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The Golden State Warriors’ 123-112 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday served as a reminder for anybody who has counted them out for the title race this yr. In true Warriors style, the defending champions confirmed everybody why the title resides within the Bay Space.
With the Splash Brothers main the cost, the Dubs had been off to a fiery begin. Towards the top of the primary interval, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson outscored the whole Suns group 30-21. When his group wanted a win, Thompson got here up huge with a 33-point first half, his fifth 30-point half in his profession.
“I simply assume Klay’s been in an awesome place now for some time,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stated. “[In] the 2 early Phoenix losses, he actually struggled, confirmed loads of frustration. I do know it felt good for him to have that massive first half.”
Regardless of a boiling-hot begin from the Splash brothers, the duo felt extra like room temperature within the second half. Nonetheless, Curry would end the night time 23 factors behind his confederate’s 38. Down 17 at half-time, the Suns got here again swinging after the intermission, reducing the result in single digits within the third quarter. However when Curry and Thompson appeared to burn out, Jordan Poole was the subsequent man up. With 20 factors and 6 assists, Poole completed what his teammates began because the Warriors put the sport to mattress.
The lacking items for each groups
It’s exhausting to disclaim how a lot of a distinction the Suns’ newly-acquired centerpiece, Kevin Durant, would have made in opposition to his former group. Durant has been absent since injuring his ankle pregame in opposition to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Mar 8. 3-0 with Durant, the Suns now discover themselves with out him for no less than two weeks when the wins matter most. Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton led the best way with 32 and 27 factors, respectively. Nevertheless, the Warriors proved a bit overwhelming on offense capturing 54.2% from the sphere and 48.7% from three. With out their main offensive weapon, the Suns had no reply for the onslaught.
Just like the Suns, the Warriors weren’t in full kind as a roster regardless of the win. A day after Durant’s pregame mishap, Jonathan Kuminga suffered the identical destiny, hurting his ankle earlier than tipoff in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies– a sport that the Warriors misplaced 131-110.
The Warriors are additionally lacking Andrew Wiggins, who has been away from the group for the reason that center of February on account of personal reasons. Whereas the previous number-one decide is averaging 17.1 factors per sport, he has additionally been stellar on protection, which shined within the NBA Finals collection in opposition to the Boston Celtics.
“I feel that’s the hope,” Kerr mentioned about Wiggins returning this season. “However actually there’s nothing to report on, so we’re giving him his house as he offers with one thing that’s far more essential than the sport.”
The Warriors wanted this win forward of a raodtrip
With the Playoffs close by, the fifth-seeded Warriors first should embark on a five-game highway journey which begins on Wednesday in opposition to the LA Clippers. The Dubs have struggled on the highway (7-26) this yr, and Kerr pointed to protection turning into the important thing to a profitable five-stop tour late within the season.
“It’s gotta begin with the protection. Our defensive stats at residence are actually good, one of many high few groups within the NBA,” Kerr mentioned. “On the highway had been one of many worst. I at all times speak about how the sport has to attach so a part of protection is having [a] good offense in possessions. We gotta join the sport however it has to start out with a defensive mindset.”
Whereas the Warriors’ defensive sparkplug Wiggins handles essential issues away from his group, they will nonetheless put themselves ready to defend their title within the playoffs. The important thing to doing that is their overwhelming offense. The panorama has fully modified within the Western Convention, however the Dubs are clearly nonetheless within the image, not simply photobombers.
“They’re a hell of a group,” Kerr mentioned in regards to the Suns. “They’re very bodily and I assumed they took us out of our offense [in the third quarter]. They had been the extra bodily group, the extra aggressive group. And similar to we confirmed within the first quarter, the extra aggressive group tends to have the ball go within the hoop.”
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