Lester Quinones scored 17 points without making any plays defensively and Kevon Looney pulled down just 10 rebounds as Golden State’s second unit struggled. Dario Saric (illness) and Andrew Wiggins’ sprained foot left Golden State short-handed.
Jacque Vaughn employed a seven-man rotation without Trendon Watford or Harry Giles III, so Brooklyn’s defense was soft and modest.
Draymond Green’s 3-pointer
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson leading the Warriors to success, it can be easy to forget that Draymond Green is also one of their premier long-range shooters. While his 3-point percentage may have fallen since Kevin Durant joined, Green managed to bring it back up thanks to an aggressive late miss on Monday.
Green’s second shot of the night made an instant impactful statement about what the Warriors could accomplish without him. His three-pointer was enough to stop Brooklyn’s defense cold; furthermore, Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski both found baskets for them during the second half and gave the Warriors momentum they needed for an easy victory that marks only their third consecutive win this season.
Stephen Curry’s three-pointer
Two nights after scoring his second 60-point game of his career, Stephen Curry struggled to find his groove during a sloppy first half. The Warriors committed 10 turnovers leading to 15 Nets points while only making two of 11 3-point attempts before halftime.
Jonathan Kuminga opened up the third quarter by scoring six straight points to give Golden State control of the game and become one of only eight players ever in franchise history to score 2,000 points at 21 years old.
The State Warriors continued their dominance inside the paint, outscoring the Nets 66-49 in the second half. Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney each reached 20-point plateau, while Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges struggled with their shooting touch. Moses Moody made his long-awaited return after suffering calf injuries to score four points during his first appearance since January 10 – scoring four himself! They improved to 22-25 on the year, taking on Philadelphia on Wednesday before coming home for Indiana on Thursday; their road record stands at 8-5 overall this season.
Klay Thompson’s three-pointer
Klay Thompson knows his slow start has been a talking point among Golden State Warriors fans, yet the veteran sharpshooter insists he’s not worrying about outside narratives and is working diligently on improving.
Thompson must take control of his team if the Warriors wish to make another run at winning an NBA championship, after an unsuccessful 2022-23 campaign in which they were unable to advance back to the Finals. Thompson has promised himself that this time around he will perform better and ensure they reach the playoffs again.
Deeb was so driven that on his first possession of the second half against Brooklyn – two 3-pointers and a dunk later put the Warriors ahead 75-70 and out of reach for Brooklyn; Gui Santos took over for Thompson at key moments of victory.
Jonathan Kuminga’s three-pointer
Jonathan Kuminga responded to an inconsistency-ridden first half with the State Warriors’ most effective scoring performance of the second quarter: 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting while also collecting 8 rebounds and providing four assists in their win over Minnesota Timberwolves.
Third-year forward Stephen Curry has quickly emerged as an integral piece of the Warriors’ success since returning from injury, providing them with an ideal replacement for Green when the veteran returns. Over his past 10 games he’s scored 20+ points nine times while averaging 24.9 points, 6.7 boards, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 threes per contest – an outstanding contribution in such short time!
Steve Kerr will likely keep him in his rotation even when Green returns, as he’s an accomplished two-way player who could become another Kristaps Porzingis for the Warriors.
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