Despite the absence of Stephen Curry, left to rest, the Warriors matched the Bucks in Milwaukee for 42 minutes. This is the moment chosen by Giannis Antetokounmpo (33 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Khris Middleton (24 points, 10 assists) to launch an 11-2 which put Golden State on the ropes once and for all (107 -98).
Steve Kerr can, however, be proud of his team. In the wake of Brandin Podziemski (23 points, 10 rebounds), from Milwaukee, the Warriors managed to absorb the good start to the match from Damian Lillard (27 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds) and the Bucks, who had nine points ahead after the first quarter (33-24), without ever giving up. Jonathan Kuminga (28 points), Trayce Jackson-Davis and Lester Quinones led a 29-13 to give their team a seven-point lead and return to the locker room ahead of the score (56-54).
A 3-pointer from Klay Thompson (21 points on 7/23 shooting) again gave the Warriors a 7-point lead in the middle of the third quarter (72-65), but Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, authors of 19 of the 29 points in their team in this period, managed to reverse the trend.
The Bucks got back in front (83-81) and, despite all the efforts of the Kuminga – Thompson duo to give the Dubs a chance, they managed to hold on thanks to a prolific last quarter winning 46 to 37.
It's cruel for the Warriors but they will be able to count on the return of Stephen Curry on Monday in Memphis… and perhaps on that of Draymond Green.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Stephen Curry laid to rest. With the suspensions of Draymond Green, injuries to Gary Payton II, Chris Paul and Moses Moody, and the struggles of many players, the Warriors had to take a shot at Stephen Curry to avoid being sucked into the depths of the Western Conference. The Golden State star has played in 36 of his franchise's first 38 games but has recently shown signs of fatigue as he's been subjected to tough defenses and double-takes in all of the Warriors' games. While he is averaging 26.7 points this season, Stephen Curry only averaged 22 points and 32% from 3-point range in the last ten games. He will return Monday for the duel against the Grizzlies on “Martin Luther King Day”.
– Brandin Podziemski makes himself at home. Holding the position of leader, the rookie produced a high-flying match to try to make people forget the absence of Stephen Curry. Brandin Podziemski, who grew up ten minutes from Fiserv Forum, found the right balance between scoring and organizing for the Warriors. He only lost one ball and was efficient on shots (10/14). Last Wednesday, before the game against the Pelicans, Steve Kerr said he had complete confidence in his rookie and the former Santa Clara player proved why last night.
– The duo Giannis Antetokounmpo – Khris Middleton unstoppable in the 4th quarter. Khris Middleton is having an up and down season but he has confirmed his return to form. His 10 points early in the final period allowed the Bucks to maintain control of the game and never cede the advantage to the Warriors. Once Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the court, Khris Middleton took on the role of distributor to highlight the Greek star. He scored 13 of his 24 points in the final quarter, and made 5 of his 10 assists. The last came on an alley-oop for Giannis Antetokounmpo with less than two minutes to play to definitively push Golden State back. The 2021 Finals MVP scored 15 of his 33 points in the final eight minutes of the match, taking advantage of his size advantage to attack the opposing circle relentlessly.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
