No matter how good your run is, it’s very hard to be better than the best team of the last decade, especially when the best team needs to be better. It’s what happened to the Pelicans, who visited the Chase Center with 5 consecutive victories in their pocket and were going for a sixth that would even allow them to dream of avoiding the play in. And they were close to doing it: more than it seems and than what the final result reflects (120-107). But, you know, the Warriors are the Warriors and their vital ability to stay at least as close to the ring as possible before even starting the finals is absolutely legendary. Stephen Curry was superb, Draymond Green played better than at almost any point this season, Klay Thompson hit his 3-pointers, and the rest did their usual business: a little Jonathan Kuminga, a little Donte DiVincenzo, a lot Jordan Poole off the bench. … Defined roles, sprint when necessary, festival in front of their audience and a clear and resounding step in the right direction with a balsamic, essential victory. Differential.
The Warriors get their 40th victory of the season (40-37), the 31st at the Chase Center (31-8), in a dynamic that we already know, being one of the best teams in the North American competition at home (along with the Nuggets, Grizzlies, Cavs, Bucks…) and one of the worst away from the Chase Center (along with, attention, Rockets, Pistons and Spurs). We don’t know if this will be key in the playoffs, where they will arrive without a home field advantage and will have to scratch outside to emerge. Only time will tell that: after all, we have already seen many times the ability to revive a team that shows a new face in mid-April and that, although it does not differ radically from the one that has played in the regular season (something that is usually impossible), it does correct the necessary defects to take a leap forward and become a machine to defeat rivals. We will see.
Against the Pelicans, Steve Kerr’s team fell 46-63 at halftime… and won 120-107 at the end. A 74-46 run in the entire second half, an extraordinary baggage that definitely tipped the balance. The contrast was objective: the Pelicans scored over 64% on three-pointers in the first half… and 23% in the second. There the Warriors multiplied, with a sublime Draymond in defense and distribution (8 points, 6 rebounds and 13 assists, 9 of them between the third and the last quarter) and a tremendous Curry, who went to 39 points with 22 in the second half and added 8 rebounds and 8 assists, with 3 steals (4 losses), 14 of 25 from the field, 8 of 14 from 3-pointers and 3 of 4 from free throws. The Warriors, by the way, were still behind at the conclusion of the third quarter (85-89), butBut Jordan Poole microwaved to score 13 of his 21 goals in the final quarter and the Warriors scratched a very important victory.
Now, the Warriors are sixth, while the Pelicans lose a golden opportunity against a superior rival and remain in the round of 16 (38-38) with only half a game ahead of the Lakers. Brandon Ingram scored 26 points, Try Murphy 21, Jonas Valanciunas went to 11+9+5 (4 losses), Herbert Jones to 13+6+4 and CJ McCollum to 15… but the game belonged to the Warriors, who, in addition to the aforementioned, had 17 points and 5 triples from Klay (who has exceeded 250 this season along with Curry, the third time they have done so simultaneously), 13 from Kuminga and many others from DiVincenzo. And still waiting for Andrew Wiggins, which could be incorporated before the playoffs and would be a fundamental piece in them. For now, there they continue: adding, collecting victories, forgetting that their season has been questionable and that they have the power of the Chase Center and also of the past, some very recent, in the form of rings and moments for history. Attention, that the last great dynasty that the NBA has seen can with everything. She has already shown it.
|
7
Patrick Baldwin Jr.
|
|
30
Stephen Curry
|
|
0
Donte DiVincenzo
|
|
23
Draymond Green
|
|
1
JaMychal Green
|
|
0
Jonathan Kuminga
|
|
40
Anthony Lamb
|
|
5
kevon looney
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|
4
Moses Moody
|
|
8
Gary Payton II
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|
3
Jordan Poole
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|
eleven
klay thompson
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| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7
Patrick Baldwin Jr.
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
30
Stephen Curry
|
36 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3/4 | 6/10 | 8/15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Donte DiVincenzo
|
22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4/5 | 3/4 | 1/4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
23
Draymond Green
|
32 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 4/5 | 0/0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
|
1
JaMychal Green
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
0
Jonathan Kuminga
|
31 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | 4/4 | 1/1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
40
Anthony Lamb
|
17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
5
kevon looney
|
22 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3/4 | 0/4 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
4
Moses Moody
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
8
Gary Payton II
|
9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
3
Jordan Poole
|
29 | twenty-one | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/4 | 6/9 | 2/6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
eleven
klay thompson
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3. 4 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0/0 | 1/5 | 5/11 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
eleven
Dyson Daniels
|
|
10
Jason Hayes
|
|
9
Willy Hernangomez
|
|
14
Brandon Ingram
|
|
5
Herbert Jones
|
|
13
Kira Lewis Jr.
|
|
8
Naji Marshall
|
|
3
C.J. McCollum
|
|
25
Trey Murphy II
|
|
22
Larry Nance Jr.
|
|
2
Josh Richardson
|
|
0
Dereon Seabron
|
|
41
Garrett Temple
|
|
17
Jonas Valanciunas
|
| Min | pts | RT | RO | DR | Ast | Per | rec | Tap | T1 | T2 | T3 | FR | CF | Val | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
eleven
Dyson Daniels
|
10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 1/1 | 0/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
10
Jason Hayes
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
9
Willy Hernangomez
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
14
Brandon Ingram
|
38 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 7/7 | 8/21 | 1/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
5
Herbert Jones
|
35 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/0 | 2/6 | 3/5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
13
Kira Lewis Jr.
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
8
Naji Marshall
|
13 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 3/6 | 0/1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
3
C.J. McCollum
|
37 | fifteen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 3/10 | 3/7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
25
Trey Murphy II
|
37 | twenty-one | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5/5 | 23 | 4/6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
|
22
Larry Nance Jr.
|
24 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 4/6 | 0/2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
|
2
Josh Richardson
|
twenty | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/0 | 23 | 1/3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
|
0
Dereon Seabron
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
41
Garrett Temple
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
|
17
Jonas Valanciunas
|
22 | eleven | 9 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 5/7 | 0/1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
