Game Report: Warriors dominate Detroit in first half blitz

It may have been a long wait for Golden State Warriors fans, but they were once again treated to a first half masterclass from the celebrated splash brothers.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 31 first half points, leading the Warriors to a dominant, match-winning lead over the Detroit Pistons at Chase Center.

Thompson fired up the crowd to end the half, drilling a three before the buzzer to extend the margin to 28. It was clearly his best form since the return, with 17 points merging with the elite defense that made him one of the best two-way players in the league.

Although the Golden State Warriors may have let their foot off the pedal in the second half, they found themselves back on the winner’s list with a comfortable 102-86 win over Detroit on Tuesday night.

The Warriors were in control from the tip, taking advantage of the Piston’s inexperience that sees them sit 14th in the Eastern Conference. Detroit had no answer for the Warriors’ lightning ball and player movement, with Curry, Thompson and Andrew Wiggins finding plenty of open opportunities.

After leading by 11 at the conclusion of the opening period, Golden State stamped their authority in a dominant second quarter where they outscored the Pistons 33-16. The Warriors’ offense was back in full swing, with Wiggins and Thompson combining nicely in what was a major positive from the night.

The lead grew even further to begin the third, before the Warriors allowed Detroit to add some respectability to the scoreboard. Not that the win was ever beyond doubt, but second half did put a slight dampener on the exhilarating first half.

Golden State’s offense again hit a snag, scoring just 36 points after the near-flawless 66 points first half. An old foe also came back to Chase Center with a vengeance, Rodney McGruder top-scoring for the Pistons with 19 points after a much-publicized incident last time they were in the Bay.

Prior to the game, Steve Kerr announced Jonathan Kuminga would receive his third career start after some strong development in Draymond Green’s absence. Despite getting into some early foul trouble, the rookie again showed promising signs as he notched his first career double-double (12 points, ten rebounds).

Thompson led the Dubs in scoring with 21 points, while Wiggins and Curry got some much-needed fourth quarter rest after tallying 19 and 18 points respectively. Curry also added eight assists as the Warriors finished with 26 dimes on 34 field goals.

The win moves them to 32-12, two and a half games back from Phoenix for the one seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors now have a day off before entering a back-to-back at home, starting with the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.