Ladies and gentlemen, the basketball gods have bestowed upon us something that has only happened 125 times in the history of the NBA.
There will be a Game 7. Thunder vs Warriors, the winner going to the NBA Finals. It will either be a finals rematch from last year where the Warriors defeated a beaten up Cavaliers team in six games, or a (sort of) finals rematch from 2012, when the LeBron James-led Miami Heat took it to a young Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to give LeBron his first title.
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Last night's game was astounding. Considering how just a couple days ago the record-breaking, 73-win Warriors were on the verge of being eliminated at home in just five games, I did not personally think there would be a Game 7. But I'm not complaining that I was wrong.
Klay Thompson proved he can be as deadly of a sniper as fellow "swish brother" Steph Curry with a record-breaking performance. He started the game off relatively slow, however, and only hit 3-13 inside the arc.
But as the Thunder gained an eight-point advantage in the game in the last seven minutes of the game, something clicked. Klay went berzerk and knocked down five three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone, and scored 19 points in 12 minutes. He was unconscious shooting the ball, as this 28-foot bomb stunned the OKC crowd and marked a turning point in the final minutes. Klay ended up with 41 points, going 11-18 from 3, an NBA playoff record.
Klay and Steph were their usual selves, after a couple of slumpy games for the reigning first time ever unanimous MVP Curry, but it was the terrible shooting and poor play by Durant and Westbrook down the stretch that led to the loss. KD didn't look particularly comfortable in the last few minutes of the game, albeit an impossible fade-away with two minutes to go. His turnovers in the fourth quarter were painful to watch, and for a team itching to get back to the finals before a possible Durant departure in free agency, it was hard to believe he and Westbrook could be so careless with the ball. In a closeout Game 6 and a chance to put away the defending champs at home, they simply didn't show up in the final minutes when Steph and Klay took over.
Regardless of the outcome of Game 7 tomorrow night, it's going to be entertaining to watch.
And both teams know that if they win, they're gonna face a resurgent and healthy Cav's team led by a man hungry for Cleveland's first title in any sports team in 50+ years, and vengeance for last years title loss — LeBron James.
