© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
You could have skipped the first half of this one, folks. It was ugly. And again, like with most NBA games, it was inconsequential. The Warriors pulled away in the second half against the Spurs for a 114-91 win that improves their record to 13-12.
After two quarters, it was 50 all, but with Golden State having shot a woeful 43 percent from inside the paint. It was one of those flukey stats that tends to not be replicated, and it was about all that kept San Antonio in the game.
It wasn’t replicated, and the Warriors smothered the Spurs with a 36-20 third quarter in which, at one juncture, they led by 21 points.
Stephen curry remained absurd, but he was provided some legitimate help on Tuesday. He had his usual 32 points (11-of-20, 4-of-10 from 3-pt, 6-of-8 on FT), with 4 rebounds and a pair of assists.
Draymond Green, yet again, was stellar (not counting that end-of-game head-scratcher on Monday). He facilitated the ball incisively, boxed out, and pushed the pace. His stat line was vintage Green, with 7 points (3-for-4), 11 assists, 7 rebounds and a steal (3 turnovers).
And the rest of the cast, aside from Brad Wanamaker, who looks like he’s lost at sea (but finally hit a late three-pointer), was effective. There were six double-digit scorers, with every starter not including Green, and three bench players:
- Andrew Wiggins: 14 points (5-of-14, 1-of-5 from 3-pt), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
- Juan Toscano-Anderson: 11 points (5-of-14, 1-of-2 from 3-pt), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
- Kelly Oubre Jr.: 12 points (4-of-14, 2-of-5 from 3-pt), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
- Eric Paschall: 15 points (6-of-7, 3-of-3 from 3-pt), 6 rebounds, 2 assists
- Kent Bazemore: 10 points (3-of-6, 2-of-5 from 3-pt), 4 rebounds, 1 block
- Damion Lee: 11 points (4-of-7, 3-of-7 from 3-pt), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
There was some questionable free throw shooting (13-of-19), but it was the Warriors’ blistering third quarter, defined as much by Curry (16 third-quarter points) and Green’s brilliance as it was by the second unit’s effectiveness.
While Curry and Green checked in with less than five minutes remaining, it wasn’t necessary. There was not a single player who had a negative plus-minus. Green became just the second starting center to record 10-plus assists in four-straight games in NBA history, along with Nikola Jokic. That streak is a career-best for Green and the longest since Curry did it in 2012.
Against a Spurs team that seems unsure of what it is, that tandem set the pace in the third quarter, and the bench maintained it to send the Warriors home above .500 after a 2-2 trip to Texas.