1) It seemed like the Warriors had a 10-point lead the entire game. Every time it looked like the Dubs would go on a run to break the game completely open, Curry would miss a three-pointer and the Jazz would get two baskets in a row. The devastating double-digit run Warriors fans have become accustomed to took until the fourth quarter to finally materialize. Leading by 10 points with 5:33 remaining, Curry and Draymond Green both hit a three to bookend a 16-5 run that took just over two minutes. Finally, the run came. 20 point game, bring in the subs.
2) After giving up 112 points on 46% shooting to the Bucks in the previous game, the Warriors defense showed up in this contest for the whole 48 minutes, limiting the Jazz to 85 points on 41% shooting. Derrick Favors (17 and 9) was out there scoring in the paint alone at times. Gordon Hayward had an especially forgettable 2-15 shooting night.
3) The Jazz are 13th in offense at 102.4 points per 100 possessions. The Bucks are 25th and score 99.7 per 100. Even a great team like the Warriors can have that random team that gives them problems.
4) On an off-shooting night (5-14 FG), Curry still managed to make the play of the game with this nifty no-look backward lob to Bogut.
5) In a game the Warriors were never in danger of losing, Luke Walton experimented with a funky Green-Iguodala-Curry-Clark-
6) Poor Mo Speights. In his contract year, Festus has eaten up all his minutes and he’s left to play the four even though his best moments last season came while playing the five. He’s shooting 35% in nine minutes a game. He and Jason Thompson were the only Warriors not to see any action.
7) Andrew Bogut looked spry after sitting out the second half of the Bucks game with back spasms. He finished with 10 points, 14 boards, 4 assists and 1 block. Are we in the “Bogut only has good games after multiple days off” part of his career that all centers not named Tim Duncan eventually get to, or if the back is really killing him and this a temporary thing.
8) The Warriors are obviously most vulnerable when Curry and Green sit in the beginning of the second and fourth quarter. In the first 3:30 of the second, the reserves were outscored by seven points before Klay was reinserted. Harrison Barnes used to start these periods with the bench unit but until he comes back (maybe against the Cavs, but more likely versus the Kings), I trust the offense much more with Klay on the floor as a threat to score.
9) In the fourth, Quin Snyder employed the hack-a strategy on Bogut. The big man surprised everyone by making both free throws. This led the Jazz to not foul the next time down the court. Mark Jackson used to do this all the time too. The whole point of hack-a is to play the odds. If a coach is going to foul, then play the odds correctly (Bogut is a 38% free-throw shooter) and keep doing it. If not, then save everyone the time. Please.
10) Joe Ingles might be the most ’80s looking player in the league. He would not look out of place defending Larry Bird in one of those grainy YouTube videos.