We had to wait until halfway through the first quarter to see the Warriors take control of operations. In the wake of Stephen Curry (23 points, 8 assists), Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga, and with Draymond Green (9 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds) at the helm, they passed a 22-2 to the Hawks to easily take 19 points ahead (41-22).
Atlanta tries to react thanks to Jalen Johnson (15 points, 14 rebounds) and a clumsy Trae Young (12 points, 11 assists), but who sends Clint Capella to the dunk (55-40). The Hawks' mini burst was short-lived, however, as Golden State's defense limited them to 30% shooting and caused 11 lost balls. The Warriors then take advantage of their opponent's non-existent withdrawal to drive the point home. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins (27 points, 7 rebounds) allowed them to finish the half with a 12-2 lead to put them at +25 (67-42).
A 3-pointer from Lindy Waters III quickly increased the gap above 30 units (78-47). As the Warriors cruised to a quiet victory, they relaxed and Atlanta stepped into the breach. Trae Young, DeAndre Hunter and Onyeka Okongwu finished the third quarter with a 17-5 lead to get back to -15 (90-75).
Golden State continues to play with fire, but the Hawks are not taking advantage of it. It finally took a 12-2 finished by an aggressive Andrew Wiggins to restore more than 20 points to the Warriors (113-87), and inflict a third defeat in a row on Atlanta.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– Andrew Wiggins confirms his return to form. With 27 points on 12/17 shots, including 3/6 from three points, Andrew Wiggins was the best Warrior this night. This is already his fifth game of the season with 20 points or more. Last season, the Warriors had to wait until January 30 to see their winger reach the 20-point mark five times!
– The Hawks defense is taking on water. At the end of the first quarter, the Warriors had already scored 41 points at 60% success. At halftime, they had 17 points on the counterattack, their average per game this season. With the exception of a surge in the third quarter, Atlanta never managed to play with the defensive intensity necessary to hamper Golden State's play. In addition to their lack of withdrawal, they also offered no resistance in the racket, conceding 62 points there. Atlanta nevertheless has a promising squad with a lot of stature but their intentions are still too often on alternating current.
– Zaccharie Risacher within. For their third away match in four games, the Hawks had heavy legs during the first thirty minutes of the match and Zaccharie Risacher is the illustration of this. The Frenchman scored 5 points in the first quarter, before disappearing from traffic. He finished the game with 12 points on 4/10 shots, including 2/7 from three points. That said, 5 of his 12 points came during garbage time. The first choice of the Draft continues his learning of the NBA and his checkered start to the season.
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.
