We had to wait until the end of the second quarter and 8 points in a row from Stephen Curry to see the Warriors sign the first mini break of the match (46-37). Until then, the Warriors were still showing the after-effects of the cruel defeat the day before against the Nuggets. The first half was indeed played at a false rhythm. Despite the Pistons shooting 37% and 21% from 3-point range, Golden State's 11 lost balls allowed Cade Cunningham (30 points) and Kevin Knox (18 points) to keep the Pistons in ambush (50-46) .
The Warriors added six loose balls in the third quarter and three winning baskets from Kevin Knox and former Warrior Alec Burks prevented the gap from growing (79-75). It takes thirteen points from the duo Klay Thompson (19 points) – Dario Saric (17 points) at the start of the last quarter to see Golden State take more than ten points in advance for the first time in the match (95-84).
While the tension in the Chase Center seems to dissipate, 7 points from Cade Cunningham launch a 10-0 which recalls the nightmarish end of the match the day before (95-94)! The thunderclap comes with less than two minutes to play when Bojan Bogdanovic puts Detroit in front with a 3-point shot (103-102). Fortunately for Golden State, Stephen Curry redeems himself from his lost ball against Denver. He goes for two free throws, and follows up with two 3-point “step backs” to kill the match in the last minute!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Jonathan Kuminga puts his disappointment aside. Glued to the bench during the last 18 minutes of the defeat against Denver while he had a good match and despite his loss of confidence in Steve Kerr, Jonathan Kuminga started the match against Detroit in a very professional manner. While his teammates were slow, the winger scored 11 points in the first half by attacking the rim. He was less prominent in the second half but continued to show clear progress in his decision-making and patience with ball in hand.
– The Stephen Curry – Cade Cunningham duel in money time. After Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic the day before, it was Cade Cunningham's turn to shake the Warriors last night. His team at -11, the Pistons leader scored 11 points in five minutes to put the two teams back to back (100-100). He will finish the last quarter with 15 of his 30 points! Clumsy so far, Stephen Curry then took the match into his own hands to avoid losing against the worst team in the league. The “Chief” scored 14 of his 16 points for Golden State in the final three minutes of the game, including two ultra-clutch winning shots.
– Discreet return to the Chase Center of James Wiseman. The Warriors did not pull out all the stops to mark James Wiseman's first match at Golden State since his transfer last February: a simple “Welcome Back” on the screen above the floor to mark the occasion ! For his part, Steve Kerr was content to regret the lack of opportunity given to number 2 of the 2019 Draft. I would have preferred it to end differently but it was very difficult for James to find a place in a squad that was already well established and within a team that found itself playing the leading roles. That said, he is a fantastic young man and I hope to see him succeed,” said Steve Kerr before the meeting. With the exception of a dunk over Dario Saric, Wiseman didn't show much improvement from his years with Golden State. He finished with 4 points and 3 rebounds in 15 minutes of play.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.
