Even in an early January affair against a Charlotte team that had lost 8 of 11 games, the Warriors managed to create intrigue and drama. That the excitement derived less from the competition with the Hornets and more from the game within the game – in this case, Draymond Green trying desperately to get that final assist for a triple-double — takes nothing away from the enjoyment of an otherwise ho-hum, easy win for Golden State. Make that 35 straight at home and 32-2 on the season.
Here are 10 thoughts from the game:
1) Lost in the hoopla of the 24-game win streak, a quest for 70-plus wins, the win over Lebron on Christmas Day and Stephen Curry scoring sprees, is that the Warriors haven’t quite played like themselves since Harrison Barnes’ injury. Last night, for a game least, the Dubs were back to their old selves, the version that blitzed the NBA earlier in the season. The Splash Brothers had 60 points on video game threes, Harrison Barnes fit seamlessly back into the lineup hitting three consecutive jumpers at one point, and Marreese Speights summoned the scoring prowess of Mo Buckets for a night. The Warriors are still missing a few players, but the pieces are starting to come back together. Just in time for the January 25th date with the Spurs.
2) After missing the last 16 games, Harrison Barnes played 20 minutes off the bench, notching eights points and looking sharp in the process. His presence was felt immediately as his play with the bench unit extended a Warriors lead with Curry and Green resting. I can’t remember the last time the subs didn’t lose a lead, let alone increase it.
3) It would appear Draymond Green only gets triple-doubles now. After earning Western Conference Player of the Week honors, Dray became only the 15th player in NBA history to record three TDs in a row, finishing with 13 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists (none prettier than this one).
4) With Festus Ezeli out again with an injured toe and HB holding down the 4-spot with the subs, Marreese Speights toggled down to the five, the position where he excelled last year. He scored nine points in seven first-half minutes and 15 for the game on 10 shots, earning a loud ovation from the Oracle crowd. Speights has been less effective this year in part because of Festus’ ascendance at center gobbling up all the back-up big man minutes. But with Barnes back, Mo can slot down to the five in small lineups and spread the floor for the bench unit.
5) One positive that emerged in the wake of all the injuries is the capable play from the back-end of the roster. Brandon Rush found his shooting touch from deep during HB’s absence (44% on threes) and Ian Clark just had four games in a row where he scored in double figures. Even James MacAdoo had a few moments, especially in the Houston game.
6) Steph had a “teammate of the year” play with about 6 minutes left in the fourth. After Speights and Klay Thompson failed to score and convert Dray’s pass into an assist to give him ten for the game, Curry took matters into his own hands and hit a deep three with two defenders’ hands in his face to make sure his teammate got the triple-double.
7) Poor OKC. Maybe instead of giving Jeremy Lamb away for nothing and getting Dion Waiters and Kyle Singler, they should have just stuck with Lamb. They could use a rangy, scoring small-forward off the bench.
8) Curry had a fantastic drive at the 6:20 mark in the third quarter. Handling the ball at the top of the key with Kemba Walker defending tight against him, Steph saw that Marvin Williams was a step too far out of the lane to recover and knew he’d have no trouble blowing by Walker. When you’re the best offensive player alive, it’s not the man in front of you that you worry about, it’s the second guy. Steph’s so good at leveraging his shooting that he can regularly beat two guys for a bucket. What a wizard.
9) Some people measure the passing of time by dates on a calendar, others by events in a year. I go by Jeremy Lin hairstyles. After going with a bowl cut, and then a slicked-back duck-shaped ‘do for a while, the Palo Alto native was back with the electrocuted look. That’s the fourth iteration of his head this year — which must mean it’s early January.
10) Oracle fans know their basketball. They know when to cheer and when to stand for a player making his comeback from injury. And they always manage that goosebumps-inducing “Waaaaaaaaaarriors” chant when the team is on the verge of doing something special. And judging by their reaction each time Draymond got the ball in the fourth quarter, they also know when a Warrior is an assist away from a triple-double. This is why it’s especially disheartening when the in-arena music plays during tight games in the fourth quarter, like in the last contest against the Nuggets. Golden State fans, like the team itself, know how to bring the excitement, no assistance needed. They can organically manufacture the fun, even in an early-January affair against a struggling Eastern Conference opponent.