Getting back to the basics
After a slow start the slumping Warriors used a huge third quarter to pull away for good
OAKLAND >> This once marked the place that caused opponents to lose their hearing and composure. Instead of opposing teams becoming uncomfortable at Oracle Arena this season, the Warriors have become too comfortable in their own venue.
The Warriors at home have played down to sub-.500 opponents. They become lazy with their passes, inaccurate with their shots and undisciplined with their execution. And such things have either led to underwhelming losses or wins that featured inconsistency.
In the case of the Warriors’ 123-112 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday at Oracle Arena, the Warriors (38-10) secured a home win by rectifying their early-game mistakes against the Knicks (21-27).
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 32 points on 9-of-19 shooting and 8 of 15 from 3-point range, after finishing the first half with only a 3 of 10 clip.
Draymond Green provided the usual versatility (12 points, six assists, five rebounds after going scoreless on one field-goal attempt in the first half. And after the Knicks held a 60-58 halftime lead by shooting 52.3 percent and out-rebounding the Warriors, 22-17, Golden State outscored New York 37-22 in the third quarter by shooting 12 of 19 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range.
“We just made a couple stops and it was just a matter of time before we were going to break through,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I don’t think there was ever any sense that we were in any trouble. They were just playing really well in the first half and we couldn’t get shots to go in, but we finally had a little stretch where we made a couple of shots.”
While New York struggled without star center Kristaps Porzingis (left knee irritation), the Warriors struggled with a full roster.
Warriors center Zaza Pachulia had 13 points, which surprisingly out-produced Klay Thompson’s scoring line (nine).
Though Kevin Durant posted a career-high 14 assists, he only had 14 points, went scoreless in the second half and received his third ejection of the season with 2:50 left in the game for arguing calls. Durant had picked up a technical in the third quarter after questioning why the official said he carried the ball.
“He was searching for me. He was trying to tech me up and get me back and he was still in his feelings from the first half,” said Durant, who has 11 technicals. “That’s what has been going on in the league the whole year, a bunch of that. I have to keep my head above, that, but I was upset.”
The Warriors did not so too upset afterwards about their uneven play on Tuesday.
They expressed more
concern earlier this week, though, about that trend at home. The Warriors are 17-6 at home, which pales to their current road record (21-4) as well as their performances at home in 201415 (39-2), 2015-16 (39-2) and 2016-17 (36-5). The Warriors’ losses came against two sub-.500 teams (Charlotte, Sacramento) and three teams fighting for a playoff spot (Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit, Denver).
“That’s the challenge,” said Green, mindful of the Warriors’ two NBA championships in three consecutive Finals appearances. “When you’re on the run like we are on, the challenge is to be able to get up for those games and stay engaged with the process of getting better each time you step on the floor.”
• Convicted child abuser and former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor Larry Nassar is set to face a lengthy prison sentence this week for abusing more than 158 female victims.
“I feel sorry for the victims,” said Green, a Michigan State product. “You gotta live the rest of your life with that stuff.”
Green played for the Spartans from 2008-12, during the latter years of Lassar’s tenure as a school sports doctor. The disgraced faculty member also served as a doctor for USA Gymnastics.
“It’ll be impossible to say ‘I understand what you’re going through,” Green said. “I don’t understand but I feel for them and I wish them well in their journey through life because like I said it’s something that’ll never go away.”
• Warriors reserve forward Andre Iguodala played 20 minutes on Tuesday after missing the previous two games with a left calf contusion. He scored five points with three rebounds and two assists.