Game Report: Warriors make statement against Nets
It was a matchup of two of the league’s powerhouse teams, another chance for the Golden State Warriors to prove their worth in title conversations.
The Golden State Warriors made a bold statement on Tuesday night by thwarting the Brooklyn Nets in dominant fashion.
For the first half, it had all the hallmarks of a potential NBA Finals matchup. The teams traded blow for blow, the stars were out to shine, and the scores remained close.
The Nets struck the first blow, jumping out to a 25-16 lead with 4:28 remaining in the first. Kevin Durant’s 12 points led Brooklyn to a 34-31 lead after 12 minutes, the Warriors struggling to execute the kind of vaunted defense they’ve displayed so far this season. Not to be outshone by his former teammate, Stephen Curry drained four triples to keep the Warriors close.
With Durant on the bench, the Dubs began to tighten the screws. They held Brooklyn to just six points through the first six minutes of the second quarter, in doing so taking the lead for the first time in the game.
The teams then traded baskets in the back end of the first half, Andrew Wiggins coming up big with 13 points in the last 5:10 of the second quarter. That included two massive threes that swung the momentum the Warriors favor heading back into the locker room; the first a straightaway three over Durant before Andre Iguodala found him on the wing to beat the buzzer, giving the Dubs a five-point lead.
That momentum remained as the Warriors quickly went about building on their half time lead. Things threatened to derail when Curry, with 28 points to his name, committed his fourth foul with seven minutes remaining in the third and the Warriors up 78-65.
But like many times so far this season, the Warrior defense went into lockdown mode allowing the offense to thrive in transition. Even in Curry’s absence, the lead ballooned to 22 points by the end of the third. It was destined to be the Warriors night when firstly, Draymond Green hit a three over Durant, followed by a fading Iguodala three, again over Durant, to beat the buzzer.
Curry came back in to apply the finishing touches, ending with 37 points including another haul of nine three-pointers. Steve Nash threw in the towel with nine minutes remaining, emptying his bench as Durant and James Harden never saw fourth quarter minutes.
The Nets did reduce a 28 point margin to 18 by the final buzzer, but it didn’t take away from a statement Warrior win to consolidate themselves as genuine title contenders.