Team had look of old for a night
After months of trying to tap into the essence of a dynasty, the Warriors — for one night at least — seemed to channel what made those teams great: Ball movement, 3- point shooting and a defense that gained strength as the game went on .
he Warriors (5-24)T lost, yet again — 122-112 on Wednesday night in Portland — but put together perhaps their best half of basketball this season. After falling behind by 13 points in the first quarter, they got 18 points from D’Angelo Russell and went into halftime down by just 1. They had assists on 15 of their 23 field goals and, with 66 points, it was their most productive first half since Oct. 28, when they put up 72 points in New Orleans.
Coming off a game in which they committed 20 turnovers in a 21-point loss to Sacramento, the Warriors tied a season-low with eight turnovers. They went almost 30 minutes without one.
“We played together, played hard, so those were all really good signs,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We didn’t play well enough to win ... didn’t execute down the stretch, but we’re growing, we’re learning and you can’t fault the effort.”
While the Warriors of old were known for polished ball movement and elite 3-point shooting, the depleted Warriors entered Wednesday night’s game having made the secondfewest 3- pointers in the league this season. In Portland, their 16 3-pointers are the most they’ve made in a game all season. Last sea
son’s team reached that mark 22 times.
Two Warriors — guard Alec Burks (four) and forward Glenn Robinson III (five) — tied and set career highs for 3-pointers made, and forward Draymond Green’s shot in the third quarter gave him a made 3-pointer in each of his past four games.
Russell finished with 26 points on 9- of-23 shooting (5 for 12 from 3-point range) and seven assists, and Robinson and Burks chipped in 17 and 16 points apiece. As a team, the Warriors assisted on 23 of their 41 made field goals and converted on 42.1% of their 3-pointers.
After the Trail Blazers made 13- of-20 shots (65%) in the first quarter, the Warriors’ defense improved and held them to 45.4% shooting for the game.
In a season filled with many more moral victories than real ones, Wednesday’s loss provided some reassurance for Kerr and his staff that the lessons being taught are taking hold.
Other thoughts ... KEVON LOONEY’S DNP- CD
» In his seven games back since missing 20 games with a neuropathic condition in his body, Kevon Looney has struggled to get back into playing shape. Only once has he logged more than 15 minutes in a game, and he’s averaging just 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 33.3%. On Wednesday, Kerr made the decision not to play him at all.
“Looney is struggling to get his game back right now,” Kerr said.
The Warriors signed Looney to a three-year, $15 million contract this offseason, marking him as a foundational piece. But after missing training camp with a hamstring issue and not being able to work out in the summer while recovering from a chest injury he suffered in last season’s finals, Looney hasn’t played much the last six months.
“We’ve tried to help him play back into condition here the last couple of weeks, but it’s not really fair for him or the team until he’s really in a better place physically,” Kerr said. THE RUSSELL AND CAULEYSTEIN CONNECTION » Two of Russell’s first three assists went to center Willie Cauley-Stein. Each known as a player who thrives in pickand-roll situation prior to landing in Golden State, the expected two-man game has been a work progress.
After games, CauleyStein and Russell watch film and discuss what they can improve on -- such as how Russell could have found Cauley- Stein on the roll and how Cauley- Stein can spring Russell open. They’ve had to adjust to each other’s pace of play.
Russell has assisted on four of Cauley- Stein’s 13 made field goals in the last two games, and 21 all season. With more time, the partnership is starting to reap rewards. DRAYMOND GREEN’S MESSAGE TO THE TRAIL BLAZERS » During the game, a Portland assistant coach egged on the referee to assess a delay of the game on the Warriors. Draymond Green took exception to that and had it out with the assistant coach.
“Asking for delay of games don’t help you win in the playoffs. But that’s the league we’re in. Everyone cheat the game,” Green said. “But those that cheat the game don’t win.”
The Warriors have eliminated the Trail Blazers in three of the past four postseasons.