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Warriors vs. Thunder Game 2: Live stream and preview

By Carlos Murillo

May 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) passes the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter in game one of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Thunder defeated the Warriors 108-102. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
May 16, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) passes the basketball against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and guard Stephen Curry (30) during the third quarter in game one of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Thunder defeated the Warriors 108-102. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Golden State Warriors look to bounce back in Game 2 against the Thunder after a heartbreaking loss.

The Golden State Warriors are currently in uncharted territory in the Steve Kerr era.

After looking like they were on a completely different tier than the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors blew a double digit halftime lead and lost their home court advantage as OKC stole Game 1. The Warriors have fallen behind in series before under Kerr, trailing both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Cleveland Cavaliers 2-1 in last year’s playoffs. Dropping to 0-1, though, is completely new.

Draymond Green, who struggled to get into a rhythm, acknowledged that this is new for them also admitting that it’s “fun.”

Game 1 was a tale of two halves. The Warriors looked like a 73-9 team through the first two periods and they barely looked like a playoff team in the second.

Klay Thompson got off to a hot start in Game 1, helping the Warriors build a double digit lead. OKC’s Russell Westbrook was ineffective, continuing the trend of struggling against the Warriors that he’s started in previous years in the regular season. The Warriors gave both Westbrook and Kevin Durant different looks, contesting nearly every shot.

Stephen Curry couldn’t quite get going either in the superstar point guard matchup, but he hit a couple of late threes in the second half that had Oracle Arena buzzing, including an incredible buzzer-beater over Andre Roberson.

Then something switched for both teams in the locker room. Westbrook came out with purpose, scoring 19 points in the third quarter. The Warriors defensive intensity on the explosive guard hadn’t changed, but he did what stars do and just started hitting difficult shots.

Offensively, Golden State was stuck. They couldn’t get their shooters free, forcing a lot of ill-advised, contested jumpers. When they did get free looks at the rim, the Warriors struggled to finish those as well. Thunder coach Billy Donovan played with his defensive match-ups and rotations, switching Dion Waiters from Green to Curry at the right times. When the Warriors looked like they were starting to build momentum, they would take a bad shot or turn the ball over. The Warriors committed 11 turnovers in the second half, many of which were unforced.

Throughout the game, Donovan opted to go big, sending out a lineup that features a huge front court of Kevin Durant, Steven Adams, and Enes Kanter. With Andrew Bogut sidelined after a first half injury and Festus Ezeli looking lost, the Warriors had no chance on the glass. No Warrior big corralled a rebound in the second half.

The Warriors only scored 14 points in the fourth quarter as Durant knocked down a dagger with less than a minute remained. The offense just couldn’t get going as the ball stopped and they couldn’t get it into Curry’s hands.

The Warriors don’t want to go down 0-2, losing both games at home. The Thunder, on the other hand, have a chance to really take it to the defending champs. Expect another intense game.

Golden State Warriors                    Oklahoma City Thunder

Draymond Green – PF                      Serge Ibaka – PF

Harrison Barnes – SF                       Kevin Durant – SF

Andrew Bogut – C                              Steven Adams – C

Stephen Curry – PG                          Russell Westbrook – PG

Klay Thompson – SG                        Andre Roberson – SG

For those that want to catch the action on Monday night, the game can be seen nationally on TNT. It can also be viewed online via a live stream on the WatchESPN App. Here’s how to watch online.

Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Start Time: 6:00 p.m. PST

Location: Oakland, CA

Venue: Oracle Arena

TV Info: TNT

Live Stream: WatchESPN App

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