Absolutely forbidden defeat for the Warriors. While the Lakers won against Wolves, the defending champions had to win against one of the worst teams in the conference, to maintain a small lead in the standings over their pursuers. Mission accomplished, even if this success against Spurs (130-115) took longer to take shape than imagined.
It must be said that the Texans, however deprived of a package of players (Devin Vassell, Zach Collins, Jeremy Sochan…), played without complex and signed a good overall performance. But contributions from six players to 10 or more points weren’t enough to end their ongoing streak of six straight losses.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The explosion of the fourth quarter. The final scoreline misrepresents the worries Spurs posed to the Warriors. In the lead from the first quarter (23-26), the visitors were again 24 minutes later (87-88), despite a ten-point delay conceded a few minutes earlier. The premises then put a big boost in the last act thanks to Stephen Curry author of nine points in four minutes. Jordan Poole made his contribution by signing in particular an action at 3 + 1, then Klay Thompson also got started, a few minutes later, taking advantage of the good balls distributed by Draymond Green. It will be understood that the long distance address, which the Warriors lacked in the first period (6/24), was there in the second: 15/25! They won the last quarter 43-27.
– Three players in the 200 club. Jordan Poole only needed a small 3-point basket to reach the symbolic bar of 200 winning shots converted over the season. The full-back had no difficulty achieving this goal and joining the ‘Splash Brothers’. The Californians thus become the first team, to have three players with at least 200 3-point baskets over the season, since the Rockets of the 2016-17 season and their trio of gunners James Harden, Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Stephen Curry/Klay Thompson/Jordan Poole. The trio gave Spurs hell. The three men were a constant threat behind the arc from where they accumulated, between them, no less than 20 award-winning baskets! In the last quarter, we saw Stephen Curry shine a lot in the game without the ball, coming out of the screens to sanction in “catch-and-shoot”, while Jordan Poole took care of directing the game. Notable fact: they only lost five balls in all.
✅ Gary Payton II. He does not have the beautiful line of stats of Jonathan Kuminga but what an impact for the “role player” of the Warriors. He spent his evening diving on the trailing balls, pushing his teammates to imitate him. After a missed tap dunk in the last quarter, for example, he continued his effort to maintain possession for his team, which led to an open shot from Klay Thompson. His best game since his return.
✅ Spurs interiors. The only two players in double-double at the end of this meeting are to be found in the Spurs racket. Sandro Mamukelashvili scored his first 10+ points and 10 rebounds game of the season, giving ideas to Gorgui Dieng, whose long-range skill has caused the Warriors plenty of problems. Also adding the good game of Keita Bates-Diop, we note that the Texan interiors were more effective in shooting than their backs.
⛔ Malaki Branham. Very average match for the rookie who had never shot so much this season. After starting off pretty well, the 20th draft pick had a much harder time converting with 2/8 on shots in the second half.
THE FOLLOWING
Warriors (41-37) : trip to Denver on Sunday.
Spurs (19-58) : trip to Sacramento on Sunday.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
