SAN FRANCISCO — Feeling Onyeka Okongwu wrapped round his ankles, Steph Curry picked up his head and flung a HORSE shot off the glass.
As soon as he picked himself up from off the ground, proper subsequent to Okongwu, Curry high-fived a toddler sitting courtside within the nook. M-V-P chants adopted as Curry completed off the and-1.
That bucket initiated 17 unanswered factors for the Warriors, a first-quarter barrage that set them as much as coast the remainder of the best way.
With a tormenting protection and an aggressive Andrew Wiggins (27 factors on 12-for-17 taking pictures), the Warriors (11-4) secured a breezy 120-97 win over Atlanta. Curry poured in 23 because the Warriors held Trae Younger to 12 factors and the Hawks as a crew to 33.3% taking pictures general.
Lindy Waters III began his third straight recreation, changing De’Anthony Melton — who’s getting season-ending ACL surgical procedure — within the beginning lineup. The Warriors like not simply his match inside the beginning context, but in addition how the bench flows afterwards.
After Curry’s early and-1, the opposite Warriors joined within the motion. Buddy Hield hit his first three photographs, together with two from deep. Jonathan Kuminga scored six factors in his first 5 minutes. Brandin Podziemski, who has had a brutal taking pictures begin to the yr, hit a step-back 3.
Because the Warriors bought scorching, they held Atlanta scoreless for 5 minutes. Kevon Looney affected photographs on the rim and the Hawks turned it over a number of instances. After one Kuminga steal, he discovered Hield leaking out for a straightforward dunk.
The onslaught put Golden State up 41-22 after the primary interval.
It was all Golden State’s protection wanted to activate cruise management.
To finish a dominant first half, the Warriors ripped off a 10-0 run strictly on turning the Hawks over. Atlanta coughed it up 4 instances within the final two minutes, together with two from Trae Younger. The Warriors trapped Younger within the pick-and-roll when he was near a sideline, and Draymond Inexperienced performed the cat-and-mouse recreation within the paint every time he snaked into the lane. A Kyle Anderson strip led out to a breakaway.
Protection to offense, rinse and repeat.
At halftime, the Hawks had eight turnovers and had been 6-for-14 from the road. It was just like the Warriors gave them their worst qualities however nothing else.
Atlanta shot 30% from the sector and 6-for-23 (26.1%) from behind the arc within the first half. They had been sure for some constructive regression, sure to make a run. Just like the Rockets did. Just like the Thunder did.
It didn’t come instantly. On one play, no Hawk checked Gary Payton II, giving him a large open dunk after he arrange beneath the rim. After a made shot, the Hawks didn’t get again on protection, letting Payton slip previous them for an alley-oop from Curry at halfcourt.
However finally the Hawks wakened. After falling behind by 31, the Hawks lastly shored up their off-ball protection and threw completely different defensive seems at Golden State. The Warriors went scoreless for the final 4 minutes of the third quarter, seeing their lead halve.
The Hawks had been at one level defeated and deflated, however the Warriors allow them to cling round.
Brandin Podziemski, who eliminated his protecting face masks for his damaged nostril eight days prior, bought hit within the face three minutes into the fourth quarter and left for the coach’s room. At that time, the Warriors nonetheless maintained a 16-point lead.
And that was as shut as Atlanta would get. Curry and Inexperienced returned, they usually — plus Wiggins — closed it out. Kuminga solely performed mop-up minutes within the fourth quarter, coming into with two minutes left and a 26-point lead. It’s not just like the Warriors wanted him to shut out the Hawks, however discovering a constant function for Kuminga needs to be a precedence for the group.
The quick precedence, although, is successful video games. And the Warriors are doing loads of that.
