OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors' mantra might as well have been "Go big or go home," as the Western Conference's No. 1 seed saved its season with a 120-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the conference finals. On the brink of elimination, the team that stoked a small ball craze with its Game 4 starting lineup change in the 2015 NBA Finals decided to largely abandon its trademark.
When desperate in the past, the Warriors used a small lineup as their frenzied, fast-paced haymaker. This time, in a situation more desperate than any they’d faced since Steve Kerr was hired, Golden State went the other way.