Warriors’ new-look 2nd unit gains confidence
The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers haven’t had trouble with many opponents this season and that proved true for much of Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors’ best players, Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, all finished with a negative plus-minus stat while rookie center James Wiseman struggled to stay on the floor in a 13-minute performance that featured five fouls and five turnovers.
Against the first-place team in the Western Conference, the Warriors still pulled out a 115-113 come-from-behind win.
Led by a new-look second unit that featured Kelly Oubre, Jr., the Warriors’ bench players were the catalysts in an unlikely 19
point comeback. Oubre’s poor shooting has been the source of plenty of frustration this season, but the aggressive forward enjoyed his best game with Golden State with 23 points on a 9-for-18 night from the floor.
With the help of secondyear “small ball center” Eric Paschall, who scored 19 points in 19 minutes, and efficient play from several other reserves, the Warriors outscored the Lakers by 13 points in the final quarter.
“I think the game has gotten easier for (Paschall) with the new role,” Kerr said Tuesday. “What I’m really excited for his is the force of his cuts and the pace of his action.”
With Oubre taking Wiggins’ place with the second unit, the Warriors lost their primary scorer from the group but gained a player who appeared to seamlessly adjust to the intensity the reserves play with.
“He’s great out there,” Paschall said of Oubre. “His energy, I match it. We both talk a little trash and do little antics, but I feel like it’s great for both of our energy.”
Curry finished the night as the Warriors’ leading scorer while Green led the team in assists and rebounds, but Golden State’s top players knew the surprise victory over a Lakers team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis wouldn’t have been possible without the help of key backups such as Kevon Looney, Brad Wanamaker and Damion Lee.
“There’s a lot of guys playing with a chip on their shoulder,” Wanamaker said of the second unit. “Us having a chance to sit and read the game, we can see what’s working for us and what’s not.”
Aside from an improved night on the offensive end of the floor, Oubre was instrumental in shutting down James as he held the four-time MVP to 19 points on 16 shots. With Oubre often in his face, James committed a handful of late turnovers that provided Golden State with an opportunity, and the Warriors seized it.