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| Sue Ogrocki/AP |
By Julian Reyes
OKLAHOMA CITY--When the entire Oklahoma City Thunder clicked on both ends of the floor early, expect a thunderstorm-like performance on court in which no one in the league can stop, even the defending champions.
The Oklahoma City Thunder set up a franchise record of 72 points scored after first half and drubbed the Golden State Warriors, 133-105, in the Game 3 of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Chesapeake Arena on Monday (PH time).
The more aggressive Thunder took care of the business on its first game of the series at home to take a 2-1 lead over the defending champions Warriors in their Best-of-Seven showdown.
Oklahoma City tries to hand Golden State its first back-to-back loss of the season when the two faces in the Game 4 on Wednesday at the same court.
Kevin Durant top scored Oklahoma City, scoring 33 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while Russell Westbrook almost had a triple-double but came two rebounds shy of it as he finished with 30 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists. Westbrook recorded his 12th double-double in this year's post-season.
Serge Ibaka added 14 points and eight rebounds, Andre Roberson and Dion Waiters had 13 each as Oklahoma City dealt the Warriors their biggest loss of the season.
The Thunder limited the reigning Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry to only 24 points on a bad-shooting night, and never let another Warrior except Klay Thompson finish in double figures.
Thompson had 18 points for the Warriors, who connected only 10 of the 33 triples it attempted in the match.
Oklahoma City dictated the early tempo of the match but saw the Golden State staying at the bay at the latter part of the first quarter.
The Warriors kept the game a tightly-contested until the midway mark of the second quarter when Draymond Green accidentally low-blowed Thunder's big man Steven Adams.
That incident, however, proved to be the turning point of the match as the Oklahoma suddenly blasted a 22-5 run to turn a 50-42 edge to a 72-47 lead after first half.
Oklahoma City further put the game out of reach when it recorded its biggest lead of the game at 41, 113-72, after Westbrook connected a jump shot, minutes before the third quarter ended.
The Thunder scored 45 in the third frame alone to match Golden State's Game 2 output of 118, coming short by only a point.
Oklahoma City dominated in almost all the cylinders, controlling the battle in rebounding, 52-38, and in blocking, 8-1.
The Thunder also went to the free throw line 37 times, making 33 from it while allowing the Warriors to only 19-of-25.
The game seemed Oklahoma playing more cautious compared to the first two games as it tallied only 12 turnovers with 21 assists.
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