Warriors stunned by Thunder’s resolve in Game 1 loss

12:46 AM ET

OAKLAND, Calif. — At the beginning, before losing hold of what became a 108-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Golden State Warriors had plans.

They’d drawn up clever defensive schemes, one that included asking Draymond Green to “guard” Oklahoma City’s infrequently shooting Andre Roberson. Green, whose focused physicality evokes NFL defense, was in essence asked to play free safety. Initially, the Warriors appeared to be in control, forcing the Thunder into a rash of turnovers.

On the other side, the Warriors attempted to seize upon Oklahoma City’s lapses. Golden State can strike when least expected, even immediately after its own disappointments. For example, an errant Andre Iguodala pass ended in a Serge Ibaka dunk, cutting the Warriors’ lead to four points in the second quarter. This would be a natural occasion for a team to sulk a bit, ruing their recriminations as they slowly walked up the ball. Instead, Iguodala immediately shoveled an inbounds to Curry, who rocketed an outlet to Klay Thompson. Ibaka’s dunk finished up with 3:11 on the clock. Thompson’s …

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