Old habits plagued Westbrook, Durant in Game 6 loss

Before the Oklahoma City Thunder morphed into an unstoppable buzzsaw that tore off a 7-2 stretch against the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors, they were looked upon as a disappointment.

For a loaded roster featuring two superstars, the Thunder had a tendency to look lackluster as they inevitably succumbed to preventable errors. It was the simplest things that would trip them up - they couldn't stay focused on defense, and their stars were always quick to break the offense.

That all culminated in a painful habit of wilting in the clutch. They lost 15 games when they held a lead heading into the fourth quarter - that's how a team with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook won fewer games than the Toronto Raptors.

That's the glass-half-empty view of the Thunder. The half-full view is to remember they're more talented than any other team. Talent forgives all manner of sins, and when the Thunder is locked in, they can beat anyone.

But even with a 3-1 series lead, the Thunder were waiting for the other shoe to drop, and that's when old habits doomed them in Game 6.

Having led for nearly the entire game, the Thunder clung to a seven-point advantage with 5:48 left in the fourth. But instead of protecting the lead, the Thunder allowed a 21-8 run to finish the game.

It was a meltdown of epic proportions.

The Thunder coughed up the rock six times in less than six minutes. Four of those came from Westbrook, who turned it over once in the 38 minutes before the final push. Durant had the other two turnovers.

In the few times they managed to get off a shot, Durant and Westbrook made one bucket on six attempts. Their scoring output was matched by Andre Roberson who sneaked in for a putback.

Those were the symptoms; the problem was the Thunder regressed into their worst habits. They ran isolation after isolation while Durant and Westbrook faced constant double teams. Paralyzed by the moment, the Thunder seized up during the final push and dropped a golden opportunity to erase the reigning champions.

Contrast that to how the Warriors played. They weren't afraid to push the ball on misses and turnovers. They ran the same sets in the fourth quarter - high screens for Curry, drag screens for Thompson - as they did in the first. The "Splash Brothers" were willing to give up the ball because they knew they would get it back.

The Warriors stuck to their game plan and played with poise while the flabbergasted Thunder made mistake after mistake. Stagnant offense, and shaky defense - old habits came back to haunt the Thunder once again.

Golden State has all the momentum heading into a Game 7 on home floor, but momentum is fleeting - just ask the Thunder.

Even after squandering two golden opportunities to advance, the Thunder could still complete the upset. They strutted into San Antonio and took two games on the road, then followed that up by punching the Warriors in the mouth with a Game 1 victory at the Oracle. When the Thunder stay disciplined, they can beat anyone.

It goes back to talent and the Thunder have more than anyone. Westbrook can collapse the defense whenever he wants. Durant has been the most unstoppable scorer the league has seen since his sophomore year. The difference in this series, if there's any at all, isn't talent. Execution has decided outcomes.

That's where the Thunder's talent has gotten them into trouble. OKC is too quick to abandon their game plan, opting instead to rely solely upon their stars to produce quality offense from stagnant sets. That's not how they played in Games 1-4 and it simply won't work against the league's elite.

Durant took 31 shots and Westbrook launched 27 in Game 6 - the two next highest totals were Serge Ibaka's 10 and six for Steven Adams. Durant and Westbrook also logged 44 minutes apiece, so in the end, it's no surprise they made one mental error after another. They were exhausted from having to carry the team.

If the Thunder want to avoid another collapse in Game 7, they'll need to pair execution with talent - especially when the game is on the line.