It happened in the third.
We didn’t know it at the time, but that’s when the watershed came and went and the ending was written out in whatever primordial script tells the history of humanity. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook kept fighting even after the tide had turned, but waves of Warrior three-pointers eventually caught up to a Thunder team that’s got the Western Conference champions singing their praises on TNT even as we type.
The Thunder looked frisky enough in the first half that we thought this would go to overtime, or come down to some awful boneheaded play or spectacular shot to finish regulation. Or, Silver forbid, another referee’s blunder.
Except, when Steph starts entering Splash mode, thoughts of a buzzer beater started to wane.
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That triple wasn’t the last one, but Steph wasn’t doing it alone, either.
Klay — who started 0-for-7 before knocking down a few in the second period — joined in on the party. (Yeah, he’s taller than Steph, as Steven found out)
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Iggy got in on the shooting after Steph drew all the defenders to him.
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Something that can’t be overstated enough is how difficult Durant made it for the Warriors to put the Thunder away. I mean, look at this shot.
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That is so incredibly hard, it almost makes the free agency rumors over the last two years worth it. (Almost.)
Despite Durant’s shot-making, KD would finish 10-of-19 to lead the Thunder with 27 points, Steph turned impossible for even Steven Adams to defend when the high ball screen got switched.
That momentum carried over into the end of the session when the second team came alive. Shaun Livingston even turned into Clyde the Glide.
Shaun also should have gotten a Sportscenter Top 10 for this, but now it might be Shaqtin’ fodder because Mo “Buckets” Speights missed the wide-open bucket.
Even Andy Varejao was making plays (the dime to Barnes in the far corner was a travel, but the bucket wasn’t.)
But it was Steph — he finished with a game-high 36 points (13-of-24 overall and 7-for-12 from deep), eight assists and five rebounds — who carried the day. There’s just nothing you can do about this.
And if you do come up far enough to take away those triples, he does this.
KD showed why he’s as champion without the #Ringz. After Steph’s layup, the Warriors got got confused switching the screen and he knocked down another three.
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Steph is gonna Steph, though, and he ended it the same way he started the sea-change in the third.
The defending champs are returning to the Finals to face the same team they beat last year.
See you Thursday.