It is in Las Vegas that the Warriors complete this preseason with a fifth victory in five matches (111-97 against the Lakers), and all the lights are green on the side of Stephen Curry and his teammates. In between, a strong indication: Steve Kerr decided to play “tall ball” with the returning Andrew Wiggins as a back and a “frontline” composed of Jonathan Kuminga, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
What Golden State gains in size and weight, it loses in mobility, and for a quarter, the Warriors had difficulty containing Anthony Davis, untenable by his runs and the variety of his shots. You have to wait for the first changes for the Lakers to slow down, and the wealth of the Golden State bench quickly makes the difference with Kyle Anderson in Swiss Army knife or Moses Moody to strike from afar, and give an eight point lead (43 -35).
A dress rehearsal for Steve Kerr
On the Lakers side, the numerous changes yield nothing, and Anthony Davis is very lonely. Like this tap from Draymond Green, which gives the Warriors a 10-point lead (51-41). To ignite the Vegas crowd, Stephen Curry punctuated the first half with a 3-pointer from nine meters (58-51). Clumsy, the All-Star leader saved his best for the end of the half.
Returning from the locker room, surprise since Steve Kerr lines up his usual starters. It doesn't pay off, and it's D'Angelo Russell who crashes from afar to bring the Lakers to -3. No panic on the Golden State side, and the Curry-Green duo quickly restored a 10-point lead (67-57) to force JJ Redick to take a time-out.
The Lakers are once again subjected to the law of replacements by the Warriors, with Buddy Hield first, then Moses Moody at the buzzer to increase the gap to +13.
Steve Kerr continues to take this last meeting as a real preparation for the opening of the season, and Stephen Curry returns to play in the 4th quarter. The Warriors took advantage of this to further widen the gap (+18), and finally win by 14 points (111-97). Even clumsy from afar, Steve Kerr's players confirmed that the depth of their squad could be a big strong point this season.
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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.
