Thunder race past Warriors at full wallop in 133-105 Game 3 blowout

What Kevin Durant might do, it seems, is more heavily analyzed than what he actually does.

His free-agency fortunes are dissected almost daily, even though nothing will happen involving the Oklahoma City Thunder star until this summer. Will he stay in a small market where the honeymoon appears permanent? Will he go home again, picking the Washington Wizards in a move that would reunite him with Scott Brooks, his onetime coach?

Or will he take a chance on a wild card such as the Lakers, becoming the centerpiece of a suddenly faceless franchise?

Staying put feels a lot more likely on occasions like Sunday evening inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, where Durant showed why he might not have to leave the city limits to win a first NBA championship.

Durant scored 33 points in three breathless quarters to help Oklahoma City wallop the Golden State Warriors, 133-105, in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.

It was a strong counterpunch to the Warriors’ 27-point victory in Game 2 and gave the Thunder a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Of course, the Warriors twice rallied from identical series deficits last season on the way to the NBA championship.

But they never had to overcome a tandem like Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant’s latest scoring binge, on ultra-efficient 10-for-15 shooting, had his mother doing a courtside dance midway through a third quarter in which the Thunder scored 45 points, a franchise playoff record for points in one quarter. Durant made all 12 of his free throws, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots while committing only one turnover.

Westbrook collected a series’ worth of highlight plays, making a between-the-legs pass and ripping down a monstrous one-handed rebound on the way to 30 points on 10-for-19 shooting to go with 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Durant is used to distractions regarding his future but had to deal with one involving the present midway through the second quarter when Golden State’s Draymond Green flailed out his leg and struck Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin for the second time in two games. Oklahoma City’s only retaliation was to end the half on a 24-7 run, taking a 72-47 lead.

“When you get to this point of the season, you’ve got to be a smart team,” Durant said. “We can’t let anything distract us. That’s always been like the mantra.”

As Adams crouched in pain and scoreboard replays suggested Green’s move might have been intentional, fans chanted “Kick him out!”

They had to settle for a flagrant-1 foul on Green, who was booed vociferously every time he touched the ball thereafter and faces a possible suspension for Game 4 here Tuesday night. Green said he was just following through on a shot and didn’t mean to strike Adams.

“I don’t know how anyone could possibly say I did that on purpose, regardless of the way it looked,” Green said, adding that he did not think he would be suspended.

Golden State Coach Steve Kerr said he was shocked referees even looked at the replay and expected the flagrant-1 foul to be rescinded. “This stuff happens all the time,” he said. “Westbrook kicks out his feet on every three and there is contact.”

But Adams pointed out there was a trend involving shots by Green to his midsection.

“It’s happened before,” Adams said. “Pretty accurate, that guy.”

The Thunder had vowed to get tougher and complied, outscoring the Warriors by 18 points in the paint, outrebounding them by 14 and blocking eight shots to Golden State’s one. Oklahoma City also went small for stretches with Serge Ibaka at center and finished the game with 29 fastbreak points.

Meanwhile, nothing was working for Golden State. Stephen Curry scored 24 points on seven-for-17 shooting but Klay Thompson (18 points) was the only other Warrior to score in double figures. Curry made three three-pointers, as many as the Thunder’s much-maligned Andre Roberson.

Roberson’s third three-pointer gave the Thunder 100 points. They led by 34 and there was 3:52 left. In the third quarter.

Kerr tried to lighten the mood after his team’s worst playoff loss since a 40-point drubbing by the Clippers in 2014 by entering the media room and announcing, unprompted, “A break here or there and I thought we had them.” No one laughed.

The Thunder still have Durant. They hope what happens over the next month leads him to take up permanent residence.

ben.bolch@latimes.com