He did it in the first quarter and again late in the fourth: fists clenched, teeth biting, arms flexed. Jordan Poole couldn’t be stopped on Monday night in the Chase Center, and twice created an enduring image as he led the Warriors to a gritty win.
Poole poured in a game-high 32 points off the bench. The Warriors needed every single one of them, as Stephen Curry scored a season-low nine points on 3-for-17 shooting (1-for-10 from 3).
Heat leading scorer Jimmy Butler exited in the third quarter with a leg injury, and Miami hung tough but missed the fourth-quarter closer they usually lean on. Golden State (29-7) overcame Curry’s ice cold shooting night to win, 115-108.
Here are three takeaways from Golden State’s win:
A new role for Poole
For the second straight game, GSW’s third-leading scorer Jordan Poole came off the bench (Gary Payton II spot-started). Though Steve Kerr declined to outright say it pregame, the Warriors are essentially starting to groom Poole for Life With Klay Thompson.
As Thompson left the court after warming up with his fellow Splash Bro Curry, he held up six fingers, adding to the speculation that he’ll be back next Sunday.
Whenever Thompson returns, Poole will slot into a reserve role — something he’s hypothetically suited for. Poole is an effective scorer from all levels and can get going quick. His skill set is uniquely equipped to provide instant offense.
No matter how well Poole could play off the bench, it still won’t be a seamless transition with Thompson, everyone within the organization acknowledges.
“There will be a lot of guys affected by Klay’s return,” Kerr said pregame. “I’ve talked to the group, I’ve talked to individual players. It’s not an easy thing to deal with. As for Jordan, he’s still going to play a huge role for our team moving forward. We’re going to need him. But it’s a different role, and that’s not an easy thing to adjust to during the season.”
Poole was thrust into the game earlier than expected on Monday, as Curry picked up two quick fouls. But that didn’t faze him — a sign that he can rise above a game situation’s influence.
Poole immediately sunk two catch-and-shoot 3s. He added two leakout buckets, one in which he adeptly sought contact from Tyler Herro for an and-1. The guard dropped 14 points on eight shots in his first nine minutes. He didn’t force things, but provided a burst anyway.
The sparkplug added another flurry in the third quarter, scoring on three straight GSW possessions: once at the rim off an off-ball cut, then from 3 after playing a two-man game with Kevon Looney, then an and-1 on a midrange pullup. Then in the fourth, he flushed over Yurtseven to cap the victory.
In his career, Poole has started 49 games and come off the bench in 88. His shooting numbers are better as a starter — 42.5% from the field to 37.4% as a reserve — but those numbers are skewed by his rookie season.
Poole (32 points in 26 minutes) should be able to thrive as the focal point of second units in stretches without Curry on the floor. And when he’s cooking, like he was on Monday, he can score in any lineup, against any defense.
Asking a third-year guard who’s averaging a career-best 17.6 per game to play fewer minutes and take on fewer responsibilities isn’t easy. But sacrificing for winning is part of the Warriors’ credo at this point, and it’s beginning to look like Poole’s turn.
Draymond makes his presence felt after short absence
The Warriors went 1-1 while Draymond Green was quarantined in the league’s health and safety protocols — including one of the most impressive wins of the season in Utah — but the team just wasn’t the same. A player of Green’s caliber and fire is irreplaceable both on the court and in a team’s DNA.
And no matter how quick an absence it was, maintaining NBA shape can be difficult. But Green, in as optimal condition as he has been in his entire career, returned to the lineup Monday without missing a beat.
In a perfectly Draymond Green way, Green set the tone for GSW. He attempted just one first-half shot but dished 10 assists in his first 18 minutes. He covered half a baseline’s worth of ground to block a PJ Tucker corner 3. He matched Kyle Lowry’s pitbull intensity by diving on the floor for a loose ball under the basket and barking before winning the jump ball.
In a key run during the third quarter, Green drilled a 3 from above the break then drew a charge on the other end. In the fourth quarter, he swiped a driving Tyler Herro and stuffed Omer Yurtseven at the rim to seal a victory. He finished with 13 assists, eight rebounds, five points, four blocks and a steal.
Jazz coach Quin Snyder recently endorsed Green as an MVP candidate (Green agrees). He’ll never have a traditionally great box score across the course of a season, but on a per-play, per-game basis, there’s an argument he affects winning about as much as anyone else in the world.
Steph-ing up
Curry struggled mightily on the offensive end against the Heat, meaning others had to pick up the slack. Yes, Green facilitated with brilliant offense. And Poole filled it up from everywhere on the court.
But the scoring solution when Curry runs cold is simple: run the offense and move the rock.
There were hardly any instances of isolation. Golden State turned Miami turnovers into easy points in transition. They found buckets by seeking mismatches in the post and making smart decisions in the pick-and-roll (two Looney dunks off Curry and Poole feeds particularly stand out). They cut from outside-in, taking advantage of aggressive Miami perimeter defenders.
The result was beautiful, selfless basketball. Golden State recorded 39 assists on 45 made field goals. They scored 26 points off 18 Heat turnovers. They scraped and scrapped and clawed and gnawed while their superstar struggled, and the system won out.