NBA 2018-19: Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 Talking Points
The Golden State Warriors' quest for a three-peat started against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors' players received their rings before the start of the game, and the Oracle arena was loud on the opening night.
For the Golden State Warriors, Damian Jones started the game along with the four All-Stars in the absence of DeMarcus Cousins, and the 23-year old impacted the game with his fearless and aggressive approach.
The Thunder did not have guard Russell Westbrook, who underwent a knee procedure late in the off-season. The Warriors dominated the Thunder throughout the game, and registered an easy 108-100 victory at home. Stephen Curry was the highest scorer, and dropped 32 points on 11 of 20 shooting.
Here are three talking points from the champions' season opener:
#3 Klay Thompson fails to perform
After averaging 20.0 points, 3.8 rebounds (career-high) and 2.5 assists per game last year, winning his third NBA ring, Klay Thompson started the season with a new look, sporting a beard and long hair.
Thompson struggled on a night when everyone else performed, and went 5-20 from the field with a very low field-goal percentage of 25.0. He could not get it going from his favorite regions, and went 1-8 from downtown.
Although Thompson failed, the rest of the crew delivered, and the Warriors easily held off the Oklahoma City Thunder. As this was just the first game of the season, there is no reason to hit the panic button, as we know that Klay doesn't take a lot of time to turn the tables around, and once he gets it going, he is literally impossible to stop, for even the best of the defensive teams.