The Golden State Warriors did the unthinkable four years ago when they came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. When everything looked decided for the Thunder, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and co. told otherwise, stealing the series in the last game.
Draymond recently explained the moves Steve Kerr did to try to turn things around during that series, explaining the rather let Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant dominate so they can attack their supporting cast, which they did and ended with the Warriors winning that series dramatically.
“In 2016 we got OKC and we were down 3-1 and we kind of switch up matchups back to normal and pretty much say, ‘alright, as opposed to trying to make everybody else beat us and try to take Kevin and Russ away -because everybody else was beating us-, let’s make Kevin and Russ beat us and take everybody else away. And it was a f—ing chess move by Steve Kerr and it worked.”
After being down 3-1 the Warriors complete a historical return, having big games against the Thunder. Game 6 will be always remembered because that was the game when Klay Thompson went off against Oklahoma City, dropping 41 points, making 11 three-pointers (setting an NBA record), scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter with five three-pointers.
That night Klay was incredible and that momentum carried to the next game, where the Warriors completed the job. They had big help from Klay, no doubt about it, but for Green, the moves that his head coach made took them to the level they needed to advance during that series.
Golden State would be on the other side of the situation in the NBA Finals, blowing a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that WCF will always be remembered.
