Another game, same story. The Warriors came out flat in the opening quarter and on the back of some sweet shooting by Peja, the game was never competitive again. In fact, the Warriors managed a measly 10 points in the final 15 minutes, half of which came from free throws. I can’t exactly blame the Warriors for the way they played tonight. The shots weren’t falling — only Udoh and Law managed 50% or better — and the whistles weren’t when they ventured into the paint.
Still, it’s these sort of games that test the will and determination of the Warriors. There will be games like these, where little seems to work, but the Warriors can’t expect to suddenly shoot themselves out of a hole. Looking back on the play-by-play Golden State managed only three shots in the key in the entire 3rd quarter. The ball stopped moving and everyone looked lost when the Mavs grabbed an offensive rebound or ran their transition game. Rough night for the Warriors, but their second half effort was unacceptable.
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Three Stars
1st Star: David Lee
I thought about forgoing this section tonight, but despite the ugly loss, there is some praise to be had. Lee managed to notch his second straight double-double with 10 and 12, but there wasn’t much else going for him. Lately, I’ve noticed that Lee is quite physical on defense, which is probably true of most rebounders. However, Lee’s physicality seems a little sporadic. On one particular play, Beaubois set a pick for Dirk on the wing stopping Lee dead in his tracks. Instead of fighting around the screen, Lee basically shoved Beaubois into Dirk and unsurpisingly got whistled for a foul. It might have been pent-up frustration, but that kind of play isn’t going to help him settle down.
2nd Star: Stephen Curry
Only 11 points, six rebounds and assists for the sophomore, but he had a defensive mindset tonight. Aside from six rebounds Curry also picked up three charges on Beaubois who was one whistle away from fouling out. He’s still frustrated by the lack of calls he gets, but he’s going to have to earn those in this league.
3rd Star: Monta Ellis
Monta’s 18 points were only second to Dirk, but he also took the most shots to get there. His elbow jumper wasn’t on point and neither was his threes 0-6. He took a half-court three, but still a poor showing.
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Notes
Shooting sleeve: Steph started the game with the shooting sleeve again, but soon ditched it after his shot stopped falling. As a shooter he knows that his feel is invaluable and the shooting sleeve just wasn’t going to cut it. He didn’t shoot much better afterwards, but hopefully his elbow is fully recovered.
Rebounding woes: Lee and Curry managed 18 of the Warriors 39 rebounds. Lee’s a strong rebounder for his size, but without a true specialist the Warriors need to give a stronger team effort. Chandler and Mahinmi gathered 30 in only 48 minutes of work. Meanwhile Udoh managed a single rebound in 30 minutes.
Thornton: He played the most minutes off the bench, 24, and had a game-low plus/minus of -27. With Al, less truly is more.
Jeff Adrien: Remember him? Me neither. He played another three-minute appearance to travel and knock down three free throws. He reminds me of a smaller Craig Smith. Yeah, that’s not a good thing.
Peja Stojakovic After missing six games with a neck injury, he stuck it to the Warriors with 17 points on 5-8 three-point shooting in 19 minutes. I forgot what a great shooter he was is.
The More You Know: Since going 7-9 from beyond the arc against Orlando, Monta has shot 3-31 (9.7%). He’s shooting a career high in three-point attempts and percentage, but that doesn’t mean he’s better for it.
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On Monday, it’s part two of the Texas tour with the San Antonio Spurs. Couldn’t have a tougher game on the second half of a back-to-back. The model of efficiency and execution, the Spurs will look to dominate early to give their starters some rest for the playoffs. I expect the Warriors to be fired up after a blowout like this. Here’s to hoping they bounce back with a vengeance: 102-97 W’s.
NiLumF That’s a mold-breaker. Great thinking!