Steph Curry hit three layups, a nook 3 and a patented deep trey whereas utterly taking on the sport in Oklahoma Metropolis throughout a nuclear third quarter.
Curry, the 36-year-old supernova, poured in 17 of his 36 factors within the third interval. Curry made seven of his 10 discipline targets within the body, together with the pair of 3s. Behind his eruption, the Warriors turned a seven-point edge right into a 20-point blowout in what grew to become aa 127-116 victory.
Recording season-highs in factors (36) and 3s (seven), Curry made the most effective protection within the league look pedestrian. Golden State ran up 79 factors within the center quarters mixed, constructing an insurmountable cushion after Thunder heart Chet Holmgren left the sport with a proper hip damage.
Curry and the Warriors’ third quarter was sufficient to carry off a resurgent Thunder effort within the remaining interval. Oklahoma Metropolis practically erased the Warriors’ 30-point lead with a livid defensive efficiency, however Curry delivered the requisite daggers to flee.
The Warriors’ win capped off an undeniably profitable street journey. Golden State (8-2) completed the five-city, nine-night journey with a 4-1 file, together with wins over the Celtics and Thunder.
“You always have to have perspective in this league,” Curry mentioned in his on-court postgame interview with NBC Sports activities Bay Space. “Because it’s so hard to win. So if you get on the plane at SFO 10 days ago, you say, ‘We’ve got to go 4-1.’ We’ll take that all day…Our resiliency to bounce back (from the Cleveland loss) and play against a very tough OKC team in their building and get a win like this on the way home, it shows what we’re building.”
Probably the most consequential play of the sport occurred midway by way of the primary quarter. Gary Payton II swung a cross to Andrew Wiggins within the nook, who pumped-and-drove to the rim, the place he completed by way of Holmgren on the rim. Holmgren, the second-year star heart, fell arduous on his proper facet and couldn’t put any weight on his proper leg as he obtained helped to the locker room.
Holmgren, who’s averaging 18.2 factors, 9.2 rebounds and a pair of.9 blocks per recreation, didn’t return. The severity of his proper hip damage might tip the steadiness of the Western Convention.
With Holmgren incapacitated, a few of the Warriors paint touches that had been rimming out began to fall. The paint opened up, and so did second-chance alternatives. They took benefit of the absence of one of many recreation’s fiercest bigs.
The Thunder performed minuscule lineups with Holmgren unavailable, and the Warriors usually matched their measurement. Golden State went lengthy stretches with Kyle Anderson because the purposeful heart to counter Oklahoma Metropolis’s five-out model.
“It turned into a small game, that’s why (Kevon Looney) didn’t play, that’s why we leaned into our small lineups, and our guys did a great job,” Steve Kerr instructed reporters postgame.
Golden State hit three straight 3s to open the second quarter, and Jonathan Kuminga scored 10 factors in his first six minutes. A Curry 3 on the wing halfway by way of the second interval gave the Warriors their first lead for the reason that opening minutes.
Kuminga and De’Anthony Melton — in his first begin of the season — keyed a 7-0 run and helped the Warriors take a 65-58 into halftime.
The Thunder, with Holmgren, posted the NBA’s greatest defensive score by far coming into Sunday. The Warriors countered by raining 3s; they went 13-for-26 within the first half.
With out Holmgren, the most effective defensive staff within the NBA not seemed elite. Golden State ripped off a 10-0 run to open the second half, going small to match Oklahoma Metropolis’s model.
Kuminga particularly took benefit of the Thunder’s lack of measurement. Maybe the Warriors’ most constant scorer since he obtained faraway from the beginning lineup, Kuminga (20 factors in 26 minutes on 8-for-11 capturing) scored in double digits for a seventh straight recreation off the bench.
Curry’s microwave third quarter gave the Warriors a 17-point lead with a nook 3 over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proper after the Thunder famous person swatted his layup try.
Many analysts have leapfrogged Gilgeous-Alexander over Curry in debates over the most effective level guards within the NBA in recent times. Their head-to-head matchup instructed a special story.
Curry helped the Warriors rating 42 factors within the third quarter — a team-high for any quarter this season — and balloon their result in an apex of 30.
Oklahoma Metropolis threatened with a 23-5 blitz to begin the fourth quarter, however Curry’s flurry within the third made Golden State’s lead secure.
The Warriors’ offense went ice chilly, scoring seven factors in as many minutes. Cason Wallace obtained free for a pair of 3s, and abruptly the Thunder crept inside 9.
On the finish of their lengthy street journey, the Warriors wanted to summon the power to carry Oklahoma Metropolis off. Then Draymond Inexperienced dedicated a technical foul and Melton threw an inbounds cross away, slicing Golden State’s result in six.
However Kuminga answered with an alley-oop, adopted by a circus 3 from Curry. With 1:12 left, Melton picked up a steal and led a quick break that ended with Curry’s seventh 3 — and a Evening-Evening celebration.
This street journey was the Warriors’ first check of the season after a tender begin to their schedule. They sandwiched a dud in Cleveland with by far their two most spectacular wins of the season — on the TD Backyard and Sunday night time in Oklahoma Metropolis — regardless of how tight it obtained on the finish.
Golden State wanted to carry off a Thunder storm to flee, and Curry gave them shelter.
“Hell of a trip,” Kerr mentioned. “Great way to start the season out, winning eight of our first 10. Including a couple road wins against two of the best teams in the league. Feel like our team is in a good place, but obviously this is just the beginning of a long, long season. So we’ve got to keep working.”
Initially Printed: November 10, 2024 at 6:33 PM PST
