The flurry happened in the third quarter this time. The Golden State Warriors were actually outscored 38-27 in the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, and trailed for a little while after halftime. It was tied 76-76 with less than two minutes to go in the third, then Curry hit one of his ridiculous 3-pointers in transition. Afterward he turned around, did a little shimmy, pointed to the sky and declared, "That's what we do."
Golden State took an 87-80 lead into the final frame, and by the seven-minute mark it led by 17 points. The Warriors won their 22nd game in a row 114-98, with Curry watching the final few minutes from the bench. That is what they do.
Curry once again led the team with 28 points on 11-for-17 shooting, including 5-for-9 from 3-point range. He scored 16 points in the third quarter alone, receiving cheers from the Barclays Center crowd every time he added to his total.
The positives for the Warriors are obvious: They once again proved that deficits mean nothing to them. Just like when they trailed the night before in Toronto -- and the last time they played this Nets team in mid-November -- they kept their cool even when nothing was going their way. Golden State seems unbeatable partially because all of its players seem unflappable. Also, Draymond Green's shooting slump might be over. The most versatile player went 7-for-10 for 22 points, including 2-for-2 from deep.
The negative: Andrew Bogut labored through 16 minutes despite back spasms, and he did not look nearly as mobile as normal. This is not a criticism of Bogut -- he's doing what he can to help the team -- but it's a problem for Golden State's defense when his body doesn't move as fast as his mind. With forward Harrison Barnes out for at least another week, there's a little extra pressure on everybody else.
The Warriors' seven-game road trip continues on Tuesday with a visit to the Indiana Pacers. This wouldn't have seemed like an intriguing matchup at the start of the season, but the Pacers have been playing out of their minds for weeks now. Paul George has been as dominant as anybody not named Stephen Curry, and Golden State might not be able to afford a second-quarter letdown like it had tonight. Don't miss that one.
No comments:
Post a Comment