Warriors: Golden State ends regular season by beating Lakers for win No. 67.
Steve Kerr was more fan than coach after Warriors practice Tuesday afternoon. As Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry traded swished threepointer after swished threepointer during an extended shooting competition, Kerr reminded himself just how fortunate Golden State is to have both players.
“It was really fun for me to watch,” Kerr said later with a smile.
It was a sentiment much of a capacity Oracle Arena crowd could echo after the Warriors’ 109-94 rout of the Lakers on Wednesday night. In a regular-season finale that felt more like a glorified scrimmage, Durant and Curry reinforced how daunting of a matchup Golden State is when the two All-Stars are in sync with each other.
Durant showed no lingering signs of the left knee injury that recently sidelined him five-plus weeks as he mixed in dunks with three-pointers and pinpoint passes. In just his third game back, he poured in a game-high 29 points with eight rebounds and five assists. His jump shot, the only part of his game that lagged in his previous two outings, was at its textbook best.
He shot 11-for-16 from the field, including 5-for-7 from
beyond the arc, in 27 minutes. It was a far cry from his past two games, in which he went a combined 0-for-9 from threepoint range. Even with Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala resting, Curry could focus on facilitating. He dished out eight assists, a good chunk of which went to Durant, as he weathered an off-shooting night to chip in 20 points.
“We all knew it was only going to take so long for him to knock the cobwebs off,” Curry said of Durant. “He looked confident getting to the basket. I know he had mentioned he was a little hesitant coming off the injury, but he looked real springy tonight. He obviously found his touch.”
Late in the third quarter, after Shaun Livingston’s steal, Curry found Durant driving toward the rim for a dunk. Moments later, Durant robbed Brandon Ingram, darted upcourt and hit Curry for a layup to push the Warriors’ lead to 91-68.
Durant didn’t return to the game after taking his seat during the Lakers’ ensuing timeout. Little more than a minute later, Curry joined him toward the end of Golden State’s bench. Kerr had seen all he needed from his two best players in a no-stakes game.
Durant “played phenomenal, so efficient,” Klay Thompson said. “Just a little preview of what he’s going to do in the postseason.”
It was another feel-good development for a team peaking at the right time. While Durant was sidelined by his knee injury, Curry and Thompson powered the Warriors to 13 consecutive wins. Any concern over how quickly Durant could reacclimate was alleviated when he returned to record back-to-back doubledoubles.
After Monday’s loss to Utah, he called finding a groove with his shot “the last piece of the puzzle.” It took Durant less than three minutes Wednesday to net three three-pointers. Midway through the third quarter, he took a feed from Curry and drilled his fifth three-pointer of the night. It was just the fourth time as a Warrior he has connected that many times beyond the arc.
Entering Game 1 of the first-round playoffs Sunday against Portland, Golden State has won 15 of its past 16 games. And many of those wins were without Durant. As the Warriors eye another championship pursuit, Kerr might wonder: Should Durant and Curry make shooting competitions a part of their post-practice routine?
“He looked great tonight,” Kerr said of Durant. “First two games I thought he was solid, and tonight he was spectacular.”
Added Durant: “I can go to another level.”