ESPN analyst Anthony Slater talks Thunder vs. Warriors matchup
With the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Golden State Warriors at home Saturday, the team is looking to score its 50th win of the season.
SURE. AS WE WELCOME YOU BACK IN LIVE INSIDE THE PAYCOM CENTER. I’M BRYAN KEATING ALONGSIDE HANNAH HOOVER AND OUR SPECIAL GUESTS FROM ESPN, ANTHONY SLATER COVERS THE WARRIORS FOR ESPN. YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME WE HAD YOU ON THE PREGAME SHOW WAS THAT NIGHT. IT WAS THE CUPCAKE NIGHT. YOU WERE ON THE PREGAME SHOW. OKAY, WELL, I JUST GOT SCARS. I SAW THAT MR. UNRELIABLE HEADLINE. I WAS AT THE OKLAHOMA AT THAT TIME. IT’S BEEN A LONG JOURNEY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE CRAZY THING ABOUT THE WARRIORS. THERE’S, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT A COUPLE SAME GUYS. I JUST SAW DRAYMOND GREEN COME OUT. HE’S STILL THE VILLAIN. HE’S STILL TEN YEARS LATER. HE’S STILL THE VILLAIN. IT’S INTERESTING YOU SAID VILLAIN BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH CONVERSATION I THINK OVER THE LAST WEEK THAT MAYBE THE THUNDER NOW THE VILLAIN, THEY’RE THE VILLAINS OF THE NBA. AS A GUY THAT COVERS THE NBA FROM ELSEWHERE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? THE THUNDER THE VILLAIN. NOW SUCCESS BREEDS THAT. IT’S FUNNY. I’VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH DRAYMOND GREEN ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW THEY REMEMBER DURING THEIR RISE RIGHT. EVERYBODY LOVES STEPH. AND THEN SUDDENLY ILLEGAL SCREENS BECAME THE THING. AND KLAY IS PUSHING OFF. AND JUST YOU KNOW THEIR GENERAL ATTITUDE. THEY. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WHEN THEY TOOK KEVIN DURANT THEY BECAME I BELIEVE THEY WERE ACTUALLY TERMED THE SUPER VILLAINS AT THE TIME. BUT YEAH YOU KNOW WHEN YOU’RE AT THE TOP YOU KNOW EVERYBODY LOVES THE RISE AND THEN YOU KNOW TEAR YOU DOWN. SO THAT’S IT’S PART OF IT. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW, THE WARRIORS HAVE BENEFITED A TON OVER THE YEARS WITH THAT IS RATINGS. PEOPLE IN THE ARENA, MONEY, YOU KNOW, THEY BECAME A MAJOR BRAND. AND EVEN IF PEOPLE DIDN’T LIKE THEM, THEY WATCHED THEM. AND I THINK THAT’S A LITTLE BIT HAPPENED WITH THE THUNDER. YOU KNOW, THEY PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THEM, WHICH I THINK IS GOOD IN SPORTS. YEAH FOR SURE. PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY TALKING ABOUT ONE THING THAT WE JUST MENTIONED WAS THE TOPIC OF FREE THROWS AND SGA, AND JUST HIS ABILITY TO GET TO THE LINE. SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON MAYBE SOME OF THE HATE HE GETS FOR THAT? I THINK WE’VE SEEN IT SINCE THE PLAYOFFS IN THE FINALS. IS THAT PART OF JUST BECOMING THE VILLAIN LIKE YOU MENTIONED? YEAH, A LITTLE BIT. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL PICK IT. YOU KNOW, PARTS OF THE GAME THAT FRUSTRATE THEM THE MOST. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW LIKE THOSE LITTLE TOUCH FOULS. HE IS VERY GOOD AT IT I MEAN, BUT I WOULD SAY A LOT OF NBA STARS ARE RIGHT LUKA JAMES HARDEN BACK IN THE DAY RIGHT. HE’S PROBABLY LIKE THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS CHRIS PAUL WAS AN EXPERT AT THAT TYPE OF THING. AND YOU KNOW HAVING HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH DRAYMOND ONE OF HIS POINTS IS A LOT OF TIMES THOSE TYPE OF PLAYERS MAYBE FADE IN THE PLAYOFFS WHEN IT GETS MORE PHYSICAL. AND YOU KNOW WHISTLES AREN’T AS EASY FOR STARS. BUT LAST YEAR THE THUNDER WON THE TITLE. SO YOU CAN’T SAY YOU KNOW SGA SUCCEEDED ON THE BIGGEST STAGE PLAYING THAT WAY. SO THERE IS THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TO HIS GAME, BUT I THINK THAT’S FINE. THERE’S A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TO LIKE 95 PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE GAMES. HE’S JUST THE BEST AT IT. AS MIKE BROWN SAID THE OTHER DAY. YEAH, THAT’S WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. MIKE BROWN. SO YOU COVERED THE WARRIORS TRYING TO GO BACK TO BACK AND THEY DIDN’T DO IT. YOU COVERED THE WARRIORS TRYING