It was the perfect night for Golden State! After putting all their executives to rest, Steve Kerr saw all his young players shine to erase a 15-point deficit and steer Spurs on their floor.
Behind a 5/9 from 3-pointers, the Spurs quickly took the lead against the Warriors who wasted a lot of balls (36-30). The long-range skill of Moses Moody and Jordan Poole keeps Golden State in ambush, but seven more loose balls allow Dejounte Murray to push the tempo to drive the point home and give Spurs an 11-point lead just before halftime ( 69-58).
The awakening of Jordan Poole, hitherto clumsy, launches an 11-4 Warriors who return to -1 but the duo Murray – Johnson and a 5/7 from 3-point Spurs put Golden State back on the ropes. The Texans also iNFLict a 19-7 on them to take a 17-point lead, the biggest gap of the match (104-87).
The young Warriors then raise their voices in defense to respond to San Antonio. An interception from Gary Payton II sends Jonathan Kuminga to dunk and brings the Dubs to two possessions (112-106).
The Kuminga – Lee pair then continues with an 11-0 to cool the room (117-114). Dejounte Murray struggled to put San Antonio back in front, but it was finally thanks to five straight points from Jordan Poole, including an award-winning shot 17 seconds from the final buzzer, and a final defensive stop that gave the Warriors a surprise victory!
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Warriors are keeping an eye on the long term. With six straight wins heading into San Antonio, the Warriors are firmly in second place in the Western Conference, five fewer losses than third-place Memphis. Golden State is also somewhat behind first-place Phoenix. Suddenly, Steve Kerr and his staff had decided to put almost all of their major players, able, to rest. The Warriors therefore showed up in San Antonio without Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Klay Thompson, Otto Porter Jr, and also without their injured Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica. The Warriors therefore prioritize the health of their players rather than chasing the Suns at the top of the conference. That night, however, they were able to kill two birds with one stone.
– A nightmarish final quarter for Spurs. Yet at +15 with nine minutes to play, the Spurs liquefied at the end of the match against the tenfold intensity of the Warriors. Until then at 61% success on shots, Gregg Popovich’s men missed 11 of their 16 attempts in the last quarter and lost 6 balls, against 8 during the first three periods. This awkwardness also resulted in a lack of commitment. The Warriors indeed took 5 offensive rebounds, Gary Payton II stole three balls from them, and like the bull Jonathan Kuminga, they attacked the circle in abundance. In the end, the Warriors shot 14 more than their opponent to win this period 35-16.
– Moses Moody, welcome to the NBA rook! Powerful, prolific, and skilful in the G-League, Moses Moody, unlike Jonathan Kumina, had not yet had a chance in Steve Kerr’s rotation. His performance in Santa Cruz coupled with the rest of many rotation players was therefore a golden opportunity for the rookie and he did not miss his chance. Already skilful the day before in Houston, he again hit the mark from a distance, finishing 6/10 from a distance and showing all his potential in reading the game and in defense. These two days in Texas should allow him to be in Steve Kerr’s rotation against Sacramento and OKC, the next two opponents of the Warriors.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Jordan Poole. Without Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole took responsibility, blackening the game sheet (31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists). If he was clumsy, it was he who put the lid on in the last minutes to validate his team’s heist.
✅ Moses Moody-Damion Lee. The two players turned into “Splash Cousins” for an evening, with an 11 of 20 3-pointers for a total of 41 units between them, all complemented by 12 rebounds.
✅ Jonathan Kuminga. The rocky rookie season continues. Discreet for most of the game, he exploded in the last quarter, scoring 14 of his 19 points to sound the revolt of the Warriors.
✅ Dejounte Murray. The Spurs handyman left his mark on the game, finishing just outside a triple-double with 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists, although he also lost 6 balls.
⛔ Keldon Johnson. Efficient and prolific for three quarters, the Olympic champion was transparent at the end of the match. He only took one shot when his team needed points.
THE FOLLOWING
Golden State (39-13): the Warriors return to Chase Center for a game against the Kings
San Antonio (19-33): the Spurs receive the Heat on the night of Thursday to Friday
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
