The Golden State Warriors got blown out in Game 3, barely showing up in a Thunderous 133-105 shellacking at OKC. None of the California contingent was happy, but head coach Steve Kerr remained poised if not pleased. The Warriors, he reminded everyone after the game, have been here before. Last year on their way to the first Warriors NBA championship in four decades, Golden State twice trailed 2-1 in a seven game series. Both times — against Memphis and again in the NBA Finals against Cleveland — they rallied.
The similarities don’t end there, either. Both Game 3 contests last year were blowouts, just like the OKC Game 3. The difference this time, perhaps, is that the Cavaliers were undermanned — missing two (Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving) of their best three players — and the Grizzlies were simply overmatched. The Thunder are, by contrast, healthy, athletic and firing on all cylinders, having just eliminated a Spurs team that was expected to contend for the hardware. Steve Kerr knows that, too. But his team won 73 games this season: when he says he believes they’ll come back he means it. People who have historically underestimated Steph Curry and company have not done well.