TO GO BACK TO BACK. AND THEY DID DO IT. YEAH THEY DID WHAT. WHAT CAN THE THUNDER TAKE FROM THOSE TEAMS IN WHAT YOU SAW AND WHAT THEY COULD LEARN AS THEY TRY TO DO THAT NOW PACING THE REGULAR SEASON, WHICH I THINK THEY’RE DOING. YOU KNOW I THINK A LOT OF THEIR YOU KNOW THEY THEY SELECTIVELY REST RIGHT. A LOT OF GUYS OUT TONIGHT, I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO BE CAREFUL. THEY NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH JALEN WILLIAMS ESPECIALLY YOU KNOW A DOUBLE YOU KNOW HAMSTRING STRAIN. THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE HE’S READY. THEN GIVE HIM TWO MORE WEEKS ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOUR RECORD YOUR SEATING IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER THAT MUCH. ONCE APRIL 17TH OR WHATEVER IT IS GETS HERE AND YOU TIP IT OFF. YOU KNOW I’VE SEEN THE WARRIORS COME OUT OF VARIOUS SEEDS. I’VE SEEN THEM COME OUT OF A THREE SEED, ONE SEED, WHATEVER. BUT YOU JUST NEED TO GET TO APRIL INTACT AND THEN TURN IT ON. LET ME ASK YOU ONE MORE BEFORE WE LET YOU GET OUT OF HERE. THIS BUILDING, I DON’T KNOW THAT IT’S GOING TO HAVE QUITE THE ELECTRICITY OF A PLAYOFF ATMOSPHERE TONIGHT. WHAT MAKES THIS BUILDING DIFFERENT? YOU’VE BEEN IN ALL OF THEM. JUST, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE USUALLY THERE PREGAME AND, YOU KNOW, UP AND ESPECIALLY IN THE PLAYOFFS IT’S LIKE THEY’RE SITTING THERE CHANTING BEFORE TIP OFF. AND IT’S JUST LIKE THE THE THE THE WAY THEY PAY ATTENTION IN THE FIRST QUARTER, I THINK IS ONE OF THE THINGS WHERE A LOT OF TIMES A LOT OF THESE ARENAS, THEY NEED TO BE DRAWN INTO THE GAME. STEPH CURRY NEEDS TO DRAW AT TIMES. EVEN WARRIORS CROWD INTO THE GAME IN THE THIRD QUARTER. FOURTH QUARTER. THIS CROWD USUALLY RIGHT AWAY IS INTO IT. AND THAT’S THAT’S PRETTY DIFFERENT TO OKLAHOMA CITY. STAY NUMBER ONE. SPURS ARE COMING. YEAH. AND I DON’T KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO YOU KNOW THEY CAN WIN A GAME IN SAN ANTONIO LIKE YOU KNOW SURE. THAT’S GOING TO BE THE DRAMA OF THE NOW TRYING TO KEEP THE ONE SEED. BUT LIKE YOU DON’T HAVE TO IT’S NOT A MAKE OR BREAK. YOU’RE SAYING NO YOU CAN WIN THE TITLE OUT OF TWO. I’VE SEEN IT DONE. YEAH. THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT ANTHONY SLATER. THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE PREGAME SHOW FROM ESPN.
ESPN analyst Anthony Slater talks Thunder vs. Warriors matchup
With the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Golden State Warriors at home Saturday, the team is looking to score its 50th win of the season.
Updated: 6:57 PM CST Mar 7, 2026
With the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Golden State Warriors at home Saturday, the team is looking to score its 50th win of the season.>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning NewsletterKOCO 5 Sports Director Bryan Keating and Hannah Hoover spoke with ESPN analyst about the matchup between the Thunder, No. 1 in the Western Conference, and the No. 8 Warriors.Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.Watch the video above to hear their conversation.Top HeadlinesVenezuelan nationals charged in Oklahoma ATM hacking schemeMother and daughter found dead in their car after tornadic storm hits Major CountyWATCH: Big tornado caught on camera touching down in BristowOklahoma City teen becomes registered nurse at 18 through accelerated programFormer Democratic presidents remember the late Rev. Jesse Jackson during final public tribute
OKLAHOMA CITY —
With the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Golden State Warriors at home Saturday, the team is looking to score its 50th win of the season.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel | Sign up for KOCO 5’s Morning Newsletter
KOCO 5 Sports Director Bryan Keating and Hannah Hoover spoke with ESPN analyst about the matchup between the Thunder, No. 1 in the Western Conference, and the No. 8 Warriors.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
Watch the video above to hear their conversation.
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