Warriors blow out Suns with huge run, end losing streak at 1
The Warriors’ first loss of the 2015-16 season Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks did more than end a record-setting start to the season — it also carried the potential to normalize what had previously seemed like an unstoppable force. Would the Warriors’ record fall to a more standard level of excellence after proving themselves vulnerable? Would opponents approach them with more confidence?
Wednesday’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns answered those questions as clearly as possible. It turns out that the one-loss Warriors look a lot like the team that opened at 24-0.
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After playing poorly enough for the Suns to build a 42-38 lead through 19 minutes, the Warriors closed the second quarter on a 21-4 run (with no scoring at all in the final 1:40) and won the third quarter 46-19 on their way to a dominant 128-103 victory that wasn’t even that close. The NBA season-high 46-point period allowed Golden State to rest its starters for the full fourth quarter after they had built a 40-point advantage.
As ever, the defending champions excelled with style. This drop-pass from Stephen Curry to Klay Thompson during a second-quarter fast break helped propel the run:
Center Andrew Bogut brought his own flash with this through-the-legs pass to Curry:
Bogut had an absolutely stellar game with 12 rebounds, three assists, a block, a steal, and a plus-43 over 21 minutes. He also didn’t attempt a field goal and missed both his foul shots for zero points, which is almost a more impressive accomplishment than if he had provided any kind of scoring punch. It takes a special kind of player to serve as a capable offensive player without being a primary ballhandler or much of a scorer.
Thompson’s excellent night was a little more direct in its impressiveness. He scored 43 points (15-of-22 FG, 8-of-13 3FG, 5-of-5 FT), including 27 in the third quarter, for the second-highest total of his career.
Curry was less explosive, putting up 25 on a ho-hum 10-of-14 from the field and a distinctly un-Steph 2-of-5 from deep. He also had 13 in the third, which means that the Splash Brothers combined for 40 of Golden State’s 46 in the period. Every opponent knows to key on these two players, but it often doesn’t matter when they’re at their best. Then again, maybe that focus is what allowed Draymond Green to log his fourth triple-double of the season (tying Rajon Rondo for the league lead) in just 31 minutes:
This overwhelming win was just a single game, but it’s not out of bounds to consider it closer to the Warriors’ true level than their loss to the Bucks. Friday’s rematch with Milwaukee should be fascinating, as well, especially with the Warriors focused on getting some measure of revenge:
So, yes, in some ways the Warriors season is now more normal than it was when they were undefeated. Their normal just happens to be a scary proposition for any team they meet.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
