The Golden State Warriors are at a critical juncture in their season. They’ve been treading water all year long, and staying right around the .500 mark. The one positive takeaway from that has been that their schedule
was brutal; if they could stay afloat during the tough times, maybe that means that could take off during the easier ones.
Well, it’s time to put up or shut up for the Dubs, as on Wednesday they kicked off a streak of eight-straight home games, with only one back-to-back in there. It’s time to make a run. And thankfully, they’re off to a strong start, as they kicked off this portion of the schedule with a 120-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would suggest.
After a nail-biter loss to the LA Clippers on Monday that was all defense, this game was all offense in the early going. Moses Moody hit a three on the team’s first possession and Quinten Post drained one on their second, and the offense was off and running. Unfortunately, that was also the case for the Bucks, who were scoring just as easily. Displeased with the defensive effort, Steve Kerr called a timeout at the 6:41 mark in the first quarter, with the Bucks leading 19-13.
Whatever Kerr said worked, as the Dubs bit down on defense and found their groove again on offense, rattling off nine straight points in response. After the teams exchanged defensive blows, it was back to a high-scoring affair, with Curry dropping in 10 points in the frame, and former Warrior Ryan Rollins — who had a career game against his old team earlier this year — once again showing off and showing out. The Warriors survived their minutes without Steph Curry, but the Bucks survived theirs without Giannis Antetokounmpo as neither team could gain control. Golden State closed with a two-big lineup — Post and Al Horford — and the teams were knotted at 31 points when the quarter came to a close.
The offense took another step forward to start the second quarter. Golden State was pushing in transition and making the extra pass. You could practically feel Steve Kerr smiling through the TV as the players and the ball flew around the court with intention.
Most importantly, the Warriors did what they couldn’t do in the first quarter, and took advantage of Antetokounmpo’s prolonged absence. The two-time MVP isn’t quite playing full minutes following his recent injury (he played just under 31 minutes in this game), and his first stint on the bench spanned a good chunk of time at the end of the first and start of the second. And in that latter half of his bench time, the Warriors finally took advantage, and suddenly they looked like the much better team. A brilliant sequence by Horford — who blocked a shot on one end of the court and drained a three on the other — gave the Dubs a double-digit lead at the 8:30 mark of the frame.
The offense was looking gorgeous, but Antetokounmpo started to take over when he returned to the court. He and Kevin Porter Jr. had pulled the Bucks to within three points with just under 2:30 remaining in the half, when perhaps the most important play of the game occurred. Jimmy Butler III, closing quarters as he does so well, was acutely aware of both how dominant Antetokounmpo had been, and that he had two fouls. So Butler worked his magic and baited Antetokounmpo into a shooting foul that would send Milwaukee’s star to the bench for the rest of the half.
That sparked the Warriors. With Giannis not being able to bother the Warriors with his explosive offense or his athletic defense, the Dubs absolutely pummeled the Bucks, going on an immediate 11-0 run to take total control of the game. Milwaukee was able to end the half with a highlight, when AJ Green ended the Golden State run with a three in the waning seconds, but even so, it was a 64-53 advantage entering halftime.
The first few minutes of the third quarter always feel like the most critical part of an NBA game, especially a game where one team has a sizable lead. Those third-quarter runs are real, and you’ll get a chance to see whether the trailing team is going to get right back in it and make things interesting, or if they’re going to wilt away.
This game was an exception to that rule. Milwaukee came out of the gates firing, but it didn’t portend a close second half. Instead, the Bucks merely shrunk the gap, and then the Warriors rapidly expanded it. Milwaukee got very close within the first few minutes, and then Curry went off, with a vintage flurry, resulting in 16 points in the quarter. Everyone followed Curry’s lead: Butler made big shots, Green played absolutely stunning defense, Brandin Podziemski did a little bit of everything, Post and Moody had huge moments, Horford and De’Anthony Melton played like the trusty veterans they are, and Gui Santos — taking the minutes of the injured Gary Payton II — flew all over the court. The Warriors were in complete control, and coasted into the fourth quarter with a 98-82 advantage.
Even so, the Bucks still weren’t going away. They kept flirting with getting back into the game, while Curry watched from the bench waiting in case he needed to save the day. Finally it looked like Golden State had put a stamp on things when Green made back-to-back threes around the halfway mark, which pushed the lead back to 15 points.
But the Bucks kept responding, even as Green, Butler, and eventually Curry responded. It was a tremendous display by Milwaukee, as the Bucks seemed to make more and more difficult shots as the fourth quarter progressed. They’d make a shot, the Warriors would respond by defending better, they’d make another shot, and the cycle went on and on.
Still, the Warriors maintained a semi-comfortable lead, while running out a closing lineup of Curry, Green, Butler, Melton, and Santos, and then swapping Santos for Moody. Eventually, Milwaukee’s ability to hit outrageous shots faded, and even though Golden State’s offense was officially leaking oil at that point, they’d banked a big enough lead. With about 30 seconds remaining, Curry hit an absurd step-back jumper to push the lead, then hit the Bucks with his night-night celebration. That was all she wrote.
