What We Learned From The Golden State Warriors' Game 3 Loss To The Thunder

The Golden State Warriors appeared to have figured out the Oklahoma City Thunder with their Game 2 win, but a disastrous 133-105 loss to the Thunder in Game 3 have the Warriors down 2-1 in the series. Here are three things we learned about the Warriors from the game:

3) They have to win the rebounding battle
OKC won the rebounding battle in Game 1 - they won the game. Golden State won the rebounding battle in Game 2 - they won the game. In Game 3, Oklahoma City won the rebounding battle 62-48. It's not exactly a surprise given the way good rebounding allows a team to control the flow of the game, but it has proven to be extremely instrumental in this series. Putting in that extra effort on the glass - and maybe playing some bigger lineups - are things to look for going forward.

2) Transition defense has to improve
Defensive rebounds lead to transition opportunities, and the Thunder have maximized that advantage. They have outscored Golden State by 17 points on the fast break through the first three games of this series - including by 16 in Game 3. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have been routinely streaking up the court, getting by the initial defender without having any help rotating to stop them from reaching the basket.

Some of that has to do with OKC's speed, but a lot of it also has to do with lackadaisical effort from the Warriors. That is something that has to improve for them.

1) Quick shots
There's a difference between playing at a fast pace (as the Warriors love to play) and taking quick shots. Golden State fell on the wrong side of that line in Game 3 and at the end of Game 1, and head coach Steve Kerr says that's the biggest reason behind their struggles.

"The quick shots against [the Thunder], there’s two problems," he said. "One is their length and athleticism, they’re probably going to be able to challenge a quick shot. Because you haven’t made them move at all. And then two, you’re vulnerable in transition."

Kerr also said they're taking those quick shots because they're falling behind and guys "want to do it by themselves." It's clear shot selection is a major point of emphasis for them, and it needs to improve sooner rather than later.

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