Thunder kept their cool, while champion Warriors lost theirs

Game Recap from NBA.com.

OAKLAND, Calif. - They were back Monday night in the perfect coincidence or ideal contrast or both, a Thunder team in the same location yet a very different place, having come so far without going anywhere.

That was a big part of Oklahoma City 108, Golden State 102 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, after all. Grabbing home-court advantage and a quick lead in the best-of-seven series -- while digging out from a 14-point second-half deficit -- was what really matter. But talk about a statement on the long strides made by the Thunder the last 2½ months.

It was in Oracle Arena on March 3 that the Thunder were hit hardest by the reality of being much farther from the top of the league than the standings would indicate. And so it would be in Oracle Arena on May 16 that the Thunder showed how close they are to the best.

March 3: Warriors 121-106, the biggest voices in the OKC locker room conceding the 42-20 record was built largely on the soft sand of a weak schedule before the All-Star break. Kevin Durant in particular condemned the lack of focus with ominous phrases like "Our backs are against the wall right now as far as where we want to be as a team" and "dark days." The Thunder were facing good opponents, and the Thunder were being exposed.

May 16: Thunder 108, Warriors 102, by committing just two turnovers in the second half and 12 in all, while outscoring Golden State 23-14 in the decisive fourth quarter. As the defending champions strangely lost their poise in a flurry of destructive quick shots, Oklahoma City was the team of composure. The same Kevin Durant was asked about the mindset and this time his insights were more along the lines of "I think our guys did a great job mentally of just sticking with it" and "We just kept coming at them on both ends of the floor." Ominous for the Warriors.

"Well, we've been doing that all season," Durant said of OKC's resiliency and ability to embrace adversity. "We've just had our ups and downs throughout the season, but we just stayed with it. We're a resilient group and we just keep fighting to the end. That's all we can do."

That's all they need to do. The Thunder who showed up for the second half Monday night are championship caliber, as the Spurs learned the hard way the previous series and the Warriors and their stunned fan base were quickly reminded in this one. Because it's not just about an impressive Game 1 of the West finals.

San Antonio lost one game at AT&T Center the entire regular season, tying the 1985-86 Celtics for the best home record in league history -- and then the Thunder beat the Spurs there twice in three tries in the conference semifinals. San Antonio also finished 12 games better in the standings, and then fell to the Thunder in six games.

The Warriors lost twice at Oracle in the regular season and were 45-2 there including the playoffs against the Rockets and the Blazers. Then came Monday night. The Warriors lost a Game 1 for the first time since the 2013 second round in San Antonio, a span that covered seven series. The Warriors lost for the first time in 2015-16 after leading by double digits at halftime. And the Warriors scored their fewest points in a fourth quarter all season.

"I do think we lost our poise a little bit, and that had a lot to do with the quick shots," Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. "I think we were trying to rectify the situation in one or two plays instead of letting it play out. So that's something we've got to get better with."

The Thunder were the team with better composure.

Those long strides.

"... I think going through some of that stuff after the All-Star Break probably has helped us grow and become more resilient and tougher," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "I think when you get in those competitive situations you get scarred up and wounded, and you build some resolve. It's not always easy. When it gets hard, you have to understand how to push through it. And those guys, I think, have done a really good job with that."

Game 1 was the perfect backdrop to show exactly how much resolve had been built, against a favored opponent that does not have big halftime leads taken away -- and then did, in the exact building where the Thunder hit bottom in early March, in the same location and yet a very different place.