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Champions facing the exit? Warriors lose again as Thunder take control of NBA playoff

Oklahoma are one win away from reaching the finals after taking 3-1 lead over Golden State with another thrashing

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Russell Westbrook was on fire. Photo: AFP

Suddenly, these Golden State Warriors who have been compared all season to the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s are on the brink of elimination.

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Russell Westbrook had 36 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Warriors 118-94 to take a 3-1 lead in the western conference finals. Golden State, who won a league record 73 games in the regular season, lost consecutive games for the first time this season.

The Warriors must win game five on Friday morning (Hong Kong time) in Oakland to keep their season alive.

“We all have to bounce back,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The good news is, we go home. Obviously we play well at home. The idea now is to go home and get one win. Do that, and we put some pressure on them and we’ll see what happens.”

Klay Thompson led Golden State with 26 points, but two-time league MVP Stephen Curry was limited to 19 points on 6-for-20 shooting. Curry’s shooting performance was so uncharacteristic that reporters asked if he was hurt.

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) goes after a loose ball. Photo: AP
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) goes after a loose ball. Photo: AP
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