The Golden State Warriors were up against it facing the Miami Heat without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga or Al Horford. Still, the nine remaining Warriors battled hard against a mostly-full-strength Heat team before Miami’s 18-4 run to start the 4th quarter was too much to overcome in a 110-96 Heat win.
Norman Powell scored 17 of his 25 points in the final eight minutes of the game while the Warriors started the quarter shooting 1-for-8 and turning the ball over a stunning
seven times in just under seven minutes. The Dubs played solid defense and out-rebounded the Heat 61-52, holding them to 41% shooting, but committing 21 turnovers and shooting 13-for-49 from long distance was simply too much to overcome.
Gui Santos started and made a few dramatic plays, like draining a big three-pointer and notching a chasedown block.
He also missed his five other three-point attempts, and fired a defensive rebound directly out-of-bounds in the 4th thanks to defensive pressure from former Warrior Andrew Wiggins (17 points, six rebounds).
Brandin Podziemski led the team with 20 points, but on 6-for-19 shooting. Moses Moody shot only 3-for-12 on his way to 9 points. Buddy Hield was the most volatile of all, scoring 18 points while going 4-for-15 on three-pointers. He had two steals, and he had four turnovers.
We don’t mean this to be critical. The Warriors out-hustled the Heat for most of the game. They just ran out of talent late in the game.
Pat Spencer had 13 assists, showing off the vision and passing skills that made him the Michael Jordan of college lacrosse. Spencer also grabbed eight rebounds, more than anyone on the Heat besides Kel’el Ware. He repeatedly had to bail out the Warriors late in the shot clock, meaning his 5-for-13 shooting performance was better than it looked, especially on a very deep third-quarter three.
Quinten Post showed Steve Kerr the value of having a player taller than 6-foot-9 on the court, finishing 19 points and 6 rebounds, along with five turnovers. Trayce Jackson-Davis grabbed 11 rebounds, six on the offensive end.
It looked like the Warriors might get blown out early when the Heat began the game on a 20-4 run. Golden State didn’t make a field goal until the 5:25 mark, missing their first 12 shots along with two free throws. But thanks to two Gary Payton II steals and three more triples, plus a Podziemski three-point play, the Warriors got back into the game.
In the second quarter, the Warriors caught up with a 10-0 run driven by Hield. He had a steal and a dunk, sank a three-pointer and assisted on another as the Warriors got within a point, then tied the game on one of Post’s three buckets of the quarter.
After they tied the game, the Warriors promptly fell behind, turning the ball over on three consecutive possessions in three unique ways.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Pat Spencer classic if he wasn’t getting in the face of a player way bigger than him. This time it was Jaime Jaquez, Jr., who tried to jaw at Spencer after scoring on him in the second quarter. He clearly hadn’t studied his game tape and learned that Pat Spencer backs down from no man, especially if that man isn’t even armed with a lacrosse stick. The two got double technicals and Spencer got the attention of Heat team president Pat Riley, who loves scrappy undrafted guards almost as much as he loves hair gel.
In the third, the Warriors took their first lead with a 9-0 run, and Post extended it with a 10-point quarter. But they started to understandably tire, especially thanks to the relentless Heat defense. Wiggins was a standout on that side of the ball, while Dru Smith and Davion Mitchell denied ball penetration and forced the Warriors into a lot of low-percentage outside shots.
Overall, the role players acquitted themselves well in a game no one would have given the Warriors a chance of winning. They also proved why ultimately, they’re role players, though Post, Spencer, and even Jackson-Davis made compelling cases for more playing time.
The Warriors survived the road trip with a 3-3 record and looked better than you’d expect while waving the white flag before the game. Hard to ask for more from a short-handed squad.
