On March 28, the Golden State Warriors were absolutely abused by the Memphis Grizzlies, losing by 28 points. In the two games since, Golden State has lost to Phoenix, the top team in the Western Conference, by 4 and defeated Utah by 4.
In both their last two games, the Warriors held their opponent to 107 points, and considering the Jazz have the best offensive rating in the NBA, that’s quite the accomplishment.
The Warriors have played competitive basketball against both the Suns and Jazz without Stephen Curry, and that’s something to be encouraged by.
What’s even more impressive is that the Warriors have done it without two-time MVP Stephen Curry. The Warriors are 2-6 since Curry went down with a sprained foot in a home loss to the Celtics.
While many of those games didn’t give much reason for hope in the Bay Area, these last two did.
For most of the season, the Warriors’ defense is what kept them in games, but against the Jazz on Saturday night, it was their offense, knocking down 20 threes behind a red hot Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole.
The two star guards combined for 67 points, eerily similar to the electric games which were dominated by Thompson and Curry. The Warriors were down 17 at half and were down 21 at one point in the game.
They didn’t throw in the towel. They battled back in the fourth quarter and came out on top. Not only is that great for them in the standings, but it’s how you want your team playing down the stretch.
This was also the second straight 30-point game for Poole who is heating up into the third scorer the Dubs are going to need against teams like Phoenix, Memphis, and Utah. Poole has taken a huge step forward in his third season.
On top of that, Thompson is starting to bounce back. He scored 36 against the Jazz. While his performance against the Suns left much to be desired, Thompson’s ability to dominate is impressive and helps fans remember that he’s a five-time All-Star guard.
Things finally seem to be trending up. Curry should come back in time for the playoffs, and the Dubs’ two other key players have stepped their game up as of late. Fans should be thrilled after watching what this team has done these last few days.