Working a bit harder without Thompson
As guard rests, depleted Miami can keep it close
Late in the first quarter Tuesday night, after missing five shots, Kevin Durant reminded himself that he alone didn’t need to make up for Klay Thompson’s absence.
It was only moments later that Durant knifed through the key for a huge slam. Back in his signature groove, the seventime NBA All-Star powered the Warriors to a 107-95 win over Miami that was much closer than the final score implied.
“It was definitely a different game not having Klay out there,” said Durant, who fin-
ished with 28 points and eight rebounds. “But we adjusted.”
After watching Thompson play through illness in two straight games, head coach Steve Kerr rested his catch-and-shoot maestro Tuesday. It was a calculated risk: By sitting against the NBA’s second-worst team, Thompson would be better prepared for Cleveland, Oklahoma City and Houston next week.
The Heat exposed just how important he is to Golden State’s free-flowing system. Without Thompson to stretch the floor, Durant faced more double-teams and slogged through a rough start. Not having Thompson to guard Miami’s shooters also left the Warriors less versatile defensively and contributed to open driving lanes. Miami attacked the rim at will for stretches and finished 32-for-59 (54.2 percent) on twopoint attempts.
With about a minute on the game clock, Stephen Curry poked the ball away from Miami’s Hassan Whiteside. Zaza Pachulia dived for the loose ball and hit Curry, who found Andre Iguodala in stride for a tomahawk dunk. The Heat called for time, but the scoreboard above — Golden State 102, Miami 89 — suggested their upset bid had been thwarted.
Durant (28 points, eight rebounds), Curry (24 points, eight rebounds, nine assists) and Draymond Green (13 points, nine rebounds) helped the Warriors withstand a 28-point, 20-rebound clinic by Whiteside. A 34-12 advantage in fastbreak points allowed Golden State to overcome the fact that 61 percent of the Heat’s points came in the paint.
“They can put up points in a hurry,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They can get you backpedaling, scrambling all the way to the three-point line.”
Though the Warriors entered Tuesday with an NBA-best per-game point margin of plus-11.8, they had won only two of their previous eight games by double digits. Friday’s overtime loss to Memphis, in which Golden State squandered a 24-point, second-half lead, reinforced an important truth: For the Warriors to reach their long-term goals, they’ll need their effort to match their talent.
Two nights after overcoming a first-half malaise to win in Sacramento, Golden State again opened lackadaisically Tuesday. The Heat feasted on open looks. In the waning seconds of the first quarter, Miami’s James Johnson sliced past two defenders, took one giant stride into the key and posterized Curry on a two-handed dunk.
Curry, flat on his back, raised his arms to signal his desire for a charging call. None came. After digging a double-digit hole, Miami used a 17-6 run to retake the lead late in the second quarter. Thirty-six of its 54 points had come in the paint by the time the Heat entered halftime up one point.
In the third quarter, the Warriors tightened defensively and held the Heat to 5-for-20 shooting. Durant followed up a forgettable first half with 10 thirdquarter points. Thanks to a 10-2 spurt, Golden State created some distance.
“We did a decent job defensively, especially in the third quarter,” Iguodala said. “For us, I feel like defensively we need to lock in, continue to improve on that end and that’ll lead to a better-flowing offense.”
Miami, surely inspired by the chance of a statement win, cut its deficit to three points midway through the fourth. Ian Clark hit a three-pointer, and the Warriors strung together stops. Iguodala’s dunk with 57.9 seconds left capped a 17-7 Golden State rally, effectively securing its 13th win in 15 games.
Still, one thing was clear Tuesday: The Warriors will be a much better team, on offense and defense, when they welcome Thompson back Thursday against Detroit.
“We definitely missed him,” Durant said. “Hopefully, he’s rested up and ready for the next game.”