How the Warriors Can Exact Revenge on Bucks
In order to get the revenge that they desperately want, the Warriors will need to address how the Bucks beat them in their first matchup.
The Warriors will face the Bucks once again Friday night, just six days removed since Golden State was handed their first loss of the season by the same team.
Coming off an extended amount of rest and an impressive 128-103 win over the Suns that kicked off a five-game home stand, the Warriors will be seeking revenge and will aim to do so in dominating fashion.
Pure retaliation of course won’t be enough to give Golden State the “W” tonight. They’ll need to ensure that what resulted in a Bucks’ victory won’t happen once again. While fatigue surely played a part in the Warriors’ first loss, there were mistakes and missed opportunities in their first matchup that Golden State cannot afford this second time.
They’ll need to address and fix these mistakes to guarantee a win at Oracle tonight.
3-Point Shooting
Dec 12, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) warms up before game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Warriors have an exclusive advantage in their ability to convert the three-point shot, yet they were cold from beyond-the-arc in their loss against the Bucks, going 6-for-26 at the end of the game. Perhaps tiredness from their road trip played a part, but in addition their poor three-point percentage was the result of well-played defense from Milwaukee and less-than desirable shot selection.
The Warriors’ success of shooting the three has almost always come from well-executed ball movement that leaves their shooters wide open. Getting back to proper execution, which has been the foundation for Warriors basketball, will lead them to victory tonight.
Breakaway Runs
Dec 12, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) battle for a rebound in the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
It’s almost customary to think that the Warriors will either keep the game within reach or hold a significant lead against opponents for a majority of the game. However, neither was the case last Saturday night in Milwaukee, where Golden State was down by double digits for much of the game.
Fans almost certainly felt that the Warriors would eventually go on one of their breakaway runs, and perhaps Golden State even believed it would as well.
Relying solely on a breakaway run is not the formula to winning in the NBA. As exciting as they are to witness, they aren’t the reason why the Warriors have become an elite team. To be an elite team, you need to play hard for all four quarters.
Play hard for 48 minutes
Dec 12, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton (22) grabs a loose ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Even when fatigue hits, a team cannot allow themselves to not play hard for 48 minutes, much less allow their opponent to play harder than them. Simply put, the Bucks played harder for the entire game Saturday night.
This is why the Warriors found themselves down by double digits for so much of the game. Stephen Curry admitted this himself, saying after the loss, “We showed some spurts to get back into the game. We got some stops…but for 48 minutes, I don’t think anybody can say we played as hard as they did.”
Golden State needs to come out strong right from the tip-off to when the final buzzer sounds.
If the Warriors can address and fix these mistakes, then they should have no problem notching their 26th win of the season and sending the Bucks to 10-18.