Andrew Bogut says the Golden State Warriors will need to play three perfect games to prevent the Oklahoma City Thunder extinguishing their hopes of back-to-back NBA titles.
The Thunder have taken a surprise 3-1 game lead in the Western Conference Finals and need to win just one more to end the Warriors' season.
The Thunder outplayed and outmuscled the Warriors 118-94 on Tuesday in Oklahoma, with the crucial game five at the Warriors' Oracle Arena on Thursday.
"We are not out of it yet, but we need three perfect games to try to win the series," Bogut told reporters after the loss.
The defending champion Warriors have been on a mission from the first game of the regular season to repeat last year's title win.
They broke Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Chicago Bulls regular season record with 73 wins and nine losses and beat the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The Warriors, however, have been unable to handle the Thunder's four-man wall of 213cm tall New Zealand centre Steven Adams, 211cm Enes Kanter, 208cm Serge Ibaka and 206cm Kevin Durant and the speed and aggression of guard Russell Westbrook.
"It wasn't pretty," Bogut said.
"We turned the ball over and at home they play unbelievably tough."
The series turned in game three when Warriors' power forward Draymond Green kicked Adams in the genitals, drawing an upgraded flagrant two foul, $US25,000 ($A34,800) fine and putting Green in danger of being suspended for a game if he commits another discretion.
Green, who also kneed Adams in the genitals in game two, had his worst game of the playoffs on Tuesday.
"No I didn't," Adams, when asked if he wore a protective cup in game four to shield him from Green's knees or feet, said.
"I was seriously considering it though.
"If the second time is a coincidence, then the third time is a trend. If it happened a third time I'm definitely there."
Australian guard Matthew Dellavedova and his Cleveland Cavaliers also face a potentially season-defining test on Wednesday when they host the Toronto Raptors with their Eastern Conference Finals series even at 2-2.
Share
