For the third time in as many games the Warrior’s defense allowed an opponent to go on an extended run in the second-half. After getting outscored by 19 points in the third quarter versus the Blazers and 10 points in the final minute-and-a-half against the Clippers, Golden State saw a 23-point third quarter lead evaporate completely against the Hawks on Tuesday night. Fortunately for the Warriors, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s offense and Andrew Bogut’s rim protection in the final frame were enough to pull the team back in front. Golden State escaped with a 10-point victory and became the fastest team in NBA history to amass 50 wins.
1) The Warriors have a tendency to squander leads when they are up big early in a game. They’ve been doing it all season. Their passes get a little risky and the attention to detail gets lost while hunting for highlight-reel plays. I don’t think it’s anything worth worrying about. The Warriors know they’re better than a middling Atlanta team, so it’s only human nature to let up a bit when they can so easily and quickly dominate their opponent. And even when that opponent makes a successful comeback charge, the Dubs know they’re good enough to thwart any impending doom with an amped up defense and three-bombing offense, which is exactly what happened versus the Hawks.
2) After Atlanta took a one-point advantage to start the fourth quarter, Klay decided to get offensive. The two time All-Star scored 12 of his 27 points in the final frame to keep Atlanta at bay and mostly while Dray and Steph rested. On the other end, Bogut put on a defensive clinic in the paint, swatting away 5 shots and altering countless other feeble attempts. The Warriors’ outscored the Hawks 14-8 in the final 5:28 of action after Curry returned, but make no mistake about it, it was the Aussie’s impressive defense down low that precipitated the run.
3) However, the Warriors did get a little lucky in this game. They have the number one ranked three-point defense in the league, but the Hawks found open looks from behind the arc all night. They just missed them (10-34). That happens in the NBA.
4) Nobody tell Steph that you’re not supposed to do stuff like this in real life.
5) Bogut couldn’t track Al Horford out to the three-point line but Atlanta’s big man couldn’t make the Warriors pay enough (1-4 on threes). That inability to hit the three-ball allowed Bogues to stay on the court and beast the paint defensively.
6) That said, Al Horford is very good at basketball. He’s smart defensively and can move his feet well. On offense he’s beginning to stretch himself out farther (33% 3-point); he showed he can bring the ball up and lead the break; he set up a shooter in the corner; and he’s athletic and deft in the paint. He’s going to command huge money this summer. However he’s turning 30 in June and has a history of injuries (torn pectoral), so the back end of that deal might get gruesome. His situation reminds me of when Chris Webber got a max deal in Sacramento. Contracts for bigs with a dicey injury record in their 30s can sour quickly. (Webber ended up needing micro fracture surgery and eventually found himself traded to a terrible Warriors squad. Not good times.)
7) Remember last season when Korver was shooting 50-plus% from threes and people were saying out loud he was a better shooter than Steph? They don’t say that anymore. Korver is at 38% from deep while coming back from an injury suffered when Dellavedova “inadvertently” rolled on his ankle.
8) Kent Bazemore went from undrafted player known more for his celebratory antics than actual basketball skills to key starter on a playoff team. With averages of 12 points, 5 rebounds and 44%FG while playing a premium position, Baze is in line to get a massive pay raise this summer. Good for him. I enjoyed Bazemoring in the Bay.
9) Andre Iguodala couldn’t buy a basket all night going 0-6 from three-point. After flirting with the 40% mark from deep earlier in the season, Andre has dropped all the way down to 35%.
10) After joining the team, Anderson Varejao had some interesting things to say. According to Rusty Simmons, AV said about the Warriors, “I can tell they love each other and that’s important.” Is that a stand-alone statement or a comparison to the Cavs?