Golden State Warriors v San Antonio Spurs: Two Key Stats
1. Starters smashed, bench brings Dubs back from the brink
Outside of Curry, the plus-minus numbers for the Warriors starters failed to make for pretty reading. Green (-14), Looney (-20), Wiggins (-23) and Poole (-26) all struggled to find the kind of positive impact they’ve had this season, even if other box score numbers were kinder.
It was the bench pieces that gave the Warriors life down the stretch, headed by Juan Toscano Anderson and Damion Lee. The former was a team-high +24 in the game, whilst Lee (+12), Chiozza (+11) and Bjelica (+11) all had positive plus-minuses.
2. Free throw shooting falters
Many of the overall numbers befitted the closeness of the game. Both teams had 45 rebounds and recorded 12 turnovers, with the Warriors two more field goal attempts being offset by the Spurs shooting slightly better from the field.
The free throw shooting ultimately made a difference, the Warriors making just 14-19 from the line for 66.7%. In comparison, the Spurs finished 16-19 (84.2%). It was a disappointing result given the Spurs rank 30th in the league in free throw shooting at 69.8%.