-time Scoring Champion—he'd run them into the ground.
Back on offense, Durant again took charge.
He caught the ball high, found Green for a screen, and drew Gordon onto him.
He could just as easily attack Butler, but Gordon was clearly the easier matchup.
Why not save his energy where he could?
With Curry out, every bit of energy saved mattered, especially against a strong team like the Thunder. They had to make every possession count.
Facing Gordon, Durant went for his signature crossover. But this time, after just one change of direction, he sprang straight up for a pull-up jumper.
Bang!
The ball bounced off the rim.
He'd been confident, but his touch was off.
Westbrook leaped high to grab the rebound. As soon as he landed, he pushed the ball upcourt. Once he reached the frontcourt, he fired